(4) YA Joseph, a Saipan native, and his half-Japanese cousin, Kento, struggle to save their families from the crossfire on their war-torn island. Set on Saipan amidst a World War II battle, the book sheds light on a lesser-known piece of the war's history. The details are useful and informative, but Joseph's narration can be lugubrious. Reading list.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(3) 4-6 Eddy, though not labeled Asperger's in the story, hates looking people in the eye but loves tinkering with his inventions. His difficulty deciphering social cues (e.g., sarcasm) makes him a target for the school bully, but others step up to befriend him. Sprinkled with science facts and Latin--"It smelled like tuna (Thunnus alalunga)"--the narrative will have readers cheering for the misfit kid.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey

(2) YA In 1536 Dell flees her abusive father, landing up in London. She's befriended by a novice monk and by a woodworker whose allegiance to the pope is now treasonous; Dell's life is soon in peril too. Thompson's romance offers a quick glimpse of sixteenth-century England. Her characters and themes--court life, religious and political strife, puppet theater, etc.--are intriguing.

Reviewer: Deirdre F. Baker | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2010

(3) YA Attempting to make sense of his far-from-perfect existence, ninth grader Steven composes a letter to his unborn sister. His writing is both funny and pained as he explains life in a new school; the philosophy of his Pac-Man-obsessed friend Byron; and what it's like to be poor, angry, sad, and uncertain. The narrative's combination of raw language and poetic insight rings true.

Reviewer: Chelsey Philpot

(4) K-3 A girl whose father's job requires frequent moves describes their peripatetic life. While being the new kid can get old, Sunday asserts her independence: "But guess what? I don't care." However, she does care, sometimes, as Blabey makes clear in muted acrylic and mixed-media illustrations. Though Sunday's voice isn't convincingly childlike, her make-the-best-of-it message might be helpful for other kids in her position.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) 4-6 Bright, articulate, neglected Zoë goes to live with her uncle after her mother's death. Zoë's amusing and poignant middle-grade cynicism is appealing, as is a crisply realized North Carolina setting, but the crowding of too many elements--the solace of art, a feral cat, wild boy, rediscovered family--overwhelm the emotional potential of the story.

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis

(4) YA Kit Snow is caught between her overprotective family, who want her to help out more on their farm, and her dream of becoming a ballet dancer. Though Kit's narration wanders, her struggles to assert herself will ring true to many readers. The story's setting details are strong, especially those concerning daily life on a Vermont dairy farm.

Reviewer: Hannah Rodgers Barnaby

(2) YA Translated by Tara Chace. Junior high student Markus (Markus and Diana) has fallen in love fifteen times in two months. His friend Sigmund volunteers to be a go-between for Markus, who's too shy to approach his latest love object. Of course this plan backfires, as do almost all of the boys' machinations. Hagerup's romp of Shakespearean comedic complexity is balanced by a healthy dose of slapstick.

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2009

(3) YA Eddie lives in a small Australian mining town, post World War II. He longs to quit school, work in the mines, and hang out with his girlfriend, but a classmate's murder puts Eddie and others in a web of suspicion. Told in alternating first-person voices of adults and young people, this verse novel is an affecting tale of murder and forgiveness.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(3) YA Lucas is powerless to stop his friend Derek's wicked stepmother from dragging the family onto a reality television show called Loserville. Always a little unpredictable, Derek starts to really unravel after his appearance. The story is told in a spare, unemotional style, and its strength is its characters, most of whom are on the edge and some of whom can't bring themselves back.

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay

(3) YA In the Bronx in the 1960s, Yolanda, who is black, and Fiona, daughter of Irish immigrants, challenge common prejudices by becoming friends. But while Fiona is included in middle school parties, Yolanda is left out. When Fiona takes difficult steps to defy her abusive father, she also examines her own priorities. Believable characters and compelling historical events make this a satisfying read.

Reviewer: Nancy Hull

(3) 4-6 The Russian occupation of Germany after World War II throws ten-year-old Fritz's life into turmoil--beginning with the deaths of his Nazi sympathizer grandparents, who opt to commit suicide rather than face the new regime. Based on the author's father's childhood, this moving novel makes a worthy addition to the body of WWII literature for children. An author's note is appended.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Candice Hartsough McDonald. Following his parents' separation, a boy must get accustomed to two homes. He also starts at a new school, where he eventually grows confident enough to help another new student acclimate. The unusually perceptive story makes its point using impressively spare text. Accompanying illustrations with a soft but deliberate touch are ideally suited to this gentle tale.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Illustrated by David Udovic. The narrator is forced to "show oh-so-perfect manners" at Aunt Matilda's posh do. Bored out of his mind, he sneaks a nap; the rhyming text details his more exciting dream-state version of the party. Though the humor is a little forced, vibrant illustrations of cream pies soaring across the pages give this grownup party a kid-friendly vibe.

Reviewer: Sophie Williamson

(3) YA Translated by Tara Chace. The fact that boy loves and loses girl is unsurprising in this tale of first romance; it's the storytelling voice that stands out. Prose poems trace Morris's relationships with Betty and with his family, including a father who has bipolar disorder. The short passages forego copious detail, distilling intimacy and adolescent strife to their most poignant moments.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(4) K-3 Charlie is shy and thoughtful. Pearl is loud and daring. But the two different personalities balance each other out to form the perfect friendship. Clean backgrounds let the expressive portraits take center stage, giving some additional depth and charm to an otherwise trite story line. The illustrations' dark palette helps create a distinct look that, like Charlie and Pearl, is a blend of goofy and serious.

Reviewer: Sethany Rancier Alongi

(3) 4-6 In post–WWII Budapest, a young Jewish girl struggles to understand the violence and dreadful changes happening in her country. Helping her mother sew black-market stuffed bears, she eventually accepts her beloved brother's decision to defect to the West. Cheng has created a well-crafted narrative and an appealing main character in a setting with which many readers may not be familiar.

Reviewer: Amy Lois Cohn

(4) PS "Daddy leaves before I wake up...When his trailer is full, he's ready to drive." A child describes his trucker dad's typical workday, which includes hauling gear, waving at kids in cars, and eating at a diner; the day ends with a father-son game of catch. The slick digital art diminishes the story's warmth, but truckaholics won't mind.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Jamison Odone. A boy goes for a strange, exciting ride on the bedtime train, driven by an engineer resembling his dad. Accompanied by penguins in striped scarves, they travel to the land of penguins and back. The illustrations, showing a dream landscape with fanciful animals and monumental statuary, owe more than a small debt of gratitude to Sendak.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Karla Kuskin. "Something, someone was just here. Now there's barely a trace of it..." Spare, rhythmic lines of text make observations about the natural and man-made worlds. Cleanly composed double-page-spread collages show the tracks left by a bird, fox, snail, jet plane, wind, etc.; a page turn reveals more about the source. Readers' curiosity will be stimulated in an unforced, artistic way.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian