The Horn Book Magazine
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The Horn Book Magazine, founded in Boston in 1924, is the oldest bimonthly magazine dedicated to reviewing children's literature.[1] It began as a "suggestive purchase list" prepared by Bertha Mahony Miller and Elinor Whitney Field, proprietresses of the country's first bookstore for children, The Bookshop for Boys and Girls. Opened in 1916 in Boston as a project of the Women's Educational and Industrial Union, the Bookshop closed in 1936, but Horn Book continues in its mission to "blow the horn for fine books for boys and girls" as Mahony wrote in her first editorial Source
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Media Outlet details
| Scope | National |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Country | United States of America |
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| Frequency | Bimonthly |
Recent Articles
Search ArticlesWeek in Review, July 20th-24th
Find more great Horn Book content at these links: Interviews with authors and illustrators Recommended books: reviews and themed booklists App and e-book reviews Movie reviews Event news and recaps Events calendar This week on hbook.com... This week on hbook.com... Horn Book Guide: Book Bundles: Oklahoma Book Bundles: Missouri Book Bundles: Nebraska Book Bundles: Colorado Book Bundles: Utah Reviews of the Week: Starred Picture Book: Everything Is Music by Miran Park; trans.
Library haul and parents and children
Find more great Horn Book content at these links: Interviews with authors and illustrators Recommended books: reviews and themed booklists App and e-book reviews Movie reviews Event news and recaps Events calendar Elissa's latest library haul.
Week in Review, July 13th-17th
Find more great Horn Book content at these links: Interviews with authors and illustrators Recommended books: reviews and themed booklists App and e-book reviews Movie reviews Event news and recaps Events calendar This week on hbook.com... This week on hbook.com...
James Marshall the Great, Then and Now
I’ve got grandkids now, born decades after Jim Marshall’s untimely death, who adore reading his books. Lucky me, I’ve had a loose connection to Jim (James) Marshall (1942–1992) for decades. When I worked at Little, Brown, in Boston in the 1980s, he also lived in Boston. We published Cinderella, one of his fairy-tale retellings, and he was a warm and genial part of the local children’s book scene.
2025: The Year in Words and Pictures
It was the first year without an ALA Midwinter or LibLearnX conference, but for those watching from home, the announcement of the 2026 Youth Media Awards from Chicago felt no less momentous in terms of anticipation and excitement. We Horn Bookers each livestreamed the announcement and, as always, texted or otherwise chatted about our reactions, from the giddy to the surprised to the delighted.
Review of Defying China: A Memoir
Defying China: A Memoir by Tsultrim Dolma and Rebecca Wei Hsieh High School Dial 352 pp. 3/26 9780593615959 $20.99 This gripping memoir chronicles one Tibetan activist’s life under the oppressive Chinese Communist government during the 1980s and her eventual escape to America. Fighting for freedom and for education is a constant theme in Dolma’s life.
Editorial: Fireworks Spectacular (July/August 2026)
The cover of this issue is by Cátia Chien, and how spectacular it is. Any fan of her 2026 Caldecott Medal winner, Fireworks, written by Matthew Burgess, will instantly recognize those lively, adorable children as the story’s protagonists. Likewise, any fan of adventure-filled, awestruck days will instantly recognize the sensation this artwork conveys.
Table of Contents: July/August 2026 Horn Book Magazine: Special Issue: ALA Awards
July/August 2026 Horn Book Magazine: Special Issue: ALA Awards. Cover from Fireworks. © 2026 by Cátia Chien. Cover © 2026 by Cátia Chien.
Review of A Door Is to Open
A Door Is to Open by Kyo Maclear; illus. by Julie Morstad Preschool, Primary Tundra 48 pp. 4/26 9781774887448 $18.99 Inspired by quotes from legendary creators Ruth Krauss and Remy Charlip, which are printed on the copyright page, this title explores the many purposes and varieties of doors. Maclear’s succinct, effective second-person narration adds a welcome interactive feel to the text, inviting readers to enter every space the book introduces.
July/August 2026 Horn Book Magazine cover surprise
Find more great Horn Book content at these links: Interviews with authors and illustrators Recommended books: reviews and themed booklists App and e-book reviews Movie reviews Event news and recaps Events calendar Peek-a-boo! It's the complete July/August Horn Book Magazine Special Issue: ALA Awards gatefold cover. Art by Cátia Chien, gif by Josephine Marc-Anthony. Peek-a-boo! It's the complete July/August Horn Book Magazine Special Issue: ALA Awards gatefold cover.