(2) YA Freya June Sun, a seventh grader grappling with grief eight months after her father's death, clings to Chinese superstitions for connection. The superstitions, passed down by her father, frequently disrupt her reality, making a pair of red birds or upright chopsticks in rice bowls harbingers of luck or misfortune. Desperate to continue meeting her father's expectations, Freya forces herself to keep playing the viola although she secretly hates it. Quiet, introspective Freya is overlooked in her household and kept at a distance from her older sister, climate activist May, who is constantly at odds with their mother. Unable to find much comfort with her childhood best friends, Freya befriends her former nemesis, Korean American Gus Choi. As they navigate a school assignment together, Gus's culinary skills and unwavering support spark a passion for baking in Freya. (Two recipes for baked goods that evoke pleasant memories of her father are appended.) In an author's note, Shen shares her personal story of experiencing loss at a young age, offering a message to anyone who has had a similar experience: "I'm proud of you for pushing on. Like Freya's red birds, I hope you continue to soar." Touching and tender, Shen's novel delightfully captures the vibrant personality of a thirteen-year-old coping with grief by learning new ways of honoring a loved one.

Reviewer: Kristine Techavanich | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2024

(2) 4-6 On the ice, twelve-year-old Chinese American girl Maxine Chen is a fearless figure skater in pursuit of an Olympic dream. Off the ice, she grapples with fitting in at school and balancing her classwork with her athletic training. What's more, a bully subjects Maxine to bias-based harassment by using a racial slur, mocking her eyes, and promoting stereotypes of Asians as hyper-intelligent and perpetual foreigners. Maxine's self-esteem wavers even more when an old friendship fades and a new skilled skater emerges, leaving Maxine feeling isolated and eclipsed mere weeks before a crucial competition. Shen depicts a determined, spirited tween working toward overcoming insecurities and finding her voice. Asian American figure-skating heroes (e.g., Michelle Kwan, Kristi Yamaguchi, Nathan Chen) provide Maxine stories of belonging, countering her "othered" experience as a minority in her majority white hometown. When a fellow skater shows her techniques gleaned from Asian makeup experts on YouTube, Maxine learns to see her once-mocked eyes anew: "My eyes, my eyes, the lids I hate so much, their shriveled curves, the ugly slits. Now they are almost pretty." Set in the dazzling world of competitive figure skating, this is a heartwarming story of perseverance and self-acceptance.

Reviewer: Kristine Techavanich | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2021

(4) PS DK Toddler Story Book series. Illustrated by Carol Thompson. A toddler makes all his growing-up transitions in what appears to be just one morning--going from bottle to cup, booties to shoes, diaper to potty. The subject is one of interest to toddlers and the art is full of movement and enthusiasm, but the story line is unrealistic and the ending awkward.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) PS Share-a-Story series. Illustrated by Selina Young. Mrs. Wolf finds a duck egg and brings it home, hoping for a tasty meal. When Funny Feet hatches, he imprints on Mrs. Wolf, softening her heart and foiling her dinner plans. Lighthearted watercolor illustrations extend the humorous text's portrayal of the duo's unlikely relationship. The endpapers include reading tips and suggestions for story-related activities.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(3) K-3 Underscoring the adage that familiarity breeds contempt, Pig and Hippo's friendship is tested when Hippo clips the hedge between their houses, making the friends privy to each other's most unappealing foibles: Hippo chews his toenails, Pig gorges herself on sweets. As the hedge grows back, the pair renew their friendship, "but ever after, back in their own homes...they did exactly as they pleased!" Watercolors lightheartedly capture the pair's not-so-private follies.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.