(3) 1-3 Gracie LaRoo series. Illustrated by Kristyna Litten. Gracie LaRoo is not just a spunky pig, she is also a world champion synchronized swimmer. In two installments, Gracie learns how to calm her nerves and trust her gut when giving a speech (School) and how to concentrate during a swimming competition (Jubilee). Ample white space and dynamic illustrations will appeal to beginning readers. Discussion points and writing prompts are appended. Glos. Review covers these Gracie LaRoo titles: Gracie LaRoo at Pig Jubilee and Gracie LaRoo Goes to School.

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(3) 1-3 Gracie LaRoo series. Illustrated by Kristyna Litten. Gracie LaRoo is not just a spunky pig, she is also a world champion synchronized swimmer. In two installments, Gracie learns how to calm her nerves and trust her gut when giving a speech (School) and how to concentrate during a swimming competition (Jubilee). Ample white space and dynamic illustrations will appeal to beginning readers. Discussion points and writing prompts are appended. Glos. Review covers these Gracie LaRoo titles: Gracie LaRoo at Pig Jubilee and Gracie LaRoo Goes to School.

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(2) YA Witnessing a fatal ATV accident, eighteen-year-old Hanna can't manage to tell anyone what she saw. A mysterious--and sexy--boy also appears repeatedly at the accident scene, and he and Hanna seek each other out to discover their connections and secrets. In a large cast of characters, those closest to Hanna are fully realized individuals, winning our investment in their stories as well.

Reviewer: Lauren Adams | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2005

(4) YA Eighteen in 1969, Brady finds herself immersed in the war at home, especially because her brother is AWOL in Vietnam, her new best friend is getting deep into the antiwar movement, and the boy she likes, Mark, is a veteran. The milieu of late-sixties countercultural Minneapolis is vividly evoked and, while the book is rather static, the tone is appealingly grownup and unpreachy.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton

(3) YA Murder seems to be an all-too-permanent part of seventeen-year-old Barrie's life. Her ex-con mom owns Killer Looks, a beauty salon staffed by her former prison mates--all of whom served time for murder. When two new dead bodies appear, fingers immediately point toward the Killer Looks employees. Barrie, however, suspects a new friend is the murderer. Strong characterizations, high suspense, and an unexpected twist make for a solid mystery.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger