Into the Bloodred Woods, written by Martha Brockenbrough, reviewed by Carrie Conner

Summary:  In a fairytale kingdom, twins Ursula and Albrecht are born to a king and a queen who can spin grass into gold. Ursula is a "werebear", part of a small population of shapeshifting "werebeasts" feared for their abilities, removed from families as children, and kept in cages at night. As the firstborn, Ursula should rule, but the jealous and fearful Albrecht has other ideas. When the king divides the kingdom to allow both his children to rule, Albrecht instead seizes everything by force, sending Ursula and the surviving "weres" into the forest. In a book told from multiple perspectives, familiar fairy tale characters are woven together into feminist interpretations. Blending Ursula the Bear, Goldilocks, Rapunzel, Hansel and Gretel, the Pied Piper, Little Red Riding Hood and numerous others, readers will find familiar plots pieces and elements weaving this story together. However, expect a darker twist more Grimm than Disney in this gruesomely violent tale.

Straight Talk for Librarians:  While the fairy tale element is well-done and historically accurate, the level of physical and descriptive violence towards animals and people should be noted as a caution. References to rape, sexual violation, and explicit torture are included pushing this title to a higher age level for YA.  Inclusivity is present with characters of different races as well as an LGBTQIA+ relationship between Ursula and Sabine shown in a positive light, but it is not a primary focus or theme. The persecution of "werebeasts" instead fulfills the role of illustrating prejudice and allowing characters to advocate for inclusivity. However, a main theme is about the power of storytellers (leaders) to twist the narrative and influence people through misinformation and fear. The classic fairy tales told to inspire fear of the forest and blame women are here portrayed as lies told by a clever and broken man, consumed by his own fear and inadequacies. The author includes a reference to repeating a lie three times to make it true. The parallels to modern leaders is clear and could tie into studies about truth in media and political speeches. This book could also be used with students studying King Lear or fairy tales as this work could be considered an adaptation of those stories.

Manu: A Graphic Novel (¡¡MANU!!), written by Kelly Fernández, reviewed by Terry Wahrman

Summary:  Best friends, Manu and Josefina, attend a magical boarding school for girls. Manu always seems to find herself on a crazy adventure that leads to her getting in trouble with the nuns. While the Nuns see a little girl with grand magical potential, Manu just wants to be a kid and have fun. In this graphic novel by Kelly Fernandez, a prank Manu pulls goes horribly wrong. Josephina is upset and wishes for Manu to disappear! When Manu really does disappear she struggles to find a spell to change her back. Manu’s magic is too powerful and Manu learns why the Nuns were always trying to get her magic under control.

Straight Talk for Librarians:  Being a big fan of graphic novels Manu!! Is a great addition to any library. Although it is focused on the middle grades, High Schoolers can still capture the thematic joy that is this modern fairytale. Beautiful design, well-structured, and antic-filled magic adventures. While I assumed this would be a quick read I found myself trapped in the imagery. What should have taken me an hour to read took me three! The diversity and cultural connections without making them the prime focus of the story really allows the reader to experience Maru’s story as their own. Personally, I give this book 5 stars.

Not One Damsel in Distress: Heroic Girls From World Folklore, written by Jane Yolen, reviewed by Anneliese White

Summary: Originally published in 2000, and republished again in 2018 with two additional folk stories, “Not One Damsel in Distress: Heroic Girls from World Folklore,” explores fifteen folktales that feature women heroes (not heroines, or sheroes, but strong women heroes!). Yolen compiled this collection for young girls, especially her granddaughters, who unlike her as a child, could have a book that represents strong women, who use weapons and/or their wit to fight peril. Featured are a collection of stories from all livable continents of the world including Niger, Germany, Argentia, China, Scotland, Greece, Romania, the United States, Poland, Japan, France, England, Indonesia, and Azerbaijan. Not only does it give young readers a varying scope of world cultures, it shows them women heroes come in numerous variations, giving them a range of champions to identify with. It is a beautiful and well put together collection, and I especially enjoyed enough representation of stories from the Middle East and Asia, which may be especially new to American readers.

Straight Talk for Librarians: School libraries’ non-fiction collection is often lacking, and this title is a perfect purchase for the folklore section. It has such a diverse collection of stories that readers will feel transported across the globe and will savor each hero. Yolen perfectly pieced this collection together to show that girl champions come in many forms, from princesses to warriors to average girls. This title has so many lesson possibilities with folk tales, studies on individual foreign nations, and of course bravery and courage. Notes on the stories at the end of the book fantastically explain the origin and variations of each story. My only criticism is I wish there were more illustrations, and that those illustrations were in color. In an open letter to Jane Yolen at the end, her daughter and granddaughters perfectly sum up that they in fact, did not need this book because they already know girls have the power to be heroes, but that boys need this book even more so they know that girls can be heroes too.

Wolf Hour, written by Sara Lewis Holmes, reviewed by Kalie Mehaffy

Summary: Magia is a young girl who lives with her family at the edge of a dangerous, magical forest called the Puszcza. Everyone in town is afraid of this forest, for it sucks people in and traps them in Stories - fairy tale stories that they cannot escape, no matter how hard they try - that drives them mad, everyone, that is, except for Magia and her Tata (father). Tata is a woodcutter who travels into the forest every day, kept safe by his red cap, to cut wood to sell to the townspeople. Magia is his youngest daughter, and she desperately wants to be a woodcutter just like her Tata, although her mother wants her to be a famous singer in the city. Inside the forest lives a wolf named Martin, who wants to be left alone and left out of the Stories, although that may not be as easy as it seems. Magia travels to the city with her brother and sister to take singing lessons to appease her mother, and ends up encountering a witch, and getting thrown into a story she desperately wants to change in order to save her family - and perhaps add a new member to her little family.

Straight Talk for Librarians: The Wolf Hour by Sara Lewis Holmes is a delightful twist on Little Red Riding Hood and The Three Little Pigs. As someone who enjoys twisted fairy tales, this book absolutely checked off that twisted fairy tale box. The story was extremely compelling in the way that the characters interacted, and I absolutely agree with the review when it says that this story is a meditation of fate and expectations. I do think that at times, the Polish terms could be a bit challenging, although I did love the tone it added to the book. I think it could be used in classrooms as a literature circle book that could be used to discuss major themes, vocabulary, and character analysis. I love the story and fresh take on two classic tales that Holmes delivers, although this book will only resonate with students who enjoy twisted fairy tales.