(3) 4-6 Iremonger series. In the second book of the trilogy, an epidemic in a filthy London borough controlled by the creepy Iremonger family makes people turn into ordinary objects and objects into people, while multiple eccentric narrators with distinct voices raise questions about the disposability of both. Carey maintains a relentless pace and contributes appropriately macabre, oily black-and-white portraits reminiscent of Edward Gorey.

Reviewer: Jeannie Coutant

(3) 4-6 Iremonger series. In the trilogy finale, a fearful epidemic runs rampant through Victorian London, causing people to turn into everyday objects, and a creepy family makes a last stand to seize power. Journal-like entries from multiple narrators and expert use of dialogue create a multifaceted cast of characters. Carey's macabre black-and-white portraits, reminiscent of Edward Gorey, enhance the unsettling tone.

Reviewer: Jeannie Coutant

(2) YA Engelsfors Trilogy series. Translated by Anna Paterson. After a brutal demonic showdown, only four Chosen Ones remain. Now these burgeoning teen witches are even more dedicated to mastering their magical skills in order to stop the end of the world. As before, the trilogy-ender's pace is somewhat meandering and angst levels are high, but watching the Chosen Ones come together as a team of truly formidable heroines is worth the wait.

Reviewer: Jessica Tackett MacDonald | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2015

(3) 4-6 Iremonger series. Living among sentient trash heaps, Clod Iremonger has always been able to hear the voices of the objects that his family members carry, but the arrival of serving girl Lucy imbues the objects with a new and dangerous energy. Descriptive prose and black-and-white portraits create a unique cast of characters in a bleak, dilapidated home. Fans of Joan Aiken will flock to this dark mystery.

Reviewer: Hannah Rodgers Barnaby

(2) YA Engelsfors Trilogy series. Translated by Anna Paterson. All is not well in Engelsfors: there's a heat wave, electrical accidents, and a creepy new club for zealous optimists. The girls suspect that demonic forces are still at play, but before they can act, the Magical Council discovers their unsanctioned magical activity. Magic flies much more freely in this hefty sequel to The Circle, but a complex web of relationships remains central.

Reviewer: Jessica Tackett MacDonald | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2014

(3) 4-6 This attractive facsimile edition of the sequel to Ransome's Swallows and Amazons tells of a second summer of adventures in England's Lake District. The simple black-and-white drawings evoke the story's 1930s setting.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) YA Lifestyle choices take on a whole new meaning in a witty send-up of modern diets and the ways they can shape a family dynamic. The very posh Savage family keeps their food preferences to themselves--cannibalism isn't exactly legal. When teenage Sasha dates a devoted vegetarian who cheats on her with a militant vegan, things really get cooking in this tastefully gruesome comedy.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac

(2) YA Engelsfors Trilogy series. Translated by Per Carlsson. Engelsfors is a sleepy Swedish working-class town in decline. After teen Elias Malmgren commits suicide, six of Elias's classmates learn that his death was an omen of ancient evil. The six girls become the Chosen Ones: mismatched, supernatural heroines-in-training who must defend Engelsfors from demonic forces. Tension climbs sharply toward a suspenseful conclusion, leaving fans eager for the next book in the series.

Reviewer: Jessica Tackett MacDonald | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2013

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Ronald Searle. Loosely tethered to the subject of animal love, the majority of these poems are just wacky, but some are also tender: Grizzly Rose is a terrible snorer, but to her "adoring fellow," the "snootful roaring / Of his lovely lady bear, / Reassure[s] him she's there." Forbes's meter often strikes out, but Searle's colored-in line drawings underscore the poems' lightheartedness.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(4) K-3 Translated by Stuart Schoffman. Illustrated by Michal Rovner. While taking a walk, Ben's mother tells him, "There's nobody else like you in the whole wide world!" For him, this is a revelation, and he worries, "But then I'm all alone!" So begins a book-length dialogue about existence that strains for profundity. Tiny sketchlike drawings set against white space are lovely but reinforce the characters' anonymity.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) 4-6 Joey transforms from a boy who sees the world around him as something to conquer to a young adult with an understanding of and respect for the natural world. The story's leisurely pace and descriptive writing may frustrate some modern readers; others will be drawn to a time when a boy could spend days in the woods with a dog and a hunting rifle.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Ronald Searle. Lala the koala throws tantrums; naughty lion cubs get sent to their rooms; a guinea pig uses his exercise wheel so he can eat more. These wide-ranging pets and zoo-dwellers have in common their animal status, if rubber duckies count. Both the meter and the humor get about half their timing right. Searle's often muted backgrounds make the colorful foregrounds stand out.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(4) 4-6 Translated by John Brownjohn. Aspiring author Optimus Yarnspinner (a dinosaur) journeys to the city of Bookholm. Seeking the author of a certain perfect manuscript, he discovers wondrous books, countless dangers, unsavory characters, and inspiration. The story's erratic pacing and adult-oriented references make the audience difficult to discern, but the humor and appealingly dark and creepy line drawings may win Optimus some fellow adventurers.

Reviewer: Becca Schaffner

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Nicolas Hill. This volume includes three reissues about intrepid adventurer Jane and her housekeeper: Jane's Adventures in and out of the Book (1966), Jane's Adventures on the Island of Peeg (originally Operation Peeg, 1974), and Jane's Adventures in a Balloon (1975). Though there's minimal character development, the stories are amusing and move briskly from one episode to the next.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth | Horn Book Magazine Issue: April, 1975

(4) 4-6 Translated by John Brownjohn. Smoothly translated from German, Moers's hefty bildungsroman centers on the fantastical adventures of Rumo, a Wolperting. Wolpertings, or highly developed dogs, are well described and shown through the author's pen-and-ink drawings, but many of the novel's lands and secondary creatures are overdone. Moers's affinity for dark topics and his unflinching descriptions may make some readers squirm.

Reviewer: Lauren Maggio

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Jason Cockcroft. This simplified version of a classic allegory tells of Christian's pilgrimage to the City of Gold and the many trials he faces in the course of his journey to salvation. The story is related in accessible language for contemporary readers; full-page color illustrations, as well as smaller vignettes in black and white, add to the drama of Christian's story.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Kurt Wiese & Kurt Wiese. Another title in the twenty-six-book series about Freddy the pig is here reissued, retaining the original, distinctive illustrations and typeface.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Kurt Wiese. Two more titles in the twenty-six book series about Freddy the pig are here reissued, retaining the original, distinctive illustrations and typeface. [Review covers these titles: The Clockwork Twin and The Story of Freginald.]

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc. | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2037

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Kurt Wiese. Two more titles in the twenty-six book series about Freddy the pig are here reissued, retaining the original, distinctive illustrations and typeface. [Review covers these titles: The Clockwork Twin and The Story of Freginald.]

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc. | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2038

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Kurt Wiese. Two more titles in the twenty-six book series about Freddy the pig are here reissued, retaining the original, distinctive illustrations and typeface. [Review covers these titles: Freddy the Magician and Freddy's Cousin Weedly.]

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.