(3) 4-6 Denis has been dead five years, but his family still can't move on. Although it's painful to try to remember the details of his kidnapping and death, Denis tears himself away from Port Haven (the afterlife) to help his twin brother, Matt, solve the mystery. This inventive and tautly written ghost story holds as much danger for the dead as it does for the living.

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay

(3) 4-6 Eleven-year-old Owen struggles to decide whether breaking his promise of silence to his best friend is worse than allowing Sean to endure sexual abuse. Owen is driven to act when he realizes Sean is contemplating suicide. The aftermath--legal, societal, and emotional--of the revelation is described with sensitivity and heart. Information about organizations supporting sexual abuse victims and young people considering suicide is appended.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(4) 4-6 Copernicus Legacy series. Illustrated by Bill Perkins & Max Perkins. Wade, Darrell, Becca, and Lily race against the Teutonic Order for the last relics needed to power Copernicus' Eternity Machine. Whoever recovers all twelve relics can either use--or destroy--the device. Despite an overstuffed plot and convoluted resolution, fans will enjoy the surprises within this final installment, filled with action sequences, riddles, a sprawling cast, and exotic locales.

Reviewer: Russell Perry

(4) 4-6 Copernicus Legacy series. Illustrated by Bill Perkins. Wade, Darrell, Becca, and Lily--Guardians of Copernicus's time machine--search for its fifth relic, pitted against Galina Krause and her evil Teutonic Order; and against vengeful Ugo Drangheta, a newcomer to the hunt. Da Vinci references abound, as do car chases and shootouts, riddles and ciphers. Lily's parents' possible divorce adds emotional turmoil. This installment feels overlong, but diehard fans won't mind.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(4) 4-6 Copernicus Legacy series. Illustrated by Bill Perkins. Middle schoolers Wade, Darrell, Lily, and Becca are embroiled in a mystery after deciphering a coded email. As the Da Vinci Code–lite story unfolds, the kids zip around Europe, hunting for clues about a time machine built by Copernicus with bad guys in hot pursuit. Most readers won't mind the credibility-straining escape sequences. Instead, they'll be eagerly awaiting the sequels.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(4) 4-6 Copernicus Legacy series. Illustrated by Bill Perkins. Wade, Darrell, Lily, and Becca continue their international quest to find all twelve relics for Copernicus's eternity machine. This time the stakes are even higher: Darrell's mom (Wade's stepmom) has been kidnapped by the nefarious Teutonic Order, who are also hunting for Copernicus's artifacts. Chase scenes, vivid secondary characters, and codes and riddles make for a stimulating, if credibility-straining and lengthy, mystery.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(3) 1-3 Goofballs series. Illustrated by Colleen Madden. Have the Goofballs finally met a mystery they can't solve? When items in Miss Becker's kindergarten classroom keep disappearing without any explanation, the Goofballs, a young detective team, go undercover as teachers to investigate. In his sixth installment, Abbott effectively uses spunky dialogue to create constant action and memorable characters, while Madden's detailed black-and-white illustrations bring humorous scenes to life.

Reviewer: Lana Barnes

(3) 1-3 Goofballs series. Illustrated by Colleen Madden. In their latest case, Goofball detectives Jeff, Brian, Kelly, and Mara must solve a spooky case so the town's first bookstore can open in a supposedly haunted old mansion. Despite the fright-fraught mission, the crew's trademark goofiness breaks the tension as the kids work to crack the case. Lively black-and-white illustrations mirror the lightheartedness of the wordplay- and pun-heavy text.

Reviewer: Brittany Schlorff

(3) 1-3 Goofballs series. Illustrated by Colleen Madden. Jeff, Mara, Kelly, and Brian--the Goofballs--are a crew of child detectives. In this first installment, they're tasked with finding rich kid Randall Crandall's missing pony, Thunder. Silliness and puns abound as they use deductive logic to crack the case. The characters' varied personalities each contribute to the appeal of the wacky gang. Madden's spot art enlivens the easy-to-read chapter book.

Reviewer: Brittany Schlorff

(4) 4-6 In 1959, Bobby and his family (who are white) are driving from Ohio to Florida, visiting Civil War battlefields along the way. Interspersed with their story are first-person accounts from relatives of African American Jacob, who has gone missing. The two groups converge on a dramatic bus ride. Issues of racism, family, violence, and death swirl through the story, remaining primarily unresolved at the end.

Reviewer: Juliet S. King

(4) 4-6 Before his grandmother's funeral, Jason finds a postcard whose clues lead him to chapters of a pulp mystery stashed at local Florida landmarks. The mystery's similarities to his grandmother's life make Jason believe he's tracking his unknown grandfather. Too many of the book's outlandish characters are unbelievable, leaving the madcap story only barely cohesive, but the action thrives at a breakneck pace.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam