(1) K-3 Illustrated by Jeremy Holmes. As a product of the Age of Reason, Thomas Jefferson was long fascinated by science in general and the natural world in particular. Consequently, when he first read a French encyclopedia by the renowned scientist Comte de Buffon that declared the American colonies inferior because the native animals were neither as large nor as ferocious as their European counterparts, Jefferson questioned Buffon's reasoning -- partly because of the audacious comments, partly because of national pride, and partly because Jefferson did not want to discourage immigration. For years he challenged these assumptions by asking questions; creating counterarguments; conducting experiments (which included the shipping of a dead moose to France to verify its large size); and formulating and publishing his conclusions. In other words, he followed the scientific method, nicely summarized in the back matter. The mixed-media illustrations, crafted with woodblocks and pencil, are highlighted in unusual and effective layouts. The written narrative appears in text boxes, acting either as previews for the often-humorous illustrations (for example, ideas explode from Jefferson's head as he writes his own book challenging Buffon) or as comic panels. A concluding author's note explains the sources and dangers of misinformation and ways to identify and combat such rumors, as well as a timeline of Jefferson's life and a bibliography -- appropriately, for the topic -- divided into primary and secondary sources.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2024

(2) 4-6 Color by George Williams. Sunny's back in her fifth 1970s-set graphic novel (Sunny Side Up, rev. 9/15, and sequels), here starting a debate team at school with her equally-uninterested-in-sports friend Arun. She learns how to consider both sides of an issue, to research using a variety of sources (including her own and others' lived experiences), and to always add the "secret sauce": passion. As ever, humor abounds, as when Sunny and Arun, in search of a debate-team adviser, tell a succession of teachers that they're their first choice. A sweet subplot concerns Sunny's friend Tony, who keeps trying to ask an oblivious Sunny out on a date but is continually foiled. The visual storytelling is excellent, with a variety of panel sizes, shapes, and placement. Resolved: this latest series entry is a winner.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2024

(3) 4-6 In this compelling companion to Jawbreaker, tall seventh grader Stephanie “Stevie” Crumb navigates demoralizing family dynamics, uncomfortable attention, and growing pains in New York City. Joining the debate team boosts her confidence, offering a safe space to test self-expression and boundaries. With themes of body autonomy, social media safety, and self-acceptance, this heartfelt, relatable, empowering story will resonate with readers facing similar challenges. Includes an author’s note.

Reviewer: Summer Edward

(2) YA This retelling of Pride and Prejudice replaces the Bennets with a ragtag speech and debate team looking to make it amongst the more elite private academies. Leela Bose, an Indian American high schooler, is poised to reach the top this year with her fellow Longbourn High forensicators ("yes, it's a real word"). But then the team meets Firoze Darcy, a debate competitor for Netherfield Academy (and "Desi hottie"). An obnoxious comment from Firoze makes Leela, who has often faced racism and colorism, feel "ugly" in a way she hasn't felt since she left the nearly-all-white town where she grew up, and when Firoze becomes a regular presence at her high-school tournaments, she goes on the offensive. In her YA debut, DasGupta (author of the Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond middle-grade series) balances everyday teen topics like crushes and arguments with more wide-ranging issues like sexism, sexual harassment, and racism. She evokes the feel of Austen through lots of references to the original and writes with a similar witty tone, while keeping the language contemporary and fresh. With its plucky cast of modern-day teens, this is a great entry point for new Austen fans.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2022

(2) 4-6 Twelve-year-old loner (and snarky, self-aware narrator) Hazel is accustomed to her role as casual confidante for classmate Tyler. But then popular Ella, Hazel's speech competition rival and Tyler's ex-girlfriend, tells Tyler falsely that she has a crush on Hazel to deflect his attention. Unlike Ella and unbeknownst to her, Hazel is gay, and the resulting mix-up when the supposed crush gets back to Hazel, though awkward and not without conflict, leads eventually to Ella and another friend welcoming Hazel into their group. It also leads to revelations involving Ella and other girls that make it clear why someone might want Tyler to leave her alone; i.e., his abusive social media comments, unwelcome physical contact. The novel is honest about sexual harassment and, as the girls try to counteract it, about victim- blaming--though, without giving too much away, the ending is a heartening one. Tyler's offenses stay within a realm likely comprehensible to most middle schoolers, and that's part of the book's point: harassment at any level should be taken seriously.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2022

(2) YA "Brilliant" debate team star Finch is a young trans man who is months away from transition surgery. The high school senior's parents struggle financially, which makes debating success and the potential scholarship especially important to Finch's hopes for college and a political career. His friend and debate partner Jonah is a similarly talented debater (and, as Finch observes, strikingly handsome). The two friends are tested when a debate topic requires them to argue against trans rights and everything they believe in. As the teens develop clearer understandings of themselves and their relationships, they are confronted with unconscious bias, including from generally supportive loved ones. Jonah, who is Filipino American, also faces racism. A cast of characters who are wise beyond their years and embrace their nerdiness exemplifies the diversity and spectrum of gender identity and sexual orientation. Debut author Thomas's conversational writing style is highly engaging and should draw readers in with a compelling story of self-realization and a bit of youthful romance.

Reviewer: Nicholas A. Brown | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2021

(4) 4-6 Matters of Opinion series. Each slim volume models persuasive essay writing and broadly introduces an oft-debated school-related social issue. Chapters open with a key question, followed by arguments (first "Yes," then "No") that advance a thesis. Follow-up sections highlight the debate techniques implemented. Relevant stock photos break up the somewhat choppy texts. Essay-writing guidelines are appended. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Matters of Opinion titles: School Violence, Bullying, and Cell Phones.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(3) YA Eighteen-year-old Sammie, star debater and high-school valedictorian, refuses to give up her bright future--even to Niemann-Pick Type C, the fatal genetic disease robbing her of memory and eventually bodily control. So Sammie keeps a "memory book" to guide her future self. That book, and this novel, ultimately becomes a gut-wrenching but perceptive record of Sammie's decline and its effects on those around her.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(4) 4-6 Matters of Opinion series. This slim volume models persuasive essay writing and broadly introduces oft-debated issues surrounding obesity. Chapters open with a key question (e.g. "Can the Government Prevent Obesity?"), followed by "Yes" and "No" arguments that advance opposing theses; follow-up sections highlight the debate techniques implemented. Relevant stock photos break up the somewhat choppy text. Essay-writing guidelines are appended. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(4) 4-6 Matters of Opinion series. Each slim volume models persuasive essay writing and broadly introduces an oft-debated school-related social issue. Chapters open with a key question, followed by arguments (first "Yes," then "No") that advance a thesis. Follow-up sections highlight the debate techniques implemented. Relevant stock photos break up the somewhat choppy texts. Essay-writing guidelines are appended. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Matters of Opinion titles: School Violence, Bullying, and Cell Phones.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(4) 4-6 Matters of Opinion series. Each slim volume models persuasive essay writing and broadly introduces an oft-debated school-related social issue. Chapters open with a key question, followed by arguments (first "Yes," then "No") that advance a thesis. Follow-up sections highlight the debate techniques implemented. Relevant stock photos break up the somewhat choppy texts. Essay-writing guidelines are appended. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Matters of Opinion titles: School Violence, Bullying, and Cell Phones.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(4) 4-6 Earth Debates series. The debates in these titles center on the benefits and/or problems associated with attempts to circumvent or remedy environmental depredation. The slim volumes don't get deeply detailed; Chambers's dispassionate, generally even-handed approach is realistic about the lack of clear answers to these dilemmas. Relevant photos, graphs, sidebars, and "eyewitness" accounts supplement the narratives. Each book includes a quiz. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Earth Debates titles: Are Humans Damaging the Atmosphere? and How Effective is Recycling?.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(4) 4-6 Earth Debates series. The debates in these titles center on the benefits and/or problems associated with attempts to circumvent or remedy environmental depredation. The slim volumes don't get deeply detailed; Chambers's dispassionate, generally even-handed approach is realistic about the lack of clear answers to these dilemmas. Relevant photos, graphs, sidebars, and "eyewitness" accounts supplement the narratives. Each book includes a quiz. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Earth Debates titles: Are Humans Damaging the Atmosphere? and How Effective is Recycling?.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(4) 4-6 Perspectives Flip Books: Issues series. Designed to help students understand and debate the two titular issues, each book presents one side; flip it over to read about the other. Both books present reasonable ideas and approaches but will become out-of-date soon (e.g., social media rapidly changes). Stock photos and graphs illustrate the texts; discussion questions and a pro-and-con summary are included. Reading list. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers the following Perspectives Flip Books: Issues titles: Punishing Bullies and Social Media.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) 4-6 Perspectives Flip Books: Issues series. Designed to help students understand and debate the two titular issues, each book presents one side; flip it over to read about the other. Both books present reasonable ideas and approaches but will become out-of-date soon (e.g., social media rapidly changes). Stock photos and graphs illustrate the texts; discussion questions and a pro-and-con summary are included. Reading list. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers the following Perspectives Flip Books: Issues titles: Punishing Bullies and Social Media.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(3) 4-6 Always-noble-intentioned Theo Boone, son of lawyers and aspiring attorney himself, returns for another entertaining good-guys-versus-bad-guys ethical fight. Strattenburg is hot with debate over a planned highway bypass that opponents like Theo claim will pollute the air, take away valuable personal property, and fill crooked pockets. Grisham's pacing is steady, and he provides plenty of background for readers new to the series.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(3) YA When a car crash ends Ezra's sports career he feels alienated from his popular peers. Adrift, he reconnects with an old friend, joins the debate team, and falls in love with an eccentric girl who keeps him at arm's length. Although Ezra's frequent philosophizing hovers near pretentious, fans of sharp-tongued, well-read teen characters will be very satisfied.

Reviewer: Jessica Tackett MacDonald

(4) YA Sharpen Your Writing Skills series. These volumes present clear advice for developing writing skills in the title areas. The hints are practical and good-humored, and there are a range of examples, which will make this useful to middle school and high school writers. The page design is accessible if dull; the cartoony writing-implement characters are dorky. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Sharpen Your Writing Skills titles: Sharpen Your Business Letter Writing Skills, Sharpen Your Debate and Speech Writing Skills, Sharpen Your Essay Writing Skills, Sharpen Your Good Grammar Skills, Sharpen Your Report Writing Skills, and Sharpen Your Story or Narrative Writing Skills.

Reviewer: Beth L. Meister

(4) YA Life Skills series. These profusely illustrated how-to manuals feature lots of charts, checklists, photographs, and quizzes. Additional tips and Do's and Don'ts appear throughout each book in text boxes. There's useful information in each busily designed volume. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Life Skills titles: Let's Debate! and Panic-Free Presentations.

Reviewer: Christina Dorr