(2) 4-6 Twelve-year-old narrator Mallory is distressed to learn that her neighbor and sometime-friend Jennifer Chan has disappeared. Having recently moved to town (deemed "Nowhereville" Florida by Mallory), Jennifer--who is Chinese American; lives with a young, single mother; and wholeheartedly believes in aliens--doesn't fit in at snobby, homogenous Gibbons Academy. Socially insecure Mallory (whose own mom is "half Korean") and her two mean-girl besties had bullied Jennifer. Alternating between "Now" and "Then," and with heavy foreshadowing of something known as "the Incident," Mallory slowly, guiltily, reveals what happened, and how she's determined to make things right. Occasional interspersed journal entries from "Jennifer Chan's Guide to the Universe" provide the missing girl's thoughts on family, friendship, and the inevitability of extraterrestrial existence, plus how to make contact; the story's climax leaves room for interpretation regarding her success. Keller (Newbery Medalist for When You Trap a Tiger) writes with uncommon compassion for all of her characters--even the cruel-seeming ones-­-addressing such issues as peer pressure, individuality, identity, and microaggressions from a variety of perspectives. A ­heartfelt and hopeful appended note provides further details about the author's ­motivation and methodology.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2022

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Geraldine Rodríguez. Fourth grader Mihi Whan Park, who loves fairy tales and princesses, wants nothing more than to fit in at school, a place where microaggressions abound. A botched game of Snow White results in Mihi's being sent indoors to the library for recess, where she meets two other misfits, Reese and Savannah. Though the three girls are vastly different--Reese is curious and inventive, Savannah is quiet and cautious, and Mihi is headstrong and bold--they share a love of princess stories and adventure. These qualities and their common interests come in handy when they discover a magical portal in the school librarian's fridge that takes them to the Rainbow Forest, where they find themselves in training to become royalty. But it turns out that learning how to be a princess isn't as easy or as much fun as Mihi expects. The Rainbow Forest is full of mystery and danger and is home to several classic Western fairy-tale characters, including Sleeping Beauty and Goldilocks's three bears. In a tale of kinship and self-discovery, Keller conveys the isolation one feels when faced with racism and stereotypes without steering readers away from the primary story line. In her quest for belonging and creating her own perfect fairy tale, Mihi finds that genuine friendship is what she needed all along.

Reviewer: Gabi K. Huesca | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2022

(3) 4-6 Korean American middle schooler Lily thinks she has to take on a magical tiger in order to save her beloved Halmoni (grandmother), but the truth is much more complicated. An ambitious number of themes--coming of age, family relationships (particularly between sisters and between generations), belonging, friendship, grief, and end-of-life--intertwine in a heartfelt novel. Debut author Keller incorporates Korean folktales throughout, adding richness and depth.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano