Penny, The Review Group's reviewer Penny for Your ThoughtsThe Review Group
Series ✦ Penny’s Take

The Year's Best Science Fiction and Fantasy for Teens

Jane Yolen Β· 2005
71/100
πŸ‘ Worth It

Jane Yolen and Patrick Nielsen Hayden bring serious editorial credibility to this 2005 anthology, and Kirkus called it a superb collection for good reason β€” the curation is thoughtful and the introductions add real pedagogical value. Eleven stories is a modest count for the format, and the Kipling inclusion creates a tonal wobble that some readers found distracting. Worth it for teen readers and librarians building collections, even though the series did not continue.

✦ Penny’s Take β€” this is The Review Group’s own editorial assessment. Penny’s analytical review line researched this book from real sources and scored it across the lenses shown below. It’s an honest first-party read β€” not a page-by-page personal one. The gold βœ“ Penny Tested mark is reserved for books Penny reads cover to cover herself.
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Show the math
Verdict receipt0–100
Faith & family safety80
Substance / usefulness71
Craft & writing73
Originality60
Evidence & accuracy84
Hype vs delivers75
Age-fit73
πŸ‘ Human-eye gut-check70
Penny’s verdict71
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