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.

The titular pair have settled into second grade, but worrywart Shermy has plenty to contend with, from a substitute teacher who doesn’t follow the class schedule to anxieties about Shake’s possible upcoming move. Short sections, organized by month from December through February, contrast Shermy’s orderly nature and “fizzy and loud” Shake’s more laid-back one. On a visit to the animal shelter, for instance, Shake bonds with a boisterous pooch named Bruno, while Shermy relates to quiet, uncertain Wally. Larson emphasizes that friendship requires effort and empathy and is often more about appreciating differences than being the same. Low on drama, this gently told book is episodic in nature, though a few storylines pop up. When the students in Shermy and Shake’s class write letters to their favorite authors, everyone but Shermy receives a message back; Shermy adopts Wally, who proves both a big responsibility, a source of joy, and, eventually, the cause of friction between the two pals. With loving insight and support from his family, Shermy navigates winter and learns a thing or two about friendship and feelings. Shermy presents East Asian; Shake is cued white.

Lia arrives at Anhame, a crafthall for honing anar—the craft of people with “higher senses.” Lia is a fifth-level anar, meaning she has healing abilities. She can also see others’ inner soulforms, which represent people’s true nature (some take the shapes of animals). That alone puts her on the same level as Anhame’s masters, but Lia still hopes the crafthall will help “transform her powers from a conscious exertion into effortless proficiency.” She becomes an apprentice to the teacher Maethin, who suggests she stay mum about her anar prowess, but he’s not afraid of her abilities, as Lia’s former master had seemingly been. That same master told Lia that her soulform was corrupt and evil, making her reluctant to meld (connect with another anar), lest it prove deadly. Other potential dangers haunt Anhame, such as a mysterious “figure” watching Lia. This first installment of the author’s series has very little action, despite clear signs of various menaces and the setting’s complicated history. Schofield instead uses this novel to meticulously develop an extensive cast, including the protagonist’s fellow students, the Nine (Anhame’s masters), and Lia herself. The powerful young hero is refreshingly humble and doesn’t trust easily. She makes several intriguing connections with others; the most rewarding is her relationship with Maethin, who treats her with warmth and respect. Details about the supporting cast suggest the larger world of this planned pentalogy; not all crafts, for example, are magical (there are also jewelers and musicians). Every page showcases the author’s luminescent prose: “Trees shaped themselves out of the night as great soft shadows…The eastern sky shaded into pink, bringing gleams of colour to the monochrome predawn world.” A few key revelations, most notably that of Lia’s soulform, help pave the way for sequels.

In this engaging account, Duke political science professor Smith frames the African American experience through the intriguing lens of evidence. The United States has, she writes, an entrenched “policy, principle, and practice of delegitimizing Black testimony,” even when verbal, textual, or even technological evidence proves otherwise. This process, she maintains, has evolved over four centuries, from the rise of racial slavery in the 17th century to the racial reckoning of 2020 and its backlash. “The mere presence of Black folks reminds us of many inconvenient truths,” she writes. The author contends that correcting this entrenched ignorance will push the nation onto a better path, arguing that “a sustained system of white supremacy depends on the tacit agreement that Black people cannot be believed.” In six chapters, she illuminates how a persistent refusal to engage with Black evidence has resulted in violence, forced labor, economic precarity, an unjust legal system, a racist medical establishment, and startling health disparities across racial lines. Her strongest chapter, “Adultify,” demonstrates how Black children have not been treated as children and have therefore been subjected to violence, punishment, and other inappropriate forms of abuse. The author also chronicles the brave participation of children in the Black freedom struggle and highlights the violent price of their resistance, shedding contextual light on the “talk” that many Black parents have with their children. Importantly, Smith grapples with the aftermath of 2020, including the backlash against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and critical race theory (CRT). DEI and CRT efforts, she asserts, were minimally invasive and flimsy when they were first implemented; politicians and legislators thus “pounced with a vengeance,” dismantling initiatives that “quickly became conservative bogeymen.”