(2) K-3 Illustrated by Carl Angel. Born in 1896 under Spanish colonial rule in the Philippines, Pedro Flores immigrated to the United States as a teenager. It wasn't until years later -- after he had worked in Hawaiian pineapple fields, on steamships in the Pacific, and at a hotel in California -- that he produced the first Flores yo-yo. Though Flores did not invent the toy (Peñas traces its origins back thousands of years to China), his ingenious reengineering of it led to its rise in popularity (the word yo-yo means "come back" in Tagalog). Peñ as's straightforward text is well supported by deeply saturated images that illustrate Flores's experience as an immigrant: long hours of physically demanding labor and the dogged pursuit of education. It was with the help of a neighbor that Flores was able to start his business, and he committed to bringing his fellow kabayan into his success, as employees. Readers will delight in learning (or remembering) how to "Rock the Baby," "Loop the Loop," and "Walk the Dog." An author's note provides history about the Philippines, the yo-yo, and Flores's life.

Reviewer: Gabi K. Huesca | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2024

(2) 4-6 In this cautionary tale, the sequel to Finally Seen (rev. 1/23), the perks and perils of social media play a pivotal -- and educational -- role. The Gaos still struggle with bills, and Lina's mom joins Instagram to sell more bath bombs. Fifth grader Lina gets her first smartphone, and while technology offers some positives (video-chatting with her Beijing grandma, promoting her neighbors' small businesses), they are outweighed by the negatives. She envies her classmates' fancy homes, worries about her physical appearance, and experiences cyberbullying (as both a target and a bully); and her best friend gets catfished by an adult. Everything converges when the school holds a "Dangers of Social Media" event and a "Justice Session" to discuss student online behavior. Yang integrates facts about how social media is addictive and detrimental to people's mental health into the story and back matter. She helpfully shows readers a way to cut through social media's downsides -- by having honest conversations "brainstorming how to break the dopamine loop. How to not be played by the algorithm."

Reviewer: Michelle Lee | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2024

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Cozbi A. Cabrera. Chef Edna Lewis (1916–2006) brought Southern cooking to the forefront of American cuisine. Growing up in Freetown, Virginia, a place founded by her grandfather and other formerly enslaved people, Edna helped Mama Daisy make meals. With fresh fish in spring, summer garden vegetables, sweet potatoes in fall, and biscuits year-round, Edna and her mother fed their family and community. When she was fifteen, Edna moved to New York, working odd jobs such as typing and answering phones to help support her family. Her work as a seamstress was what got her noticed, however, and she was soon designing and sewing clothes for celebrities. As her star rose in the social circles of New York, she began to host and cater parties using Mama Daisy's recipes, and her food became as famous as her dress designs. She eventually opened her own Manhattan restaurant, where socialites wondered which culinary school in Paris she'd attended. "Her Paris was Freetown, the flavors of home passed down from one generation to the next." Noel make s frequent use of fragmented sentences to punctuate the methodical effort of Edna's work ("Ironing. Cleaning. Cooking. Sending the money she earned back home"). Cabrera's vivid paintings are equally at home depicting the glamour of New York society and the closeness of Freetown's community. Appended with an author's note, additional resources, and a recipe for biscuits.

Reviewer: Eboni Njoku | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2023

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Coni Yovaniniz. In this upbeat graphic novel, Maru is trying to adjust to her family's recent move from California to Ohio. Her papá, a barbershop owner, and the rest of her Peruvian American family are caring and supportive, but she struggles to communicate openly with others (thought bubbles often reveal her true thoughts and feelings), and she's mourning her mother's death. After meeting outgoing middle school classmates Everly and Zoe, Maru seizes the opportunity to make new friends. Spurred by Zoe's invention of a natural hair dye and bolstered by Everly's creative hairstyling skills, the entrepreneurial trio transforms an old RV (with the help of Maru's abuela and tío) into a salon. Just as each of their strengths contributes to their success, their respective faults lead to conflict, threatening their friendship and business, but an empathic resolution deepens the characterization of these relatable tweens. Bilingual Maru communicates in Spanish and English with friends and family throughout. Bold, rounded outlines are enlivened by recurring tints of pink, purple, and teal, to represent the individuality of each girl. Sure to win over fans of the PAWS (Gabby Gets It Together, rev. 3/22) and Peapod Farm (7Stepping Stones, rev. 5/20) graphic-novel series.

Reviewer: Jessica Agudelo | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2023

(2) 4-6 PAWS series. Illustrated by Michele Assarasakorn. This lively graphic novel set in Vancouver, Canada, tracks friendship ups and downs along with a shared animal obsession. Gabby is the youngest member of her friend triad, which also includes all-star athlete Priya and stylish cool-girl Mindy. The girls all have big personalities and are desperate to interact with any kind of animal--but Gabby's dad is a neat freak, Priya's mom is allergic to pets, and Mindy's landlord doesn't allow canine or feline tenants. When a serendipitous dog-walking opportunity falls into their lap, they turn their good luck into a business: PAWS (Pretty Awesome WalkerS). While it's easy to love animals in cute online videos, the three friends learn the hard way that running a business while dealing with actual animals isn't everything they thought it would be. Fairbairn and Assarasakorn have both worked for DC and Marvel, so traditional serialized superhero comics inform their combined writing and art style: thick black lines border the panels, the fonts are referential and nostalgic, and the exposition fits neatly inside boxes at the top of panels. The bouncy, rounded art offsets the text's slight overemphasis on telling, and inclusion of visual background info about the three friends' families makes the characters feel bouncy and rounded, too. Animal lovers, burgeoning entrepreneurs, and fans of friendship sagas should look forward to planned future installments.

Reviewer: Niki Marion | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2022

(2) 1-3 Illustrated by Akeem S. Roberts. J.D. is excited about starting third grade at Douglass Elementary School. At least he was excited before his mom gave him a disastrous haircut that makes him the laughingstock of the whole school. Unable to withstand any more teasing, he decides to literally take matters into his own hands and fix his hair. After using his little brother, Justin, for practice, J.D. realizes he is good at cutting hair and starts a barbershop out of his bedroom. Artistic by nature, and with skill and creativity, he attracts lots of customers, not to mention the owner of the only barbershop in town, Henry Hart Jr. When Hart follows through with a threat to shut J.D.'s business down, our protagonist has to use his wits to save everything he has worked so hard for. This early-to-middle-grade chapter book delivers lively black-and-white illustrations and laugh-out-loud moments. At its heart is J.D.'s loving, hard-working, multigenerational family and his close-knit, small-town ­Mississippi community. While there are subtle references to separation (J.D.'s parents) and money struggles (he sports hand-me-downs and gets his video-game and junk-food fixes at his best friend's house), these are not personal deficits. Rather, they fuel J.D.'s entrepreneurial spirit and his mathematical prowess. The African American cultural references and community values will resonate with readers of all ages, while the joyful, wholesome story will give them something to look forward to in subsequent entries.

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

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Ebony Glenn. The son of sharecroppers, Garrett Morgan (1877–1963) worked his way up from handyman to janitor to machinist to inventor/entrepreneur (inventions included a life-saving safety hood for firefighters and soldiers, and a traffic signal system). The book acknowledges racial discrimination he faced but focuses mainly on Morgan's intelligence, accomplishments, determination, and courage; digital illustrations in mostly sepia tones emphasize time period and setting. Timeline. Bib.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(3) YA Pham, founder/CEO of women-centered online platform Mogul, dishes on her success in this pep-talky self-help book for teens. The workbook-like volume includes lists, activities, and writing prompts. Pham's tone is chatty and infectiously positive as chapters ranging from fashion to finance to failure mix personal anecdote, practical business skills, inspiration, and feminism. "Mogul mentor" inserts offer additional advice. Young women will learn to set their sights high.

Reviewer: Erica Wetter

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Don Tate. Bolden spotlights the life, work, and legacy of African American farmer and businessman Groves, born into slavery, who became known as the "Potato King of the World." As a free man, he worked on a Kansas potato farm and, over time, built an empire. Bolden's use of alliteration and folksy language lightens the fact-packed narrative. Quotes from Groves fill boxed insets in Tate's unpretentious, sunny-hued art. Timeline. Bib., glos.

Reviewer: Elisa Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2018

(3) YA Cyrus Field's funding of a transatlantic cable across Newfoundland and the Atlantic Ocean to Ireland was a costly and arduous venture, often delayed by violent storms and human error. Cowan's meticulously detailed biography provides insight into the particular persistence that drove Field's project as well as into nineteenth-century urban life. Archival drawings and photos (inexplicably blue-tinged) enhance the information. Reading list, timeline, websites. Ind.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(4) 4-6 Spirit Riding Free series. The Baby-Sitters Club meets the Spirit Riding Free Netflix show in this diary-format series. More simply written and with more spacious pages than Selfors's Spirit novelizations, this anodyne tale of girls and their trusty steeds offers a smidgen of adventure and minimal character development as Lucky and her girlfriends start a day camp and struggle to make it successful.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(3) 4-6 Checkerboard Library: Female Foodies series. Short chapters present straightforward biographies of inspiring female food entrepreneurs and cover the evolution, growth, and success of their empires. Each volume's second-person-perspective introduction provides a you-are-there connection for readers. Captioned color photographs, "Food Bite" sidebars of additional facts, and an appended "By the Numbers" statistics section are included in every book. Timeline. Glos., ind. Review covers these Checkerboard Library: Female Foodies titles: Angie Bastian, Debbi Fields, Marie Callender, Peggy Cherng, Rose Totino, and Ruth Fertel.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(3) 4-6 Checkerboard Library: Female Foodies series. Short chapters present straightforward biographies of inspiring female food entrepreneurs and cover the evolution, growth, and success of their empires. Each volume's second-person-perspective introduction provides a you-are-there connection for readers. Captioned color photographs, "Food Bite" sidebars of additional facts, and an appended "By the Numbers" statistics section are included in every book. Timeline. Glos., ind. Review covers these Checkerboard Library: Female Foodies titles: Angie Bastian, Debbi Fields, Marie Callender, Peggy Cherng, Rose Totino, and Ruth Fertel.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(3) 4-6 Checkerboard Library: Female Foodies series. Short chapters present straightforward biographies of inspiring female food entrepreneurs and cover the evolution, growth, and success of their empires. Each volume's second-person-perspective introduction provides a you-are-there connection for readers. Captioned color photographs, "Food Bite" sidebars of additional facts, and an appended "By the Numbers" statistics section are included in every book. Timeline. Glos., ind. Review covers these Checkerboard Library: Female Foodies titles: Angie Bastian, Debbi Fields, Marie Callender, Peggy Cherng, Rose Totino, and Ruth Fertel.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(3) 4-6 Checkerboard Library: Female Foodies series. Short chapters present straightforward biographies of inspiring female food entrepreneurs and cover the evolution, growth, and success of their empires. Each volume's second-person-perspective introduction provides a you-are-there connection for readers. Captioned color photographs, "Food Bite" sidebars of additional facts, and an appended "By the Numbers" statistics section are included in every book. Timeline. Glos., ind. Review covers these Checkerboard Library: Female Foodies titles: Angie Bastian, Debbi Fields, Marie Callender, Peggy Cherng, Rose Totino, and Ruth Fertel.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(3) 4-6 Checkerboard Library: Female Foodies series. Short chapters present straightforward biographies of inspiring female food entrepreneurs and cover the evolution, growth, and success of their empires. Each volume's second-person-perspective introduction provides a you-are-there connection for readers. Captioned color photographs, "Food Bite" sidebars of additional facts, and an appended "By the Numbers" statistics section are included in every book. Timeline. Glos., ind. Review covers these Checkerboard Library: Female Foodies titles: Angie Bastian, Debbi Fields, Marie Callender, Peggy Cherng, Rose Totino, and Ruth Fertel.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(3) 4-6 Checkerboard Library: Female Foodies series. Short chapters present straightforward biographies of inspiring female food entrepreneurs and cover the evolution, growth, and success of their empires. Each volume's second-person-perspective introduction provides a you-are-there connection for readers. Captioned color photographs, "Food Bite" sidebars of additional facts, and an appended "By the Numbers" statistics section are included in every book. Timeline. Glos., ind. Review covers these Checkerboard Library: Female Foodies titles: Angie Bastian, Debbi Fields, Marie Callender, Peggy Cherng, Rose Totino, and Ruth Fertel.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(3) 4-6 Made by Hand series. To show the history of the steel drum (also called a pan), Lakin navigates histories of colonialism and slavery in Trinidad, not avoiding darker realities despite the book's focus on the instrument. Readers then "meet" a contemporary drum craftsman and entrepreneur and are walked through his process. The subject is made accessible through clear text, large photographs, and stylish design elements. Includes instrument-making projects. Reading list, timeline. Glos.

Reviewer: Dorrie Karlin

(3) 4-6 Unscrupulous Peter and self-effacing Rachel are next-door neighbors but not friends. When Rachel becomes the unpaid intern of Peter's neighborhood business empire, she swiftly comes to resent being exploited. Rachel launches a competing business venture, but guilt and ethical dilemmas plague both entrepreneurs until they reach a rapprochement one wishes real-life adults would emulate. Unexpected heart prevails in this entrepreneurship story; business tips are included.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(3) YA This enthusiastic history of Google starts with Larry Page and Sergey Brin as Stanford doctoral candidates then clearly and comprehensively traces the company's growth and diversification. Emphasizing Google's motto, "Don't be evil," the conversational text celebrates the company's revolutionary products, business model, and work culture. This book is timely, given Google's pervasiveness. Photographs, archival screenshots, and sidebar anecdotes are scattered throughout. Bib.

Reviewer: Dorrie Karlin