A Fistful of Sky by Nina Kiriki Hoffman
reviewed by Matthew Peckham
In genre fiction, families are often either terrorized victims of chainsaw wielding maniacs, or nostalgic bubbly after-school-special caricatures wrapped in kid-safe behaviors and words. This coming-of-age novel plays the field near the latter, unfurling its mysteries in to-the-point plotting bounded by the author's home-cooked narrative musings on philosophical questions of identity, sibling rivalry, power, and love. Packed with curious variations on the old "what would you do with magic powers" theme, the tale is a whimsical romp through adolescence to adulthood that mostly succeeds in drawing the reader along to the wistful end.

Past the Size of Dreaming by Nina Kiriki Hoffman
reviewed by Regina Lynn Preciado
The story picks up about 15 years after A Red Heart of Memories left off, with Edmund and Matt (Matilda) Black partners in life and in the search for Edmund's old friends, all of whom have their own magic. As adults, each member of the group has changed at least as drastically as Edmund has. Julio in particular causes quite a stir when they finally locate him, and while Terry can't resist sneaking a spell on Matt, it lacks the depth of meanness she exhibited in the past. Tasha's metamorphosis into a creature of Air adds a touch of gentle humor. Even Nathan the ghost has grown up.

A Red Heart of Memories by Nina Kiriki Hoffman
reviewed by Jeri Wright
This book is full of beautiful, impossible magic, and the reader is sucked right in. The two main characters are both damaged, both outside the realm of ordinary living, both in need of something they cannot quite define. Matt sees people's dreams and talks to things -- all kinds of things: sidewalks, walls, houses, cars... She gets itchy feet if she stays in one place too long. Edmund is a witch who follows the spirit that leads him to where he is needed.