(2) 4-6 Blue Stars series. Illustrated by Molly Murakami. In their first graphic novel collaboration, Magoon and Smith introduce readers to cousins Riley Halfmoon and Maya Dawn. Riley is used to being surrounded by her Muscogee cousins and aunties. Maya is an only child and lives in Japan with her parents, who are on active duty. The girls both move to Urbanopolis to live with their paternal grandmother when Riley's mom gets a new job and Maya's parents get a new assignment. At first they find sharing a room to be a difficult adjustment; when school starts, the two continue on their separate paths until they realize the vice principal plans to cut afterschool programs for more detention space. The girls work together to expose his plans and to "be the stars" their grandmother wants them to be. The story and illustrations are a wonderful representation of a multiracial (the cousins' paternal grandmother is Black; Riley's mom is Muscogee, and Maya's mother is white) and multigenerational family. The graphic novel format, with varied panel layouts in the digital illustrations, helps create a fast-paced adventure middle-grade and middle-school readers will appreciate.

Reviewer: Nicholl Denice Montgomery | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2024

(2) YA Theater kid Hughie Wolfe, one of the few Indigenous students at his high school, is disappointed when the fall play is cancelled. He sets his sights on a new project: a haunted house fundraiser at the rural crossroads, a location plagued by rumors of an Indigenous ghost. Hughie is excited to volunteer until he learns that the organizer wants to feature Indigenous stereotypes, including an "Indian Maiden" and an "Indian burial ground" as the main attractions. To make matters worse, there are reports of a creepy figure terrorizing brown girls at the crossroads, scaring them as they walk to their vehicles at night. As Hughie considers how to speak up about bigotry against Indigenous people, he and his friends investigate the stalker and discover that some rumors are based in truth. The story (set in the same universe as the realistic Rain Is Not My Indian Name and Hearts Unbroken, rev. 11/18) adeptly centers important conversations about the racism Indigenous youth face; the plight of missing Indigenous women, girls, and Two-Spirit people; and the lack of police, media, and governmental support in searching for them. This eerie cross-genre novel will entice readers in search of spooky and truthful storytelling.

Reviewer: S. R. Toliver | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2023

(2) 4-6 In her reimagining of a classic, Smith gives readers a decidedly modern look at the magic, adventure, and mystery of Barrie's Peter Pan, without its derogatory depictions of Indigenous people. The story opens in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where stepsisters Wendy Darling and Lily Roberts are weathering the fallout of their parents' marital crisis and conflicting professional ambitions. Ms. Roberts-Darling is Muscogee Creek and is committed to the economic development of her tribe. She'd offered to officially adopt Wendy, but Wendy balked at the idea in deference to her late mother and is heading to New York for the summer with her English financier father. The rifts between the once-inseparable stepsisters and between their parents are not the only ones. Peter Pan (who shows up at the Roberts-Darling residence on a mission to find a storyteller to bring to Neverland) has been deserted by his shadow, who is sick and tired of the boy's bullying ways. With a generous dose of fairy dust, Wendy and her little brother Michael are whisked off to Neverland, and Lily follows to try to rescue them. In that would-be paradise, there are environmental and humanitarian disasters looming all around, and even the satisfaction of finding a longed-for storyteller is short-lived once Wendy announces that she's about to turn thirteen and so, by Peter's own decree, must be fed to a giant crocodile. This smart and engaging middle-grade novel intertwines bits of Barrie's language, some strong and resourceful Indigenous kids, and themes of the importance of family and the powerful bonds of sisterhood into an original and wholly satisfying bit of magic.

Reviewer: Luann Toth | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2021

(2) YA Louise Wolfe--a high-school senior, budding journalist, and member of the Muscogee Nation--works on the school newspaper, where she meets half-Lebanese/half-Scottish Joey Kairouz, an ambitious photojournalist. Lou learns how to write about controversy with the school's "color-conscious" casting of its Wizard of Oz production. Lou and Joey's love story deepens over the course of the novel, and Smith effectively presents the continuous microaggressions Lou faces as a young Native woman. Glos.

Reviewer: Christina L. Dobbs | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2018

(2) YA After a viral video outs werecat Kayla, she and her friends flee the Federal Humanity Protection Unit. And that's just the beginning of this funny, fast-paced urban fantasy: subplots involve greedy yetis and a governor kidnapped by a (supposed) weresnake. It all sounds wacky--and it is--but Smith keeps the threads taut in this conclusion to both the Feral trilogy and companion series Tantalize.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2015

(2) YA After touching the carousel-animal cougar in his Grams's antique store, Yoshi (Feral Nights) is transported to Pine Ridge, home of secret werecat Kayla. Within a few days, more Shifters show up, all inexplicably drawn to her. Debut character Kayla--level-headed, religious, but also quietly proud of her shifter nature--holds her own. Witty banter keeps the tone light even as the stakes ramp up.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2014

(2) YA Fans of the Tantalize quartet will appreciate this companion novel featuring its supporting cast. Set in Smith's alternate Austin, Texas, during the events of Diabolical, this book follows wereopossum Clyde and human Aimee as they investigate the murder of their friend Travis. As before, Smith's blend of supernatural suspense, campy humor, and romantic tension is addictive; allusions to pop culture add to the fun.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2013

(4) YA Illustrated by Ming Doyle. He's her fallen guardian angel, she's vampire royalty, and they're in love--but can that save Miranda's soul? This graphic adaptation of the acclaimed novel by the same name is told from Zachary's perspective yet shows the inner struggle of both Miranda and Zachary to be good. Doyle's traditional graphic novel–style black-and-white illustrations ultimately add little to the story.

Reviewer: April Mazza | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2009

(2) YA Tantalize series. In this fourth entry, angel Zachary and wolf-boy Kieren join forces with an eclectic group of students at Scholomance Academy to face down their demonic instructor and the very hounds of hell. Smith recalls her entire cast of uniquely imagined supernaturals and expertly weaves their stories into this installment, incorporating just enough details from previous books to bring readers up to speed.

Reviewer: Lauren Adams | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2012

(3) YA Illustrated by Ming Doyle. Smith's popular novel (Tantalize) gets a new graphic novel format and different point of view. Shapeshifter Kieren's awareness of his imminent return to the wolfpack impedes his relationship with Quincie. Disappearances surrounding Quincie's vampire-themed family restaurant, Sanguini's, make Kieren worry for Quincie's safety. Expressive panel art succeeds at conveying the high stakes for both characters.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(2) YA In this third book of Smith's vampire trilogy, Quincie hunts down slick vampire chef Brad. As in Tantalize and Eternal, the main attractions are Smith's clever and campy blend of the supernatural and the everyday, and her thoroughly entertaining characters, human and otherwise. A hearty meal for the thinking vampire reader.

Reviewer: Lauren Adams | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2011

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Barry Gott. Young Holler Loudly lives up to his name, exclaiming his enthusiasm for math, fishing, etc. In true tall-tale fashion, Holler uses his special talent to save the town from a tornado. Lively prose is complemented by an exuberant design and palette. Hot pinks and wild purples, along with the exaggeratedly large open mouths of the characters, give this romp just the right treatment.

Reviewer: Robin L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2011

(2) YA Chosen as Dracula's princess and heir, Miranda spends her nights receiving visitors and performing bloody executions. To earn back his wings, fallen guardian angel Zachary applies to be her personal assistant. Events play out in a parallel Chicago mingling mortal and immortal, damned and blessed. Like the author's delectably demonic Tantalize, this suspenseful and entertaining story is not for the squeamish.

Reviewer: Lauren Adams | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2009

(2) YA In an alternate Austin, Texas, Quincie and her uncle are preparing to reopen the family restaurant when their chef is murdered. A charming young man appears and tantalizes Quincie with sinfully delicious dishes. The restaurant's heady mix of rich foods and supernatural sexuality sets the novel's tone. Smith adds a light touch of humor, but the main course is a dark romance.

Reviewer: Lauren Adams | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2007

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Steve Björkman. Alfie is scornful of his little sister Noelle's belief in Santa and determines to expose this fraud to the world: "'Wake up and smell the cookies!' he posted on the World Wide Web. 'At least they're for real.'" But Alfie gets his just rewards--as does Noelle--when Santa steps in. The dialogue-driven story is neatly structured, and Björkman's line-and-wash pictures have plenty of sprightly holiday accents.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2006

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Jim Madsen. Six interrelated stories follow the everyday adventures of Ray Halfmoon, a contemporary Seminole-Cherokee boy who lives with his grandfather in Chicago. The writing is warm and lively; the situations are sometimes humorous, sometimes poignant; and Ray and Grampa's loving relationship is depicted believably and without sentimentality. Realistic black-and-white drawings illustrate the text.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(3) YA Fourteen-year-old Rain, of mixed Native American heritage, is devastated by her best friend's death. She comes out of her self-imposed seclusion to shoot photos for a local newspaper feature on a summer youth program for Native Americans in her Kansas hometown. The engaging first-person narrative convincingly portrays Rain's grieving process and addresses the varying degrees of prejudice she encounters.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann