(1) 4-6 Moonwind Mysteries series. Translated by Eva Apelqvist. Rundberg's pair of 1880s detectives -- twelve-year-old orphan Mika from Stockholm's Public Children's Home and police detective Valdemar Hoff -- investigate the disappearance of a wealthy family's teenage daughter, Beatrice. "Children disappear all the time," says Mika, hearing of the case; Valdemar's answer, "I hardly need to tell you that some lives are valued more than others," voices a theme inherent in the series' earlier books, but that here takes on deeper, darker meaning. The pair realizes that Beatrice is pregnant and hiding from her parents, who want to dispose of the unwanted baby by sending Beatrice to the "Dark Angel" when it's time to give birth. Rundberg brings the Moonwind Mysteries full circle: the Dark Angel, having haunted the series from its first pages, emerges from the shadows as a person for whom "the unthinkable [has] become a habit." In a "brilliant...not to mention insanely dangerous" plan, Mika and Valdemar close in on the villain. This entry -- like the previous installments (beginning with The Night Raven, rev. 9/23) -- is exceptional: for its dry, witty humor and compelling plot; its characterizations, at once engaging and deeply respectful (Mika is indomitable: perceptive, adamant, compassionate, and vulnerable); and especially for the gravitas at the heart of its crime solving, an awareness of a deep inequity that resonates well beyond the stories' historical and geographical setting. Swedish noir for the young.

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

(1) 4-6 Win "Coal" Keegan is moving to another foster home; the McKay family seems nice enough, and Coal is relieved that he's remaining at the same school with his best friend, nicknamed Door. After a case of police brutality that leaves a woman dead, Coal processes his emotions in his usual way: making chalk art throughout the neighborhood. He is caught in the act by an irate neighbor and, in the midst of a potentially deadly situation, unexpectedly becomes invisible. Coal and Door work together to discover the source of Coal's newfound ability. Their questions lead them to the company Mirror Tech, where all visitors are encouraged to "find out what you are made of." Coal meets a scientist who guides him down a path that leads to more questions. As he warms up to the McKay family, Coal finds himself in increasingly intense situations with Mirror Tech, compromising his safety as well as his loved ones'. The book's conclusion raises the possibility that Coal's powers defy all scientific explanation. The tone shifts from analytical to heartwarming, with well-rounded characters and witty dialogue; the author's love of literature is also evident, with references to Danez Smith and Chinua Achebe. Baptiste has created imperfect but sympathetic heroes whom readers will champion throughout the story.

Reviewer: Eboni Njoku | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2024

(2) 4-6 Wren, a bicultural seventh grader, lives with uncertainty and grief after the disappearance five years earlier of her mother, who is Cherokee. Wren's single-mindedness about solving that mystery borders on obsession until Elisi (her grandmother) channels the girl's "finding" skills to locating missing pets in their Oklahoma town. Wren is helped along by access to information provided by (or stolen from) her white dad, a rule-following police chief. Her new friend Brantley enthusiastically jumps into the investigation, with surprising results. The crimes committed against animals allude to those perpetrated against Native women, allowing Reno (Cherokee Nation) to speak to children on their level while not eliding the horror of abuse and murder. This novel lends itself to discussion of many complex topics: Missing and Murdered Indigenous People, child abuse, bullying, grief, historic events such as the Trail of Tears; and on the positive side, Native American religions and traditions, the Cherokee language and its revitalization, and tribal sovereignty. It's also simply a good murder mystery, with suspense, foreshadowing, allusion, and believable plot points (and even some humor), successfully walking the line between an authentic portrayal of the dark side of human nature and accessible writing for tweens and young teens.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2025

(1) 4-6 Moonwind Mysteries series. Translated by A. A. Prime. In this sequel to The Night Raven (rev. 9/23), young detective Mika has reason to suspect that some of the children at her orphanage have taken to thieving. Instead, she discovers they've been taken under the wing of an elegant, savvy performance artist, Henrietta, who has promised them an ideal home at her distant estate, the Apple Farm. First, though, they will help Henrietta with her knife-throwing show at a gala dinner where a priceless Japanese gemstone will be exhibited. When Mika meets Henrietta, even she feels the pull of the promise of a real home and agrees to help her -- until, with a little reading of the newspaper and quick, critical thinking, Mika realizes that "something doesn't quite make sense." This second Moonwind Mystery has a more somber tone than the first, perhaps because, although the book is set in 1880s Stockholm, the orphans' precarious futures and heartfelt longing make for a vulnerability that rings true here and now. Rundberg vividly conveys the part that hope plays in feeding the soul. At the same time, this is a wonderfully eventful mystery, with unpredictable plots, schemes, and a successful get-out-of-jail attempt engineered by a team of juvenile explosive experts -- not to mention indomitable Mika and her sidekick, unkempt and unorthodox police detective Hoff.

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

(1) YA Yoo (From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry, rev. 5/21) provides a comprehensive, kaleidoscopic account of what happened before, during, and after the 1992 Los Angeles uprising from multiple points of view, with a strong focus on the disproportionally targeted Korean American community. The deadly violence and turmoil in South Los Angeles and Koreatown were sparked by outrage over not-guilty verdicts for four police officers who beat Black motorist Rodney King, and at the lenient punishment for the Korean store owner who killed teen Latasha Harlins in a dispute over a bottle of orange juice. Using extensive research and original reporting, Yoo creates deeply humanizing portraits of King; Harlins; Edward Jae Song Lee, a young man killed trying to protect a restaurant; and their families. Yoo's account includes how police decisions and sensationalized news coverage escalated the civil unrest. She offers context for additional contributing factors -- decades of systemic racism, police corruption, endemic poverty, gang and drug violence. Hopeful elements include stories of civilians saving and helping others, a massive peace rally that galvanized Korean Americans, and two more trials in King's case. The text concludes with an update on the victims' families and others and an analysis of changes within the neighborhoods. A powerful and compelling history book that shows how the past still affects the present. Extensive back matter includes an "in memoriam" to all victims; source notes; a bibliography, and an index (unseen).

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

(2) YA In this novel in verse, Lockington's (In the Key of Us, rev. 5/22) first book for young adults, sixteen-year-old Sadie has anxiety that means "when I panic, I stop being a girl / I become a thread unraveling / from some dark and blanketed expanse of time." When she witnesses a Black girl near her age being forcefully arrested by the police, the experience leaves her feeling unsafe and afraid to leave her house. With the help of her therapist, Sadie begins to find ways to cope with her anxiety and agoraphobia and shares her thoughts and poetry live on social media to create a sense of connection, and ultimately overcomes her fear. Lockington effectively mixes verse narration with social media posts to create an authentic teenage narrator. She thoughtfully explores mental health, sexuality (Sadie is bisexual), family, anti-Blackness, Black girl joy, and activism. Back matter includes an author's note, mental health resources focusing on Black and LGBTQIA+ communities, and a list of Sadie's favorite reads. Recommended for readers who appreciate books about Black teens' mental health, such as Parker's Who Put This Song On? (rev. 1/20) and Stone's Chaos Theory (rev. 1/23).

Reviewer: Nicholl Denice Montgomery | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2023

(1) 4-6 Moonwind Mysteries series. Translated by A. A. Prime. This English translation of Rundberg's lively historical mystery, set in 1880 and winner of several prestigious prizes in its native Sweden, is something to celebrate. Twelve-year-old Mika has lived all her life in Stockholm's public orphanage; she's its child-minder and maid-of-all-work as well as a server in a local pub. She is exceptionally spirited in her humor, kindness, courage, and perceptiveness, and when her astute observations attract the attention of police detective Valdemar Hoff, he enlists her help in a murder investigation. Could a copycat murderer be imitating a man who was recently executed, the serial killer known as the "Night Raven"? This is a captivating murder mystery, and more. Mika's awareness of her disposability--"I'm an orphanage kid...and a girl besides...I have to pay attention to detail all the time because my life depends on it"--is only one of the ways Rundberg sheds light on the most vulnerable. At the same time, his prose is quick, earthy, and comic: Hoff's hands are "as big as toilet lids"; he smells like "an old horse blanket"; and the rhapsody of the coming spring is noted by "the smell of thawing latrines." Joyous, funny, suspenseful, and serious--an unusual and winning combination for middle-grade readers. Let's hope its three sequels appear in Prime's English translation, too.

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

(2) YA In this page-turning drama, two teens from different backgrounds forge a brief romantic connection amid the tumultuous 2019 Hong Kong anti-government protests. Phoenix Lam, sixteen, comes from a wealthy shipping family. Zhang Kai En, seventeen, an amateur painter who has been living in Shanghai, returns to Hong Kong after his mother's death to reunite with his estranged father and enroll in the police academy. The two protagonists meet by chance at a restaurant and connect after they accidentally swap cellphones. Apolitical Phoenix follows her brother into protesting. Kai joins their student group while secretly undermining their efforts. Tension builds as the teens grow closer, peaceful protests turn deadly, and Kai's betrayal is discovered. The novel succeeds in using the lens of young love in an undercover thriller to capture a significant historical moment. Song does a strong job with her vivid descriptions of the cosmopolitan city in peaceful moments and in realistic, chaotic protest scenes, including examples of police and protester violence. She also manages the difficult balancing act of exploring various characters' viewpoints on the China/Hong Kong political situation with nuance, whether they see the pro-democracy protests as necessary, destructive, or futile. In her author's note, Song emphasizes that her novel is "not representative of the entire Hong Kong population...there is a vast range of perspectives." A short list of recommended nonfiction books and documentaries is also appended.

Reviewer: Michelle Lee | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2023

(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