(2) K-3 Illustrated by Jacqueline Alcántara. This lyrical look at the young life of an enigmatic musician follows Prince through his challenging youth and shows how community support helped him channel hard times into music. The rhythm of Joy's (Choosing Brave, rev. 9/22) poetic text matches the rhythm of Prince's early life, feeling sometimes disjointed as he drifts through a tumultuous childhood and suddenly becomes steady as he finds his way to the style that became known as the Minneapolis Sound. Alcantara's (most recently, illustrator of Climb On!, rev. 5/22) washes of watercolor echo the text's progression, starting with more muted blue tones including peeks of Prince's iconic purple, eventually resolving into a glorious celebration of deep purples as his music develops. Joy's telling of Prince's childhood will resonate with young people who use art to find meaning in difficult days. An author's note relates biographical information more directly; back matter also notes Joy's own connection to Prince and his music and includes a family-friendly playlist of his songs.

Reviewer: Laura Koenig | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2023

(4) YA This tragic love story begins with a suicide and ends with the beginning of first romance. Presented in reverse chronological order, Atty's diary entries reveal the tense circumstances that led her to run away with her boyfriend, her burgeoning love of electronic dance music, and--sadly--the guileless younger teen she once was. The reverse structure is inventive but more awkward than effective.

Reviewer: Jessica Tackett MacDonald

(4) YA Unbarred series. Shakespeare's tragedies--Antony and Cleopatra (Duty), Hamlet (Fight), Othello (Friend), Romeo and Juliet (Heart)--are adapted to modern settings. Gangs, racial conflicts, drug trafficking, and correctional institutions feature strongly in these unsubtle attempts to make Shakespeare relevant to readers unfamiliar with aristocratic politics or the Roman Empire. Short chapters, fast action, and lots of dialogue increase the hi-lo appeal. Review covers the following Unbarred titles: Duty or Desire, Fight or Flee, Friend or Foe, and Heart or Mind.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac

(2) 4-6 A shape-shifting creature called "the Envoy" informs eleven-year-old Gabe that it has appointed him Earth's ambassador to "everyone else." Gabe travels across space (while he's asleep) to the Embassy. When he wakes up back home, he discovers his father is to be deported to Mexico the next day--and one of the other ambassadors is trying to kill Gabe. A meaty and entertaining novel.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2014

(2) 4-6 In 1940, thirteen-year-old Evvy Hoffmeister is sent to Loon Lake Sanatorium to recover from tuberculosis. Evvy's natural inquisitiveness gradually overcomes her fear and isolation, creating an evenly paced story in which she learns about people and herself against the backdrop of sanatorium life. Hayles succeeds admirably in showing, rather than telling, Evvy's character and growth.

Reviewer: Ariel Baker-Gibbs | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2012