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Self-reliance
159 Reviews
(2)
K-3
"This is a story that will have a happy ending, so don't worry too much!" With that reassuring front-matter spoiler, Brantley-Newton launches into her tale about a little singing goat. Conflict is immediately introduced, as those around her despise the goat's voice and dislike her penchant for climbing. Seemingly oblivious to others' annoyance, she seeks adventure, only to fall into a deep, dry well. Making good use of the book's materiality, Brantley-Newton offers an illustration that must be rotated ninety degrees for proper viewing, showing the goat at the bottom of the well and only the neighbors' and animals' feet visible up top. They've assembled after hearing her piteous cries but quickly abandon trying to save her, deciding instead to "give her a decent burial." This alarming twist is softened by the established light and humorous tone of text and illustrations. "CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?" reads the all-caps print in bold colors as shovelfuls of dirt rain down on a close-up image of the beleaguered, incredulous goat. She's also clever and resourceful as she shakes off the dirt and packs it down, singing to herself, "Shake it off. Pack it under!" A sequence of wordless panel illustrations shows the dirt rising under her hooves until she emerges, dirty but victorious, having gained new respect from her neighbors. The potential for the story (reminiscent of the parable of the donkey in the well) to be read metaphorically is encouraged by Brantley-Newton's dedication to "every child who has been counted out" and her author's note about overcoming childhood struggles with stuttering, dyslexia, and bullying.
Reviewer: Megan Dowd Lambert
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
July, 2024
(1)
1-3
Translated by Celyn Harding-Jones.
When four animals discover an egg while playing in the forest one day, they decide to take turns caring for it. At Mouse's house, the egg begins to talk, and Mouse must figure out how to keep it warm. The next day, at Bear's house, the egg hatches, producing a yellow chick. Little Bird discovers what foods she likes while at Hare's house. And at Turtle's house, Little Bird learns how to use her imagination. With the knowledge she's gained from her new friends, an industrious Little Bird builds her own house. Though the others are at first surprised and worried for her, when they visit they discover that Little Bird, who now wishes to be called Clara, is quite an independent thinker, leading them to reconsider what their names could be ("Nico?" "Marcel?" "Lola?" "Winnie?"). Seven easily digestible sections, a picture-book trim size, and graphic novel like format (straightforward panels, dialogue balloons) make Dubuc's satisfying hybrid story a perfect match for both reading novices and slightly younger listeners. She gives each animal unique attributes (e.g., Bear is a creative builder and likes to exercise: "An active body for an active brain"), and her appealing pastel-toned ink, watercolor, and colored-pencil illustrations contain lots of recurring details that are entertaining to spot on repeat reads. Hand this to fans of Ruzzier's Fox + Chick series.
Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
May, 2024
(2)
4-6
After "a bunch of water ruin[s] her life," all that our twelve-year-old protagonist wants to do is get back to normal. But what does normal look like for "Temple Baxter, flood victim"? It doesn't look like living in temporary quarters for weeks, switching schools, and constantly babysitting her three-year-old sister while her parents work and deal with the extensive repairs on their home. When her former private school friends ghost her, she's further unmoored. A natural organizer, Temple lands on the coping strategy of planning a fundraiser. With the help of neighborhood frenemy Jesse and new friend Asha, whose reframing of "flood victim" as "aquatic adventurer" helps Temple find her footing, she recruits local media, some big-name acts, and (just in time) a venue. With a plot that leans on the "plucky kids save the day with a big show" trope, this could read like a heartwarming feature story on the local news. But Faris elevates it with a keen sensitivity to Temple's emotional development as the tween comes to a maturing sense of her place in her family and community. Her desperate insistence that her parents level with her will strike chords of recognition in readers who are also teetering on the brink of agency. Sincere and heartfelt.
Reviewer: Vicky Smith
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
March, 2024
(2)
4-6
Since narrator Fern was six, she and her mother have lived on the Ranch, an isolated "sustainable futurist community" in upstate New York. Now twelve, Fern is completely accustomed to the unquestioned authority of Ranch leader Dr. Ben and his "ideals," which emphasize a reverence for nature. Readers may begin to realize long before the protagonist does that the Ranch's way of life has its flaws; as the story opens, a teen community member has died during a rite of passage. But still, when Mom recognizes those extremes and escapes to California with Fern, it's understandable that Fern finds the outside world scary and, even as she begins to reacclimate, is determined to find a way to go "home." As in Lasagna Means I Love You (rev. 3/23), O'Shaughnessy presents a high-stakes situation and zeroes in on a child narrator's believable emotions. That tight focus on the young narrator even when she is misguided or doesn't have all the facts allows readers to draw their own conclusions based on the gradually increasing information she has -- about the events that led her mother to choose the Ranch, and in separating what can sound like positive environmentalist values from the dangerous reality of a cult.
Reviewer: Shoshana Flax
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
May, 2024
(2)
4-6
It's 1881 in Destiny, Colorado. Fourteen-year-old Henry Upton and his three younger brothers have just buried their father. Their mother passed away several years earlier, and now they must manage the homestead by themselves. Henry comes up with a plan to help them get by: he writes stories and sends them east to be published. These stories feature The Kid, a young hometown hero who thwarts a variety of evildoers; they are the product of Henry's imagination, but he has passed them off as true stories -- and they are successful beyond his wildest imagination. Indeed, his editor, Herbert ("pronounced air-bear[pcf1]. It's French"), heads west to encourage him to write even more. Also headed west is Snake-Eye Sam, a would-be-notorious criminal who is newly escaped from an Arkansas prison and headed to Destiny for his own rendezvous with The Kid. Their narrative strands are interwoven with Henry's main narrative and the occasional story about The Kid (in a typewriter-esque font). Henry and company ultimately prevail -- for real, this time -- but not without lots of adventure, dollops of humor, and a little bit of heart. There aren't too many Westerns written for middle-grade and middle-school readers nowadays, but Schill's debut is an entertaining genre entry.
Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
July, 2024
(2)
YA
Sharkita is always waiting for the other shoe to drop, although her life finally feels like it is on the right track. Her mom is now employed and sober, and Kita has been reunited with her two younger siblings, Lamar and Lilli. Letting her guard down slowly, she tries to be a regular middle schooler hanging out with friends and even trying out for the twirl squad. Unfortunately, the stability of her family begins to unravel, and a series of events lands the siblings in foster care once again. After an assault leads to her hospitalization, Kita finds she needs to summon her courage to start over, and hopefully this time will be different. A heart-wrenching tale of family disruption, this story is one of adaptation and resilience. However, the trauma of separation that the protagonist is forced to endure fills her with anxiety. Despite the efforts of such helpful adults as the new assistant principal, she constantly attempts to put on her bravest face to protect the fragile snippets of peace at home. Winston's (The Braid Girls, rev. 7/23) story will resonate with some while offering others a window into a life of abuse and upheaval.
Reviewer: Monique Harris
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
January, 2024
(1)
4-6
It's summer, and ten-year-old Jojo and her three sisters have to entertain themselves because their romance-novel writer mom has a book due ("Mom on deadline was not nearly as fun as Mom not on deadline"). Banished outside, with their new friend, Theo, they make the most of their books, art supplies, and snacks. Things get more interesting, however, when a fairy turns up. Roland, "small and greenish and personlike," is demanding and very grubby. The story turns off-kilter and cheeky as we realize that Roland and his world are simultaneously real and a product of Jojo's storytelling imagination. (There's also an authorial voice that breaks through occasionally.) Cue trouble in fairyland and kids to the rescue. Bouwman pulls off this energetic slipperiness with such confidence and brio that we almost don't notice that the underlying story is one of bereavement, as the girls are coping with the death of their grandmother. The writing is a complete delight of originality and specificity: "It was an odd kind of flapping, not the sound that bird wings make in our world, but the sound that wings without flesh or feathers might make--sort of like twigs swooshing quickly through the air. But more creaky, like wicker." Reliably funny, never once twee, clever in the way of kids and fairies, and authentically moving.
Reviewer: Sarah Ellis
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
July, 2023
(2)
4-6
After the death of Nan, the grandmother who had been her guardian, eleven-year-old Mo begins a series of letters to Nan in a notebook. She relates the difficulties of her next steps: an uncle is unwilling to care for her; a foster parent gives her up, overwhelmed in part by challenges including her stress-induced bed-wetting; another placement that looks like it might work out has its own obstacles. A family cookbook (stolen but later returned) makes Mo wish she had meaningful recipes of her own, and the cooking project the book inspires grows into a food website. She uses that platform to solicit other people's recipes--and to put the word out that she's in search of blood relatives. Mo, imperfections and all, is a winning heroine surrounded by flawed though mostly well-meaning adults, and her hopes, even those that are long shots, come from an understandable desperation for family and stability, which makes it easy to root for her. Secondary characters are fully realized, with personalities coming through in the interspersed recipes' directions and commentary. To be read with snacks at hand, and perhaps also some tissues.
Reviewer: Shoshana Flax
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
March, 2023
(2)
YA
In this absorbing novel, a Nigerian Canadian girl navigating tumultuous circumstances learns to trust friends and family. Suspected of fraud, her parents have become fugitives; Summer first lives on her own and then at the homes of friends, looking forward to the legal "true freedom" that will come with her approaching eighteenth birthday. Her outward aloofness and attitude that she can handle being abandoned and betrayed belie her longing for a stable home. When a social worker discovers her situation, Summer is sent to live with a cousin, Olu, whom she barely knows. Olu is only two years older than Summer; a popular singer in Japan, she now resides in Toronto. The relationship between the cousins is fraught with tension as Summer continues to rebuff Olu's attempts to support her, and she learns that Olu has consequential problems of her own and plans to return to Japan. A traumatic incident with a family member precipitates a period of reflection that leads Summer to make a life-changing decision and to realize what matters most. Onomé's skill at conveying the complexity of teenage emotions is notable. Her sympathetic portrayal of Summer as a teen who, because of past experiences, is guarded in her relationships with adults and sometimes with peers is both authentic and believable in a resonant coming-of-age story.
Reviewer: Pauletta Brown Bracy
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
May, 2023
(2)
4-6
Illustrated by
Matthew Cordell.
Lonely, neglected Leeva Thornblossom's greedy parents believe her job is to make them rich and famous. Since this hasn't happened yet, they require Leeva to follow her Employee Manual and perform such duties as washing dishes and cooking the books for the town of Nutsmore, where her mother is mayor and her father is treasurer. Versatile author Pennypacker (Clementine, rev. 1/07; Pax, rev. 3/16) has written a book that is by turns outrageous and wise, funny and touching, fantastical and true; Cordell's sketches contribute to the levity. Although forbidden to leave the Thornblossoms' property, Leeva begins her exploration of the outside world by sneaking to the library next door, where she befriends the kind librarian, Pauline Flowers, and her nephew. Under Mrs. Flowers's direction, Leeva begins reading books to answer her question, "What are people for?" Leeva's social circle and her understanding of the world expand exponentially, and eventually she and her new friends (and a badger) play a role in ridding the town of the adult Thornblossoms and returning all the money they stole. By story's end, Leeva knows exactly what people are for: "Everything that happens is better when someone else shares it with you."
Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
May, 2023
(1)
YA
"Most people didn't live in hollowed-out trees behind their middle school," but twelve-year-old Raymond does. A seventh grader at River Mill Middle School in North Carolina, he had lived in a rented trailer with his feckless parents three miles from school. But one day he comes home to discover that they have abandoned him, and now here he is living in the woods with his dog and doing his best to fly under the radar. He saves food from cafeteria lunches, does nighttime dumpster dives, and sometimes has luck fishing. He does have a new friend in Harlin, who in an act of kindness chooses as a bingo prize a sleeping bag for Raymond instead of the NASCAR tickets he'd wanted. Gradually, Raymond finds a circle of caring people (and a coyote) in his orbit: Lexi, his first girlfriend; Stigs, a former army surgeon who lives in a cabin nearby; and various teachers who don't let Raymond remain invisible. The third-person narrative allows for fully realized secondary characters who play important roles in Raymond's life and, ultimately, in his rescue. Rudd's straightforward, meticulous prose perfectly captures the daily routines and occasional drama of life in the woods. A worthy match for My Side of the Mountain and Hatchet the book Raymond checks out of the library toward the end of the novel.
Reviewer: Dean Schneider
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
July, 2023
(1)
YA
For many immigrant families, the American dream is a journey paved with countless obstacles; this struggle plays out in the lives of three Taiwanese siblings in Tang's graphic novel. The story begins in 1981 when the Lin family, undocumented immigrants from Taiwan, arrives in Los Angeles, allegedly for a vacation. But soon ten-year-old Feng-Li (who adopts the American name Ann) and her older brother Ke-Gng (Jason) and sister Jia-Xi (Jessie) find out that the move is permanent, and their father is not staying with them; a month later they learn they will need to fend for themselves--their mother must return to China after her visa is not renewed. They work to adapt to American culture: Feng-Li strives to make friends in school; Ke-Gng searches for his identity while joining a clique of Chinese American teens that pressures him into smoking, skipping class, shoplifting, and worse; Jia-Xi studies for the SATs and looks for a job but falls prey to an insidious scam. Vibrant colors and expressively drawn faces capture the dynamic ups and downs in their lives. Intense dilemmas punctuated by humorous moments dramatize the challenges faced by each character. Tang weaves themes of family, racial stereotyping, cultural adaptation, sacrifice, peer pressure, sexuality, bullying, and survival into a poignant and triumphant story of perseverance and resilience, presenting a remarkably honest depiction of an Asian American immigrant experience.
Reviewer: Jerry Dear
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
May, 2023
(2)
YA
Growing up in the slums around Mumbai, India, seventh grader Minni has been raised to follow the rules and stay out of trouble, but she can't keep quiet when she spots injustice. She dreams of going to college but keeps bumping up against the realities of poverty that make that nearly impossible. The narrative focus is on Mumbai's unstable, often non-potable water supply and the lack of indoor plumbing in Minni's neighborhood. When her brother spies the “water mafia” siphoning water illegally, he is sent away for his safety, while their mother goes to the country to recover from a serious illness. This leaves Minni to obtain water and boil it, take on her mother's job as a maid, and struggle to attend school full time. Her own sleuthing leads to a shocking conclusion about corruption and Mumbai's water resources. Bajaj's suspenseful novel peels back the curtain on modern-day class and caste inequities and how they create a cycle of poverty that spirals through generations. Minni's thirst for what's right steers the novel toward an optimistic conclusion in which one person can bring about big changes.
Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
November, 2022
(2)
K-3
Translated by Elisa Amado.
Illustrated by
Mariana Ruiz Johnson.
In this eccentric volume, Buitrago and Johnson provide suggestions addressing the titular theme. A guileless, wide-eyed frog in black coveralls performs each of the actions, some being generally straightforward ("Sit on a park bench and cut out paper dolls. Leave them as presents all over the place") and others more situational ("When you are at your aunt's house, you can free a bird," i.e., her pet. "It will always remember you"). Cheerful optimism abounds, with occasional welcome hints of pragmatism: "If you find a bee splashing in a fountain, help it out... If it gets angry...just run away. Anyway, what friend doesn't get cranky sometimes?" Every creatively interpreted spread, in subdued hues with rounded shapes and tidy black outlines, is chock-full of friendly-looking, personality-filled creatures of many different species--potential pals, all. And introverts, take heart. The best and most self-empowering advice for those who find themselves depleted after a long day of socializing appears at the end: "But if by late afternoon you get tired of making friends, just be by yourself and forget everything that this book has told you to do...learn to be your own best friend."
Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
November, 2022
(2)
K-3
Illustrated by
Erin K. Robinson.
In this picture-book celebration of libraries and reading, poet Giovanni writes about the Carnegie Library, which she regularly visited as a child. Robinson's digital art resembles vibrant collages and features a young Black girl with jaunty pigtails tied with twirly yellow ribbons. Her puffy aqua dress with a Peter Pan collar helps set the time period in the 1950s. The little girl explains why she loves her library: it's "a place to be free / to be in space / to be a cook / to be a crook / to be in love / to be unhappy." She thinks about being "quick and smart" but also "contained and cautious"; she imagines herself playing jazz and sailing. Returning home with her stack of books, the girl carries out her chores before going back to reading, wrapped up in a brightly colored patchwork quilt, the patches echoing the covers of the volumes she's reading--so that in her daily life she is constantly surrounded by love and vibrancy. In a touching author's note Giovanni talks about her own childhood experience at the "colored" library, where a special librarian would get her poetry books from the main library.
Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
September, 2022
(2)
PS
Illustrated by
Sergio Ruzzier.
Walter (a mouse-like creature) and Xavier (who resembles a duck) do everything together, including boating (their canoe has "X + W" carved into it) and hiking. When a quilled creature appears on the scene, however, Xavier's attention turns to her. The close friendship ends, and Walter mourns the loss: "There was...a big hole in his heart where Xavier used to be." But time passes, and one day Walter takes a hike alone, trying a new trail and making a new friend. Underwood's story sensitively presents a common childhood occurrence, as evident in the title's past tense: the disintegration of a friendship. The book's pacing is superb and lets the story breathe. The single short sentence that chronicles the turning-away of Xavier is dispersed amongst four spreads, Ruzzier extending the five words with his warm and expressive watercolors to unfold the drama of a friendship dissolving. Walter's sorrow, which includes bouts of anger, is given the same leisurely pace, making his return to the hiking trail after his time of grief immensely gratifying. The way Ruzzier captures the changing emotions on Walter's face and the space the story gives to his time of "sad quiet" are honest and respectful to the interior lives of children. Details delight: Walter wears a stylish feathered hat and wraps his tail around a rung of his chair as he reads. Emotionally rewarding and cathartic.
Reviewer: Julie Danielson
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
September, 2022
(2)
4-6
Seventh grader Lotus Bloom marches to the beat of her own drum. She rocks a unique vintage style and a huge afro, and she is a gifted violinist who has been invited to attend a new performing arts school. Not everyone is happy about it, though. Not her best friend, appropriately named Rebel, who resents the new school for taking resources--and Lotus--away from the neighborhood middle school. Certainly not her classmate/nemesis Adolpho, whom she bumps from his position as concertmaster. Not even her mom, who feels Lotus should be thinking about a future outside of music, unlike her musician father who recently relocated to Paris. Worst of all, Lotus finds herself being discriminated against due to her hair, which threatens all of her hard work and her normally peaceful outlook. This captivating novel raises issues of racial discrimination, educational equity, and classism in an approachable way, inviting readers to consider multiple perspectives through the lively cast of diverse, multifaceted characters. Through the drama at school and in her family, as well as ups and downs in her friendships (with Rebel and new frenemy Mercedes), Lotus finds her voice as she learns to release herself from trying to manage the emotions and expectations of others.
Reviewer: Monique Harris
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
January, 2023
(2)
K-3
Illustrated by
Carmen Mok.
This Canadian import straightforwardly takes on a difficult subject: the effects of parental depression on a child. Kim wakes each morning not knowing which version of her mother she'll have for the day. "Sometimes she's up, making breakfast, packing lunch. Today she's still in bed beside me." Our narrator doesn't appear outwardly worried; "I'm tough like Mum" is her repeated refrain. Kim packs her own lunch with what little she can find in the pantry, saving food for her dinner. When she attempts to rouse her mother for a school field-trip signature, Mum's curt response sends Kim away. The muted colors used in Mok's digitally edited gouache and colored-pencil illustrations give a heaviness to Kim's days and are fitting to the subject at hand. Fortunately, a supportive teacher provides some comfort, helping Kim navigate the field-trip problem (including the form's "I can't pay" box, another clue to one of her family's hardships), and allowing the girl to feel less alone. Children with a parent living with depression will see themselves in Kim's steadfast love for, and frustration with, her mother. Eventually, the two are able to connect after school, and Kim and Mum spend their evening reading stories and laughing together. Readers should come away from the story realizing that staying "tough" is not the only answer.
Reviewer: Hill Saxton
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
May, 2021
(4)
K-3
Archaeologists, mechanics, gamers, and more: girls can be "anything in the world!" declares Brazilian author/illustrator Ferrari in this earnest ode to girl power. While the translated text describing each occupation (and later, each character attribute) is unremarkable, the inclusive illustrations--which show a young business owner in a headscarf, a wheelchair-using musician, and a diverse cast of other girls--make the feminist message even more powerful.
Reviewer: Erica Wetter
(1)
K-3
In this playful wordless book, spacesuit-clad students arrive on the moon for a field trip. One child hangs back, finds a hidden spot to draw...and falls asleep. Stranded but self-possessed, the student soon has company: one-eyed moon creatures with whom the child shares some crayons. This sly but easy-to-follow linear narrative is told through a well-paced mix of panels and full- and double-page illustrations, with highly effective pops of color.
Reviewer: Patrick Gall
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
September, 2019
159 reviews
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