Newcomers

The Horn Book is always on the watch for talented newcomers to the children’s literature scene. This page highlights exceptional work by the latest crop of novice authors and artists. All these books were reviewed in The Horn Book Magazine during the last year.

Randa Abdel-Fattah  Does My Head Look Big in This?
    Orchard
    (Middle School, High School)
    Reviewed 7/07
At the start of a new term, eleventh-grader Amal makes the big decision to wear the hijab, the Muslim head scarf, full-time. This first novel follows “Australian-Muslim-Palestinian” Amal as she debates the pros and cons of wearing the hijab, providing numerous teaching moments about Muslim culture and identity. Amal is proud to wear the symbol of her faith, yet she knows she faces ridicule from the popular set at wealthy McCleans Preparatory School. She is supported by her two best friends from her old Islamic school, as well as her new friends at McCleans, and their discussions explore different practices of Islam while dutifully dismantling stereotypes and presumptions. The girls’ conversations and IMs are peppered with references to fashion, music, and pop culture lest the reader miss that Amal is a typical teenager in many ways. Amal’s complex navigation of her first big crush is conveyed with a lighter hand. Adhering to her principles on no physical relationships before marriage, she flirts with Adam, not realizing she may be leading him on until he tries to kiss her. Though the lengthy analyses on everything from female body image to Palestinian food give the book more message than momentum, the girls’ thoughts and dreams are authentically adolescent, providing a bridge between cultures — as the author clearly intends. Lauren Adams

Deirdre F. Baker Becca at Sea
    Groundwood
    (Intermediate)
    Reviewed 1/08
From a frequent Horn Book contributor, an excellent first novel. Becca's many relatives may suppose that she is simply a nice, obliging child, but make no mistake: like Dick King-Smith's oh-so-determined Sophie, she is competence and persistence personified. In a dozen linked episodes set on her Gran's small island off the coast of British Columbia, Becca averts many a mishap and disaster. It's Becca who insists that the leak in Gran's new inflatable craft is a problem (Gran is far too enthralled with marine life to care); Becca who gets her bossy older cousins to safety when they're lost in the woods; Becca who extricates Aunt Fifi from the colossal blackberry patch where she is comically ensnared and who facilitates her aunt's equally prickly romance with the island's only plumber. Every time her elders ignore her cautions, Becca saves the day with ingenuity, tact, and enough grace to beguile her family and readers alike. Baker's strengths are many here. Her dialogue is true-to-life, witty, and intelligent. Each episode enriches the portrait of Becca's memorable extended family with delightfully preposterous, yet insightful, detail. (Fifi's spat with the plumber — it's about Shakespeare — is a hoot; it also reveals the characters' most salient quirks.) With a lovingly depicted island setting that readers will yearn to visit, this funny, endearing book should find a wide audience. j.r.l.

Robin Brande  Evolution, Me, and Other Freaks of Nature
    Knopf
    (Middle School, High School)
    Reviewed 9/07
A messy battle between proponents of creationism and a stalwart biology teacher centers on Mena Reece, who has become an exiled pariah from her church since she blew the whistle on her fellow Christians' harassment of a gay teen. Now, despite her efforts to lay low, she has become part of the target of her former friends' hate-filled actions toward the teacher, who is attempting to present the facts about evolution. The forces of good and evil are drawn with a heavy hand: the teacher is witty and strong; the church and its pastor are small-minded and nasty. Predictably, "intelligent design" is held up to ridicule and evolution is shown as unassailable truth. What saves this from becoming an old-fashioned problem novel is Mena's own conflict between the two positions as she tries to reconcile the facts of evolution with her faith. The novel is lightened by Mena's crush on her amusing super-nerd lab partner, Casey, and by the machinations of Casey's crusading liberal sister, who bullies Mena into writing for her website as Bible Grrrl. A surprising twist at the end makes room for God in what had seemed to be a rigid standoff between blind faith and scientific fact. Teens who are struggling with making decisions in the face of conflicting pressures may find this story relevant for its broader implications. patty campbell

Elizabeth C. Bunce  A Curse Dark as Gold
    Levine/Scholasic
    (High School)
    Reviewed 3/08
In this slow-simmering but rewarding retelling, first-novelist Bunce presents an innovative interpretation of Rumpelstiltskin. When Charlotte's father dies, she and her sister Rosie struggle to keep the family mill — the lifeblood of their small town of Shearing — solvent. But obstacles abound: a foppish, meddlesome uncle shows up to claim guardianship of the girls; a series of disasters that seems like more than mere coincidence leaves the mill in dire straits; and a bank representative demands payment on a mysterious loan. So when a stranger appears with the ability to spin straw into gold, practical-minded Charlotte is a bit more receptive than she might otherwise have been. The pastoral microcosm of Shearing is classic fairy tale, but it gains traction in the gritty social and economic details of small-town life, and the sisters, subtly differentiated, are strong characters defined by fierce loyalty, pride, and determination that goes beyond simple feistiness. Similarly, the villains are rendered with nuance. The result is a fully realized dramatic conflict characterized by the folkloric magic of memory imprinted upon place; inherited legacies; and the power of recognition, recompense, and forgiveness. claire e. gross

Peggy Gifford  Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Stuart Little; illus. with photos by Valorie Fisher
    Schwartz & Wade/Random
    (Intermediate)
    Reviewed 9/07
Tomorrow is the first day of school, and nine-year-old Moxy still hasn't read Stuart Little, her summer-reading assignment. She's running out of excuses: she must clean her room, recover from cleaning her room, train the dog, think about training the dog, and so on. Meanwhile, her mother threatens consequences: Moxy won't be allowed to perform in her water-ballet show —she is to be one of eight petals in a human daisy — if she doesn't finish her assignment on time. Gifford spins a fairly universal trial of childhood into a wildly original tale featuring a self-referential narrator who identifies as the book's author; faux-amateur black-and-white photos of the goings-on, ostensibly snapped by Moxy's twin brother; and decidedly unchapter-like chapters (one chapter is one word long —"No"; two chapters comprise nothing but Moxy's brother's captioned photos). Best of all, the book stars a protagonist whose name, as it reflects her character, is a vast understatement. It's only a mild letdown that, in what seems to be Gifford's gratuitous concession to the try-it-you'll-like-it creed, Moxy ends up enjoying Stuart Little so much that she happily stays up till midnight to finish it. nell beram

F. E. Higgins The Black Book of Secrets
    Feiwel
    (Intermediate, Middle School)
    Reviewed 1/08
After his own parents try to sell his teeth (right out of his mouth!) for cash, Ludlow Fitch runs away. Apprenticed almost at once to the charismatic and eccentric Joe Zabbidou, Ludlow begins to learn his new trade as a pawnbroker of secrets. In passages alternating between Ludlow's memoirs and third-person accounts, the reader learns that Joe pays the villagers of Pagus Parvus for secrets they don't want to keep anymore, confessions Ludlow then writes in the Black Book of Secrets. The cash Joe advances gets the villagers out from under the usurious thumb of first citizen Jeremiah Ratchet, whose ruinous effects on the village are slowly revealed in the Black Book. But when Joe refuses to "do something" about Ratchet — his rule is never to interfere in the course of things — the frustrated Pagus Parvians begin to turn their anger on Joe. The resolution, as tidy a piece of plotting as can be imagined, not only collects all the plot threads but leads to the deeper revelation of who Joe is and why he plies such a curious trade. Strongly seasoned with details of nineteenth-century oddities, the story abounds with puzzles, quirks, and enticing disclosures. anita l. burkam

Mary McCarthy  A Closer Look
    Greenwillow
    (Preschool)
    Reviewed 1/08
"Look! / What do you . . . / see?" McCarthy poses this simple question three times; in each instance, the illustrations lead viewers to a different answer. For every question-and-answer pair, the text proceeds over four double-page spreads, giving readers and viewers a chance to study McCarthy's stunning handmade-paper-and-collage illustrations and reinforcing the book's charge to slow down and observe the world. At first, a close-up view ("Look!") zooms in on a basic shape or pattern: for example, a large black circle set against a dark red background. The next three spreads move out in increments, eventually revealing the whole object and offering preschoolers plenty of opportunities to guess the answer ("A bug"). In the end, we're treated to an even bigger picture: the three things -- a bug, a flower, and a bird -- co-existing with other insects, plants, and animals (look very closely for these) in a colorful garden. The guessing-game aspect will draw listeners in to this gentle lesson in observation and perspective, and McCarthy's large-scale, beautifully composed pictures should play well both with groups and one-on-one. The last page brings the focus back to the book's main characters, offering brief factual information on ladybugs, cardinal flowers, and hummingbirds. A Closer Look rewards exactly that. k.f.

Perry Moore  Hero
    Hyperion
    (High School)
    Reviewed 9/07
Even more than he dreads coming out as gay to his father, Thom fears revealing his superhuman healing powers. In secret, he joins the League, the society of superheroes that years earlier made his father the scapegoat for a catastrophe that, in this alternate comic-book reality, was roughly equivalent to 9/11. As Thom trains for hero-duty with three colorful misfits, he learns more about his father's struggles, uncovers his missing mother's secret past, and develops parallel relationships with a moody basketball rival and the mysterious vigilante Dark Hero (the romantic outcome won't surprise secret-identity superhero fans, but it satisfies nonetheless). References to a variety of superhero staples (Superman, Wonder Woman, etc.) are particularly aimed at comic enthusiasts, but other readers will be able to appreciate the inherent satire, a tonal thread that provides moments of relief in an often dark narrative. The book can ramble: tension builds slowly, and Moore takes too much time developing all aspects of Thom's life and probing the backstories of secondary characters before getting on track to build to a devastating climax. Filled with complex, inexorable villains and dogged, disillusioned heroes, this reinvention of the superhero genre spans glory and angst, isolation and romance for a larger-than-life coming of age. claire e. gross

Guillaume Prevost  The Book of Time; trans. from the French by William Rodarmor
    Levine/Scholastic
    (Intermediate, Middle School)
    Reviewed 9/07
Sam's bookseller father has become more and more distracted since Sam's mother's death, disappearing for days at a time, until the most recent disappearance causes him to miss Sam's birthday. A forlorn Sam investigates and finds a secret room in the bookshop's cellar, where a peculiar stone sends him back in time. The only clue to his father's whereabouts is a book left behind that reveals the place and time he's traveled to. From the Viking sack of a monastery on Iona to the World War I front in France, from ancient Egypt to the medieval city of Bruges Sam goes, learning more about the mechanics of time and enlisting the unexpected support of his snarky cousin Lily. Prevost keeps the plot moving along at a breakneck pace, giving both Sam and the reader scant moments to catch their breath between time jumps. This offering operates essentially as a novel-length introduction to a longer series, with vital clues as to a larger purpose to the mysterious stone coming to light at the end of the tale, which also leaves Sam's father trapped with Vlad the Impaler. Readers will have to wait with Sam for the next installment. vicky smith

Shannon Riggs Not in Room 204; illus. by Jaime Zollars
    Whitman
    (Primary)
    Reviewed 5/07
This picture book addresses the topic of sexual abuse directly and thoughtfully. From the first day of school, Mrs. Salvador sets high standards for her classroom. “In other places...you might get away with name-calling . . . Not in Room 204.” As the year goes on, text and pictures portray a quiet, well-behaved student, Regina Lillian Hadwig, who prefers the order and rules of Room 204 to going home, where Regina’s father does things she “kept so quiet about, not even her mother knew.” In February, Mrs. Salvador extends a familiar unit on Stranger Danger to explain that inappropriate touching usually happens with someone the child knows, and reassures the class that she knows exactly what to do if someone told her it happened to them. The next day, Regina comes early to ask for help. Zollars’s expressive pictures capture the warm, bright classroom as well as Regina’s worry and isolation. In the portrayal of the upright and caring teacher, the book provides a surprisingly natural voice for the central lesson while modeling how to create a safe space for a child with a terrifying secret. A brief, informative introduction describes the dangers of childhood sexual abuse and where to get support. While the book has a clear purpose and message, it also has a heart in the compassionate and engaged Mrs. Salvador. lauren adams

Deborah Ruddell Today at the Bluebird Café: A Branchful of Birds; illus. by Joan Rankin
    McElderry
    (Preschool, Primary)
    Reviewed 5/07
Twenty-two lighthearted rhymes about birds, starting with the four-line title fantasy (“It’s all-you-can-eat at the Bluebird Café, / a grasshopper-katydid-cricket buffet”). There’s a whimsical adventure (“a toucan named Zeke” bumps into a tree while guiding a young explorer, who confides, “I tried not to peek at his curious beak, / but to tell you the truth, it was bent”); apt portraits (“Blue Jay Blues”: “Raising a fuss, / causing a flap, / a flying complainer / in need of a nap”); and apt nonsense (“we’ll sing a lullaby / of ostriches and emus / who sail around the sky . . . You’ll dream about tomorrow, / and in your dreams / you’ll fly”). New author Ruddell’s rhymes are neat, her scansion impeccable. Rankin’s airy, light-filled watercolors pull it all together, real and fantastical alike; with equal aplomb, she depicts an ordinary kingfisher in a marsh, an anthropomorphic puffin snuggled under his umbrella with a mug of cocoa, and a surreal clothesline laden with objects as red as a cardinal — “a ruby, a wagon, / a flame from a dragon.” J.R.L.

Kelly A. Tinkham  Hair for Mama; illus. by Amy June Bates
    Dial
    (Primary)
    Reviewed 7/07
Who is affected when a family member gets sick? Everyone. The opening illustration shows a family photo — Mama with her long braids looped together like a “beautiful black crown,” sister Yolanda in braids and beads, young Stevie and Papa in short naturals, and narrator Marcus in his fade. But the idyllic photo shows the family last year, before Mama got cancer. And just when Mama is at her sickest and frailest, and has lost all her hair, it’s time for the traditional annual picture. Mama doesn’t want to be remembered like this, but Marcus is convinced that taking the family picture will help her get better, and he determines to find Mama some hair. Tinkham, writing from personal experience, gets all the little details right but does not bathe her story in sadness. Careful watercolor-and-pencil illustrations in warm hues capture the heart of this uplifting story. And whether Mama is wearing braids or a gele wrapped around her head (as she waits for her hair to grow back in), she is still the same Mama. R.l.s.