(3) K-3 Murphy introduces young readers to eleven animals with unusual physical attributes, focusing on how the species' appearance helps it survive. Each double-page spread features a striking full-bleed photo and a caption-like sentence: "Bright red lips can help you to stand out from the crowd!" The animal's name and a few salient details appear in a text box: the red‑lipped batfish's "remarkable mouth may help" the creature alert potential mates, "Hey look! I'm over here!" This is an engaging glimpse at some lesser-known species, including the thorn bug, aye-aye, thorny devil, shoebill, and saiga antelope. More information about the animals (including scientific name, geographic distribution, habitat, diet, life span, size, and a "fun fact") are appended, as are lists of recommended books and websites.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(2) YA Waylon Brewer does not fit in at Clover City High School. He's fat; he's gay; and he loves drag, particularly a drag-competition TV show called Fiercest of Them All. But no one, not even his twin sister, Clementine, knows that he wants to actually perform in drag: that is, until his audition video for the show, starring "Miss Pumpkin Patch," is accidentally posted publicly on Facebook. It goes viral, naturally, earning Waylon immediate mockery at school and a nomination to prom court--as queen. Along with Clementine's girlfriend, a similarly gender-bending candidate for king, Waylon embraces the joke and campaigns to win the crown; it doesn't hurt that his cute classmate Tucker is a fellow nominee (for king). This third story set in Clover City, Texas, features a genuine and unbreakable sibling bond; a strong romantic connection; and a cast of well-developed supporting characters, including guest appearances from Willowdean (­Dumplin', rev. 11/15) and Callie and Millie (Puddin', rev. 5/18). Like those ­protagonists, Waylon learns to love who he is and refuses to settle for anyone who doesn't. Or as he tells Tucker: "I'm done being with people who are embarrassed by me...I'm too good to keep secret." It's easy to cheer for Waylon--who eventually triumphs both as himself and as Pumpkin--in this celebration of individuality and self-expression.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2021

(2) 4-6 While her advice-columnist neighbor is away, thirteen-year-old Sweet Pea is charged with forwarding her correspondence. A letter from a former best friend prompts Sweet Pea to take the column into her own hands. Murphy's first novel for slightly younger readers is full of funny seventh-grade moments; narrator Sweet Pea also offers more serious reflection about the people in her small Texas town--a cast diverse in ethnicity, sexual orientation, and body size as well as in attitudes.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2019

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Hannah Tolson. Eyes can be big or small, bulging or hiding, but they are all designed to work for their owners--whether they help an animal see far away, in two directions at once, or in the dark. In the voice of each animal (goat: "I've got OBLONG eyes"), the text is simple but introduces some interesting vocabulary; the bold, clear illustrations give close-ups of the different eyes.

Reviewer: Janet Dawson

(2) YA Millie and Callie, Willowdean's classmates from Dumplin', alternate narrating this similarly girl-powered follow-up. Callie and her dance teammates vandalize Millie's family's gym. As the only one busted, Callie is sentenced to work alongside Millie at the gym for free. Murphy delivers gentle lessons about body acceptance, stereotyping, and forgiveness. But the focus is on Millie and Callie's friendship; after a rocky start, it's authentic, supportive, and noncompetitive.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2018

(2) YA Ramona "Blue" Leroux stands out in Eulogy, Mississippi: blue hair, six foot three, and a lesbian. Then her childhood friend moves back to town, and Ramona discovers she's attracted to him. Her subsequent refusal to label herself as gay, straight, or bisexual is refreshing. Set against a post–Hurricane Katrina backdrop, the novel also explores issues of race, class, and family.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2017

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Hannah Tolson. The assorted functions of a random variety of animal feet are highlighted in the simple text of this book about animal adaptations. Each spread features a different type of animal feet--e.g., webbed, hoofed, sticky, padded--and explains their usefulness when running, kicking, clinging, climbing, digging, or swimming. The large-print font and winsome illustrations make this well suited for read-alouds.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(4) 4-6 Bioindicator Species series. In a series covering species that act as "canaries in a coalmine" for particular habitats, this book discusses how such threats as global warming and coastal development affect coral reefs and why monitoring them is important. Photos, maps, and graphs break up the accessible text; researchers may find the Common Core–focused sections with reading-comprehension questions, prompts, and links distracting. Reading list. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey

(2) YA Willowdean is comfortable being a cashier at Harpy's Burgers & Dogs, a Dolly Parton fan, and a fat girl. But the attention of co-worker Bo makes her feel self-conscious; her insecurities increase when she enters the town's beauty pageant. Genuine, romantic, and with a dash of Texan charm, this novel celebrates being who you are while also acknowledging that it's difficult to do.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2015

(4) YA After Alice is diagnosed with terminal leukemia, she spends months checking items, many vengeful in nature, off a bucket list...only to discover that she's in remission and must deal with the consequences. Packed with excessive point-of-view and time shifts, the narration can initially be difficult to follow, but the story might appeal to fans of The Fault in Our Stars.

Reviewer: Norah Piehl