(4) 4-6 Pop stars change into rodents, a pizza delivery boy turns into a vampire, and hip parents ditch their uncool kids in this book of brief tales about unexpected, freakish, and sometimes terrifying events. This volume of unpleasantness, although uneven, will likely find an audience among readers who have moved beyond Lemony Snicket.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Tony Auth. With his parents out of town, eleven-year-old Duncan gets to know his visiting uncle Dudley, who has an interest in "arcane sciences and practices." A magic spell turns the next-door neighbor into a statue, a recipe conjures up goblins, and a love potion causes romantic mayhem in a generally amusing, but rather randomly plotted novel, illustrated with cartoonlike art.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta