(2) K-3 Illustrated by Todd Stewart. "Listen! / Lake Superior / sings a winter song." Getting all bundled up, two children set off early on a cold morning to go ice skating. Fog rises from mysterious Superior, and along the way they find wolf tracks, but the older sibling can tell that the tracks are old, a "story" written in the snow. Canadian author Pendziwol writes evocatively about the immense and imposing lake and the sounds the ice makes vibrating under the children's feet as they skate: "mysterious magical music / as old as the earth... / We join the song, / skating / on the wild ice / of a vast / inland sea." (She also makes sure to mention that the ice on the lake is very thick.) Illustrator Stewart uses a range of blues and greens, from the intense turquoise of the frozen lake to a chilly blue against the snowy whites. His technique of drawing digitally, editing in Photoshop, and adding textures with scanned screens gives the book a vibrant and often majestic feel, ending with a wolf looking straight at the reader.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2023

(3) 4-6 Sutton offers a vivid, detailed account of how and why the SS Eastland capsized on the Chicago River's bank in summer 1915. The cargo-turned-pleasure boat, carrying 2,500 (mainly immigrant) employees of Western Electric, sank before departing for a company picnic. In short, dynamic chapters enhanced with archival photographs, the straightforward text reflects on the disaster's obscurity relative to its contemporary, the Titanic. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(3) YA Teen detective Francie Frye (Enchantment Lake) returns for another whodunit in northern Minnesota, this one involving the murder of an archeologist--with Francie's brother Theo as the prime suspect. Meanwhile, a new school year unfolds for Brooklyn-transplant Francie; new friends (and some enemies), a lead in the school play, and surprising plot twists give this readable mystery a modern-day Nancy Drew feel.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(3) K-3 An Ojibwe woman and friends, concerned about human carelessness for Nibi (water), walk around the Great Lakes, the Saint Lawrence River, and more to bring attention to the problem. Illustrated with simple childlike art (the human faces have dots for eyes and no other features) and sprinkled with Ojibwe words, this eco-story is based on the life of Nokomis Josephine Mandamin, who formed the Mother Earth Water Walkers. Glos.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey

(4) K-3 Illustrated by David Geister. Sighting nature's clues of a coming storm, Sophie warns her family and then helps her father, the lighthouse keeper, prepare. In an informative but repetitive narrative, readers learn that a dandelion closing, an extra-thick spider's web, low-flying seagulls, etc., are all signs of changing weather fast approaching. Realistic oil paintings suggest an old-fashioned setting at Lake Superior's Split Rock Lighthouse. An explanatory author's note is appended.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(4) YA Life isn't proving easy for lovers Lily and Calder: Lily's mermaid-to-human transition is still painful, a family heirloom is giving her nightmares, and Calder's sisters are vying to control the Lake Superior mer-clan. In this jam-packed conclusion (Lies Beneath; Deep Betrayal), the interlocking mermaid relationships are deeply delved into and the world-building is expanded, but this will only resonate with dedicated followers.

Reviewer: Sian Gaetano

(3) 4-6 Twelve-year-old Nicholas and his younger sisters leave New York City and head to small-town Ohio. Sailing (their great-uncle teaches them how), friendship (with Charlie, a girl with an amazing curveball), a mystery involving an old reel of film about the "Seaweed Strangler," and an old love letter from Charlie's mom to Nicholas's dad add up to a satisfying summertime story.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander

(3) YA Merman Calder and his sisters can dive deep to investigate sunken ships in Lake Superior or change into human form and meander the streets of Bayfield, Wisconsin. Charged with luring human Lily's father (who they think killed their mother) to the water, Calder grapples with his sisters' cruel intentions and Lily's lovely aura. Readers will appreciate the unique twists on relationships and acceptance.

Reviewer: Nancy Hull

(4) K-3 Fun and Simple State Crafts series. In each book, two craft projects per state are preceded by a chart providing facts about that state (capital city, state bird, flower, etc.) in addition to explanations of the craft's sometimes oblique connection to the state. The projects, though fairly easy to follow, are unexciting: refrigerator magnets, mobiles, flags, pencil holders. Reduced-sized patterns for a few of the crafts are appended. Reading list, websites. Ind. Review covers these Fun and Simple State Crafts titles: Fun and Simple Great Lakes State Crafts, Fun and Simple Midwestern State Crafts, Fun and Simple Pacific West State Crafts, Fun and Simple Southwestern State Crafts, and Fun and Simple Western State Crafts.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(3) YA Stories from Where We Live series. Illustrated by Trudy Nicholson & Trudy Nicholson & Paul Mirocha & Paul Mirocha. This solid collection contains poems, stories, and essays by writers who live in the Great Lakes region of the United States and Canada. Some of the contributors are highly acclaimed (Edwin Way Teale, Margaret Atwood), while others will be new to readers. The quality of the material--which often emphasizes the natural world--is uniformly excellent. A list of Great Lakes habitats, wildlife, and parks is included. Reading list.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Gijsbert Van Frankenhuyzen. In November 1975, the cargo ship Edmund Fitzgerald and its entire crew sank to the bottom of Lake Superior. Despite the somewhat confusing and dull narration, the ship itself becomes a compelling character in the moody paintings and an epilogue adds emotional depth to the presentation. The inclusion of a map would have been useful.

Reviewer: Kristin Cashore

(4) YA Indigenous Peoples of North America series. The authors mostly succeed at presenting a balanced view of historical and contemporary life. The historical chapters include information about daily life in the past, relations with the white Americans that all but destroyed this life, and spiritual beliefs. The gray tones of the photos give the books a dull appearance, and minor editing slips detract from these otherwise useful volumes. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) 4-6 Ecosystems of North America series. These books explore an ecosystem by examining its various subsystems (e.g., tallgrass, mixed-grass, and shortgrass prairies). The accessible texts illustrate how living and nonliving components interact and affect one another; how plants and animals have adapted to their surroundings; and how people have damaged and now attempt to sustain those ecosystems. Plenty of clear color photos illustrate the books. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Emma Loy-Santelli