(2) YA Illustrated by Mithil Thaker. In his latest work of narrative nonfiction, Bascomb (recently The Race of the Century, rev. 3/22) delivers a clear and absorbing account of Mohandas Gandhi's ("or, as many of his countrymen called him, 'The Mahatma' [Great Soul]") Salt March and its impact on the world. The book details how Gandhi (1869–1948), educated in London, spent two decades in South Africa developing and applying his theory of nonviolence before returning to India. When he devised his civil disobedience campaign of marching to the sea to collect salt in protest of the heinous British salt tax, he was accompanied by several dozen devout followers. The 1930 march helped to unite the diverse country behind Gandhi and brought attention to the unjust violence of the British occupiers. The book provides perspective on how the Salt March transformed the Indian independence movement in important ways, although complete independence would not happen for another fifteen years. Bascomb covers a lot of ground in these pages, in terms of both chronology and geography. A map would have been welcome, but portraits of the leading characters preface the narrative, and occasional black-and-white illustrations add visual interest. A bibliography, source notes, and an index (unseen) are appended.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2024

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Chris Riddell. Quick, lyrical prose, an ear for the music of words, and an affection for Britain's medieval past characterize much of Crossley-Holland's work. He brings it all into play in this "wonder-journey" first recorded in Old English by King Alfred in the ninth century. At home in his busy hall in Winchester, Alfred is an eager pupil, learning Latin so he can translate books into the language of his people and record their stories too. Then Wulfstan shows up and tells Alfred's court a strange tale. Shipwrecked with his "salt-friends," he was rescued by a people whose ways were very different: they drank only mares' milk and mead -- never ale. Imagine Wulfstan's even greater astonishment when their headman died and was packed with ice -- remaining in an ice coffin for a month while friends and family "kept him company" before setting him on his funeral pyre. Such unfamiliar rites are wonders in themselves, and Crossley-Holland vividly evokes the suspense of strangeness in Wulfstan's tale. With deft, pliable sentences, neatly embedded Old English poetic language (wonder-journey, bone-house), and a subtle orality of tone, Crossley-Holland makes Alfred's pursuits and the performance of Wulfstan's tale entrancing. The text's font, with its pen-on-parchment effect, quietly implies the temporal distance, as do Riddell's monochromatic images: pale browns for Alfred's court; fantastical, haunting blues for Wulfstan's tale. Yet the otherworldliness of the past is immersive in Riddell's double-page spreads, which draw us right into Alfred's hall or the pending weight of a colossal wave. An author's note contextualizes King Alfred's rule and literary legacy.

Reviewer: Deirdre F. Baker | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2025

(1) YA Bletchley Park, a World War II cryptology center, operated in the English countryside where an extensive and complicated code-breaking operation allowed the Allies to decipher secret messages sent through German Enigma machines. Those transmissions included enemy plans for naval attacks, ship locations, ground positions, and bombing targets, and Fleming (Crash from Outer Space, rev. 11/22, among many others) reveals that the feat of decoding the thousands of pieces of information every day was largely executed by teenage girls and young women. Recruited with little or no knowledge of what their jobs would be, the code breakers were sworn to secrecy--an oath that would remain unbroken for over thirty years. Fleming's account focuses on ten such young women (one of whom is an offsite radio operator) but, in a masterful presentation of related subject matter, seamlessly intersperses segments on larger historical events, beginning with the Battle of Britain and concluding with V-J Day; clear and thorough explanations of codes and ciphers; and technical advances that led to the use of computers. The girls' personal experiences, from coping with housing shortages, to falling in love, to discovering their future life's work, adds another dimension. Amid the often-tedious work of breaking the ciphers, moments of humanity appear: the joy of pinpointing an enemy bombing target on British soil; the recognition that a freshly bloodstained Nazi cipher book meant "somewhere this German airman was still bleeding, dying maybe...That really did bring the war close." Appended with an author's note, a bibliography of both primary and secondary sources, source notes, and an (unseen) index.

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

(1) YA This spirited, intelligent mashup of Arthuriana puts Morgan Le Fay -- now Ancient Crone, cheerfully saggy-bosomed and thin-haired -- and her granddaughter, Young Hag, at the center of a fresh new story. At her ceremonial naming with her mother and grandmother, Young Hag learns from Ancient Crone that the ways between Faerie and the human world have been severed and that it is their task to return the broken sword Excalibur to Avalon to mend that rupture. As they traverse the wild countryside, Young Hag learns through Taliesin the bard and Ancient Crone just how King Arthur, Merlin, magic, and the land ended up in this predicament. When Ancient Crone disappears and Young Hag's recently met traveling companion, Tom, is magically ensnared, Young Hag is on her own, piecing together stories, "fragments, questions, faces, threads all gathering, and me at the heart" -- to bring all to a new beginning. Greenberg's drawing style is comic but has a skillfully naive, seemingly unpracticed quality that enhances the protagonist's poignant, youthful courage. Epic tragedy and grave betrayals are conveyed with a light touch, while Young Hag's arduous personal growth and development have a heartwarming gravitas. "It takes a whole life to come of age," says Ancient Crone -- robust words of wisdom for any reader. Greenberg's play with her sources -- medieval Arthuriana, Edmund Spenser's Britomart (here wonderfully queer and pink-haired), Christina Rosetti's "Goblin Market" -- has satisfying imaginative and critical depth.

Reviewer: Deirdre F. Baker | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2024

(2) YA Illustrated by Chris Riddell. Crossley-Holland (the Arthur Trilogy, including The Seeing Stone, rev. 11/01) presents a retelling of several Arthurian stories and parts of Thomas Malory's sweeping Morte d'Arthur. He has shaped his work "to tell one story illustrating each stage of Arthur's dream and the idea behind it... Each tale springs from a strong moral sense of what's right, what's wrong, and how we're all part of it." Readers will find the arc of Arthur's childhood, his dream of the Round Table and its shattered fallout, and his death at his son's hand. Crossley-Holland doesn't shy away from tales that are difficult, perhaps even off-putting to our current sensibilities (the story of Erec and Enide springs to mind) or from the strange, stark Christian images--such as the Holy Grail and the Fisher King--of the knights' quests. The volume is all the more challenging and thought-provoking for it. His attentiveness to the natural world and his clear, jewel-like language are counterpointed by Riddell's abundant illustrations, which rather than idealizing scenes offer vague, untidy landscapes and dwell on the blood, horror, and grotesquerie of men wounding one another. While Riddell's depicted women tend toward the willowy, his knights, with their stubble, unkempt hair, and mobile facial features, have a spotty, irregular realism that brings them into our world of imperfections.

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

(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

(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 Translated by Edward Gauvin. Illustrated by Lisa Lugrin. Color by Albertine Ralenti. This immersive comic introduces readers to the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU), a radical group of real-life early-twentieth-century English feminists led by Emmeline Pankhurst. Needing to mitigate the physical harm faced by members, the militant activists of WSPU coordinated a self-defense and security unit and recruited jujitsu expert Edith Garrud to train them. Garrud's life and perspective ground the absorbing, dialogue-heavy, and fast-paced fictionalized narrative as "jujitsuffragettes" learn, strategize, build solidarity, and engage in aggressive direct action together ("Deeds, not words!"). Embedded primary sources such as political cartoons and black-and-white newspaper images pull the facts and narrative together with striking, powerful clarity. The cartooning, beautifully rendered in muted, old-timey hues, presents information about jujitsu, the inner workings and tensions of the WSPU, and everyday indignities faced by the subjects. Frenetic sound effect and motion lines accentuate setting and mood. While enduring themes such as resisting oppression and asserting autonomy abound, the book remains centered on its specific time, place, and people. Pair with Chambers's Finish the Fight! and Dionne's Lifting as We Climb (both rev. 9/20) for perspectives from suffragists of color and broader coverage of gender justice. Back matter includes a timeline, citations, and additional historical information.

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

(3) YA In this very British Isles fantasy, orphaned Tom Swinton receives a letter from a long-lost uncle asking him to spend the summer at Mundham Farm. The letter is delivered by a curiously out-of-place boy, and as Tom sets out, he’s attacked by an unearthly man who warns him not to come. Once at Mundham, Tom adjusts to his new, strange reality -- his uncle Jack is a magician under siege from some shadowy outside force, and Tom is required to “walk the bounds” daily, strengthening the protective spells using his own newfound powers. Following Womack’s plot as it twists and twines, readers will enjoy discovering this new scion grafted onto an old British folklore tradition.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(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