(2) 4-6 Because of a (fictional) traditional rhyme that claims--or threatens--six motherless sisters' destinies according to birth order, their violent, often-drunk Dadder trades the beautiful eldest, Grace, as wife in exchange for a horse. When Grace escapes to avoid her fate and disappears with the seasonal fair, Willa, the second sister, sets off to fetch her back. Pursued by Dadder and his nasty fiancé, Willa and the horse traverse marsh and mire to retrieve Grace and, somehow, persuade Dadder to undo her betrothal. But Willa can't find Grace with the fair: could it be she has become prey to the fabled Marsh King? Strange (The Ghost of Midnight Lake, rev. 3/22) draws on the horror of folktales of Britain's Romney Marsh in this quasi-medieval gothic fantasy. Girls are at the mercy of their fathers; reading is suspect; clever, articulate elders are punished with the ducking stool or murdered as witches. The story has a strong "and then" quality, as Willa rides off now here, now there; there's a certain ebullience (vigorously enhanced by the irrepressible youngest sisters), a handful of mysteries, and plenty of mire-y, marsh-lit atmosphere to keep readers immersed.

Reviewer: Deirdre F. Baker | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2023

(2) YA Former best friends Celine and Bradley are now enemies and academic rivals. When they both jump at the opportunity to participate in a wilderness competition with a scholarship attached and end up on the same team, they are forced to work together to achieve their individual goals. They also work through what tore them apart in the first place while realizing that there could be more to their feelings. In her debut YA novel, British romance writer ­Hibbert offers an entertaining, laugh-out-loud tale featuring memorable Black characters. The alternating first-person narration of the England and Scotland–set story allows for introspection and reveals the nuances of the multifaceted protagonists. Popular jock Bradley is bisexual and lives with obsessive-compulsive disorder, which the author includes without centering or treating as problematic. Celine, struggling with ­abandonment issues related to her father, can be abrupt and emotionally closed off but is also a compelling and amusing character. Along with a constellation of well-drawn secondary players, Bradley and Celine's skillfully written romantic banter make this an engrossing rom-com.

Reviewer: Monique Harris | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2023

(1) K-3 The little-known subject of this enthralling picture-book biography, Tom Crean (1877-1938), first went to Antarctica as a last-minute replacement, signing on as an able seaman on Captain Scott's initial voyage; then six years later as chief petty officer on Scott's second, ill-fated expedition; and finally as second officer serving under Shackleton aboard the Endurance. Crean, while facing all the usual hardships and dangers, was undoubtedly brave and seemingly "indestructible." On a solo rescue mission, he saved two men's lives: "It is thirty-five miles across the ice shelf. The cold bites Tom to his core. He has only a few biscuits and a bar of chocolate to eat. He must keep going." Most remarkable of all, he was one of the three men (including Shackleton) who crossed the mountains of South Georgia Island on foot, resulting in the fabled rescue of all twenty-eight stranded Endurance crewmembers. Thermes's honed text, in a grabbingly immediate present tense, uses short, high-impact sentences that make the most of the inherent drama. Her illustrations (in watercolor, colored pencil, and salt) are full of detail, action, and atmosphere. Page layouts are an eye-catching, pace-setting mix of double-page spreads (in order, for example, to convey the majesty of the Antarctic landscape), full pages, and panels that progress the action and accommodate informative content such as maps. The glacial palette necessarily relies on blues and whites but is never boring, with pleasing additions of various pastel colors. Appended with Antarctica facts, an afterword, a timeline, and selected sources.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2023

(2) YA This clever, gender-swapped retelling of My Fair Lady is set in an alternate version of 1830s England ruled by Queen Charlotte (who, a historical note explains, was King George IV's only heir but died before ascending the throne). Gender roles have taken steps, albeit small ones, toward being less restrictive than they actually were at that time, and the profession of Culinarian is reserved for women, with its practitioners revered. Culinarian-in- training Helena Higgins sets her sights on turning street-food vendor Elijah Little into a "gentleman chef" for her final project. Those familiar with the musical can almost imagine the rest, though some intentional plot deviations may keep them on their toes. The mostly jovial novel (full of nods to the source material; song lyrics serve as chapter titles) thoughtfully explores real-world issues: Elijah is hiding his Jewishness; Penelope Pickering, whose ancestry is partly from the Philippine Islands, is passing as white; and Helena's evolving attitude toward both adds depth to her snobbish character. This creative take on a classic musical (itself an adaptation of a play) could stand on its own, but for My Fair Lady fans it's especially delicious.

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

(1) 4-6 McKay plunges us back into the doings of the Penrose family (Love to Everyone, rev. 11/18), this time exploring the lives of the generation born between the world wars. The story spans almost twenty years as we move between Kate in Oxford, Ruby in Plymouth (Clarry's goddaughters, both), and two German boys in Berlin--best friends Erik and Hans--as they deal with siblings and families, grapple with their own fears and desires, and meet the challenges of drastically changing times as World War II descends. McKay has a positive genius for the tight dovetail of character, incident, and plot: as these lives become entwined, that genius is everywhere at work--from the novel's first sentence ("One summer, when he was ten years old, Erik became famous for buying dead flies") to Ruby's distress about her facial birthmarks, to the story's moving, satisfying conclusion. Precise, evocative detail ("Every leaf was heavy with dew, and the flowers hung like wet laundry") gives this a persistent, vivid freshness, but even more fresh and compelling is McKay's compassionate, sometimes humorous, take on human character and her understanding of youthful feelings.

Reviewer: Deirdre F. Baker | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2021

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Elisa Paganelli. Almeida, who grew up in Scotland in the 1930s and 40s, "dreamed of studying science at a university." She had to quit school at sixteen, however, to help her family financially. She found a job in a hospital lab and went on to make significant contributions to virology at labs in Canada and London. Slade focuses on Almeida's work, mentioning life challenges (including divorce and single parenthood) but not dwelling on them. Paganelli's illustrations are a mixture of reflecting the text and fancifully expanding it. "More About June" includes three black-and-white photos. A timeline and bibliography are appended.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(2) 4-6 Daughter of a mere butcher, Nell nevertheless becomes best friends with Prince Edward--"Ned," heir apparent to England's King Edward IV. When Ned is sent off for his training, Nell is lucky enough to be allowed to help out in the printing shop of William Caxton, England's first printer, staying in touch with Ned through letters. In 1483, Edward IV dies, and Ned's uncle, plotting to be crowned King Richard III, imprisons twelve-year-old Ned and his brother Dickon in the Tower of London. Nell and her brother are asked to stay in the Tower, too, to cheer the two young princes. Anglophiles know how this story ends: the princes are murdered. Or are they? Riffing on historical accounts of the "reappearance" of Dickon in later years, Zahler makes a tale of Nell's rescue of Ned's brother and her subsequent grieving for Ned. In an accessible, uncluttered style, she delicately balances historical fact with our own contemporary ­values. It's especially refreshing that Nell's literacy (rare, if not outright anachronistic, for a girl of her status) leads her to the works of medieval women writers for consolation and inspiration for her own future.

Reviewer: Deirdre F. Baker | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2021

(2) YA Illustrated by Frances Castle. This valuable collection of almost fifty stories from the British Isles is a reissue of Crossley-Holland's 1987 British Folk Tales, with tales from his 1997 collection The Old Stories folded in. Divided into themed sections, the volume covers a wide range of tale types and includes standards (e.g., "Mossycoat"; "Tam Lin") as well as many less-familiar stories. This master storyteller's prose employs inimitable turns of phrase but never at the expense of the original folktales. An appended section meticulously identifies sources.

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

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Katie Hickey. Inspired by the British women of the Women's Timber Corp, Davis relates their journey to the forests and back again, as well as their daily lives learning to cut trees. Hickey's pastoral scenes are warm and nicely detailed. The text's constant incorporation of numbers ("Six painful blisters heal and strengthen over time. Two hands willing to work...") distracts from an otherwise interesting slice of WWII history. Historical note appended.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(2) YA In a graphic novel loosely inspired by sixteenth-century British history, young Margaret has lived on the Island in a convent since she was a baby. At almost twelve, she discovers an unhappy secret about the Island and her own status there: she is a prisoner. The mixed-media illustrations in an earthy palette are a dynamic mix of panel sizes and shapes that reflect the emotions, intrigue, and actions of the complex characters.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2019

(3) YA The incredible life and achievements of American-born spy Virginia Hall are relayed in exciting detail in this volume. During WWII Hall worked as an undercover agent for both Britain and the U.S. and worked closely with the French Resistance. Her daring exploits will thrill young history buffs and those interested in real-life spy stories. Extensive notes are appended, and photographs are frequent throughout. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Kristy Caldwell. Isabella Bird (1831–1904) overcame childhood maladies and, perhaps equally hard to surmount, rigid social expectations of female behavior to become a world traveler, explorer, and best-selling author; snippets of Bird's writing appear in this ebullient treatment of a life well spent. Illustrator Caldwell incorporates occasional dialogue balloons and comics-style panels into the digital illustrations, staving off any accusation of Victorian creakiness. Timeline. Bib.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(1) 4-6 When child chimney sweep Nan Sparrow gets stuck in a flue and nearly dies, she is saved by a "soot golem." Nan and the kind, gentle "Charlie" escape from her cruel master and make a home in an abandoned mansion. Weaving together strands of Jewish folklore, Blake's poetry, Frankenstein, child-labor reform, and magical realism, Auxier crafts a beautiful, hopeful story from the ugly realities of nineteenth-century British life.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2018

(3) YA Seventeen-year-old Katherine seeks to avenge her Catholic father's death by masquerading as a male actor to kill Queen Elizabeth I. She and Toby, the closeted-bisexual royal spy charged with foiling the assassination, become mutually attracted while performing the leads in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, a play of disguises, deception, gender, and love. Told via dual first-person narratives, this entertaining historical novel deals with many still-relevant topics. Bib.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Luisa Uribe. Princess Charlotte brings a decorated yew branch, a German Christmas tradition, when she marries England's King George III in 1761. Forty years later, she hosts a Christmas party with a decorated yew tree. Based on real-life events that brought the Christmas tree to Britain, the approachable text emphasizes Charlotte's generosity, concern for children, and love of nature. Muted, soft-lined illustrations portray a relatable queen. Biographical information appended. Reading list.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2018

(3) YA Sixteen-year-old Lady Silvie of Loughsley must flee her privileged life to escape her cruel brother John's control. She founds a forest community bound by love and care, which expands to take in all those exploited by corrupt aristocrats until the balance of power shifts. A glorious gender-swapped reimagination of the Robin Hood legend, with flavors of matriarchal mysticism along with restorative economic justice.

Reviewer: Amy Bennett-Zendzian

(3) YA Lady Helen (The Dark Days Club and others) finds it harder than ever to negotiate her secret Reclaimer duties with Regency-era expectations--especially since her demon-fighting partner Lord Carlston is not her soon-to-be husband. Helen strives to claim her worth as a woman with power while preparing for a supreme showdown with the Deceivers in this highly enjoyable trilogy finale.

Reviewer: Jeannie Coutant

(4) YA Twin brothers Charlie and Alex belong to a secret society that employs time travel to manipulate, even assassinate, historic figures. Sent to the Tudor court to stop Jane Seymour's marriage to Henry VIII, they find themselves entangled in romances and intrigues from both their own era and the one they're visiting. Hosie's fast-paced, ambitious adventure occasionally overreaches with too many complications and not enough character development.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac

(3) YA Myriad storytelling formats (narrative prose, documents, emails, etc.) are woven into an epic story about true love and reincarnation. Sixteen years after the events in The Next Together, Clove Sutcliffe searches for her missing relatives, Kate and Matt, who seem to appear and disappear throughout different eras. Blending historical fiction and sci-fi, Clove's quest through time is entertaining and absorbing.

Reviewer: Grace Enriquez

(3) 4-6 In 1872 Edinburgh, mute pickpocket Danny inadvertently helps a wealthy menagerie owner purchase an elephant at auction. Mr. Jameson concocts a P. T. Barnum–type spectacle in which Danny, posing as an Indian prince, rides the elephant, Maharajah, across Scotland and England. Young animal lovers and fans of historical fiction alike will enjoy this big-hearted adventure based on true events.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello