(3) 4-6 Accomplished pianist Isabella loves both of her parents. Unfortunately, they no longer love each other, which means she divides her time between two homes and blended families. Having a black father and a white mother also has Isabella examining her biracial identity. A hate incident at school and an unexpected confrontation threaten to tear apart her already fragile world in Draper's perceptive and engaging story.

Reviewer: Monique Harris

(2) 4-6 Eleven-year-old Stella is a deep thinker who often sneaks out of the house and writes under the starlight. Writing helps Stella makes sense of life in segregated 1932 Bumblebee, North Carolina. There's plenty of action: cross burnings, house burnings, a snakebite, a near-drowning, and a beating. But at its core, this story is one of a supportive African American community facing tough times.

Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2015

(4) 4-6 Clubhouse Mysteries series. Illustrated by Jesse Joshua Watson. The "Black Dinosaurs," a club of four African American boys, compete in a talent show and help a homeless girl (Stars) and rescue a fawn whose habitat has been destroyed (Backyard). Issues are laid on thick and stiff illustrations don't add much, but the installments are entertaining enough. Originally published as part of the Ziggy and the Black Dinosaurs series. Review covers this Clubhouse Mysteries title: The Backyard Animal Show and Stars and Sparks on Stage.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) 4-6 Clubhouse Mysteries series. Illustrated by Jesse Joshua Watson. Four African American friends--Ziggy, Jerome, Rico, and Rashawn--pursue their interest in science by attending Space Camp. Although occasionally over-earnest and preachy, the book successfully weaves factual information into the story. Occasional black-and-white drawings vacillate between unobtrusive and distracting. This reissue was originally published as part of the Ziggy and the Black Dinosaurs series.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) 4-6 Clubhouse Mysteries series. Illustrated by Jesse Joshua Watson. The "Black Dinosaurs," a club of four African American boys, compete in a talent show and help a homeless girl (Stars) and rescue a fawn whose habitat has been destroyed (Backyard). Issues are laid on thick and stiff illustrations don't add much, but the installments are entertaining enough. Originally published as part of the Ziggy and the Black Dinosaurs series. Review covers this Clubhouse Mysteries title: The Backyard Animal Show and Stars and Sparks on Stage.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) 4-6 Clubhouse Mysteries series. Illustrated by Jesse Joshua Watson. Four fifth-graders become involved in local mysteries. In Bones, they uncover bones near their clubhouse; Tunnel finds the gang trapped in a tunnel that was part of the Underground Railroad; in Caesar's, a camping trip turns into a Shawnee manhood ceremony. The mysteries aren't all that suspenseful and the black history lessons aren't subtle, but the readable texts are diverting. Review covers these Clubhouse Mysteries titles: The Buried Bones Mystery, Lost in the Tunnel of Tim, and Shadows of Caesar's Creek.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) 4-6 Clubhouse Mysteries series. Illustrated by Jesse Joshua Watson. Four fifth-graders become involved in local mysteries. In Bones, they uncover bones near their clubhouse; Tunnel finds the gang trapped in a tunnel that was part of the Underground Railroad; in Caesar's, a camping trip turns into a Shawnee manhood ceremony. The mysteries aren't all that suspenseful and the black history lessons aren't subtle, but the readable texts are diverting. Review covers these Clubhouse Mysteries titles: The Buried Bones Mystery, Lost in the Tunnel of Tim, and Shadows of Caesar's Creek.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) 4-6 Clubhouse Mysteries series. Illustrated by Jesse Joshua Waston. Four fifth-graders become involved in local mysteries. In Bones, they uncover bones near their clubhouse; Tunnel finds the gang trapped in a tunnel that was part of the Underground Railroad; in Caesar's, a camping trip turns into a Shawnee manhood ceremony. The mysteries aren't all that suspenseful and the black history lessons aren't subtle, but the readable texts are diverting. Review covers these Clubhouse Mysteries titles: The Buried Bones Mystery, Lost in the Tunnel of Tim, and Shadows of Caesar's Creek.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(2) 4-6 Narrator Melody is a fifth grader with cerebral palsy. She's brilliant, but few people realize just how brilliant until she receives "Elvira," her Medi-Talker computer. Draper paints the picture of a real girl--with tantrums and attitude, problems with mean girls and oafish adults. This is an eye-opening book with an unforgettable protagonist and a rich cast of fully realized, complicated characters.

Reviewer: Robin L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2010

(4) 4-6 Fourth-grader Sassy plans to reach out to the shy new girl and simultaneously complete a class project by learning to cook and hosting a dinner party. Easier said than done, though, when neither recipes nor guests cooperate. In her fourth book, Sassy's sunny personality--which, predictably, saves the day, as usual--may inspire readers to try their own hands at the included recipes.

Reviewer: Norah Piehl

(4) 4-6 If Sassy had her way, everything from the family pecking order to the school uniforms would change for the better. As it is, the diminutive fourth grader has to settle for little bits of flair, especially her grandma-designed Sassy Sack handbag. In a heartwarming if predictable plot, Sassy discovers that her small size and fearless attitude can be assets in a crisis.

Reviewer: Norah Piehl

(4) 4-6 A family trip to Florida to celebrate Grammy's birthday turns serious as a hurricane approaches. Sassy, who had been concerned mainly with bringing just the right swimsuit, adopts a new mission: saving sea turtle eggs threatened by the storm. Creative problem solving and a comforting, reassuring family dynamic provide examples for overcoming adversity in this lighthearted, if predictable story.

Reviewer: Norah Piehl

(4) YA In this trilogy ender (The Battle of Jericho, November Blues), Draper draws together her characters to wrap up several story lines. Issues include everything from prescription drug addiction to bullying to school shootings, and Draper juggles a variety of perspectives with aplomb. The drama can be over the top, but the novel sustains a cinematic quality that works well.

Reviewer: Hannah Rodgers Barnaby

(4) YA Sixteen-year-old November Nelson discovers she's pregnant only weeks after the tragic death of her boyfriend, Josh. His parents mount a campaign to adopt the baby, and November must decide whether to give up custody. The story alternates points of view between November and Josh's cousin Jericho (Battle of Jericho). Some stilted dialogue and oversimplification of issues dilute the drama.

Reviewer: Hannah Rodgers Barnaby

(4) 4-6 Ziggy and the Black Dinosaurs series. Illustrated by Jesse Joshua Watson. In their sixth adventure, Ziggy and his friends enter the school talent show. After winning, they donate their two-hundred-dollar prize to a family displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Although some of the details are unlikely (for example, the displaced mother finds an apartment and job in about one day), the story is entertaining and well meaning. A study guide is appended.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) YA As Little Rock, Arkansas, prepares for school integration in 1957, African American Sylvia Patterson struggles to decide whether to attend the white high school. Through third-person narration and diary entries, readers learn Sylvia's perspectives on racism and civil action in addition to some real-life history about the Little Rock Nine. The interjection of facts can be awkward. Websites.

Reviewer: Hannah Rodgers Barnaby

(4) 4-6 Ziggy and the Black Dinosaurs series. Illustrated by Jesse Joshua Watson. The fourth and fifth books about the Black Dinosaurs follow four African American friends--Ziggy, Jerome, Rico, and Rashawn--as they pursue their interest in science, attending Space Camp and caring for an orphaned fawn. Although occasionally over-earnest and preachy, the books successfully weave factual information into the stories. Study guides, including discussion and writing questions, are included. Review covers these Ziggy and the Black Dinosaurs titles: The Backyard Animal Show and The Space Mission Adventure.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) 4-6 Ziggy and the Black Dinosaurs series. Illustrated by Jesse Joshua Watson. The fourth and fifth books about the Black Dinosaurs follow four African American friends--Ziggy, Jerome, Rico, and Rashawn--as they pursue their interest in science, attending Space Camp and caring for an orphaned fawn. Although occasionally over-earnest and preachy, the books successfully weave factual information into the stories. Study guides, including discussion and writing questions, are included. Review covers these Ziggy and the Black Dinosaurs titles: The Backyard Animal Show and The Space Mission Adventure.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) YA Jericho is thrilled when he's asked to join the Warriors of Distinction, a school club with a fifty-year history and fine reputation for community service. But he soon learns that membership involves a prolonged and demeaning hazing campaign that includes paddling, being led on a leash, and jumping from a second-story window. This well-characterized novel moves with mounting tension to its inevitably tragic conclusion.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) 4-6 Delia, an eighth grader on a championship level double dutch team, has a terrible secret and so has her friend Randy. Delia is illiterate and about to be unmasked by a mandatory state test. Randy has been all alone for weeks, with no word from his absent father and little money left. This issue-laden novel features an appealing cast of sympathetic characters.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth