(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Niki Smith. This heartfelt graphic novel explores the uncharted waters of growing up, friendship, and self-discovery. Soon after Janey finishes third grade, she and her family move onto their red-sailed schooner to live and to sail the Caribbean Islands. Janey misses her home and wishes for an ordinary life with a "Normal House" and "Real School" rather than "Fourth Grade in a Box" (what Mom calls homeschool). But then she befriends Astrid, another boat kid who is older and more daring. Janey finds herself both drawn to and frustrated by her new friend's unpredictable personality until she learns that Astrid harbors her own secrets and wishes. Janey discovers the value of leaving your comfort zone as she is forced to confront fears, examine boundaries, and understand what it means to trust others. Bakes's narrative effectively integrates ideas of belonging and gratitude and uses the ocean and weather as metaphors for personal growth. Smith's colorful illustrations reflect the ocean's -- and the protagonist's -- ever-changing moods. Inventive panels that showcase handwritten letters, maps, and annotated sketches further immerse readers in Janey's world. An appended author's note explains connections to Bakes's childhood.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(2) 4-6 Brosgol (most recently Plain Jane and the Mermaid, rev. 5/24) pivots from graphic novels and picture books to an illustrated middle-grade novel (finished art unseen). After the death of his father, ten-year-old Oliver and his mother have "moved on, and on, and on, exploring the corners of his mom's address book," relying on the kindness of relatives for places to live. When his eccentric great-aunt Barb dies, leaving her small New York City apartment to Oliver's mother, Oliver wonders how long it will be until they have to move again. It's a creepy place: butterflies pinned to the walls, dead caterpillars in the oven, a taxidermied cat perched on a stool, and a neighbor (named Elizabeth Appleblood) who considers Oliver "a perfectly edible child." Odder still is a mail slot in the living room wall that leads nowhere. When Oliver discovers that it grants wishes, the novel's "be careful what you wish for" theme kicks in. First, a free pizza is delivered. Expensive sneakers help him fit in better at his new ultra-wealthy private school (where his mother works as a custodian). But the wishes have unforeseen repercussions, and Oliver and his new friend, Colette, must navigate the school as outsiders and face the consequences of their actions. Readers with a taste for absurdity and social satire will relish this imaginative tale.

Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2025

(1) K-3 The family from The Airport Book (rev. 5/16) and The Hospital Book (rev. 3/23) is back, here on the brink of moving—again. As always, there's plenty to take in, smile at, and relate to. Brother and younger sister, who is looking worried and apprehensive, sit on the front steps of their "sold" house while he reminisces about all the other places they've lived. From a tiny apartment she doesn't remember because she hadn't yet been born, to a "big apartment in [a] big building with three elevators" where they didn't even need to go outside to trick-or-treat, to their current house full of vivid memories, we are treated to an intimate portrait of a growing family and, in particular, these characters' childhoods. Lighthearted elements, especially regarding the unreliability of the brother's narration (he claims to be much more adventurous and uncomplaining than the art reveals), mix with more poignant ones (Grandpa, who will be living with them in the new house, now uses a walker). Brown's mixed-media illustrations feature their usual clear colors, clean lines, and wealth of detail. Sharp-eyed readers will note that this time the sister's beloved Monkey gets its own labeled box—no more getting lost!—and will be reassured to see that her smile has returned by book's end, as the family settles in happily to their new home.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2025

(1) YA Thirteen-year-old Pakistani American Mohammad and his father move from Queens to Houston to stay with his aunt and cousin while his research scientist mother works in a refugee camp in Greece. Mo’s father’s paranoid schizophrenia, which causes dramatic mood swings, makes it difficult to hold down a job and live independently, and Mo adopts a tough bad-boy act to protect himself from the pain of abandonment and anger at his parents. His aunt provides much needed warmth, love, and support, and his cousin Rayyan, coping with his own father’s tragic death, serves as a friend at his new school. Mo tries to channel his feelings through engrossing himself in South Asian folktales (interspersed throughout the story), boxing, and art. As he discovers truths about his family, he slowly opens himself up to being more accepting of others. Mo’s brave front in trying to deal with volatile situations makes him a sympathetic protagonist. Secondary characters provide nuanced perspectives on how people cope with trials in their lives. A raw portrayal of the pain, confusion, and hurt of a memorable young teenager.

Reviewer: Sadaf Siddique | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2025

(2) PS In this loving tribute to the mischievous cats we encounter throughout our lives, Flett tells the “rather true story” of an unintentional adventure that separates May, a black cat, from her best friend Margaux, a young Cree girl. The two enjoy playing indoors and outdoors, together and apart, with the knowledge that May will always come home at dinnertime. But one day, May doesn’t return: Margaux and her family search high and low, but their feline friend is nowhere to be found. “They called out. But she didn’t call back, no meow.” Cree-Métis creator Flett personalizes the plot through her signature textured illustrations, adding depth and comfort to Margaux and May’s lush rural home, and with the incorporation of Plains Cree vocabulary; it’s Nitôsis, Margaux’s auntie, whose move to the city reveals what happened to May. At the same time, Flett celebrates the universality of this kind of story and concludes hers by encouraging readers who have known the stress of a missing pet—and the relieved exasperation once they’ve been found—to share their own experiences: “Do you have a story to tell? Your turn!” Back matter includes translation and pronunciation guides and an explanation of Plains Cree’s kinship terms.

Reviewer: Ed Spicer | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2025

(2) K-3 Aggie's new house is haunted. She'd been excited to live on her own, but now "the ghost followed her everywhere." Setting rules for it ("No haunting after dark. No stealing my socks. And no more eating all the cheese") only leads to broken rules. A frustrated Aggie challenges the ghost to a game of tic-tac-toe; if it loses, it will have to move out. The game goes on so long that they forget why they were playing, but more house rules being made and broken leads to the ghost finally disappearing. Is it gone for good? And is that really what Aggie wants? Forsythe (Pokko and the Drum, rev. 1/20; Mina, rev. 1/22) introduces another smart female protagonist who reassesses her needs, learns how to problem solve, and mostly gets what she wants (introverts, the clever ending is for you). The story's repetition and brief sentences will appeal to beginning readers, the tone is droll and slightly edgy, and the balance between the text's pace and the spot, single, and double-page-spread art is nicely measured -- particularly at page-turns. As for the expressive characters, Aggie's gnome-like appearance is endearing, with the shapeshifting ghost a whimsical counterpart. Forsythe's style of aesthetically pleasing textured watercolor, gouache, and colored-pencil illustrations features a soft palette of fall colors, especially fitting for this slightly spooky tale (readers will enjoy spotting the ghost or its eye throughout).

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2025

(2) 4-6 In this novel set during the Great Depression, protagonist Hurricane, like the eye of the storm that raged during her birth, has a quiet center. She is shy, hesitant, and often unable to speak up among classmates and strangers. With her father killed in WWI and her mother dead from tuberculosis, Hurricane lives in the family's remote coastal home with her beloved dog and her older sister, Bronte. But when Bronte also contracts tuberculosis and must go to a sanitarium, life changes. Hurricane's great-aunt Claire swoops in from the city and takes the girl to live with her and her kind, multi-talented chauffeur/cook/housekeeper, Mr. Keats. Having married into money, Aunt Claire adopted many highfalutin ways to appease her now-deceased husband and now wants to force Hurricane into the mold of "proper" young lady -- an image far removed from the girl's freer spirit. When Mr. Keats discovers a stray cat, he and Hurricane slowly coax it into trusting them, a clear metaphor for the protagonist's gradual acceptance of her new home, an acceptance not coincidently accompanied by the realization that she can speak for herself. Fusco takes her time developing the Depression-era setting and the backgrounds of each character, giving this heartwarming novel depth and authenticity.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(2) YA Color by K Czap. In this engaging graphic novel, Ollie Herisson (whose father is white and American and mother is Thai) has always made friends easily at the international schools she attends, but those friendships have been short-lived because of her family's frequent moves. Wanting their daughters to experience a more typical childhood, however, Ollie's parents move the family from Germany to Virginia, hoping this move will be their last. While her younger sister, Cat, quickly makes friends, seventh grader Ollie has a harder time. Pushed over the edge by the embarrassment of having her first menstrual period at school and deflated by her mother's disappointment with her refusal to wear dresses and be more obedient ("I should have raised you more Thai"), the imaginative and outgoing Ollie gives up on her social life and finds solace in immersing herself in drawing, manga, and role-playing games. Her interests lead to unexpected friendships, particularly with the popular Nina, as they bond over their shared mixed heritage; and Zoe, who shares Ollie's love of anime. When friendship drama ensues, Ollie reconnects with Cat and learns to admit her mistakes and confront conflict. Galligan's exuberant manga-influenced style showcasing exaggerated features humorously reflects the emotional complexities of her characters. Told with sincerity and charm, this story is a relatable exploration of friendship, identity, and personal growth.

Reviewer: Kristine Techavanich | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Maxwell Eaton III. Narrated in the style of a personalized guidebook, the story unfolds as a series of maps, introducing a child to a new home and its environs within a vibrant community. Aerial and wide-angle shots highlight varied neighborhoods in the town -- from the elementary school and a little farm to its public library and park -- creating a sense of a thriving space and setting all the town's residents in their respective establishments. Vivid watercolors and hand-drawn images on double-page spreads encourage repeated viewings to absorb all the details. Deviating from a linear narrative sequence of events, similar to the panoramic style of cartoonist Chris Ware, this cartographic tour invites readers to engage their observational and spatial relational skills in an interactive format. At the same time, its welcoming tone (from a narrator who may just have personal experience with what the child is going through) delivers an uplifting message that beckons the newcomer, allaying the character's -- and maybe some readers' anxieties and mixed feelings about moving to a new home.

Reviewer: Jerry Dear | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Rashin Kheiriyeh. A child takes the titular expression (perhaps less familiar to American readers) literally, imagining what it would take -- cranes, boats, a helicopter -- to pick up the family home and move it to a new location. The child is disappointed to find out the truth but concludes that “no matter where we live...we have each other.” The retro-style mixed-media illustrations, in a palette of pink, mint green, and orange, humorously bring the child’s vision to life.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Kerns

(2) 4-6 Millington’s debut (Olivetti, rev. 5/24) was about a sentient typewriter, and this offering begins with the observations of the Odenburgh, an apartment building and one of several narrative perspectives in a quirky and affecting novel. A year after the death of her sister Lina, Prue Laroe is dreading her own upcoming birthday. She’s about to turn twelve, the age Lina was when she died. Their grieving family, including parents and a teenage sister, lives in the fifty-year-old building, the place where Prue feels closest to Lina. After finding out that the Odenburgh has been sold and is slated for demolition, Prue tries to rally the occupants to save their home. She’s assisted by an earnest across-the-street neighbor who, as she discovers, knew her sister—and by the building itself. The story offers day-in-the-life glimpses of engaging secondary characters with various opinions about the demolition and sometimes surprising connections to the Laroe family’s tragedy. “What was worse—never knowing and always wondering? Or knowing and always wishing it were different?” asks Prue as more details about her sister’s death emerge. Although things don’t go exactly as planned, by the end our protagonist has gained some level of healing and the ability to move forward.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2025

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Molly Brooks. Color by Marta Todeschini. In this follow-up to graphic novel Growing Pangs (rev. 7/22), newly twelve-year-old Katie navigates the turbulence of puberty, which she likens to an "adulthood alarm" constantly going off: "Growing up was starting to feel like it was more about alarms than adventures." Katie, a churchgoing homeschooler who sees a therapist about her "buzzing thoughts" (anxiety and OCD), faces the onset of shaving, bras, and her first period, while her two best friends (who are siblings) temporarily move away. Most confusing for Katie is her attraction to Grace, a fellow cast member in a production of Annie, which conflicts with the messages she hears at church. She also wrestles with the church's "totally sexist" views on modesty. The book captures the intensity of early adolescence with the "thu-thump" refrain of Katie's heartbeat when she's with Grace. The illustrations, with expressive line work and a spectrum of reds, convey the warmth and depth of Katie's emotions through blushing cheeks and enamored glances. On one memorable page, radiant Grace fills most of the space while Katie, in a panel below, gazes rapturously: "thu-thump." Katie's wish to have "stayed eleven" transforms, through self-reflection and the influence of a few women in her life, into a newfound tenacity and the realization that, when she's older, she can "find a place to be myself." A respectful portrayal of an adolescent girl learning to think independently.

Reviewer: Julie Danielson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2025

(1) K-3 Illustrated by Sonia Sánchez. A girl named Stella looks out her window to the house next door with a for-sale sign on the front lawn. After the sign tips over, curiously, the moon moves into the empty house. Stella introduces herself, and the two become friends. The moon explains it has only one interest: gardening. "I came here to grow things. I was just sitting around in space!...Besides, up there, there's not even a blade of grass to talk to." However, its disappearance from the sky brings disasters such as "sea turtles getting lost on their way to the ocean." After reporters track down the moon, Stella convinces it to, finally, return home. There is a happy ending when a new family with a little girl, enticed by the moon's verdant garden, moves in next door and the moon still, occasionally, comes to visit the garden at night. Soltis's magical telling of a brief friendship intertwines with a celebration of nature. Sanchez's digital illustrations create a world where day and night are equally captivating. The face of the moon is especially expressive in this imaginative story. Endpapers provide factual information about the moon and its impact on our planet.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2025

(1) K-3 Illustrated by Gracey Zhang. In this first picture book written by middle-grade powerhouse Stead (Newbery Medalist for When You Reach Me, rev. 7/09), the unnamed narrator's father serves up chocolate cake to celebrate their first day in apartment 3B. "But something was wrong." Daddy says the child can make three wishes, for "Anything." Grief lies between the lines of restrained text. "I can wish for very hard things," but those Anything wishes are for things like the biggest slice of pizza in the world, requests the father can approximate. Illustrations done primarily in black ballpoint pen with small patches of gouache color open the book. In Zhang's subsequent spreads, as the narrator more fully feels and expresses emotions, the colors expand and ultimately fill the entire space. We don't know why this pair has moved, but heartache is evident in the effort both parties are making and in the tentative expressions on the child's face while navigating change. A secret wish comes out in a series of heavily inked nighttime spreads when a siren tears through the quiet: "I wish I had one more Anything. Because I want to go home." Resourceful Daddy provides comfort and creates a new memory, beginning to transform the unfamiliar place into their home. This introspective, sensitive, and stunningly rendered story will encourage families weathering tough transitions and stay with readers for a long time.

Reviewer: Adrienne L. Pettinelli | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(3) K-3 Vampire Colin moves into his new home, a castle surrounded by a moat. There’s just one catch: it’s already inhabited by a duck that won’t leave, despite Colin’s many attempts to force it out. An omniscient narrator provides levity as Colin’s annoyance grows at the duck’s myriad ways of evading eviction, and plentiful sound effects make this tale read-aloud ready. Swain also incorporates humor in the detailed art, with varied layouts, motion, and a mischievous teal duck in the largely grayscale illustrations. “A vampire’s home is his castle,” but as Colin learns, he just may have to share it.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter

(2) 4-6 After the accidental death of Lucretia's father, she and her mother move to an island off the coast of Maine, where they buy a small farm. Their first summer there is full of drama -- tensions between locals and summer people, Lucretia's adoption of an injured osprey chick, a suspicious fire that destroys the town's wharf, the inexplicable hostility of a local girl toward Lucretia, mysterious operatic arias that seem to have no source, the theft of a valuable artwork -- and, tying it all together, a secret that Lucretia and her mother are keeping from the islanders and, indeed, from everyone. Lucretia is a child prodigy in painting, and Wolk believably inhabits a gifted character who experiences the world (sounds, relationships, emotions, textures, smells) in distinctive and specific colors. The contrast between the year-round islanders (wise, close to nature, hardscrabble, competent) and the seasonal visitors (rude, arrogant, rich, entitled) is a bit on the nose, but the examination of a highly original mother-daughter relationship, with a unique power dynamic, is intriguing and thought-provoking. Their big secret is deftly revealed, prompting members of this multifaceted community to re-evaluate their judgments concerning one another.

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(2) 4-6 In this Southern Gothic horror story, a twelve-year-old boy mourning the loss of his mother goes to live with an aunt he barely knows and her new husband. Orphaned Roddie finds that his family's ancestral home, Dogwood House, is more of a "monster of a place out in the middle of nowhere" than a residence. While there, he learns several things about his mom and her upbringing, including that she grew up adhering to hoodoo, an African American spiritual practice. The plot centers around hoodoo beliefs about the need to burn shed hair to avoid "evil spirits" and the ability to rely on ancestors for help. Roddie rejects these tenets until he discovers the inherent risks of tossing shed hair aside and finds notes left behind by his mom that lead him to shocking discoveries. The tween finds it confusing that his mother never mentioned the house she departed as a teenager, leaving her younger sister behind. Royce (Conjure Island, rev. 7/23) effectively builds suspense around this question and the odd things that happen at Dogwood House while cleverly interweaving facts about hoodoo. She also provides a realistic portrayal of the way grief ebbs and flows amidst a kid-friendly scary story that includes a quest for answers, a confrontation with a monster, and a house that transforms to reveal family secrets after dark.

Reviewer: Marva Anne Hinton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2024

(2) 1-3 Too Small Tola series. Illustrated by Onyinye Iwu. Atinuke returns for a fourth time (Too Small Tola, rev. 3/21, and sequels) to her diminutive, high-spirited, mathematically gifted protagonist's "run-down block of apartments in the megacity of Lagos, in the country of Nigeria," with its close-knit and quirky neighbors. Much happens in the three brief chapters, with Iwu's energetic, expressive black-and-white illustrations visually grounding readers in the setting and its culture while highlighting key story details. As Tola and her sister and brother readjust to living with Grandmommy after "the virus" had separated the family, Tola worries about elderly neighbor Mrs. Shaky-Shaky, isolated on the building's top floor, and observes tensions between Grandmommy and Tola's brother over his new friends. A beach day with Grandmommy prompts Tola to feel gratitude for all she has. Finally, she triumphs over accusations of dishonesty and learns lessons in accountability and forgiveness. Throughout, Atinuke lends specificity to her Nigerian setting through references, word choices, and dialogue capturing precise pronunciations and turns of phrase. "For true," such attention to culturally situated details will prove just as valuable to readers as the core values communicated by these big-hearted stories about a small Nigerian girl.

Reviewer: Megan Dowd Lambert | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2024

(2) 4-6 Moko Magic series. It's the summer before sixth grade, and Misty and her mother have recently moved from Trinidad to live with family in Brooklyn. Despite Misty's outgoing and determined nature, she feels like an outsider, attempting to adapt to her new environment and missing her old home, particularly with her father still in Trinidad due to visa issues. One day, while searching for craft supplies in the basement, Misty and her cousin Aidan stumble upon a magical entity made from sequins, feathers, and other assorted materials. The discovery surprises the children but is less startling to the adults, who reveal that their family descends from a lineage of mokos: healers, protectors, and seers with special powers to safeguard their community. As the next generation of mokos, Misty, Aidan, and their cousin Brooke are assigned the duty of protecting the Brooklyn Carnival. Their new roles are soon challenged by a mysterious force threatening both the celebration and those who celebrate it. Baptiste's fast-paced narrative skillfully blends humor, history, and heart. Readers familiar with her Jumbies series and other works rich in Caribbean lore will find this story both entertaining and resonant, celebrating family, community, history, and the power of storytelling.

Reviewer: S. R. Toliver | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2024

(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