(2) YA West Virginia, the Mountain State, is also historically known for both coal mining and Appalachian poverty. Watkins explores the nexus between them in this overlooked chapter in the history of the labor movement. By the early twentieth century, West Virginia had emerged as a cheap source of coal, in large part because capitalism allowed wealthy mine owners to exploit workers. Coal mining was dangerous, the hours were long, the conditions deplorable, and the pay minimal -- often paid in scrip, currency accepted only at the company store. The tension between mine owners and labor unions came to a head in 1920 during the Matewan Massacre and in 1921 during the Battle of Blair Mountain. Watkins introduces the major players and aptly delineates the causes and effects of these bloody and violent events. He reflects on how this history has been erased from books on West Virginia, a history that could have served as a source of pride in resistance. He concludes with a discussion of the current state of coal mining, still a mainstay of the area's economy despite mounting national pressure to move away from fossil fuels. Numerous black-and-white photographs ably support the text, while sources, notes, and an index are appended.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2024

(3) YA American teen Taylor Sorenson, son of a Special Attaché at the U.S. Embassy in 1968 Vietnam, sneaks out to explore Saigon on his own on the night the Tet Offensive begins and is kidnapped by North Vietnamese soldiers. Marched along the Ho Chi Minh Trail as a POW, Taylor sees wartime atrocities firsthand. An appended author's note adds context to this harrowing historical novel.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(3) 4-6 When Danny's fishing boat is sunk by a German U-boat, he's left in a coma. This inspires his twelve-year-old brother Colton to use Danny's enlistment documents to join the Navy. As detailed in the author's note, Watkins's accessible and immediate-feeling historical novel was inspired by the real-life experience of Calvin Graham, the youngest person to serve in WWII. Glos.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(3) YA Shane's older brother, Jeremy, is a hometown hero: football star, valedictorian, and decorated Marine. But after returning from three deployments, Jeremy's behavior is erratic and violent. Concerned, Shane accompanies Jeremy on an ill-advised impromptu canoe trip. While their wilderness adventure ends on a melodramatic note, their journey is a raw, tense exploration of brotherhood and the psychological costs of war.

Reviewer: Jessica Tackett MacDonald

(3) YA When seventeen-year-old Sadie and her sister, Carla, are caught participating (unintentionally) in a drug deal, Sadie takes the blame to protect her family; her punishment is a six-month sentence in a juvenile corrections facility. The novel is bleak and brutal--which, of course, is the point--making Sadie's loyalty to Carla and resolve to survive all the more powerful.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(3) YA After her father's death, sixteen-year-old Iris goes to live in North Carolina with her mean-spirited, abusive aunt and violent cousins. When Iris, an animal lover, sets the farm goats free, her relationship with Aunt Sue comes to a violent head. Endearing characters and poignant themes populate the story, as Iris comes to terms with her loss and her passion.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt

(4) YA Dewey Turner hopes to have a normal year in seventh grade, but his simple outlook on life complicates things in mid-1960s Florida. Friendships with other outcasts in his hometown of Sand Mountain force him to consider gender, race, politics, and inequality. Though Dewey seems hopelessly naive for his age, his genuine personality makes him an endearing character.

Reviewer: Juliet S. King