(2) 4-6 In the five years since her parents divorced, twelve-year-old Holly has lived in and visited lots of places with her actor father; she is used to not feeling rooted in any one spot. Now her father has flown off to San Francisco for his "big break" in A Midsummer Night's Dream while Holly goes to Burlington, Vermont, "a city she'd never heard of in a state she'd never been to," to stay with her uncle Vincent for a month. Holly hasn't seen him since three Christmases ago, but she remembers a lot about him: he's gay; is a year younger than her father; lives alone in a small town outside Burlington; and runs a bookstore, where he is "drowning in books." The beautiful cover illustration and even Holly's name refer to her love of plants, and the metaphor will not be lost on readers: Holly yearns for roots in her life, and Uncle Vincent and his community just might be the ones to help. And, sure enough, she does find much of what she's looking for. Holly is a well-drawn, likable protagonist dropped into a New England setting, where she thrives. A gentle, uplifting, and memorable story.

Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2024

(2) YA Said Hossain and Tiwa Olatunji used to be best friends in their artsy village of New Crosshaven, Vermont. But after Said went to boarding school in Virginia, the two became "mortal enemies," each believing it was the other who abandoned the friendship. During one summer vacation, when Said returns home, he and Tiwa are entrusted with the care of the cat who belonged to a beloved, recently deceased librarian, and the two start speaking again, but only for the sake of joint feline custody. After a fire at the community Islamic Center, the town's mayor informs everyone that it will be razed to build housing. Tiwa and Said collaborate on ways to save the center, which involves a mural that Said plans to paint and also intends to use as a portfolio submission for art school. Narration alternates between the two protagonists, with interspersed third-person flashbacks, telling a story of friendship, loss, and misunderstanding through a series of Eid celebrations and one funeral. Even while touching on some thorny topics -- racism within the Muslim community, microaggressions -- the novel creates a dynamic sense of second-generation immigrant Muslim teenage life. Though the plot can feel overcrowded, the captivating characters and their unique voices make for an entertaining and lively read.

Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2024

(3) YA Cadow immerses the reader in the life of narrator Ian in a leisurely paced story that intentionally zigzags and doubles back on itself, echoing a walk in the woods--appropriately, since the setting is a closely observed rural Vermont. High schooler Ian faces a host of challenges, including poverty, a mom struggling with substance abuse, an absent father, and the loss of his mentor grandfather. A stray dog he names Gather and the strong connections he gradually forges in his community and at school help Ian find his place in the world. A heartfelt coming-of-age novel.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(2) YA Bug has always believed his family's old Vermont farmhouse is haunted--partly because of shadows and creaks, and partly because he often "catch[es] a glimpse of something in the mirror that isn't me." Since Uncle Roderick's death, that haunting has seemed more directed specifically at Bug: "Some presence is trying to send me a message." Lukoff (When Aidan Became a Brother, rev. 7/19) lets readers decide for themselves whether the haunting is real or whether it stems from Bug's believably portrayed grief and process of growing up (Bug is about to enter middle school). Either way, Bug figures out a great deal via some exploring about Uncle Roderick, who was openly gay and had worked as a drag queen, and finally realizes his own transgender identity. (Bug, eventually known as Tommy, uses she/her pronouns at first and transitions to he/him pronouns.) Bug's first-person, present-tense narration gives readers a close look at his sense that things don't quite fit, both in interactions with peers and on his own, and his gradual understanding of why that is: "I've never recognized myself before, but now I do."

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2021

(2) YA Truly Devious series. In this satisfying conclusion to the trilogy (Truly Devious, rev. 1/18; The Vanishing Star, rev. 3/19), student sleuth Stevie Bell believes she has solved the eighty-year-old cold case of the Ellingham family kidnapping and murders. But before she can tell anyone, she must connect the dots between the past and the recent deaths of three people connected to Ellingham Academy. Her investigation is disrupted by yet another accident (thankfully not fatal this time), the surprise return of her duplicitous ex-boyfriend David, and a massive snowstorm that immobilizes the remote Vermont boarding school. While trapped on campus with her friends, Stevie finally identifies the person responsible for murdering her classmates Hayes and Ellie and her mentor Professor Fenton. But will she be able to reveal what she knows before the killer closes in on her? The ending is grimly gratifying. As a layered, complex character who solves crime while also battling anxiety, Stevie Bell reads like the redoubtable love child of Jessica Fletcher and Adrian Monk. This entire series--inclusive, inventive, and vastly entertaining--has been a boon to young adult literature, a category thirsty for mystery and detective tropes.

Reviewer: Jennifer Hubert Swan | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2020

(2) YA In this near-future dystopian novel by Women's March co-founder Mendoza and author/performer Sher, it's 2032 in a U.S. with frightening echoes of the one seen in recent years. The news is full of xenophobic hysteria about immigration, and the government has an armed force to deport undocumented people in the country--but everything is more extreme, including computer chips in each person's arm to prove their citizenship. In the book's chilling opening scene, Vali and her mother and brother, undocumented immigrants from Colombia who have paid for counterfeit chips and are living relatively peacefully in Vermont, see a broadcast on the government-controlled news that shows a teen girl killed by a landmine while she attempts to cross the border from Mexico into California. Suddenly, everything changes: California secedes from the U.S., Vali's mother witnesses a Deportation Force raid on her farm workplace, and it becomes clear that Vali and her family must leave home to seek sanctuary in the new California. Along the difficult and harrowing trek, Vali and her brother are separated from their mother, and they witness up-close the cruelty of a country ruled by hatred and fear. This fast-paced drama depicts the trauma of Vali's journey in an unflinching, heart-wrenching way that can feel all too real and timely.

Reviewer: Christina L. Dobbs | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2021

(3) 4-6 Twelve-year-old narrator Ruby's world has been shattered by her father's death. She plans on remaining silent, and safe, in what she hopes is a temporary home in Vermont. But a new Syrian-refugee friend, a neighbor's looming eviction, and her mother's impending jail time force Ruby to find her voice. Ferruolo's debut novel skillfully addresses timely issues and offers a realistic portrait of small-town life.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(2) YA Truly Devious series. In this absorbing continuation of Truly Devious, amateur gumshoe and anxiety-sufferer Stevie Bell is still trying to solve both the eighty-year-old cold case at Ellingham Academy and her classmate's recent murder. As Stevie continues her investigation, Johnson judiciously doles out some satisfying partial answers to the historical case while (presumably) saving the big reveals for the next installment. This fulfilling second volume will gratify serious mystery fans.

Reviewer: Jennifer Hubert Swan | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2019

(3) YA Twins Ezra and Ellery are sent to their grandmother in small-town Vermont after their mom enters opioid rehab. There, true-crime aficionado Ellery researches two local mysteries--while finding herself on the receiving end of some pretty creepy threats. Ellery's narrative alternates with the viewpoint of Malcolm, a boy who has been implicated in one of the prior crimes. This is an enjoyably twisty whodunit that doesn't take itself too seriously.

Reviewer: Norah Piehl

(2) 4-6 A series of eerie mishaps on a school field trip strands sixth grader Ollie and her classmates near a Vermont farm exactly like the one in Ollie's book about a sinister "smiling man" and his army of terrifying, once-human scarecrows. Only two other students believe her insistence that they're in danger. This supernatural thriller is a page-turner; Ollie's journey through grief over her mother's death and into friendship makes it memorable.

Reviewer: Sarah Berman | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2018

(2) 4-6 New girl Chess, living down the street from Joni's family's Vermont sheep dairy farm, has strong opinions about animal welfare. Chess decides a neighbor's two healthy miniature horses need to be "rescued"--but Chess's ignorance about horse care actually endangers the animals. Through the girls' sometimes-strained growing friendship, Haas thoughtfully explores many views on animal welfare with minimal editorializing, allowing readers to decide for themselves.

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

(2) YA Truly Devious series. Aspiring sleuth Stevie Bell starts her junior year at Ellingham Academy with a classmate dying under mysterious circumstances in one of the Vermont school's hidden tunnels. The event uncannily evokes another tragedy from eighty years earlier. Told in alternating chapters chronicling the past ordeal and Stevie's current detecting, Johnson's finely tuned plot effectively employs classic-mystery tropes while maintaining a thoroughly modern sensibility.

Reviewer: Jennifer Hubert Swan | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2018

(3) 4-6 In Prohibition-era Vermont, eleven-year-old taxidermist Dorothy Sedgewick, called "Donut," is still reeling from the accidental death of her beloved father when her caregiver, Aunt Agnes, announces that they must move to Boston. Heartbroken and determined not to go, Donut runs away and has an eye-opening adventure of her own. Readers will warm to this unique historical tale's tough-as-nails young heroine.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Alison Carver. Poetic text describes an Ice Age beluga whale's life with her pod and her (somewhat jarring) death; Charlotte's fossilized bones are discovered 11,500 years later in 1849 Vermont. How the fossils helped scientists understand ways the land had changed makes for interesting reading, but concluding messages from the bones ("'Time goes by fast,' they say") is a melodramatic touch. Extensive notes provide additional information. Reading list. Glos.

Reviewer: Janet Dawson

(2) 4-6 Eleven-year-old Robbie is afraid adults will notice that Grandpa, who is her guardian, is losing his memory and send her to a foster home. As Grandpa's condition worsens, Robbie also fears she'll lose any hope of connecting with her past. First-time novelist Stoddard lets events unfold naturally and develops secondary characters well. The neat, hopeful ending implies that life can get better, if not perfect.

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

(3) 4-6 Toby runs off to hike a rugged portion of the Appalachian Trail, a plan made with his friend Lucas, who has recently died. Overcome with guilt and unprepared for the weather and dangers, twelve-year-old Toby (accompanied by a stray dog) encounters numerous perilous situations. Toby shows considerable growth as the backstory behind Lucas's death unfolds. This dramatic survival story should keep adventure-seeking readers turning the pages.

Reviewer: Renée Wheeler

(2) 4-6 Florida fifth grader Clover finds that her presence is the only thing that eases the symptoms of her best friend's autoimmune disorder. As even that becomes less effective with time, Clover schemes to take Danny to a holistic clinic in Vermont. Haydu balances a ten-year-old's flights of fancy with the pathos of Danny's decline. Ambiguity surrounding Clover's effect on Danny leaves room for interpretation.

Reviewer: Sarah Rettger | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2017

(3) 4-6 Complications amass in Maggie's life when she must move from Georgia to Vermont because she's inherited a farm from the father she doesn't remember. Everyone in town knew and loved Maggie's father, especially the quirky neighbors, a blended family of six kids, headed by lesbians. Maggie adjusts slowly, discovering her father and herself and reconciling with her mother as the novel deepens believably.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(2) YA Sorrow Lovegood left her family's generations-old Vermont apple orchard eight years ago after her sister died. Now sixteen, Sorrow returns seeking answers--about Patience's death and about the "shadows in her memory." Interspersed flashbacks provide a rich, historical context to her quest. This is a dark, brooding mystery about a matrilineal family steeped in tragedy, but a hopeful ending honors the enduring power of love.

Reviewer: Jessica Tackett MacDonald | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2018

(2) 4-6 One morning, eleven-year-old Jules's older sister Sylvie takes off running in the woods and never comes back. At the same time a fox kit, Senna, is born, with the instinct to protect Jules. At book's climax, the human, animal, and (most affectingly) spirit worlds converge. This story offers up comfort through nature, family, community, and the interconnectedness among them.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2016