(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Erin McGuire. Eleven-year-old Lark is empathic and imaginative; her twin Iris is assertive and practical. When they are assigned to separate fifth-grade classrooms, both girls are miserable. Meanwhile, objects begin disappearing all over town after a strange antique store appears, run by a man obsessed with finding his lost sister. The book is packed with thought-provoking material, exploring such themes as girls' power, healthy versus unhealthy relationships--and the cost of magic.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2019

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Erin McGuire. This picture book biography does justice to the spunky, independent writer of To Kill a Mockingbird. Hegedus develops Lee's character and shares the author's childhood influences (including her small-town lawyer father and her friend Truman Capote) who helped shape her groundbreaking novel. Unfortunately, the digital illustrations cheapen the presentation, giving it a cartoonlike look. Websites. Bib.

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(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Erin McGuire. In Nazi-occupied Paris, Chantal discovers a whale in the Seine and names him Franklin. When Germans arrest her father and aunt, Chantal and Franklin journey to save them. This inventive fantastical story thoughtfully explores the hardships of war, although more contextual background could have given additional depth to Chantal's defiance and empathy. Still, the message that "sometimes silliness is your best hope" shines.

Reviewer: Mariko Turk

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Erin McGuire. Rylant does an adequate job of telling the popular tale in her own words, with a unique spin on the lesson to be learned: "It just took Time." Whether that interpretation will satisfy readers is an open question. McGuire's cartoony digital illustrations are bland but inoffensive, though readers obsessed with princesses may long for more sparkle.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(4) 1-3 Shelter Pet Squad series. Illustrated by Erin McGuire. Suzannah's embarrassed to be the only Shelter Pet Squad member without a pet, especially as her second-grade class Pet Day approaches. Can sharing the story of Paloma, a shelter dog from Puerto Rico, be just as special? Dog lovers will appreciate Paloma's happy ending in this third story with overtly integrated pet-care tips; halftone illustrations capture Suzannah's enthusiasm. Additional facts and activities are appended.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(4) 1-3 Shelter Pet Squad series. Illustrated by Erin McGuire. Seven-year-old Suzannah wants to find Merlin the ferret the perfect home, but as Maplewood Animal Shelter's youngest volunteer, she cannot read the ferret-care book or attend a pet-adoption event on her own. Suzannah has spunk, and McGuire's halftone illustrations capture characters' emotions. Unfortunately, the narrative sometimes reads as a vehicle for pet-care information. Ferret facts and activities are appended.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(4) 1-3 Shelter Pet Squad series. Illustrated by Erin McGuire. Second-grade animal lover Suzannah cannot have a pet in her apartment, so she spends time volunteering at a local shelter. When guinea pig Jelly Bean is left there, Suzannah and her new friends spring into action. A predictable plot with unnecessary explanatory passages make this series-starter both easy to understand and dull. Sweet halftone illustrations and appended activities and facts are included.

Reviewer: Robin L. Smith

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Erin McGuire. In Bliss, Rosemary's evil aunt stole the Bliss family "Cookery Booke." Now Rosemary challenges her aunt to a televised baking duel to win it back. With the help of a talking cat, the Bliss children visit the landmarks of Paris collecting ingredients such as "unspoiled rainfall" to use in the contest. Readers will enjoy accompanying these kitchen magicians on their Parisian adventure.

Reviewer: Sophie Williamson

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Erin McGuire. Misfit orphan Oscar is content to be his magician master's menial "hand." Then Master Caleb disappears, and children in the magically protected City suddenly begin to sicken. Using Pinocchio as her point of departure, Ursu creates a highly rewarding and involving adventure, with a tight plot, resonant themes, a clearly limned fantasy landscape, and a sympathetic main character.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2013

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Erin McGuire. Just as things are going smoothly for Lucky and Brigitte (The Higher Power of Lucky, Lucky Breaks), trouble arrives in the form of restaurant inspector Stu Burping. Meanwhile, Lucky must draw up a family tree--no mean feat for her--which leads to gratifying, if bittersweet, closure. McGuire's black-and-white spot illustrations beautifully capture moments between characters as Lucky's important relationships are shifting.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2011

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Erin McGuire. In Ursu’s riff on The Snow Queen, Hazel is demoralized when her friend Jack refuses to have anything to do with her, instead playing with his male schoolmates. Then he disappears altogether. But fantasy-reading Hazel knows a fairy tale when she sees one: she heads into the woods and successfully negotiates the duplicitous characters she meets. Ursu’s prose is pungent, humorous, and vivid.

Reviewer: Deirdre F. Baker | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2012