(2) YA Everyone in Harlem is asking: how much? How much longer do they have to wait for change? How much are their lives worth? As the daughter of a civil rights leader, Ayomide Bosia has spent her whole life fighting racial injustice. With her fifteenth birthday approaching, Ayo just longs to be a normal teenager and wonders how much more of herself she has to give. Then her mother is shot by police at a rally. While Mom lies in a coma, Ayo must figure out what's important to her and what role she wants to play. Arnold (The Year I Flew Away, rev. 7/21) provides a window into the experience of a (fictional) contemporary civil rights activist's family member, showing the sacrifices that both parents and children make. Teen readers will relate to the challenges of trying to live up to adults' expectations while being true to their own interests. This novel should appeal to readers who enjoyed Thomas's The Hate U Give (rev. 3/17), Stone's Dear Martin (rev. 11/17), and Watson's Love Is a Revolution (rev. 3/21). References to famous Harlem figures such as James Baldwin, Countee Cullen, Arthur Mitchell, and Zora Neale Hurston allow for deeper discussions of the history of Harlem as a place for Black intellectual thought and art.

Reviewer: Nicholl Denice Montgomery | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2022

(2) 4-6 Narrator Tony Washington's friend Dante Jones, the number-two-ranked high-school basketball player in the country, was shot and killed by the police on the kids' neighborhood court. Now Tony, who is still very much in mourning, is determined to make the under-fourteen AAU team to honor Dante and to live out his own hoop dreams. When he doesn't make the team, he feels even more lost and ready to give up: "Who even cares about a silly game throwing a stupid ball into a dumb net?" But Coach James finds a way for math-nerd Tony to be on the team: in the role of statistician. The book is divided into four quarters, and descriptions of Tony's analytics and sports action sequences are enhanced by former NBA standout Butler's deep knowledge of the game. Off the court, too, players have worldview-expanding experiences through Coach's guidance and visits to an art museum at an HBCU, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Disney World, and the ocean. Though heavy on sports metaphors for life, the story is notable for its consideration of racism, justice, inequality, and trauma along with exciting basketball action and memorable characters.

Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2022

(2) YA Beau, a gifted Black sixteen-year-old artist living in Chicago public housing, idolized her older sister, Katia, even though Katia had begun to make questionable decisions under the influence of her boyfriend, Jordan. After Katia is gunned down by a white off-duty police officer accusing her of trying to break into his house, Beau believes that Jordan--who has gone missing--is to blame. She begins to search for Jordan in hopes of clearing her sister's name and soon discovers that she is not the only one looking for him, and that her search could risk the lives of everyone she cares about. As she wrestles with her own grief and the tragedy's effect on her family, Beau also makes rash choices in her attempts to prove her sister's innocence, even as she comes to realize Katia had more secrets than she'd thought. While the reader is drawn to Beau, her first-person narrative reveals motivations that seem counterintuitive, rendering her both a sympathetic and flawed character. Interspersed flashbacks to Beau's time with Katia deeply intertwine themes of love and grief. The mounting action culminates in a complex but comprehensible conclusion, given the unfortunate flaws and loopholes of the judicial system. Fans of Thomas's The Hate U Give (rev. 3/17) will find this a compelling read-alike.

Reviewer: Eboni Njoku | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2022

(2) YA In this thriller set in an implied near-future, aspiring teen photojournalist Jamal (who is Black and gay) brings his camera to a protest in Baltimore following a police officer's acquittal in the shooting death of a Black man. What he ultimately captures on film is the emergence of the Dome, a force field ordered by the racist governor to separate the city (a "problem area") from the rest of the world. Isolated and surrounded by police, Jamal isn't sure he will survive the night. But with the help of two new friends (both BIPOC)--Catherine, an AWOL soldier; and hacker Marco, who has ties to controversial activist group Nemesis--Jamal makes a dangerous attempt to take the Dome out of commission. The fast-paced first-person narrative is perfectly suited to Jamal's journalistic nature as he doubles down to gain information from everyone he encounters. His account lends itself to a layered view not just of Nemesis but also of the cops; the police chief, he notes, is "capable of love and kindness and still chooses to look at people like me with nothing more than anger." From the lengthy (but by no means complete) opening list of unarmed Black and brown victims of police violence to the astonishing conclusion, this is a searing futuristic story of systemic racism, police brutality, and unchecked power.

Reviewer: Eboni Njoku | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2022

(2) 4-6 Birmingham, Alabama, in 1963 was "a city that little children brought to its knees." Residents were tired of poor housing, poor pay, poor schools, and the lack of voting rights. So they protested, with children leading the way. Thousands of young people poured into the streets to protest segregation, and over three thousand were jailed. Moses leads readers into the scene through the eyes and voice of eleven-year-old Rufus Jackson Jones Jr., rooting these historical events in a compelling family story. Rufus's mama and stepdaddy tell him and his little sister, Georgia, that they are too young to join the protests, but Rufus does anyway. After witnessing beatings and police dog attacks, he faces Bull Connor's fire hoses; he wonders where the fire is but realizes that the protesters "were the fire," one the police intend to extinguish but also one igniting the passions of citizens seeking justice. This is a good match with Christopher Paul Curtis's The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963 (1995), though Moses's novel ends months prior to the horrific church bombing, allowing her to highlight the protests' ­successes, including desegregation of the city (though much work remained). Moving and memorable for such a brief novel; and the author's note is important reading in its own right.

Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2022

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Briana Mukodiri Uchendu. In this effective and affecting introduction to race relations and police brutality in America, Jay is a young boy who loves racing up and down the block with his friends. He also loves his family: his grandpa, who tells him about all the amazing runners of the past, like Wilma Rudolph and Jesse Owens; his nana, who pinches his cheeks (even though he pretends not to enjoy it); his father, who lets him "drive" in their parking space; and his mother, who continually checks his height against his bedroom wall. Mom and Nana seem concerned when he grows a few inches, though, and Grandpa and Dad begin to add instructions to his innocent activities. Jay is advised to keep his hands out of his pockets; not to gather with peers in groups of more than four; to be cautious while he's in a car. These instructions finally lead to Jay's family sitting him down for "the talk." They tell Jay that while his actions may be scrutinized unfairly by others because of his skin color, he will always have a community of family and friends that love him and that it's not his fault. Jay's innocence is a constant throughout the story, with the digital illustrations providing much of the context. As Jay's mother frets over his height, we see her glance at a television news story involving a person of color and the police. A trip to the store with friends is monitored with suspicion by a frowning white couple. Jay's commitment to remaining a happy child is a welcome element in this exploration of an all-too-relatable experience with no easy answers.

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

(1) YA In October 1966, in Oakland, California, Black college students Huey Newton and Bobby Seale began to organize in reaction to rising police brutality in Black communities. Those plans birthed the Black ­Panther Party, established as a response to an unjust system and one of the most misunderstood political parties/movements in modern history. "The Panthers played several roles: they were civil rights and human rights activists, militant revolutionaries, and community organizers, and they were also a political party." Magoon (Light It Up, rev. 11/19; The Highest ­Tribute, rev. 1/21) has produced a comprehensive and all-encompassing account of the group. Initially formed with the intent to monitor the police--legally--the Party created and expanded multiple social programs that served their communities. Providing, in the first four chapters of the book, an overview of centuries of enslavement, torture, oppression, lies, and aggression, Magoon likens the treatment of Black Americans to an earthquake, noting that "the major turning points of history are seismic, born of eons of slightly shifting geologic plates. They do not emerge from nowhere. They are born of deep unrest." Her history of the Black Panther Party is ­meticulously detailed, from the creation of its Ten-Point Platform and Program to the eventual divide in leadership ­following sabotage by the FBI's covert ­counterintelligence program, ­COINTELPRO. Magoon goes beyond the dissolution of the Party to discuss life for Black Americans from 1982 to 2020, expertly drawing parallels between the Black Panther Party and the Black Lives Matter movement. A wealth of quotes, photos, and sidebars enriches the book. Complete with an author's note, an annotated list of key players in the Black Panther Party, a timeline of important events, a glossary of terms, a bibliography for further reading, and source notes, this compelling work would be invaluable for both individual and classroom reading.

Reviewer: Eboni Njoku | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2021

(2) YA Tracy is running out of time. It's been seven years since her father was wrongly convicted of a double murder. Every week, Tracy writes to Innocence X, an organization that represents people who are unjustly convicted and sentenced to death, and tries unsuccessfully to convince them to work to get her father absolved and released. As if that burden weren't enough, Tracy's older brother Jamal is accused of killing Angela, a young white woman with whom he was secretly romantically linked. Now, Tracy not only has to get help for her father, whose execution date is less than a year away, but also must solve the mystery surrounding Angela's death, so that her brother doesn't suffer the same fate. This suspenseful story is unfortunately all too familiar--Black people suffering at the hands of police violence, an unjust legal system, and disproportionate incarceration rates--a narrative that is at once heroic and heartbreaking. Tracy is left to unravel a mystery that highlights and humanizes a number of pertinent issues regarding racism in America, the role of media and social bias in our perceptions of one another, and the grief and despair of the families of the incarcerated.

Reviewer: Monique Harris | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2020

(1) YA In this How It Went Down follow-up, Peach Street grapples with shock, sorrow, and outrage after yet another "officer-involved shooting." A thirteen-year-old girl heading home from tutoring has been killed; the community wants accountability and justice. In a mesmerizing narrative told in a series of character vignettes, Magoon explores systemic injustice and collective trauma while humanizing the people who are directly and deeply affected by them. The masterfully interwoven vignettes are often searing and heartbreaking; love and hope are also prominent.

Reviewer: Monique Harris | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2019

(2) YA A schoolwide "dare" game and new social dynamics throw all of African American seventh grader Shayla's relationships into turmoil. She also becomes increasingly aware of the Black Lives Matter movement when the officer in a police-shooting case is acquitted. Shayla's first-person account is honest and accessible, her emotional and civic maturation believably portrayed. Ramée's debut novel presents a nuanced view of race, self-discovery, and social justice.

Reviewer: Eboni Njoku | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2019

(2) YA Senior year, Filipino American teen Jay Reguero learns of his pen-pal cousin Jun's untimely death in the Philippines. Haunted by the lack of information, Jay goes to the Philippines to investigate and eventually connects Jun's death with President Duterte's (real-life) draconian war on drugs. Ribay brings this coming-of-age story to vivid life through themes of addiction, complex family dynamics, and the experiences of children of immigrants. Bib.

Reviewer: Monica Tapia Boyer | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2019

(2) 4-6 Straightforward text and comics-style sequential art combine in a (fictionalized) account of the Black student–led protest in 1976 Soweto, South Africa, in opposition to a law requiring half the school lessons be taught in Afrikaans. Separate chapters follow three individuals, including twelve-year-old Hector, whose lifeless body appears in a black-and-white photograph at book's end. An afterword describes how that photograph "became a powerful symbol." Lovingly illustrated portraits further humanize the three main characters. Bib., glos.

Reviewer: Patrick Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2019

(3) YA In 1958 California, four goodhearted Mexican American boys find themselves in deep trouble when they stumble upon the body of a murdered homeless person along the Southern Pacific Railroad tracks that run through their town. Told from the perspective of twelve-year-old Manuel, this coming-of-age story is also a moving exploration of institutionalized racism.

Reviewer: Katie Darrin

(3) YA This coming-of-age novel in verse centers on seventeen-year-old best friends Noah, who's white, and Walt (a.k.a. Swing), who's black. A conversational tone belies the multivalence of this story about the complexities of friendship, romance, patriotism, and prejudice. Life seems on the upswing until a wrenching, pulled-from-the-headlines incident shatters the boys' lives and underscores Noah's feeling that "America is sometimes / not so beautiful."

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(4) YA Shade Me series. This finale to the trilogy begun with Shade Me finds Nikki Kill, who has synesthesia, trying to uncover the truth behind her mother’s death, although her police-detective ally and romantic prospect now suffers from amnesia. Significant suspension of disbelief is required, particularly with the gimmicky synesthesia, but fans of this fast-paced mystery series will be pleased to see loose ends tied up satisfactorily.

Reviewer: Norah Piehl

(3) YA Living amid violence is an unfortunate reality for African American twins Marvin and Tyler. After a shootout at a party, Marvin is left to deal with the heartbreaking aftermath of Tyler's disappearance and subsequent death at the hands of police. Poverty, police brutality, and gang violence are held in equal tension and intensity in this poignant story about brotherhood, friendship, death, and resilience.

Reviewer: Monique Harris

(2) 4-6 Dyslexic seventh-grader Mason is grieving the death of his best friend, Benny, and is a victim of intense bullying. Lieutenant Baird of the local police believes Mason knows more than he's saying about Benny's death. When new friend Calvin goes missing, too, Mason is again under suspicion. Mason's voice is honest and true, and the multifaceted characters both enrich and propel the narrative.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2018

(3) YA In this verse novel, Joe, seventeen, is reacquainted with his older brother Ed, who's on death row, just before Ed's execution date. Free-verse poems effectively interweave the past and present to cast doubt on Ed's guilt in the death of a police officer and to realize the emotions involved in the brothers' complex family situation.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(3) K-3 I Can Read Book: My Community series. Illustrated by Catalina Echeverri. Through simple, kid-friendly framing stories, children learn about the possibilities and the variety in each community-helping career field. Softly colored cartoon illustrations show a diverse array of approachable-looking characters and match the books' conversational tone. Each easy-reader narrative flows naturally while providing controlled vocabulary and concrete explanations for emerging readers. Review covers these I Can Read Book: My Community titles: I Want to Be a Doctor, I Want to Be a Police Officer, and I Want to Be a Veterinarian.

Reviewer: Dorrie Karlin

(3) 4-6 Devlin Quick Mysteries series. With the discovery of a gold doubloon, twelve-year-old sleuth Devlin Quick (Into the Lion's Den; Digging for Trouble) and her best friend Booker embark on a pirate-treasure adventure during a summer vacation on Martha's Vineyard. To determine the coin's owner, Devlin must once again draw upon her sound detective skills (and access her police-commissioner mother's resources) to solve this satisfying third mystery.

Reviewer: Grace Enriquez