Laretta Henderson's Ebony Jr! The Rise, Fall and Return of a Black Children's Magazine is a welcome contribution to the literature exploring the history of African American children's literature. The volume is profoundly interdisciplinary. Henderson has managed to write a book that simultaneously presents a meticulously close reading of Ebony Jr! and a wide-reaching snapshot of black America during the magazine's lifespan. She carefully describes the multilayered social and literary contexts within which the publication must be examined. This book provides important context for scholars who are interested in the history of African American children's literature, African American cultural history, and childhood studies generally. It is wide-ranging, critical, celebratory, and important.
Dianne Johnson
Children's Literature Association Quarterly
In this groundbreaking examination of the African American children's magazine Ebony Jr! Henderson scrutinizes how the magazine fits into children's literature more broadly by looking at content, market, and the magazine's publisher, John H. Johnson....Henderson engages readers in a close study of the African American periodical in a way that no other author has....Henderson's book, with its assessment of Ebony Jr!'s place in American culture, history, and literature, will serve readers in communication and across the curriculum. Highly recommended.
CHOICE, February 2009