(3) 4-6 Abandoned as a child and shuffled through foster homes, Min has been dumped again at Children's Aid. After Dr. Jessica Hart "kidnaps" her for the holidays, Min, faced with the promise of a real family, struggles with her shattered identity and intense lack of trust in others. Little draws a gritty, uplifting portrait of a girl learning to hope.

Reviewer: Hannah Rodgers Barnaby

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Werner Zimmermann. While the other animals in the barn boast about the contributions their ancestors made to the first Christmas, Pippin the pig feels left out. Angrily, she runs away. She meets a homeless mother and baby, whom she leads back to the barn. The story's lesson about the joys of giving is too pointed, but the detailed watercolor and pencil illustrations give the characters personality.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) K-3 I Can Read Book series. Illustrated by Jennifer Plecas & Jennifer Plecas. In this third installment in the series, Max wants a dog, but his big sister Emma is allergic to fur. A lizard is a good compromise, and caring for the new pet brings the siblings closer while sensitively resolving issues of Max's own status as a new, adopted family member. Both subject matter and writing are on target, and simply drawn, expressive characters gently guide the fledgling reader.

Reviewer: Amanda Sullivan

(4) 4-6 Recently abandoned, ten-year-old Willow gathers up her little brother Twig and heads to Ontario to live with their long lost grandmother. Adjusting to a new and loving family takes some getting used to, as memories of a drugged mother and abusive adults haunt Willow. Although the book is overburdened with tragic events, Little perceptively explores an adult world of drugs, relationships, and love through the eyes of a child.

Reviewer: Lauren Rizzuto

(3) K-3 I Can Read Book series. Illustrated by Jennifer Plecas. No longer the shy Emma of Emma's Magic Winter, this big-sister-to-be is excited to meet her adopted brother--but being a sister is a lot harder than she imagined. Five short chapters with simple but expressive illustrations frame this bittersweet story. With patience and understanding, Emma eventually gains Max's trust; newly independent readers will be won over, too.

Reviewer: Amanda Sullivan

(1) K-3 I Can Read Book series. Illustrated by Jennifer Plecas. Shy Emma connects with the new girl by instigating a shared pretend: "My boots have magic powers. . . . Are yours magic too?" Emma and Sally make a leap from imagined magic to the real magic and power of friendship when Sally's encouragement allows quiet Emma to speak up at school. Little's prose flows easily, with touches of humor. With Plecas's warm illustrations, this book is one newly independent readers won't be at all shy about reading.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 1998