An author’s note at the book’s beginning observes that, for kids, the line between funny and not funny is meant to be constantly tested. Enter David. Written entirely in admonishments by authority figures such as parents and teachers, the book stresses that David makes mischief not for the sake of being a nuisance, but more because it amuses him deeply (even if he’s the only one who’s amused). He might blow bubbles in his drink one moment or perform a cannonball in a crowded pool the next. The narrators—generally unseen, though readers catch glimpses of adults’ hands and legs—protest, “That’s not funny!” or “You always go too far!” Still, David can’t seem to stop himself, which sometimes leads to painful consequences, like getting his head stuck between the bars on a porch or inadvertently wedging a peanut up his nose. A final admittance by a caregiver that sometimes David is funny (“What am I going to do with you?”) caps everything off warmly. While there’s little to distinguish this from previous David books, Shannon still knows how to appeal to readers. In the energetic, highly expressive art, David is tan-skinned; the supporting cast is diverse.

In the village of Cosham, farming couple Jon and Margaret Turling are consumed by grief for their 12-year-old son, Willem, who died of a fever. Desperate, they seek the help of a sorcerer, Cain Caradoc, who agrees to raise their son from the dead in exchange for a sliver of his soul. Unfortunately, Willem has been dead for a year, and what rises from the grave is not exactly pretty…and is not welcome in Cosham. The intelligent, uncannily strong, but malformed being with Willem’s face and memories takes on the name Once-Was-Willem and begins a new life in the deep forest, making friends with the other strange creatures he encounters. Meanwhile, Cain Caradoc settles in the fortress of a local bandit lord, built atop an immense power source: the sleeping skeleton of Yaldabaoth the angel. Seeking to harness this vast power for himself and gain the immortality he’s always dreamed of having, Caradoc prepares to make a significant sacrifice of children’s souls, which he intends to glean from Cosham. The desperate villagers appeal to Once-Was-Willem and his new friends for aid, attempting (mostly without success) to swallow their fear and distrust of these monstrous beings—feelings which are mutual. Author Carey demonstrates again that he contains multitudes, jumping from subgenre to subgenre. Also as always, he uses a fantastical setting to consider societal and moral quandaries; in this instance, he explores complex issues of compassion and forgiveness in the wake of (literally) murderous prejudice and intolerance. Despite the story’s high body count, its take on those issues is weirdly optimistic and heartwarming.

Sacramento certainly has its dark side. Like every big city, it has its share of homelessness. Residents struggle to keep up with the high cost of living in California. Housing is too often unaffordable, thanks in part to an influx of telecommuting tech workers from the Bay Area. But Freeman ignores the city’s real struggles, offering instead a collection of stories that could take place just about anywhere. In “The Former Detective,” Jamil Jan Kochai’s hero works at the Port of Sacramento but seems never to have left Afghanistan. Editor Freeman’s “Intersections” takes place largely in the West Bank city of Bethlehem. “The Sacrament,” Reyna Grande’s story about a painter and a sex worker, is set in East Sacramento, a locale not particularly known for art or sex work. And Luis Avalos’ “A Textbook Example,” supposedly set in Broderick (now called West Sacramento), actually takes place largely on the campus of UC Davis. Two of the stories really do give a sense of what Sacramento is (or was) like. Naomi J. Williams’ “Sakura City” provides a powerful look at Sacramento’s now-destroyed Japanese community, and Nora Rodriguez Camagna’s “Painted Ladies” at life in the Sacramento River Delta. For the most part, though, the collection is a study in lost opportunities. Surely a noir set in the capital city of the country’s most populous state, the city that gave rise to the Gold Rush, offers the chance to chronicle misdeeds that are genuinely Californian.

Starting her third year at the Arcanum Training Institute for Marvelous and Uncanny Endeavors, Ella, a 13-year-old Black girl whose great-grandfather, Jean-Michel Durand, created the institute, has a lot on her plate. Along with keeping up with her magic lessons, Ella’s determined to uncover more of the secrets and lies surrounding the world of Conjurors and Marvellers—and her school in particular. This pursuit leads her to explore mysteries surrounding New Orleans’ Underworld and the history of the creation of the Cards of Deadly Fate, a conjure deck used to imprison people. She still has the help of best friends Jason and Brigit, and this time even more classmates join them. But will their search for answers be worth it, or will their efforts unravel the fabric of their magical society in possibly irreparable ways? Clayton continues to expand on the complex and fascinating magical world she’s populated with dynamic and appealing primary and supporting characters. This sequel delves even deeper into the culturally diverse world Ella and her friends inhabit, taking readers on an emotional ride. This work will best be appreciated by those who are familiar with the earlier books in the series.

In 1841 Louisiana, surveyor Alexandre LaBranche errantly draws a boundary line that puts many of his father’s slaves on his neighbor’s plantation. Oops! His fed-up father tells him he’s worthless and disowns him. Alexandre leaves home and is introduced to Texian president Mirabeau Lamar. (They weren’t called Texans until statehood.) Having confirmed that the youth can determine latitude and longitude, Lamar offers him $10,000 to map the Texas border up to the source of the Rio Grande, also secretly hoping he’ll find the 300 lost soldiers Lamar had sent to Santa Fe. Off the lad goes in a wagon, but soon two thieves rob him and toss him into a bramble-filled ditch. A free Black woman named Noeme eventually rescues him. She works for Sam Houston, who later succeeds Lamar as President. Various characters disparage Alexandre’s surveying skills and consider him a “plantation dandy” who can measure the Earth by looking at the sun and stars but can’t use a compass. He is a terrific mapmaker, though. His maps show every last building, Mexican soldier, and tortilla press along the Rio Grande in lifelike detail and perspective. The contrast between Alexandre’s professional skills and shortcomings strain believability: “You learned geography…but you didn’t learn which way the wind blows,” Houston tells him. Houston falsely accuses Alexandre of a murder and gives him the choice of either hanging in a gallows or spying on Mexico. The desire to prove himself, make money, and avoid execution all give plenty of motivation to forge ahead. The underlying events in this engaging novel are true. Before statehood, Texas was “the most ill-defended and beleaguered republic in North America” with undefined borders and constant attacks on Anglo settlements like San Antonio. There was indeed a massacre at Hacienda Salado where the 17 prisoners who drew black beans from a jar were executed by a firing squad. There are nice twists, enjoyable main characters, and rich local color. But will Alexandre achieve his goals?