(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Brandon Dorman. Oyster R. Motel, left on a nunnery doorstep as a baby, longs for excitement--and to find his real parents. A silver bucket that travels between imaginary worlds, guided by the titular map, becomes Oyster's transport to adventure. Random oddities of character and plot abound. There's a lot that's nonsensical; readers willing to go with it will enjoy the ride.

Reviewer: Betsy Murray

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Peter Ferguson. When Fern, an Anybody capable of shape-changing, enlists the aid of her ordinary friend Howard, she doesn't tell him it's to do battle with the once-defeated evil Blue Queen who wants to rise again. The intrusion of authorial comments is often irritating and distracting, but the story, rushing from one wildly bizarre adventure to another, is humorous.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Peter Ferguson. In this sequel to The Anybodies, Fern looks forward to camp where she will learn about being an Anybody--a person able to change things into something else. Camp itself, however, has been transformed into a place of evil, and Fern must discover why. The plot is full of humorous and bizarre twists, but inconsistencies and irrelevant authorial comments are distracting.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Peter Ferguson. When Fern discovers her real father is an eccentric hypnotist, she goes to live with him. So begins her wild search for her origins and for a book about magical powers belonging to her mother, who died in childbirth. The funny story and illustrations are engaging, but there are numerous loose ends and extraneous authorial asides à la Lemony Snicket.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) YA Illustrated by Stan Mack & Ida Marx Blue Spruce. Bode provides a valuable resource for young adults making decisions about pregnancy, as well as those researching the issue for school projects, in this completely updated book of interviews with pregnant teens, boyfriends, families, health-care workers, and counselors. A lively design, which includes cartoon strips and snippets from current newspaper and magazine articles, adds to the dynamic presentation. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Jackie C. Horne

(3) YA Interviews with people directly involved with rape (victims, perpetrators, police, medical personnel, etc.) put a human face on an increasingly frequent crime and forthrightly explain the specifics of each connection. This revised edition includes interviewee updates, comic-strip-style narrations, and letters from readers telling their own stories, with replies from Bode that drive home her commitment to honestly speak about this crime. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges