In Union Springs, Alabama, 13-year-old Nova Jones desperately wants to terminate the pregnancy her school nurse has confirmed. Knowing her personal and professional risk, Dr. Bria Gaines performs the procedure and is soon arrested for committing the Class A felony of performing an abortion, punishable by 99 years in prison. The law allows no exceptions even for rape or incest, and the doctor looks certain to be convicted. “I don’t have a prayer,” Gaines tells her lawyer. Presiding over the case is Circuit Judge Mary Stone, who is up for re-election later in the year. She is a Black woman who graduated at the top of her class at the University of Alabama Law School and who hosts Saturday morning community breakfasts at her farm. The case will split the town, and Stone is under heavy pressure from both sides to recuse herself: “Mark my words, Mary. This case will destroy you,” her sister says. The district attorney wants Gaines to be found guilty and punished to the max. A sanctimonious pastor tries to shame Judge Stone into quitting the case, and he’s one of many. “Don’t you follow those women into hell,” an anonymous caller says. Even the governor gets into the act, threatening to call in the National Guard. But Judge Stone stands firm. “I am Judge Mary Stone, and this is my courtroom,” she declares, and her obsession is to ensure a fair trial. Soon almost everything that can go wrong goes wrong, and Union Springs goes “batshit crazy”—with outside help. “A lot of money will be spent” to defeat Mary Stone in the upcoming election, and her judicial career won’t be worth a plate of week-old grits. Twists abound that ratchet up the tension as well as readers’ sympathy for the story’s women. Some of the South’s benighted racial past resurfaces, mixing with the post-Roe reality that divides much of America. The Davis-Patterson collaboration delivers first-class courtroom drama, small-town excitement, and strong characters all wrapped in a moral dilemma.

A farmer discovers a bottomless hole on his property, into which his neighbors soon begin tossing their unwanted possessions. A glassmaker creates a glass heart for a girl in need of a new one, but its fragility proves a danger when she begins to fall in love. A woman gives birth to a teacup, much to the bafflement and disappointment of her husband: “instead of a son or daughter there was a new cup on the drying board. Many people visited in the following days, some family, some curiosity-seekers. They asked the husband questions he couldn’t answer. Would the teacup grow? Could the visitors drink from it?” In these 60 fables (none of which are more than a few pages long), Yourdon offers tastes of the fantastical: a horse small enough to get caught in a spiderweb, a gourd filled with geese, a man capable of turning a dog into a violin. There’s a magic darning bag in which anything—or nearly anything—is mended; a girl who keeps finding gifts under her pillow, including feathers and human teeth; and a milliner who attempts to sell a “glut” of out-of-fashion hats, only to discover the “glut” has come to life. Many of the fables play with the meanings people ascribe to inanimate objects. In one story, a man complains so much about his wife’s new chandelier that she decides to murder him with it. In another, a grandfather refuses to use the new indoor bathroom, preferring to stick with the outhouse, until he discovers a miniature carved wooden version of himself placed without explanation on the outhouse shelf. The best fables are those that take unexpected turns, like the particularly dark “The Gallows,” about three siblings’ ill-fated trip to a fair. Yourdon has a knack for crafting scenarios that trouble readers’ senses of cause and effect—there are no transparent morals here—in just such a way to ensure they will immediately proceed to the next one.

Brave enough to steal a walrus’ tusk, Neville’s a born risk taker who earns the admiration of his friends. Shockingly, he’s engulfed by a killer whale one day. Trapped inside the creature’s mouth, Neville meets Reg the seal. Though the pair seem doomed to the digestive tract, Neville realizes a very important fact: “We are not eaten yet.” Despite Reg’s discouraging words, Neville persists—he checks each tooth to see if any are loose, and when he finds himself unable to reach the whale’s blowhole, he builds a tower out of furniture. Both Neville and Reg have compelling personalities, developed over just a few pages, with cautious Reg serving as a deft foil to daring Neville. Avery’s dramatic illustrations use color to great effect, with the penguins’ stark black-and-white world standing in sharp contrast with the vibrant depictions of the whale’s mouth, suffused by deep magenta. There’s plenty to giggle over, too, from the slyly funny narration to visual gags galore (for instance, Neville turning the whale’s mouth into a cozy home complete with rocking chair, lamp, and rug). Neville’s and Reg’s large, expressive eyes telegraph their every thought. Fans of Avery’s earlier book will be delighted to see Neville back and more resolute than ever, his tenacity a model for times when it’s imperative to persist.

One month after Samhain, Younwity Hidden Institute of Witchcraft is still afflicted by the dark spell Lilith cast on school grounds, and even the Coven can’t fix things. The recently formed magical fissure is causing significant tremors and weird occurrences, like monsoons in the dining hall. Abigail and her friend Noreen continue to be bullied and blamed for what happened on Samhain, and Abigail is determined to clear their names. She and her friends sneak out to try a spell to close the fissure, but she’s interrupted before she can complete it. Unfortunately, Abigail makes things worse; thanks to the unfinished spell, a student ends up lost in the gap in the ground. Abigail, who’s been experiencing visions of the past, sets out to uncover the institute’s history and secrets in hopes of finding a solution. This entertaining graphic novel explores relationships, identity, and the enduring legacy of the past. The pacing is strong until the end, which feels rushed. Boo’s text offers important context about both Abigail’s and the school’s backgrounds, which is supported by the spooky world evoked by her dramatic, evocatively colored illustrations that make strong use of light and shadow. In this world, which is diverse across multiple dimensions, Abigail appears to be white.

While enjoying an early spring day in Arendelle, Queen Anna, her true love Kristoff, and snowman Olaf witness rocks falling from the nearby mountains and the townspeople running for cover. As the queen, Anna knows it is her responsibility to keep her people safe from harm—even if that means taking a perilous journey into the mountains to discover the cause of the crisis. Aided by a local mountaineer named Nils, Anna and a small team ascend the nearby mountains, searching for answers. It’s not just falling debris that’s an issue—villagers living in the mountains lament to Anna that animals and local flora are disappearing, too. Anna may be separated from her sister, Elsa, but the siblings have magical ways of communicating; Elsa’s encouragement—she assures Anna that she has always had the power and drive to “move mountains”—gives Anna just the confidence boost and spark she needs to keep going. She resolves to discover the source of the falling rocks and boulders and to find some potential solutions that will benefit the people living in Arendelle, along with the flora and fauna that live in the mountains. In this rousing adventure featuring well-loved characters, Cleary delivers a story celebrating resilience, drive, and conservation efforts. The illustrations are bright and clear, retaining the classic style fans of the movies adore. (Mixed into the story are entries from Anna’s journal, text-heavy pages with just one or two illustrations.) The story’s messages (we don’t always understand the future consequences of our actions; we must keep conservation and nature in mind when making decisions) are clear, but they’re not emphasized too heavy-handedly. Young readers are sure to enjoy Anna’s tale as she learns to take responsibility seriously and discovers that she can achieve whatever she puts her mind to. Includes a glossary.