(2) 1-3 Illustrated by Mika Song. "Henry had never practiced smiling. Maybe that was why he never looked like he thought he should in pictures. The idea made Henry not want to smile at all." In this third early chapter book (most recently Henry and the Something New, rev. 1/24), it's class picture day and Henry, who presents as being on the autism spectrum, is not happy about his shirt. The collar is too high, the cuffs are too tight, and "the buttons went on forever." And it's disconcerting that his classmates don't look like themselves, either. Henry remains an appealing character with relatable concerns (to readers neurodivergent or not); Classroom 10 is warm and supportive. As in the previous books, Song's breezy limited-palette illustrations are expressive and provide lots of opportunities for newly independent readers to pause. Before the photo is taken, Henry's tooth unexpectedly pops out (surprisingly quickly) and into some potting soil, causing a mild crisis and lots of digging through dirt. The conclusion is satisfying for all, and when Henry smiles for the camera, he means it.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(1) K-3 The family from The Airport Book (rev. 5/16) and The Hospital Book (rev. 3/23) is back, here on the brink of moving—again. As always, there's plenty to take in, smile at, and relate to. Brother and younger sister, who is looking worried and apprehensive, sit on the front steps of their "sold" house while he reminisces about all the other places they've lived. From a tiny apartment she doesn't remember because she hadn't yet been born, to a "big apartment in [a] big building with three elevators" where they didn't even need to go outside to trick-or-treat, to their current house full of vivid memories, we are treated to an intimate portrait of a growing family and, in particular, these characters' childhoods. Lighthearted elements, especially regarding the unreliability of the brother's narration (he claims to be much more adventurous and uncomplaining than the art reveals), mix with more poignant ones (Grandpa, who will be living with them in the new house, now uses a walker). Brown's mixed-media illustrations feature their usual clear colors, clean lines, and wealth of detail. Sharp-eyed readers will note that this time the sister's beloved Monkey gets its own labeled box—no more getting lost!—and will be reassured to see that her smile has returned by book's end, as the family settles in happily to their new home.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2025

(3) K-3 The first day of school is approaching, and Yeti is feeling nervous. She comes up with several excuses to stay home (a missing pencil, a lost backpack), but her dad steps in each time to reassure her and urge her to keep her cool. Once she arrives at school, she discovers that other students are anxious too, and that gives her the confidence to make friends and stay calm. Carter’s digital illustrations lean into the humor of the situation, while the text is comforting.

Reviewer: Marva Anne Hinton

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Risa Hugo. Junie is sent to Nan and Pop's house for the summer and can come home as soon as older sister Anna recovers from a serious illness. While Anna's illness is never specified, we learn she's in the hospital and is sometimes too weak to talk on the phone. Photography helps Junie cope. Using Anna's camera, Junie takes pictures of beautiful or interesting things and wishes, for example, to be able to photograph the sound of a loon. Anna offers up a challenge via a note left with the camera: "in case you find Edmund" (whose identity is revealed only near the end of the book). Gouache, colored-pencil, and soft pastel illustrations portray the protagonist's emotions: a "sad dream" compels the child to crawl to the top bunk where Anna usually sleeps; after making tarts for a homecoming that gets postponed, Junie throws them in the lake, and the character's angry face is reflected in the water. A poignant reunion between the two siblings closes out the book. The spare story and tender illustrations give readers the space to experience and process difficult emotions alongside the main character, making this a comforting read in moments of grief and uncertainty.

Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2025

(2) K-3 Young Mei and family live in a tea-growing village. One day, Mei and a tiger wander into the tea fields, simply looking for fun. But Tiger's big paws and careless exuberance lead to a string of accidents: broken tools, spilled tea leaves, and chaos in the tea-making process. Worried about getting into trouble, Mei and Tiger decide to run away. "We pounce across the river...Whoosh! / leap across the railway bridge / Whee! and bound up the hill. / Whizz!" until they can't see their village anymore. When hunger sets in, Mei convinces Tiger that they should return home together and face the consequences. "'Don't worry,' I say. 'It will be alright. You'll see!'" And it is. After Mei apologizes for their mistakes, the family welcomes them back not with anger but rather with patience and kindness, teaching them how to make tea the right way. Ma's gently humorous storytelling maintains a childlike voice and perspective; the text is beautifully enhanced by arresting color-saturated illustrations with an invitingly naive quality. Full-bleed spreads and bright images on white backgrounds add variety to the pages and bring the rural setting and playful main characters to life. This tender story offers a reminder that mistakes don't have to lead to punishment—when met with honesty, they are opportunities for love, learning, and connection.

Reviewer: Weileen Wang | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2025

(2) K-3 The book's title might evoke comforting emotions, but (on the surface, at least) it refers to the central characters. Warm is a Bigfoot-like beast with a gap-toothed smile; Fuzzy, Warm's diminutive companion, looks more like a bear cub with prominent ears. Fuzzy smiles, too, but more often looks anxious, especially when Warm, upon awakening, declares, "Let's go on an adventure." Fuzzy is immediately skeptical, peppering Warm with a litany of little-kid-appropriate concerns: "What if it's really cold? Or super hot? What if it's scary? What if there are no bathrooms? Or worse, no toilet paper?!" Warm calmly packs their things (including clean underwear) into a massive green backpack, all the while reassuring the youngster. The two step through a magical door and into a wordless series of silly exploits with animal friends. Rothman hits just the right tone with this ode to trust and taking (safe) chances, incorporating enough TP jokes to keep the tone from growing too earnest. At times the change in speaker might be difficult to discern—only a subtle shift in font marks a difference between Fuzzy's and Warm's dialogue. Won's art, rendered digitally in a palette of soft greens, browns, and purples, is reminiscent of colored-pencil drawings; orange and yellow pastel hues create stunning sunrise and sunset skies. This one will soothe young worrywarts and empower their caregivers.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2025

(2) K-3 "Toto" isn't the young protagonist's name but rather what she calls the large birthmark on her forehead. Opening lines read, "Sometimes I wonder how I would look without Toto." Despite loving support from family who ascribe positive meaning to the birthmark -- it means she has superpowers, or that an angel kissed her, and it is her grandmother's favorite spot to kiss -- the girl can tell that "sometimes people only see Toto, not me." Yum's limited palette of sepia, gray, black, and white in the mixed-media illustrations effectively reflects this worry by contrasting with the pink of the birthmark, making it stand out. Before school starts, the girl's mother gives her a haircut with bangs, covering Toto. Once at school, she quickly befriends a girl named Niko, and all is well until she hangs upside down on the monkey bars and her bangs fall aside. At this vulnerable, climactic moment, Yum slows the story's pace to devote several spreads to the narrator's anguished embarrassment and Niko's kind response. "The birthmark on your face means that you have another life!" Niko exclaims, sharing something that her aunt (who "knows everything") told her. Niko's excitement and wonder allow the narrator to adjust her perspective, rightly concluding that Toto makes her "extraordinary" and that without it, "I might not look like ME at all."

Reviewer: Megan Dowd Lambert | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2025

(2) YA For her capstone project on the last day of school, Niarah, who is "walking around life with a full plate of anxiety plus a side of depression and a scoop of OCD for dessert," must present an object that represents where she will be in ten years. But she does not have much hope for the future, so she pulls out a bottle of iodine from her survival kit and explains how it will save her in what she sees as "the inevitable doomsday scenario." Her presentation gains her the name Doomsday Girl and a trip to the guidance counselor's office, where she learns that she is in danger of failing sophomore year if she does not complete her capstone project and PE hours. As an alternative to summer school, Niarah joins a hiking club led by the very handsome Mac Torres. Despite herself, Niarah opens up to Mac, who offers to help her build her fallout shelter and count it toward her hours. Through Niarah's prickly, often darkly humorous, and eventually more vulnerable voice in her survival guide entries, text messages, and interactions with others, readers see a well-realized example of how it feels to be a teenager navigating the world with depression and suicidal thoughts. Mental health and related resources are appended.

Reviewer: Nicholl Denice Montgomery | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2024

(1) 1-3 Henry series. Illustrated by Mika Song. In his second early-chapter-book outing (Henry, like Always, rev. 3/23), Henry -- a sensitive child who presents as being on the autism spectrum -- is ambivalent about a field trip to the natural history museum. "Henry was excited. Everyone in Classroom Ten would ride the bus to the museum. Henry was also worried. Everyone in Classroom Ten would ride the bus to the museum." Despite his concerns, Henry is looking forward to the dinosaur exhibit. When Samuel's dad (a field trip helper) asks Henry's group of three what they'd like to see, "'Dinosaurs!' said Henry. But he forgot to say it out loud." Each of his attempts to make his voice heard is inadvertently thwarted, and Henry patiently accompanies his group to the rock, bug, and mummy displays. Song's loosely rendered, limited-palette watercolor and ink illustrations telegraph emotion and deepen meaning for newly independent readers. When Henry eventually shouts "DINOSAURS!" the accompanying illustration makes clear his frustration, along with his classmates' bemused reactions. They finally find the dinosaur room (after getting a bit lost), and Henry's absolute joy is palpable. Bailey's relatable characters, familiar scenarios, and gentle humor make this a remarkably satisfying read...whether you embrace the new or not.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2024

(2) K-3 Translated by Ilana Kurshan. Illustrated by Carmel Ben Ami. Uri, his little sister Shir, and their mother are waiting for their father to come home to begin their Hanukkah celebration. As evening falls, Uri starts to worry. He imagines, and then draws, Dad in various possible real-life jams (flat tire, stuck in the rain). Looking out the window, he's freaked out by the shadows, which take the shape of an advancing army led by a blobby-shaped King of Darkness; an appended note makes the connection to King Antiochus IV and the Hanukkah story. Just as Uri and Shir summon their courage, their father appears -- bearing jelly doughnuts traditional for the holiday, and ready to light the candles. Effective rhyming text carries readers along while colorful, sketchlike illustrations are a creative mix of realistic and imagined scenarios

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2024

(2) YA As Sam Kepler Greyson heads back to school for the first time after going through chemo, he's still worried about his illness -- now in remission -- and processing the loss of his best friend, Oscar, who died from brain cancer. He doesn't expect things to get better when he's paired with Cat Pellegrini for their eighth-grade California history project, especially when Cat's friends start speculating that he lied about being sick for attention. Sam becomes even more determined not to talk about his cancer -- to anyone, including his moms -- even when he starts having concerning symptoms. But Cat turns out to be the same kind of nerdy as Sam, and they connect over a favorite TV show and a passion for UFOs. With Cat's help, Sam continues the work he'd begun studying extraterrestrials with Oscar, and together they follow clues to locate the author of a mysterious article on the subject. When a health crisis puts his friendship with Cat at risk, Sam has to deal with things he'd rather avoid. The book deals honestly with conflicting emotions of some cancer survivors (including Bury, as an author's note explains) without becoming maudlin, with Sam's wry sense of humor at the core. The cancer and UFO plot threads interweave elegantly, and the book offers possibilities but no easy answers.

Reviewer: Sarah Rettger | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2025

(2) YA Seventeen-year-old Ariel Burns is struggling with constant, anxious "what-if" thoughts and dark, violent "crocodile in my mind" fantasies that have escalated to an obsessive degree. She resorts to extreme, repetitive actions such as walking in circles sixty-four times to keep those awful thoughts at bay. With her beloved older sister away at college, her parents emotionally distant, and her best friend gone for the summer, Ariel is having difficulty separating fantasy from reality and worries that she is a danger to others. The support of new friends and texts from her sister help her to begin to confront those concerns. Cole explores the parallel stories of Ariel's inner and outer realities through compelling free verse and illuminating juxtaposition of inner monologue and external events. Questions of gender identity are interwoven as Ariel wonders what it means to be a "girl" when you're 5'11" and wear a size twelve shoe. "I am too many things, all of them / too. / Too big / Too quiet / Too broad / Too off." This powerful novel in verse provides an intimate look at the patterns of obsessive-compulsive disorder and offers an opportunity to explore the ways our inner voices affect our behavior and self-concept. Mental health resources are appended.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2024

(2) PS "Emma was a large dog with many small dreams." She dreams about her favorite things, such as rolling in the grass and splashing in water. In Cooper's (most recently Yes & No, rev. 5/21) cheerful black-outlined watercolors, Emma's dreams are pictured as small bluish-gray dogs frolicking vision-like above her. When not dreaming, Emma sometimes worries or feels all alone, and sometimes "her whole body [feels] strange." Readers may wonder if our protagonist is sick or elderly, but -- surprise! -- one day, out from Emma's body emerges a tiny puppy, arriving headfirst into the world. Big Emma (literally "full of wonders") hasn't been thinking back to her frisky puppyhood, but rather ahead to her future, very-active puppies. Re-reading is a treat: audiences will now see that lumpy Emma is obviously pregnant, her "favorite things" are her soon-to-be-born pups, and her growing dreams are her seven growing babies. Once again, small dogs cavort around Emma, this time, brown-and-tan like mom and solid as can be. Cooper's small line drawings of a plump Emma adorn the book's opening endpapers while chubby puppies romp about on the closing ones. There's much to appreciate in this story about a gentle giant of a dog whose "dreams came true."

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2024

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Alexandra Finkeldey. Animals in a field express worries about various dangers, but the titular horse, named Now, reminds them, “At this moment, all is well.” During a storm, Now leads the others to a barn, where they find understanding with previously feared animals who are also taking shelter. In this reassuring story, Now shares that she does feel afraid sometimes, but provides helpful strategies for those moments. Striking palette shifts in the illustrations are effective in reflecting mood.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Veronica Agarwal. At the start of this graphic novel, swimmer Tyler "Shark Fin" de Lugo has just gotten his cast off after a broken arm. It seems like perfect timing, with sleepaway camp about to begin. But Ty's best friend, swim teammate, and camp bunkmate Max has been acting distant, angry, and strange, and Ty's negative self-talk -- in both the first-person ("I got fat. I'm not good enough anymore. I'm useless as a friend, useless to the team") and dialogue ("Was he making fun of me? I must look like garbage right now." "Of COURSE he was making fun of you...idiot") -- is preventing him from getting back in the water. In fact, when Ty is feeling low, the graphic-panel art often shows him imagining being nearly drowned. Durfey-Lavoie and Agarwal (Just Roll with It, rev. 9/21) present another sympathetic and flawed protagonist whose experiences and interactions are understandable and affecting. A few helpful adults at the camp, including a former high school football star turned chill-dude counselor, give Ty some strategies and messaging for countering his insecurities and moving forward. Easy-to-follow panel art in subdued hues helps set the summer-camp scene, reflecting challenges that are cooperative both physically (e.g., building a boat) and emotionally (opening up to a friend -- and maybe more) along with individual growth and acceptance.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2024

(2) 4-6 Sixth grader Maya doesn't know when the anxious thoughts and the "hot-hot-hot" feeling started, but ever since her dad moved out, they seem to have gotten worse. Her germaphobia makes school a challenge and makes working in her family's deli, the Russian Gourmet, nearly unbearable. Maya tries explaining her discomfort to her family but is met by her babushka's unsympathetic reminder: "Slozi goryu ne pomozhet," or "tears won't help sorrow." When Maya's standup-comedian father is asked to emcee her school's talent show, Maya decides to perform her own comedy routine in hopes that the hours spent rehearsing with her dad, plus a successful performance, will bring her family back together again, thereby curing the hot-hot-hot. Gurevich balances the seriousness of Maya's anxiety with laugh-out-loud humor. Alongside writing jokes and learning about comedy from her father, Maya witnesses a beloved teacher's distressing emotional episode and is taught coping strategies by a school nurse and therapist. Maya's story speaks directly to the stigma of mental health and the ways those attitudes can harm people of all ages. Readers familiar with Russian dishes may find their stomachs growling; luckily, the author includes recipes in the back matter.

Reviewer: Hill Saxton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2025

(1) YA In this quick-paced graphic novel, Tara's runaway thoughts are great when she plays pretend with her baby brother but not so great when she feels anxious about skipping eighth grade to go directly to high school. Her slightly older and wiser sister gives her tips, but Tara still has a lot of fears and questions. What if she's offered drugs -- "Wait...what do drugs look like?" She strikes up an initially reluctant but supportive friendship with a fellow middle schooler who was moved up a grade and eventually befriends one of the only other girls in her English class, Libby (the rest of the class is prone to yelling "salami!" and taking off their shirts). As Tara continues to learn the ropes of the high-school social scene (should she pretend to think her favorite singer "sucks" because her sister's crush thinks so?), she explores her feelings for Libby, which unfold gently, if a little awkwardly. Detailed vignette-style illustrations blend Tara's lived experience with elaborate scenes from her mind, the difference indicated by color washes: teals for real life; bursts of gold to emphasize happy details and other strong emotions; red for her worry-filled thoughts. Funny and honest, this book is a poignant and relatable look at coming of age and the daunting transition to high school.

Reviewer: Monica de los Reyes | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2024

(2) K-3 Illustrated by G. Brian Karas. On her first day as a rental bicycle for Beep Beep Bicycles, Bike worries she might not be able to live up to riders' expectations. An older, more seasoned bike advises, "You'll be okay...Really, you will." A page-turn gives some basic information on how the rentals work: e.g., "When you're done, you leave it on another rack, somewhere else in the city." Bike takes a variety of people on six rides through Seattle (evident from the Space Needle and other landmarks). Some riders are chatty, one is in a hurry, a few are going to or coming from work, another is a tourist. Bike rides into neighborhoods, past parks, to the aquarium, and more. We feel the exhilaration as she zips along -- "Zoom! Bike loves going downhill" -- and also the hardships. Going up a steep hill, an older rider "gets off Bike and pushes her to the top...It's so embarrassing to be pushed." Karas, using pencil on paper warmly colored in Adobe Photoshop, creates cityscapes that are beautifully detailed and full of activity. Bike is drawn as a cartoon character, at once endearing and comical. Jenkins's lively, engaging text presents a heartfelt story, gives an informative tour of Seattle, and provides excellent reasons for city bike rentals. An afterword offers bike safety tips.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2024

(2) 4-6 It's the summer of 1999. Twelve-year-old Delawarean Michael has worries, chief among them the approach of Y2K. What if everything falls apart? Family finances are precarious, so he's amassing a stash of groceries acquired through shoplifting. Then he meets an odd new kid. Ridge appears disoriented, as well he might, as he has time-traveled there from two hundred years in the future. In transcripts of conversations and documents from that future, we discover that Ridge went rogue and time-traveled without permission, putting himself and possibly the whole history of civilization at risk. There's a technical blip that might trap the traveler at the end of the twentieth century. A time-travel plot always involves logical conundrums, and Kelly (Those Kids from Fawn Creek, rev. 3/22) neatly grounds the mind-bending what-ifs of cause, effect, and the nature of time with real, present relationships and situations, kids with a secret, and a major problem to solve. It's a well-crafted adventure surrounding a big philosophical idea with a side of middle-grade romance. The non-dystopian (although still fragile) vision of the future is tantalizing: cures for allergies and the common cold, progress on plastic pollution, women taking the lead in science and technology. (But apparently teens and tweens will still drive their parents up the wall.)

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2024

(2) YA Thirteen-year-old Deena Rahman's world revolves around spending time with her friends, creating art, and appeasing her Pakistani American family. Deena also helps her mother run a clothing boutique selling Pakistani outfits, hoping to alleviate tension in their home over finances. Deena often overhears her parents fighting about money and feels guilty for their having to spend it on things she needs, such as dental work. She also hesitates to tell them about things she and her brother, Musa, would benefit from, such as art classes for her and talent scouts to further Musa's chances at a soccer scholarship. She tries to ignore the daily nausea and gnawing in her stomach, but soon the physical manifestations of stress demand attention. Both Deena and her parents must confront her anxiety issues and the importance of support. With helpful friends and an artist mentor, she learns to deprioritize others' expectations and advocate for herself, including pushing back against her parents' reluctance to allow her to see a school psychologist. A sensitive look at the effects of anxiety and the pressures of today (including social media) on young people's mental health.

Reviewer: Sadaf Siddique | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2024