(2) K-3 Illustrated by Kerascoët. An artist's sketch of Viva, a smiling girl with curly hair and light-brown skin, comes to life on the page. The artist tries to re-draw Viva while the original looks on in disapproval ("can I try...to rock what I got?") until they finally reach a mutual understanding. Kerascoët's illustrations bring a sketchpad to life; pages are busy with doodles, sketches, ink stains, and mistakes.

Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2018

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Kerascoët. In 1991 New Jersey, likable twelve-year-old Jacky faces a summer of babysitting her younger sisters and working at the balloon race boardwalk game. When she's cast in the summer production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, both her friendships and sibling relationships become complicated. Like the first volume, this story narrated by adult Jacky has an abundance of humor and a satisfying ending.

Reviewer: Renée Wheeler

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Kerascoët. As a girl, education activist Malala Yousafzai enjoyed watching a TV show about a magic pencil. In child-friendly text, she describes how she would use a magic pencil to change the world. Facing reality, Malala began to focus on what she loved most--school and speaking out against oppression. The ink and watercolor illustrations use pastel shades and earth tones to show details of young Malala's culture.

Reviewer: Aishah Abdul-Musawwir | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2017

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Kerascoët. Framed as an adult describing her awkward youth to her daughters, this high-energy novel introduces Jacky at age twelve in 1990. A middle child in a home of seven girls, Jacky uses humor and theater to establish her sense of self while her mother serves abroad in the U.S. Marine Corps. The brisk blend of comedy and personal growth is well suited to its audience.

Reviewer: Lauren Causey