Maggie Reagan

Chicago

Associate Editor at Booklist

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Articles

Betty C. Tang Catches Up With the Parachute Kids

2 weeks ago | kirkusreviews.com | Maggie Reagan

When Betty C. Tang’s Parachute Kids was longlisted for the National Book Award in 2023, not many American readers knew what the titular term meant. It refers to undocumented, underage kids who move to a new country while their parents remain in their homeland—something true of the story’s 10-year-old Feng-Ling Lin and her two older siblings, whose mom and dad are back in Taiwan—as well as to Tang herself.
Introducing Young Readers to a Literary Legend

Jan 6, 2025 | kirkusreviews.com | Maggie Reagan

Andrea Davis Pinkney understands how to communicate with kids. It’s evident in her bold body of work, which often spotlights pivotal figures or moments in history; despite the scope of these subjects, she capably finds the story that will draw kids into her world. That’s true for her latest, And She Was Loved: Toni Morrison’s Life in Stories (Little, Brown; Jan.
Johnnie Christmas Wants Kids To Connect

Jun 5, 2024 | kirkusreviews.com | Maggie Reagan

When comics creator Johnnie Christmas released his first book for young readers, Swim Team (HarperAlley, 2022), he went beyond a simple sports story to explore Black America’s fraught history with swimming. In Gamerville (HarperAlley, July 16), his second middle-grade graphic novel, he flexes those same muscles to deliver a multilayered narrative that’s really several stories at once. Max’s favorite place is Calamity Bay, the world in his favorite video game.
Top 10 Historical Fiction for Youth: 2024

May 13, 2024 | booklistonline.com | Maggie Reagan

FEATURE. First published May 15, 2024 (Booklist). Covering everything from ancient Aztec civilizations to the aftermath of 9/11 in America, these historical fiction novels, reviewed in Booklist between May 15, 2023, and May 1, 2024, lay bare the human condition in times of turmoil. All You Have to Do. By Autumn Allen. 2023. Penguin/Kokila, $19.99 (9780593619049). Gr. 9–12.
Top 10 Mysteries & Thrillers for Youth: 2024

Apr 30, 2024 | booklistonline.com | Maggie Reagan

FEATURE. First published May 1, 2024 (Booklist). Reviewed in Booklist between May 1, 2023, and April 15, 2024, these MG and YA mysteries push genre boundaries and investigate social issues as thrilling as their plots. Dark Parts of the Universe. By Samuel Miller. 2024. HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen, $19.99 (9780063160484). Gr. 9–12. At age five, Willie Eckles briefly died.
Read-alikes: A Book for Every Show

Dec 31, 2023 | booklistonline.com | Maggie Reagan

FEATURE. First published January 1, 2024 (Booklist). Thanks to streaming services, it seems everywhere you look these days, there’s a new TV show. Many of them are taking their inspiration, directly or indirectly, from books, and for kids, that means more shows are available in more genres across age ranges. The TV-to-book pipeline remains open in both directions, providing plenty of opportunities to recommend books to kids based on their watchlists.
By Maggie Reagan.

Nov 6, 2023 | booklistonline.com | Maggie Reagan

First published November 7, 2023 (Booklist Online). Welcome to the Shelf Care Interview, an occasional conversation series where Booklist talks to book people. This Shelf Care Interview is sponsored by Capstone. In this episode of the Shelf Care Interview, Maggie Reagan talks to author Saadia Faruqi. You can listen to this Shelf Care Interview here. This transcript has been edited for clarity.
Top 10 Romance for Youth: 2023

Sep 14, 2023 | booklistonline.com | Maggie Reagan

FEATURE. First published September 15, 2023 (Booklist). Friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, fake dating, even a reality show mix-up—this top-tier list of romance books reviewed in Booklist between Sept 15, 2022 and Sept 1, 2023, has it all. 6 Times We Almost Kissed (And One Time We Did). By Tess Sharpe. 2023. 384p. Little, Brown, $18.99 (9780316302791). Gr. 9–12. Penny and Tate are the daughters of two lifelong best friends and they can’t stand each other—but they also keep almost kissing.
Top 10 SF & Fantasy for Youth: 2023

Jun 12, 2023 | booklistonline.com | Maggie Reagan

FEATURE. First published August 2023 (Booklist). Apocalyptically high stakes, intricate politics, and magic as a means to self-discovery are the bones of this list of top fantasy and sf books, reviewed in Booklist between August 2022 and July 2023. Bone Weaver. By Aden Polydoros. 2022. Harlequin/Inkyard, $19.99 (9781335915825). Gr. 9–12. Toma lives in the wilderness with her adoptive family, who are upyri, or living dead.
Talking with Shannon Gibney

May 31, 2023 | booklistonline.com | Maggie Reagan