(2) YA Unlike her younger sister, Lulu, Milagro has never cared about college. So she's not thrilled to learn that she'll be joining Lulu on their Catholic school's annual spring break field trip, visiting schools across the country. Lulu dreams of going to college far from their Baltimore home like the girls' oldest sister, Clara. She is scheduled to interview for an internship at Stanford, but their mother wants Lulu to stay closer by. On the trip, the sisters attend classes and club meetings, sneak out to parties--and fight with each other. When they discover that Clara has been lying to them, Lulu ditches the trip to look for her, which ultimately brings the three siblings together for an honest conversation. Alternating chapters fully develop Lulu's and Milagro's distinct personalities; they have different interests and priorities, but their admiration and love for each other is clear. The experience also inspires them to reimagine their futures: Milagro considers college as a possibility, while Lulu pursues the internship--and romance, too. (Her relationship with Leo, her assigned trip partner who shares and appreciates her intelligence, is a highlight.) Details from their lives as a family of Peruvian American women add depth to this story of sisterhood and self-discovery.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2022

(2) YA Before Sasha Masha, there was Alex; a soon-to-be-junior struggling to make sense of who he is and where he belongs. The only person who seems to understand him is his best friend, Mabel. She was there the day Alex put on the green velvet dress and became Sasha Masha, the elegant and unafraid. When Mabel moves away, Alex worries he'll return to school more misunderstood than ever. But this year holds many surprises for Alex, some of which he accepts reluctantly (such as his first girlfriend) and others he leans into with an excitement and openness he never expected. It doesn't take long for Alex to realize something doesn't feel right in his new relationship, and soon his confusion brings him to a queer teen group where he meets the gender-bending, ever-confident Andre. Andre introduces Alex to the world he's been looking for: a world full of drag, dancing, and the freedom to be yourself. Borinsky walks the reader slowly and thoughtfully through Alex's transformation without rushing past the uncomfortable and often painful parts of his journey. The tone of the book shifts alongside Alex, moving from quiet and morose with his discomfort to one of excitement and hopefulness as Sasha Masha is further revealed. The book's conclusion is satisfying in its open-endedness, leaving both protagonist and reader with a great curiosity and optimism for what comes next.

Reviewer: Hill Saxton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2021

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Floyd Cooper. On August 28, 1963, as Dr. King delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech at the March on Washington, Sharon Langley became the first black child to ride the carousel at a previously segregated amusement park near Baltimore. Dialogue keeps the story personal in this well-paced, engaging autobiography. Cooper's warm, vintage-style art homes in on faces and, of course, the colorful carousel. Timeline. Bib.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(2) K-3 During the War of 1812, Baltimore business owner Mary Pickersgill and her seamstresses were commissioned to create a huge, thirty-by-forty-two-foot flag. The flag survived a crucial British attack in 1814, which poet Francis Scott Key immortalized in verse. Hartland's straightforward account clearly explains important facts and asks questions that engage readers. Her folksy gouache illustrations playfully reflect our then-new nation and incorporate speech-balloon dialogue. Reading list, timeline. Bib.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2019

(3) 4-6 Thirteen-year-old David retreats to a secret room in the old Victorian house his mother is renting in Baltimore. Unwittingly, he awakens Edgar Allan Poe's spirit, which feeds on David's anger over his father's abandonment. When strange events resembling Poe's classic horror tales occur at school, David must stop the perpetrator or else be blamed. Kidd's latest novel is suspenseful without being overly gruesome.

Reviewer: Grace Enriquez

(3) YA Fifteen-year-old Frannie's older male cousin, Tru, comes to stay with her family after--she believes--a bad coming-out experience. She's determined to spend the summer bonding with her aloof, moody cousin, but new relationships help Frannie examine her own privilege and understand that nobody, including Tru, is exactly who they seem to be. Ideal for fans of E. Lockhart and cool, atmospheric narratives.

Reviewer: Kazia Berkley-Cramer

(4) 4-6 Misadventures of Edgar & Allan Poe series. Illustrated by Sam Zuppardi. The evil-minded physics professor S. Pangborn Perry lures twins Edgar and Allan Poe, descendants of the famous author, to Baltimore in this wickedly satisfying trilogy conclusion. Tied to a table beneath a swinging blade, the boys must escape certain death. As in this book's predecessors, McAlpine's writing, filled with double-entendres and literary references, creates suspense in an animated setting.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(1) YA In 1911, spirited fourteen-year-old Joan leaves rural Pennsylvania for Baltimore, taken in by the kindly, well-to-do Rosenbachs as their "hired girl"--assistant to grumpy domestic Malka and performing household tasks forbidden to Jews during the Sabbath. The book is framed as Joan's diary, and by the end readers feel as if they've witnessed the real, authentic growth of a memorable young woman.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2015

(4) 4-6 In 1987, twelve-year-old Annie visits her estranged grandmother, Molly, on her deathbed and somehow time travels to 1937 to meet her as a sickly child. In homage to The Secret Garden (referenced explicitly in the text), Annie gives young Molly the courage to explore the outside world. Despite good one-liners and lots of sneaking out, didacticism dissipates the story's tension.

Reviewer: Susan Graham

(3) 4-6 Genie's life is changing. Her dad is dating, her best friend is drifting away, and puberty issues are cropping up at home and at school. To her surprise, she's elected to write the fifth-grade class's blog, focusing on wishes, hopes, and dreams. Genie's comfort in her own skin grows throughout this sincere novel, and her voice is appealingly genuine.

Reviewer: Amanda Mc. MacGregor

(2) YA When an unknown gunman kills her friends Cheryl and Bobbi Jo, Nora works through her grief and comes to believe that the assumed murderer, Cheryl's bad-boy ex-boyfriend, is innocent. The present-tense narration provides immediacy in this top-notch coming-of-age mystery. By grounding the circumstances so specifically and convincingly in the 1950s, Hahn emphasizes the universality of growing up and facing death.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2012

(4) YA Youth advocate and army veteran Moore recounts the childhood character-building lessons that paved his way to success as an adult. The selected anecdotes call much-needed attention to the insidious ways small, immature mistakes made by underprivileged children can have dire consequences. Storytelling is strong throughout, but Moore's distinctly adult voice and perspective gives this otherwise engaging memoir a didactic feel.

Reviewer: Jessica Tackett MacDonald

(3) 4-6 Cal Ripken, Jr.'s All-Stars series. With Kevin Cowherd. Eighth-grader Cody Parker, heavy but an excellent baseball player, moves to Baltimore, where he beats out a bully to win the third-baseman spot on his school team. Then Cody's accused of stealing cell phones, and things get tense. Short chapters, constructive handling of bullying, and the sports/mystery combination make this a good choice for sports fans.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(3) 4-6 In some free verse and some loosely rhymed poems, Rosenthal tells the story of her mother Edith's Depression-era childhood in a Jewish family with twelve children. The novel is episodic but gives personalities to the many siblings. Edith's first-person voice is touching and genuine; readers will maintain hope that she someday realize she's more than "just plain Edith / who's number four." Glos.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(3) YA Sent to Baltimore in 1889 to enjoy the season and to find a husband, Amelia instead discovers a gift for seeing visions--and begins a romance with an inappropriate young man. Through Amelia's first-person narrative, readers navigate a world governed by etiquette and an equally inexplicable supernatural one. The atmosphere in this paranormal romance is eerie and appealing.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac

(4) YA After his self-help writer/TV personality dad dies, Hercules is sent to visit Uncle Anthony, who assigns him twelve daily tasks for his stay. Though seemingly random, they're (mostly) eye-opening experiences prompting vague understanding of himself, his father, and their relationship. Some elements feel disjointed in this brief and sketchy novella, but Hercules's humorous narrative voice will appeal to reluctant older readers.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(3) YA In this Shade sequel, Aura has put aside her feelings for Zachary in hopes of bringing Logan back--or at least helping him "pass on" in a blaze of rock-star glory. But as Zachary and Aura piece together clues to the Shift, it becomes difficult to stay platonic. Smith-Ready's intricate world, full of complex characters and authentic relationships, continues to be intriguing.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher

(2) 4-6 Pampered and innocent, fourteen-year-old Benjamin Franklin Orvell is kidnapped by a crew of oyster dredgers. He fears for his life from his abductors as well as from the backbreaking work and harsh weather. With all of society's veneer removed, he discovers just how far he'll go to survive. A finely crafted coming-of-age story that, despite its 1868 Chesapeake Bay setting, feels timeless.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2010

(3) 4-6 Ten-year-old Jake's only family is his widowed mom, a limitation he feels keenly when a broken leg lands her in the hospital. When his barely known grandfather comes to stay, the boundaries of Jake's family begin to expand. Set at Christmastime, this is a quiet novel peopled with adult characters; the burgeoning relationship between Jake and Granddad is believably and poignantly drawn.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Troy Howell. This animal-hero story focuses on Percheron horse Goliath, who suffered severe burns while fulfilling his fire-horse lead-position duties during the Baltimore fire of 1904. The text, with strained invented dialogue, is informative but choppy. Detailed paintings in subdued browns, reds, and grays are stiff but evocative of the time period. Glos.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian