(2) 4-6 In this companion to Amal Unbound (rev. 11/18), Omar, son of Amal Khan's house servant, wins a full scholarship to attend seventh grade at Ghalib, "one of the most prestigious schools in Pakistan." There, Omar dreams of joining the soccer team and astronomy club, but he quickly learns that all of the "SBs" (Scholarship Boys) must maintain an A-plus average and cannot join any extracurricular activities their first year. They must instead do chores (grounds maintenance, kitchen work, laundry duty), all tasks that are deliberately intended to remind them of their status. As a result, many SBs lose their scholarships and become "Ghost Boys" who never return to school. Omar, inspired by the work and activism of real-life contemporary Pakistani artist Shehzil Malik (who created the eye-catching jackets for this book and Amal), challenges the system instead of accepting its cruel logic. By speaking up about the unfair conditions and forming a community with other students, he reveals how Ghalib makes it impossible for underprivileged students to succeed. An uplifting story about an underdog whose work ethic and "stubbornly optimistic" outlook drive him to make real change for himself and others while gaining the confidence that no matter what other challenges life brings, Omar "will be okay."

Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2022

(2) YA Strong-willed and emotional sixteen-year-old Koffi, an indentured beastkeeper at the Night Zoo, has been working off her father's debts since she was a child and longs for the day she and her mother will be released from servitude. Anxious seventeen-year-old Ekon is poised to follow in his father's and older brother's footsteps as a Son of the Six, a warrior of the city of Lkossa; he dreams of gaining respect and leaving behind a dark moment from his past. An eventful night brings these characters together and changes both of their destinies when Koffi attempts to escape during a fire (and discovers a power she didn't know she had) and Ekon fails to foil her plan. To get their lives back on track, they form a fragile partnership to catch a demon who has terrorized the Lkossan citizens for nearly a century. Gray's Pan-African fantasy is filled with monsters, mythos, and Black girl magic. Her characters are well developed, and the plot is filled with African lore, expanded upon in an extensive author's note. Fans of Forna's The Gilded Ones and Ifueko's Raybearer will enjoy this engrossing debut novel.

Reviewer: S. R. Toliver | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2021

(3) 4-6 In 1725, twelve-year-old Oliver is sentenced to seven years of indentured servitude in the American colonies. His cruel master instills fear in Oliver and his new friend Bara, an enslaved African boy, causing them to flee into the swamp. This sequel to The Unexpected Life of Oliver Cromwell Pitts is again replete with Dickensian incident, and narrator Oliver presents a vivid picture of colonial life.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt

(2) 4-6 When a car grazes Pakistani girl Amal, she stands up to the rude stranger who emerges from it. The man is Jawad Sahib, son of the town's villainous landlord, who forces Amal into indentured servitude to pay back family debts. Short chapters and unadorned prose make this heartwrenching yet hopeful contemporary story accessible and direct, with Amal's emotions and strength anchoring the narrative as she uncovers the Sahibs' criminal activity.

Reviewer: Elisa Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2018

(3) YA When Tori Burns's family mysteriously inherits a house on land the antagonistic Slaughter family has farmed for generations, Tori relapses into her old self-harming behaviors. Visions of an ancestor's life and the mysterious arrival of Nathaniel Bishop, who was indentured to the colonial-era Slaughters, compels Tori to uncover long-buried secrets. A suspenseful, atmospheric paranormal thriller alternating between flashback and present-day narratives.

Reviewer: Grace Enriquez

(2) YA Engle (The Poet Slave of Cuba and companions) tells of nineteenth-century Cuba's Chinese indentured workers through Antonio Chuffat, a Chinese African Cuban boy who wants desperately to help the laborers seeking freedom from the indenture system; through his job as a messenger, he learns firsthand that words have power. Engle again weaves fiction and fact to create a lyrical tale. Reading list. Bib.

Reviewer: Celia C. Perez | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2016

(3) K-3 Indentured to Master Carver, young John Howland embarks on the Mayflower bound for the New World. Accompanied by realistic watercolor and gouache paintings, a sophisticated, lengthy first-person narration of storms, sickness, and the difficult first winter gives a thorough, non-sensational retelling of the historic record, including a respectful account of interactions with Squanto and Massasoit, and somber but brief mentions of colonists who died. Bib.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(4) 4-6 Ten-year-old London thief Molly Abraham is sold as an indentured servant to an Orthodox Jewish New York family. Schwabach educates readers about Judaism as Molly learns about the faith; the author is at her best when contrasting Molly's situation with that of a neighboring black slave's. A glossary for Molly's obscure 1730s dialect is included, but readers may become irritated by the frequent need to stop reading and consult it.

Reviewer: Susan P. Bloom

(4) 4-6 Kidnapped from London streets in 1627, thirteen-year-old Rob becomes an indentured servant in Virginia. He labors beside another captive, a Pamunkey Indian girl; their escape plans become more complicated when a kind carpenter offers to buy Rob's indenture. Though the plot resolution is a bit too smooth and some characters slightly stereotyped, this story is deftly told with accurate details.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(4) 4-6 When her mother dies in 1627, fourteen-year-old Pen joins a Dickensian group of young people in London. Their hideout is raided by kidnappers, and the children are shipped to Virginia to become indentured servants. While Pen and the adventurous Rose eventually find kindness, their London leader has a much harsher experience. Pen is an appealing protagonist, and the early narrative compels, though later it loses some fluidity.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(3) 4-6 History Mysteries series. Each of these volumes looks at an important part of American history--the end of the Civil War, the Jamestown colony, settlement houses in turn-of-the-century Boston, and the French and Indian fur trade in the eighteenth century. The four heroines bravely face dangerous circumstances in order to clear the names of the innocent and discover the true culprits. An illustrated historical afterword concludes each book.

Reviewer: Anne St. John

(3) 4-6 My Name Is America series. Fourteen-year-old Jasper recounts his voyage on the Mayflower and the first hard year in Plymouth. When trouble brews among some of the young men of the plantation, Jasper finds refuge with the Indians for a time. Written in a believable voice, the novel offers an interesting perspective on life aboard the ship and among the first colonists. An author's note is included.

Reviewer: Anne St. John

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Chris K. Soentpiet. This fictionalized biography traces Molly Bannaky's life from indentured servant to Maryland land owner--including her marriage to the African slave she bought and freed. The story ends somewhat abruptly with a brief mention that Molly's grandson was Benjamin Banneker; an author's note, however, provides information on the African-American inventor. Dramatic full-page illustrations will draw readers in.

Reviewer: Henrietta M. Smith