(4) YA Dirt-poor and living in the Georgia mountains during the Great Depression, fourteen-year-old Halley has little chance of getting the education she desires. Since her father's death, her family lives with Pa Franklin, her grandfather and the town's hard-hearted preacher. The ending is both hopeful and discouraging: Halley eventually escapes Pa Franklin's tyranny when her mother remarries.

Reviewer: Lauren Rizzuto

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Sherry Meidell. When a traveling photographer pulls his horse-drawn wagon into the farmyard, Emily's large and rambunctious family gathers for a family photo; unfortunately, the pets--dogs, cat, and goat--refuse to sit pretty and instead cause a ruckus. Set in the mountains of Georgia, this picture book tries too hard to be humorous: although the illustrations are appropriately comic, the text describes the slapstick action in unnecessary detail.

Reviewer: Anne St. John

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Sherry Meidell. The unscheduled arrival of a steam train sets a small Georgia town abuzz, particularly a boy who dreams of being an engineer. Somewhat stereotyped language and characters flatly evoke a bygone era in the South. Detailed illustrations effectively capture the southern landscape and the dramatic, powerful train.

Reviewer: CHristine Sarrazin

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Sherry Meidell. Although Emma Jo loves to sing, she has trouble carrying a tune. At a family reunion, her brother teases her and announces that Emma Jo will sing a solo. Instead of giving up, she tries to sing, and in support, her siblings join her, and even their dog sings along. Distinctive watercolors accompany this story of family loyalty set decades ago in the rural South.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Ted Rand. Mandy's stepfather, Mr. Long, declares that only the boys in the family need to learn to drive their new Model T. But after Mama takes Mandy on a crazy drive around their farm, Mr. Long is obliged to agree that a woman can drive, too. The car's wild proportions in the illustrations match the story's larger-than-life atmosphere and capture the chaos and excitement of driving the new motorcar.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert