(2) YA Aaron Boroff and Tillie Stanley are both suffering from depression, but different life experiences lead them to the George Washington Bridge at the same moment for their respective suicide attempts. Sequentially, four distinct possibilities play out: Tillie jumps, Aaron doesn't; Aaron jumps, Tillie doesn't; they both jump; neither jumps. Aaron is an introspective loner, a skinny gay kid who's interested in writing and performing music. He's plagued by self-doubt, however, exacerbated by severe depression. Tillie, adopted from Korea, struggles to earn the love of her emotionally unavailable father and feels like her family's "plan B," supplanted by the biological daughter they had years later. The intriguing narrative structure allows Konigsberg to develop Aaron and Tillie with nuance and depth, showing how their absence from this world would affect their families and peers immediately and far into the future. In the last alternative narrative strand, Aaron and Tillie become friends and support each other in a way that their parents, friends, and therapists could not. Mental health and suicide ideation are difficult topics, and Konigsberg handles them with great skill, care, and sensitivity. An author's note addresses depression and suicide, particularly among LGBTQIA+ youth, and provides resources.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2020

(3) K-3 Translated by Amy Novesky. Illustrated by Marc Daniau. Inspired by the Norman Rockwell painting The Problem We All Live With, this French import presents the fictionalized story of six-year-old Ruby Bridges, one of the first African American children to integrate a Southern school. Written in first person, and paired with expressive, striking illustrations, the book should resonate with readers with its frank presentation of the difficulties Bridges faced during this flashpoint in American history.

Reviewer: Monique Harris

(3) 4-6 Fact Finders: People You Should Know series. These biographies focus on individuals who've had a significant impact on American culture and history. Ginsburg highlights important decisions the Justice has been outspoken about and describes her place in pop culture. Bridges takes a broader look at the integration of Ruby's school and the reactions of her community. Sidebars, "Did You Know?" text boxes, well-chosen photographs, and word definitions accompany the readable texts. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Fact Finders: People You Should Know titles: Ruby Bridges and Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(3) 4-6 Freedom's Promise series. Cleanly designed and supported with lots of photos, these books feature clear texts that help contextualize pivotal episodes in African American history. The treatments don't shy away from the violence and hatred that the fight for civil rights unleashed in America. Bloody looks at how the U.S. civil rights movement inspired Catholic activists in Northern Ireland. There are eight other spring 2019 books in this series. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Freedom's Promise titles: Daisy Bates and the Little Rock Nine, The March on Washington and Its Legacy, Ruby Bridges and the Desegregation of American Schools, and Two Bloody Sundays.

Reviewer: Monique Harris

(2) 4-6 To escape their abusive father, eleven-year-old narrator Viji and her intellectually disabled sister Rukku run away to Chennai, the capital city of Tamil Nadu, India, where they befriend two homeless boys. Written in short chapters directly addressed to Rukku in which traumatic events are balanced with personal reflection, this bittersweet story is about breaking the cycle of abuse, reaching for your dreams, and finding home in the most unlikely places.

Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2019

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Natalie Nelson. Wishinsky's straightforward, text-heavy picture-book biography places particular emphasis on Roebling's critical role in bringing her husband's engineering feat, the iconic Brooklyn Bridge, to completion after he fell ill. Taking inspiration from nineteenth-century newspapers, Nelson's collage illustrations draw from photographs, giving the book an air of historical authenticity. Speech bubbles with imagined dialogue make Roebling and her milieu accessible to today's readers. Reading list. Bib.

Reviewer: Erica Wetter

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Carl Wiens. An informative introduction to the way the natural world can influence the built environment features discussion of global architecture and design that intentionally (and unintentionally) copies nature. Photos of real-life structures sit alongside appealingly straightforward hand-drawn images and diagrams. Several manageable activities demonstrating eco-design principles along with design-it-yourself prompts will inspire budding architects to consider the ways nature can help solve design challenges. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Erica Wetter

(3) YA In the wake of a bridge collapse in Boston, five teenagers from different backgrounds find themselves in a hospital waiting room. Through flashbacks, overlapping perspectives, a vividly described setting, and an effective use of dramatic irony, Lawson carefully develops each character's story and their accidental relationships with one another. Regardless of its neat ending, this debut novel is a worthwhile study of tragedy's wake.

Reviewer: Norah Piehl

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Andrea Offerman. Two sisters illustrate the Chinese concept of opposites forming a powerful whole. Strong, energetic Wei and thoughtful, creative Mei together fight the dragon that prevents their family and neighbors from using the local bridge, forcing all the villagers to travel long and far to get to market. With folkloric rhythms and beautifully detailed pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations, this original story will satisfy readers.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) 4-6 Fact Finders: Awesome Engineering series. Illustrated by Mark Ruffle. This series packs lots of information about engineering structures or vehicles into slim volumes. Each spread includes a "Building Brief" explaining the challenge, engineer, and location of the featured invention; information on the history and physical science involved; and illustrative diagrams and small photos. The tone respects readers' intelligence, as do the straightforward scientific explanations. A page of facts concludes each volume. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Fact Finders: Awesome Engineering titles: Bridges, Fairground Rides, and Trains, Planes, and Ships.

Reviewer: Janet Dawson

(4) YA Zusak presents an epic saga of five rambunctious Australian brothers, their long-suffering parents, and the bonds of love that tie them together. The eldest Dunbar brother narrates this story in an elliptical, digressive, somewhat frustratingly enigmatic style. The distinctly Australian landscape is fully realized, and the (many) supporting characters are convincing in their brief cameos, but like the impressionistic vignettes that make up the plot, they are subsumed by this overly demanding book's heftier elements.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2018

(3) K-3 Super Simple Engineering Projects series. This series clearly explains engineering principles through hands-on projects. Six-page introductions define each engineered structure, briefly describing its construction, uses, and different types. Five or six activities follow, and "Digging Deeper" sidebars expand on the science involved. Simple directions, inexpensive materials lists, and plenty of helpful photographs make this series a good choice for budding engineers. Each book concludes with a three-question quiz. Glos. Review covers these Super Simple Engineering Projects titles: Engineer It! Bridge Projects, Engineer It! Canal Projects, Engineer It! Dam Projects, Engineer It! Road Projects, Engineer It! Skyscraper Projects, and Engineer It! Tunnel Projects.

Reviewer: Janet Dawson

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Renée Kurilla. A canine city family heads to the shore for a picnic. They drive their "1 pickup" toward the bridge, as do "2 blue scooters," "3 squeaky jeeps," and so on until "10 troopers' cruisers" block everyone's path ("Road closed"). The spontaneous communal picnic has the esprit de corps of a Richard Scarry composition, but the story slumps after the bridge reopens.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) 4-6 Building by Design series. Each book in this engaging engineering-focused series describes the history and construction of a famous structure, and explains how the landmark is maintained today. Sidebars (some with prompts and website links) as well as photographs, drawings, and diagrams enhance each main text's four chapters. Each book includes "Straight to the Source" pages quoting a primary source, discussion questions throughout, and additional appended facts. There are four other fall 2017 books in this series. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Building by Design titles: Engineering the Golden Gate Bridge, Engineering the Colosseum, Engineering the NYC Subway System, and Engineering the Eiffel Tower.

Reviewer: Janet Dawson

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Celia Krampien. This simple picture book emphasizes that the purpose of bridges is human connectivity: "Bridges do more than connect one place to another. / They bring the whole world together." A brief text pairs with more informative sidebars to explore many types of bridges (covered, draw, railway, etc.) as well as famous ones (Golden Gate, London, Brooklyn). Sunny illustrations make good use of the connection theme.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) K-3 Engineering Marvels series. These books provide brief accounts of major engineering feats--three transportation marvels and three iconic structures. Each book includes the project's purpose, how it was built, personnel involved, and physical challenges encountered. Archival and recent photographs give insight into the construction process. The lackluster texts are enhanced with sidebars providing statistical data and examples of similar projects. A short quiz is included in each title. Glos. Review covers these Engineering Marvels titles: Building Route 66, Building the Channel Tunnel, Building the Panama Canal, Building the Empire State Building, Building the Golden Gate Bridge, and Building the Hoover Dam.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(3) K-3 Pinkney's retelling of the classic folktale allows a happier ending for the troll--he is still defeated by the biggest billy goat Gruff but lives to watch the goats reveling in the good life (and possibly, as revealed on the endpapers, even joining in). The story unfolds in well-paced text and through a nicely varied layout of Pinkney's signature watercolor illustrations.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(4) K-3 Engineering Super Structures series. Each book in this series superficially introduces newly independent readers to a different type of engineered structure, noting its history, construction, uses, and maintenance. Every spread contains a few simple sentences--with new vocabulary in bold--plus accompanying photographs (including an awkwardly superimposed image of a child). A concluding "Think About It" question offers an opportunity for a bit of deeper reflection. Glos. Review covers these Engineering Super Structures titles: Dams, Bridges, Canals, Roads, Skyscrapers, and Tunnels.

Reviewer: Janet Dawson

(3) PS As this entertaining civics lessons reveals, everyone in Tinyville has a job to do, and the mayor helps solve problems. When there is a traffic jam, he gathers the necessary people in town to come up with a solution: building a wider and stronger bridge. The digitally colored pen-and-ink cartoon illustrations show architects working on blueprints, construction workers driving vehicles, and admirable diversity.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(3) 4-6 American Places: From Vision to Reality series. This series highlights six of America's most famous and symbolic landmarks, touching on their history, the individuals involved in their creation, the engineering challenges faced, and the eventual construction and completion of these national icons. Sidebars and plentiful illustrations and photographs add clarity to the succinct, direct texts; historical images of construction are especially appealing. Websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers the following American Places: From Vision to Reality titles: The Golden Gate Bridge, The Statue of Liberty, The White House, Colonial Williamsburg, The Empire State Building, and The Hoover Dam.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg