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General Literature
580 Reviews
(2)
4-6
Illustrated by
Jarrett J. Krosoczka.
This imaginative collection presents thirteen stories from an all-star team of authors, including Nikki Grimes, Pam Muñoz Ryan, and Linda Sue Park. A heartfelt introduction by the coeditors sets up the theme and through line: these are short stories of middle-school kids growing in self-knowledge and empathy as they realize that they each have some sort of gift. ("Because everyone has a power, and that power matters, no matter how small or inconvenient it may seem.") The compilation is cleverly organized into two parts: "The Power of Discovering Who We Are" and "The Power of Being Who We Are." Abilities portrayed include time-jumping, shape-shifting, telepathy, the courage to speak truth to power, the ability to sense when avocados are ripe, and more. In Kyle Lukoff's story, a child learns to take steps to trust and affirm his own wishes about his gender identity; in Mitali Perkins's, a chameleon gives a girl magical cultural code switching abilities. Whether big or small, silly or serious (or both), every power is brought to life through a nuanced, diverse cast of characters and entertaining, thought-provoking plots. While the narratives lean whimsical, this entire project offers readers a careful, serious, and profound invitation to reflect on issues of identity, responsibility, social justice, and the myriad ways that people's gifts -- in both perception and application -- can affect others' lives, relationships, and the wider world. Illustrations not seen.
Reviewer: Elisa Gall
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
March, 2024
(2)
4-6
Focused on a community center in the fictional town of Maple Grove, New Jersey, this powerful collection of short stories celebrates the broad diversity of middle schoolers from the South Asian community, commonly referred to as desi. Over the course of the eleven interrelated stories, protagonists celebrate major life events, holidays, and the more mundane at the community center. The dilapidated building serves as the focal point for a heavily Asian American community but is also a target of xenophobic opportunists, who use coded (and sometimes overt) language to try to shut it down. "Together at the Center" by Khan, "Out in the Open" by Rajani LaRocca, and "The Map of Home" by Sayantani DasGupta showcase the importance of open dialogue, community, and speaking out against anti-Asian/South Asian and Islamophobic incidents. Mitali Perkins's "Smile Number Seven" and "Answered Prayers" by N. H. Senzai address in-group judgment, both real and perceived, ethnic and religious; resulting self-defense mechanisms are handled with nuance and care in relation to single-parent households, disability, and domestic violence. Back matter includes a note from Khan and contributing authors' bios.
(2)
YA
Luna, Heavenly Water, menses, period, monthly moon--menstruation by any name is a fact of life for the BIPOC main characters in these short stories that focus on cultural celebrations, social stigma, gender identity, and the myriad physical and emotional changes taking place during puberty. Christina Soontornvat's "Rules of the Lake" is a humorous and touching tale of a Thai American girl who is surprised by her first period during a school field trip. "Turning Point" by Leah Henderson is about a Black soccer player and her ballet instructor mother who find common ground in celebrating her first period. Mason J.'s "The Gender Creamsicle," written in verse, offers a much-needed perspective on the experience of a gender-nonconforming protagonist: "I am a gender Creamsicle: orange and white. / Not a Popsicle or ice cream. I am in between." The stories have broad appeal and are unified by a common thread of growing up. Issues related to race and gender, immigration status, and language diversity are set alongside culturally rich narratives about a singular and pivotal life event, giving young people an opportunity to feel seen, and less alone.
Reviewer: Monique Harris
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
March, 2023
(2)
4-6
In this collection of linked short stories, a nasty storm strikes Chicago's (fictional) Gateway International Airport, delaying flights and suspending travel plans. Twelve-year-old Paul and his family, who are flying to Thailand to visit family, are stopped by security when his grandfather's remains, which his grandmother is trying to bring aboard the plane, trigger an alarm; then Paul's missing little sister causes subsequent delays. In the midst of the chaos, readers meet eleven other Asian American young people throughout the airport who find themselves in situations where they witness and experience (and also stand up to) racism: Mindy, an adoptee from Korea who doesn't feel ready to visit the country of her biological origin; Ari, who is tired of explaining that she is Jewish and Chinese; Jane, whose Gonggong (grandfather) was attacked for simply being Asian. Oh and the other eleven short-story authors--who include Erin Entrada Kelly, Grace Lin, Linda Sue Park, and Christina Soontornvat--paint a picture of what it means to navigate being Asian American in a post-2020 world, where the burden of being blamed for COVID-19 is thrust on young shoulders. An editor's note defines the term Asian American and explains the rationale for highlighting East and Southeast Asian American experiences.
Reviewer: Gabi K. Huesca
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
May, 2023
(2)
4-6
Illustrated by twenty-one accomplished artists from around the globe, each of the twenty "tiny tales" gives the reader just enough in word and picture to generate curiosity and discussion. Thea Lu illustrates the prompt "the x-rays reveal writing etched onto all of my bones" with an image of someone carrying an x-ray and holding a casted arm in a sling. Look closely at the x-ray to see that each bone is shown with an expiration date. Does that January 14, 2030, date signify the person's death? Shaun Tan's beautifully creepy painting centers an enormous human skull, sitting in a farmyard. A ladder leans against the skull, and a relatively diminutive human, on hands and knees, paints adornments on it: "Every year they honored their son by decorating his skull." Why is the skull so much larger than the humans? Do the window curtains suggest that the people live inside? Do the decorations mean anything? What happened? Coelho's extensive afterword suggests ways for young writers and artists to build on the stories. Like Van Allsburg's The Mysteries of Harris Burdick, this is a book for older children to pore over and let their imaginations flower. With twenty-one different illustrators representing many styles, media, and settings, each of the spreads stands apart so viewers can concentrate on a single page or read the book through for a disquieting experience.
Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
November, 2023
(2)
4-6
Through this linked anthology by seventeen contributors, readers experience "What Is a Powwow?" (the title of Kim Rogers's opening poem), as characters converge in Ann Arbor, Michigan, for the Dance for Mother Earth Powwow. Rory begins to heal from his father's abusive words and embrace his Indigenous heritage ("Fancy Dancer" by Monique Gray Smith). Aiden travels with his foster parents to meet his brother and dance in his first powwow (David A. Robertson's "Brothers"). Amber, whose sister battled cancer, receives a new dress for the Jingle Dance ("Secret and Surprises" by Traci Sorell). Some of the attendees live locally, while others travel from places including Oklahoma and Missouri; some live in the city, while others live on the reservation. This anthology offers readers a variety of images of Native children while also introducing them to vocabulary from several different Indigenous languages, compiled in an appended glossary. According to Rogers's poem: "A powwow is / friends and family / ...a way to remember those / who've passed on / ...a place for belly-laughing / ...healing / and soul-soothing," and this volume reflects all of those elements and more. Notes and acknowledgments, contributor bios, and an editor's note are appended.
Reviewer: Nicholl Denice Montgomery
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
March, 2021
(2)
4-6
The Hudsons' latest anthology (We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices, rev. 11/18; The Talk, rev. 9/20) boasts more than thirty contributions from historical and contemporary authors and artists. Short stories, essays, poetry, and art pay homage to the current movement for Black lives. Young people will encounter familiar contemporary authors but will also be introduced to leaders such as Frederick Douglass, through his electrifying 1852 speech "What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?"; and Mary McLeod Bethune, from her moving "Last Will and Testament." Poetry is prominently featured: Lesa Cline-Ransome's "At Our Kitchen Table" celebrates the bonds of family while addressing the challenges of being Black during a time of global pandemic and racial unrest; abolitionist Frances Ellen Watkins Harper's "A Slave Mother" highlights a not-so-distant past when freedom was only a whispered prayer. Stunning works of art by acclaimed Black illustrators are featured, including Keith Knight, James Ransome, Ekua Holmes, and the late Floyd Cooper. Appended with artist and author notes; brief biographies of the historical figures; contributor notes; and more information about the Black Lives Matter movement.
Reviewer: Monique Harris
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
January, 2022
(3)
4-6
Sixteen gay and gender-nonconforming authors contribute fictional stories to this anthology. The entries range from the realistic (two school-age fanfic writers realize that they're transgender like their online avatars) to the speculative (teen witch turns herself into a dog to get close to her crush); from narrative poetry to a graphic-novel-format story, in which a delightful trio of kids takes a self-effacing new nonbinary student to the thrift store to find their own homespun "cozy ghost" style. The creators capture the middle school age perfectly: the protagonists are still children, but the seeds of what they will become are beginning to sprout.
Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam
(2)
4-6
Illustrated by
Alice Provensen
&
Martin Provensen.
Here are collected (and reissued from the 1971 original) twelve literary fairy tales from several different European traditions, including Hans Christian Andersen's "The Nightingale"; Barbara Leonie Picard's "The Three Wishes"; Seumas MacManus's "Feather o' My Wing." Readers may recognize Katharine Pyle's "The Dreamer" because of Uri Shulevitz's picture book The Treasure, and Ruth Manning-Sanders's "The Seven Simons" contains the gist of The Five Chinese Brothers without the racism. The voices of these master storytellers are unfailingly distinctive and involving; frequent full-page-plus illustrations in the Provensens' inimitable style provide robust accompaniment. A foreword by Joan Bodger (author of How the Heather Looks) explaining the difference between a literary fairy tale and a folktale is a delightful bonus.
Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
January, 2022
(2)
4-6
This short story collection, edited by 2020 CSK honoree Mbalia (for Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, rev. 7/20), makes it clear that Black boyhood is something to celebrate, starting with Kadir Nelson's beautiful cover portrait depicting a smiling Black boy, with the book's title in glittering gold letters above him. The volume opens with a story by Mbalia, in which Fortitude (Fort) Jones is attending his aunt Netta's funeral. Overwhelmed, Fort leaves the church and accidentally runs into the eccentric Gary the Griot (Mr. G). In the crash, Mr. G's mysterious "joy jar" is broken. Fort agrees to help refill the jar--and finds himself on an intergalactic journey to find joy. The seventeen stories represent that joy as the authors and illustrators--all Black men, including Jason Reynolds, Jerry Craft, and Varian Johnson--present readers with a diverse representation of Black boyhood. The boys are from the United States, Nigeria, and the Caribbean. Their use of language is representative of where they are from. They are straight and gay. Some are cisgender, while others are gender nonconforming. They like to bake, rap, sew, and play football. The engaging stories are told through prose, verse, and the graphic novel format. No matter who the boys are, they are satisfyingly surrounded by loving extended family members who encourage them to be themselves. Short biographies of the contributors are appended.
Reviewer: Nicholl Denice Montgomery
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
September, 2021
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Sarah Horne.
Ostensibly walking readers though writing a book about his dog, Barton introduces elementary-age readers to nonfiction publishing. From research to writing to minute steps in a book's life cycle, an impressive amount of information is cleverly cloaked in entertaining meta storytelling. Horne's slapstick illustrations work in perfect tandem throughout; occasional vignettes use flow-chart arrows as the would-be "book" moves from agent to editor and on. Even "people whose names don't...appear on the cover" (typesetters! proofreaders!) get a shout-out--all without a dull moment.
Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Bethany Stancliffe.
In 1863 a woman named Eliza Davis began a correspondence with Charles Dickens. Her first letter compliments the author for his attention to social issues but criticizes his portrayal of Jewish characters ("a vile prejudice"). Dickens initially responds harshly but eventually comes to rail against prejudice and creates kind Jewish characters in future work. Stancliffe's inviting illustrations with a lush palette are interspersed with black-and-white drawings that evoke Dickens's era. Churnin's language also echoes the period and includes direct quotes from the pair's seven letters. An author's note provides additional historical context for antisemitism in Great Britain and comments on how Dickens "encouraged sympathy for the Jewish community."
Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth
(2)
4-6
This adaptation of Dreyer's adult style guide of the same name is as useful and amusing as the original. Dreyer, copy chief at Random House, tackles the hazards of grammar, punctuation, usage, and spelling with clarity, wit, and kindly firmness. To welcome the younger reader, he trims the original text; fifty-five rather than sixty-seven "Assorted Things to Do (and Not to Do) with Punctuation," for example. More importantly, he substitutes plentiful examples from young people's literature for the original references. Thus Edith Wharton, Theodore Dreiser, and William Faulkner make way for Louis Sachar, Rebecca Stead, and Lois Lowry. Dreyer can get technical, as on the somewhat arcane topic of en dashes, but the whole thing is kept light with chatty, sardonic footnotes; colloquial terms; and buoyant enthusiasm: The Haunting of Hill House's final comma is "my favorite piece of punctuation in all of literature." He tackles head-on the legendary crankiness of grammarians and helpfully corrals all their grumpiness into one chapter called "Pet Peeves." To those who might protest that grammatical correctness is a tool of the oppressor, he is brisk and practical. The rules are yours to break, but if you want that college placement or job, don't confuse its and it's on your application. An excellent resource for students and likely even more useful to those who teach them.
Reviewer: Sarah Ellis
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
March, 2021
Maberry, Jonathan, Editor
Don't Turn Out the Lights: A Tribute to Alvin Schwartz's Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
(2)
4-6
"This book is dedicated to Alvin Schwartz, for scaring the snot out of generations of young readers. And for making being scared a whole bunch of fun!" Maberry has compiled thirty-five short stories by contributors--Schwartz fans all, per the foreword--including R. L. Stine, Kami Garcia, Jonathan Auxier, and Tananarive Due. Each tale is creepy, eerie, or just plain weird. Terrifying toys, freaky felines, evil electronics. "The Weeping Woman," "The Knock-Knock Man" "The Green Grabber," "The Neighbor." All the entries are pithy and punchy...perfect to "tell in the dark." Brief contributor bios are appended.
Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
September, 2020
(2)
4-6
Illustrated by
Sara Alfageeh.
This remarkably inclusive collection of short stories by fifteen Muslim authors showcases some of the many Muslim communities; cultural and familial traditions; and the universality of human experience against the backdrop of the celebration of Eid. Like their authors, the stories' protagonists live in majority non-Muslim countries--in the United States, Canada, Australia, and Greece, the exception being Hanna Alkaf's Malaysian character, Alia, in "Taste." Stories range from simple celebrations of joy and navigating everyday conflicts to addressing loss and grief, but all are inextricably tied to community, identity, and faith. Protagonists' experiences are inclusive of a variety of family structures, differing socioeconomic backgrounds, Shia Muslims, and recent converts to Islam. Though most stories are in prose, other formats include Alkaf's tale in verse; a comic-format story by G. Willow Wilson, illustrated by Sara Alfageeh (who also designed the cover and frontispiece for each story in the collection); and a movingly powerful poem by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow celebrating the vivid imagery of Eid in the African American Muslim community--its history and connection to the memories and dreams of enslaved African Muslims. As a whole the collection captures the spirit and feelings of Eid as well as the many sensory elements: the collective "ameen" of a congregation of worshipers, the touch and rustle of Eid clothing, and the multitude of smells, sounds, and tastes that will resonate with Muslim and non-Muslim readers alike.
(2)
YA
Foreword by Alicia Elliot. This comics anthology celebrates Indigenous peoples and stories of Canada past, present, and future. Resistance, resilience, and the stories of heroic leaders and movements are portrayed in ten chronological chapters by various authors and artists and in a variety of illustrative and narrative styles. Ambitious in scope and strong in execution, this collection succeeds in prompting readers to remember (or learn) Indigenous history.
Reviewer: Elisa Gall
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
September, 2019
(3)
YA
Illustrated by
Lisa Tegtmeier.
The diverse group of thirty-one contributors to this collection are fat, and proudly so. Their essays, full-color illustrations, and poems advocate for societal acceptance and accurate media representation of fat people, and encourage readers to love themselves and their bodies. It’s a message that, while repetitive, is welcome. Each piece is accompanied by the contributor’s photo and bio; “Fat Fashion Resources” are appended.
Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith
(2)
YA
Hinds (The Odyssey) offers another ambitious and compelling comics adaptation of a Homerian epic. In the tenth year of the Trojan War, Greek leaders Achilles and King Agamemnon seek to conquer Troy while Zeus and other gods and goddesses prove to be fickle and meddlesome war agents. Arresting pencil, watercolor, and digital illustrations propel readers, shifting from neat panels during peacetime to angular layouts during physical and emotional strife. Bib.
Reviewer: Patrick Gall
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
May, 2019
(2)
4-6
Rhuday-Perkovich, in partnership with We Need Diverse Books, compiles thirteen short stories (by fourteen authors) about "everyday heroes in our midst." The entries highlight their characters through many lenses and perspectives (race, cultural background, ability, gender identity, etc.). Subject matter and tone are varied, with some of the tales featuring breezy banter and others dramatically tackling complex issues. "About the Authors" and "About We Need Diverse Books" sections are appended.
Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
July, 2019
(2)
YA
Zoboi presents seventeen short stories by an impressive collection of black children's and YA authors, including Jason Reynolds, Rita Williams-Garcia, and Justina Ireland. This collection seeks not merely to counteract society's idea of blackness but to expand it to its fullest expression. It's a celebration of identity through vibrant narratives that will accurately communicate to all young people that they are enough--just as they are.
Reviewer: Monique Harris
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
January, 2019
580 reviews
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