(2) 4-6 Eleven-year-old Ella Durand is poised to attend the Arcanum Training Institute for Marvelous and Uncanny Endeavors, a school specifically designed to educate magical youth in developing the arts of touch, vision, spirit, sound, and taste. As the first conjuror student, Ella has the whole magical world looking at her, with some rooting for her success and others hoping for her demise. Although she is shunned by most of her classmates, Ella finds friendship in two fellow outcasts: Brigit, her roommate, who hates magic and detests the school; and Jason, her school guide, who always has a magical companion with him. When a terrifying felon escapes the nearby prison, allegedly with the aid of a conjuror, tensions swell and protests mount in the Marvellian world, and Ella faces increased rumors and prejudice against her. She and her friends must work together to clear the conjuror name before she is expelled and conjurors are forbidden to set foot in the Arcanum Institute ever again. Clayton (The Belles, rev. 5/18; The Everlasting Rose, rev. 3/19) is adept at building inclusive fantasy worlds filled with magic, lore, and beauty. With Ella's memorable voice and unique characterization, this is a marvelous middle-grade adventure, indeed.

Reviewer: S. R. Toliver | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2022

(2) YA Also written by Ashley Woodfolk and Nicola Yoon. Six stories of romance from six Black young adult authors set this collaborative novel apart, with the tales, all taking place during a (fictional) summer blackout affecting all of New York City, intertwining as the characters make their way toward a block party in Brooklyn. The stories center Black love in its many forms, with Black ­protagonists who are culturally, ethnically, and ­linguistically diverse and have varying sexualities. Topics include love at first sight in Woodfolk's "Made to Fit"; a chance meeting in a rideshare in Yoon's "Seymour and Grace"; a relationship autopsy in Jackson's "The Long Walk"; former friends reconnecting on a stuck subway train in Stone's "Mask Off"; best friends exploring the possibility of love in Clayton's "All the Great Love Stories...and Dust"; and lessons in self-love in Thomas's "No Sleep Til ­Brooklyn." A breezy, entertaining summer read, with each author taking advantage of the premise to write into the ­underserved space of Black young adult rom-com.

Reviewer: Monique Harris | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2021

(2) YA Belles series. Camille, Rémy, and Edel (The Belles) work with an underground resistance movement to return the rightful heir to the throne, while Camille attains even greater supernatural abilities. Clayton further develops the world-building of Orléans with a wider landscape, more steampunk-meets-magic technology, and new details of Orléansian spiritual beliefs. Fans will eagerly revisit this lavishly imagined, immersive fantasy realm, which Clayton effectively uses to critique several ugly aspects of our own society.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2019

(2) YA In the fantastical courtly society of Orléans, everyone is born ugly--except for the innately lovely Belles, who also have the supernatural ability to manipulate others' appearance. Camille, the queen's Favorite Belle, moves into the palace to provide beauty services to royals and aristocrats. Clayton vividly describes her world's dazzling fashion and lavish galas in the midst of profound racism/colorism, indentured servitude, and distorted body image.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2018

(3) YA Gigi (Tiny Pretty Things) returns to the American Ballet Conservatory after being intentionally injured by another dancer. Fearing setbacks and wanting retribution, Gigi finds herself stooping to her tormentors' malicious level. First-person narration moves among the diverse cast, grounding the soapy drama with explorations of professional ballet's harsh realities as well as the protagonists' insecurities around racial/cultural identity, sexuality, talent, and body image.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher

(3) YA At the prestigious American Ballet Conservatory, competition is cutthroat. New girl Gigi, queen bee Bette, and often-overlooked June alternate first-person narration of this tale of dancers betraying, manipulating, intimidating, and even maiming one other to get starring roles. A diverse cast, issues of cultural and sexual identity, and body image struggles add some depth to this high-drama--and highly entertaining--ballet thriller.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher