(2) 4-6 In this fast-paced historical novel, Danilo is a Black Panamanian living in a neighborhood destroyed by the United States' invasion of Panama in 1989. Since the first night of the attack, life has become more and more difficult for him and his family. Papá left them prior to the military action in search of better opportunities in the States, but lately he hasn't been calling or sending money home. As a former baseball player, Papá introduced Danilo to the game and nurtured his considerable talent, but in his absence, Danilo decides to stop playing. But then, ironically, Danilo's skill as a baseball player provides him with the chance to reconnect with his father by playing and training in California for a few months. Ultimately, he must decide if he wants to follow in his dad's footsteps to become a baseball player or pursue a different dream. Burgess has created a sympathetic character in Danilo, a kind, hardworking boy who has PTSD and copes with microaggressions and stereotyping in the U.S. The scenes involving baseball are particularly well written and feel authentic. This novel may hold special appeal for baseball fans, but one needn't be an aficionado to enjoy the story.

Reviewer: Marva Anne Hinton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(1) K-3 Illustrated by Rudy Gutierrez. In engaging, economical, and colloquial prose, Alonso chronicles the ascent and career highs of legendary right fielder Clemente (1934–1972), who endured racism as a Spanish-speaking Black man while shattering records during his illustrious baseball career. This energetic account begins with young Roberto playing béisbol in Carolina, Puerto Rico, using crinkled-up cans for baseballs and branches for bats. After a talent scout spots him in 1955, the nineteen-year-old travels to Montreal, where he spends more time on the bench than the field. Then he joins the Pittsburgh Pirates and impresses everyone with his ability to hit, slide, and leap for catches. Alonso (a journalist for MLB.com) writes with the immediacy of a play-by-play announcer, whisking readers from one achievement to the next. She directly addresses the extreme prejudice Clemente experienced: crowds heckle him for speaking español; dismissive reporters insist on calling him Bob instead of Roberto. Gutierrez's inventive mixed-media illustrations explode with dynamic colors and kinetic motion. Each double-page spread resembles an intricate mural, capturing jumps in time and changes in locale with swirls and attention-grabbing line work. While Gutierrez employs many abstract touches throughout, he gives Clemente an expressive photorealistic face that shows his determination and drive. Excellent back matter includes a timeline, a bibliography, photos, and an informative note from Alonso.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2024

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Rosa Ibarra. A richly illustrated picture-book biography of Puerto Rico's first female mayor, Felisa Rincon de Gautier (1897–1994), with a lively text. As a tropical storm batters San Juan at the start of the book, the fearful residents seek refuge in the 4home of their trusted local hero, lovingly called Doña Fela. Born to a wealthy family, she recognized the social inequities in Puerto Rico from an early age, particularly those faced by Black Puerto Ricans and jibaros (farmworkers). Despite the gender restrictions of the time, which initially prevented her from voting or holding office, she maintained a strong commitment to helping the less privileged, from small acts such as providing coffee and bread to farmworkers to eventually cofounding a political party on the island. Her achievements as mayor included affordable housing, cleaner streets, and establishing the first preschools in the city. Boldly colored oil-paint illustrations admiringly portray Fela, her fellow Puerto Ricans, and the island itself. Fela is depicted in bright-colored clothing with a flower in her hair, helping readers follow her across spreads as the book moves from her youth into her later years. Back matter includes a glossary of Spanish terms, an author's note providing further context and discussing Fela's lasting influence on Puerto Rican women in politics, and an artist's note describing her personal connection to the subject. A Spanish paperback edition will be published in October.

Reviewer: Jessica Agudelo | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2024

(2) YA Alternating narrators Rosie, Caro, and Zeke find themselves transplanted to Jersey City, New Jersey, where each struggles to relate to the people around them. Sisters Rosie and Caro arrived with their mom from the Dominican Republic years earlier, escaping an abusive and absent father who has gone on to start a new family. After losing his mom, Zeke (who is of Jamaican and Panamanian descent) has moved to the area from Miami for a fresh start. Each teen battles their own anxieties through a series of misadventures that uncover hidden truths about themselves and their family histories. They are helped along the way by Rosie and Caro's aunt, whose spiritual practices explain the power of several magical objects that enter their lives: a pink jacket, two rings, and a baseball bat. Gomera-Tavarez offers a fast-paced plot with relatable characters who represent distinctive Afro-Latine experiences. Zeke also navigates his emerging queer identity, and the young women deal with gender-based pressures about appearance and sexuality, demonstrated through a strained relationship with their mother. While the story touches upon various types of trauma and abuse, it does so in a way that can help readers identify tactics for recognizing and processing pain and suffering, especially with the help of loved ones.

Reviewer: Nicholas A. Brown | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2024

(1) K-3 Illustrated by C. G. Esperanza. A Panamanian American girl and her daddy get up before dawn to ride horses through their town in this atmospheric picture book that celebrates a close bond between a father and daughter as well as contemporary Black cowboys. After Abuelita hands the girl a bag of apple slices for the horses, the duo takes off on Daddy's motorcycle. They leave amidst "a new kind of quiet" while the stores are "dark and empty," and upon arrival at the ranch, the girl's joy as she greets her pony radiates off the page. She is excited to ride through the streets; usually, her rides are confined to the ranch. While riding, she feels "high as the clouds" and "strong as a horse's back." Esperanza's vibrant, detailed oil-paint illustrations feature boldly colored backgrounds that infuse even the pre-sunrise scenes with energy. The sky goes from "midnight black" to "deep ocean blue" and "swirly sherbet colors" as the pair enjoys "just us" time together. The girl's face is particularly expressive and full of light. Seales showcases the respect the two have for horses and their love for each other. The family's Central American roots are highlighted in Abuelita's Panamanian-flag coffee cup, in her traditional dress, and in the girl's use of Spanish and English. Back home, the child triumphantly declares, "My Daddy is a cowboy...and so am I."

Reviewer: Marva Anne Hinton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2025

(2) YA Yolanda Alvarez, just turned sixteen, is coming into her own as a bright student and a budding bruja. Having learned Afro-Dominican ancestral spiritual practices from her grandmother, she follows the guidance of her tarot cards and her Bruja Diosas as she navigates life in the Bronx. In the midst of everyday teenage worries (including not wanting to be "treated like the pretty smart-and-basically-deaf girl"), Yolanda finds herself grappling with uneasy feelings about a mysterious and wealthy new white student as a vision makes her aware that he is dangerous. A gripping plot drives this deftly written novel that straddles the known and unknown worlds; Avila skillfully depicts the reality of growing up as a Black Latinx teen in the midst of racial violence and social upheaval. While ­outsiders in the story may see Yolanda's family, neighborhood, and school in a ­negative light, Avila carefully demonstrates the tremendous strength in Yolanda's community and the deep roots of her spiritual life, which keep her grounded as she steps into her full power.

Reviewer: Monique Harris | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2023

(2) 4-6 In the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, middle schooler Lalo Lespérance is doing his best to adapt to virtual school and make social connections in his Florida apartment complex. Lalo struggles with severe short- and long-term memory loss, triggered by childhood trauma. He is also frustrated by others' inability to accept him as both Mexican and Haitian American. Diederich's descriptive writing stimulates all five senses as Lalo learns about Mexican culture from his neighbor Vivi's abuela and finds ways to manifest some of his key missing memories with a little help from a seemingly magical vintage radio and belief in traditional Mexican spiritualism. Lalo's character offers an important portrayal of Afro-Latin identity for contemporary readers. His story provides an example of how discrimination can come from outside and within the Hispanic/Latin community and how traumatizing that can be for a young person trying to form a sense of self. By framing Lalo's memory issues positively as a reason for "accommodations" in school, Diederich elevates and supports the character's unique life journey. He is a young man who can help others see the best in themselves.

Reviewer: Nicholas A. Brown | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2023

(2) YA Illustrated by Zeke Peña. In the previous installment (Miles Morales, rev. 9/17), sixteen-year-old Miles ("Boricua and Black and Brooklyn as hell") was bitten by a radioactive spider, became the latest Spider-Man, and defeated the Warden, head of an ancient white supremacist organization. Now he sits in In-School Suspension (ISS) for standing up to his racist history teacher, along with classmate Tobin Rogers, who is in ISS for removing books--Baldwin, Morrison, Angelou, Angie Thomas--from the school library. Even more weirdly, Tobin was eating the pages; all that were found were the books' spines. Add a termite infestation at school for an intriguing puzzle for Miles to solve. This sequel is more multilayered than the first installment, with action-packed digital drawings, Miles's first-person poems, and a third-person narrative all capturing a day in the life of Miles Morales--his neighborhood, his crush on Alicia Carson, his friendship with Ganke, and his conflicts with teachers. There is room, though, for a climactic action scene in the boys' bathroom, where a creepy monster is thrillingly unmasked.

Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2023

(2) K-3 Translated by Lawrence Schimel. Illustrated by Juan Palomino. An unnamed narrator relates how she learned to read as a child in her coastal Afro-Colombian pueblo. In Palenque: "Letters were in kitchens, on tables, and right in front of everyone's noses, but nobody read them," except for Señor Velandia, owner of the only shop in town, depicted stoically reading a newspaper. Along with the weekly boat delivery of provisions for the town arrive love letters addressed to the narrator's older sister, Gina, from a long-distance admirer. Spurred by her curiosity about the letters' contents, the narrator entreats Señor Velandia to teach her to read in exchange for help in his shop. Slowly but determinedly, using the names of relatives and customers, she learns the letters of the alphabet and passes on the gift of literacy to others--an endeavor she continues into adulthood--by drawing letters with charcoal on the ground. Letters are ubiquitous in Palomino's earth-tone digital illustrations, from newsprint to a "Welcome to Palenque" sign along the riverbank to the colorful embroidery on Gina's holiday dress. The historical context underscoring the narrative and the significance of the setting--Palenque is a village founded by people who escaped enslavement--is explained in Vasco's author's note and reinforces this quietly empowering ode to literacy.

Reviewer: Jessica Agudelo | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2023