(4) 4-6 You Choose Stories: Field Trip Mysteries series. Illustrated by Marcos Calo. Readers get to co-construct each story and help solve thin mysteries in this interactive spinoff of Brezenoff's Field Trip Mysteries. Sixth-grade detectives Sam, Egg, Gum, and Cat investigate a missing rare fruit from a botanical garden (Fruit) and stolen electronic tickets from a carnival (Caper). Each case offers twelve possible endings for readers to pursue. Full-bleed color illustrations bring important scenes to life. Glos. Review covers these You Choose Stories: Field Trip Mysteries titles: The Carnival Caper and The Disappearing Fruit.

Reviewer: Grace Enriquez

(4) 4-6 You Choose Stories: Field Trip Mysteries series. Illustrated by Marcos Calo. Readers get to co-construct each story and help solve thin mysteries in this interactive spinoff of Brezenoff's Field Trip Mysteries. Sixth-grade detectives Sam, Egg, Gum, and Cat investigate a missing rare fruit from a botanical garden (Fruit) and stolen electronic tickets from a carnival (Caper). Each case offers twelve possible endings for readers to pursue. Full-bleed color illustrations bring important scenes to life. Glos. Review covers these You Choose Stories: Field Trip Mysteries titles: The Carnival Caper and The Disappearing Fruit.

Reviewer: Grace Enriquez

(4) YA When Terence Kato's mother dies, he is forced to leave his beloved arts school to attend public school for eighth grade. Terence, a talented bassist, avoids friendships until he starts a new jazz band. Predictably, Terence processes his grief and bonds with his bandmates while competing in a battle-of-the-bands competition. The quick-moving plot and short chapters are hi-lo friendly; abundant obscure jazz references and jargon are less so.

Reviewer: Amy Seto Forrester

(4) 4-6 Museum Mysteries series. Illustrated by Lisa K. Weber. These museum-set mysteries involve the disappearance of paleontologists and dinosaur fossils (Mom) and Sally Ride's space suit (Space). The diverse cast (including an African American computer geek with two moms and a headscarf-wearing Somali American who loves astronomy) is superficially developed, but the fast-paced plots will appeal to mystery fans. Full-color illustrations, discussion questions, and writing prompts are included. Timeline. Glos. Review covers the following Museum Mysteries titles: The Case of the Missing Mom and The Case of the Stolen Space Suit.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(4) 4-6 Museum Mysteries series. Illustrated by Lisa K. Weber. These museum-set mysteries involve the disappearance of paleontologists and dinosaur fossils (Mom) and Sally Ride's space suit (Space). The diverse cast (including an African American computer geek with two moms and a headscarf-wearing Somali American who loves astronomy) is superficially developed, but the fast-paced plots will appeal to mystery fans. Full-color illustrations, discussion questions, and writing prompts are included. Timeline. Glos. Review covers the following Museum Mysteries titles: The Case of the Missing Mom and The Case of the Stolen Space Suit.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(3) 4-6 Museum Mysteries series. Illustrated by Lisa K. Weber. While their parents work at the Capitol City museums, best friends Amal, Raining, Wilson, and Clementine use their connections, special access to exhibits, and brainpower to solve mysteries connected to the American history (Soldier's Ghost) and art (Counterfeit Painting) museums. This smart mystery series is full of suspense. Discussion questions, writing prompts, and additional information are included. Glos. Review covers the following Museum Mysteries titles: The Case of the Counterfeit Painting and The Case of the Soldier's Ghost.

Reviewer: Grace Enriquez

(3) 4-6 Museum Mysteries series. Illustrated by Lisa K. Weber. While their parents work at the Capitol City museums, best friends Amal, Raining, Wilson, and Clementine use their connections, special access to exhibits, and brainpower to solve mysteries connected to the American history (Soldier's Ghost) and art (Counterfeit Painting) museums. This smart mystery series is full of suspense. Discussion questions, writing prompts, and additional information are included. Glos. Review covers the following Museum Mysteries titles: The Case of the Counterfeit Painting and The Case of the Soldier's Ghost.

Reviewer: Grace Enriquez

(3) YA Sophomore metal-head Lesh meets geeky and artistic senior Svetlana, and, intrigued by her, does exactly what any hardcore gamer would do: he reproduces her as an elven character in a MMO. Told from the alternating perspectives of Svetlana, Lesh, and their gaming equivalents, this novel presents teens with acutely realistic voices navigating social groups, relationships, and the realities within fantasy worlds.

Reviewer: Sian Gaetano

(4) 4-6 Field Trip Mysteries series. Illustrated by Marcos Calo. This series follows four sixth-graders-turned-detectives on school field trips. In Crook, Sam and friends, paired with "kindergarten buddies," encounter vandalism at the children's museum; Ballgame finds Egg and company investigating a theft at a baseball game. Though the mysteries are thin, both books are full of clues to draw readers into the action. Full-bleed color illustrations bring important scenes to life. Glos. Review covers these Field Trip Mysteries titles: The Ballgame with No One at Bat and The Crook that Made the Kids Cry.

Reviewer: Aimee Chevrette Bear

(4) 4-6 Field Trip Mysteries series. Illustrated by Marcos Calo. This series follows four sixth-graders-turned-detectives on school field trips. In Crook, Sam and friends, paired with "kindergarten buddies," encounter vandalism at the children's museum; Ballgame finds Egg and company investigating a theft at a baseball game. Though the mysteries are thin, both books are full of clues to draw readers into the action. Full-bleed color illustrations bring important scenes to life. Glos. Review covers these Field Trip Mysteries titles: The Ballgame with No One at Bat and The Crook that Made the Kids Cry.

Reviewer: Aimee Chevrette Bear

(4) 4-6 Ravens Pass series. Illustrated by Amerigo Pinelli. In Cheaters, a demon terrorizes Mia, Jimmy, and Andrew for cheating on a math test. Home features Jay and Theresa as their enchanted house makes it impossible to move away. There's not much character depth or development, but the mysteries of Ravens Pass and its citizens will attract reluctant readers, as will the both comical and disturbing black-and-white cartoon illustrations. Glos. Review covers these Ravens Pass titles: Cheaters and ]cf2]No Place like Home.

Reviewer: Susan Graham

(4) 4-6 Ravens Pass series. Illustrated by Amerigo Pinelli. In Cheaters, a demon terrorizes Mia, Jimmy, and Andrew for cheating on a math test. Home features Jay and Theresa as their enchanted house makes it impossible to move away. There's not much character depth or development, but the mysteries of Ravens Pass and its citizens will attract reluctant readers, as will the both comical and disturbing black-and-white cartoon illustrations. Glos. Review covers these Ravens Pass titles: Cheaters and ]cf2]No Place like Home.

Reviewer: Susan Graham

(4) 4-6 Return to Titanic series. Illustrated by Scott Murphy. Titanic artifacts in a museum magically transport eighth-grade friends Tucker and Maya to the ship's doomed voyage, where they make it their quest to save a young third-class passenger named Liam over the course of these two installments. Sharp designs, finely detailed illustrations, and appended "historical files" bring more to life than do the predictable plots and bland narratives. Review covers these Return to Titanic titles: Stowaways and Time Voyage.

Reviewer: Brittany Schlorff

(4) 4-6 Return to Titanic series. Illustrated by Scott Murphy. Titanic artifacts in a museum magically transport eighth-grade friends Tucker and Maya to the ship's doomed voyage, where they make it their quest to save a young third-class passenger named Liam over the course of these two installments. Sharp designs, finely detailed illustrations, and appended "historical files" bring more to life than do the predictable plots and bland narratives. Review covers these Return to Titanic titles: Stowaways and Time Voyage.

Reviewer: Brittany Schlorff

(2) YA Tossed out by a narrow-minded father, sensitive narrator Kid finds an alternate family with the street kids of Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Kid falls hard for entrancing Felix, a junkie living in an abandoned warehouse. When fire destroys the building, Kid becomes an arson suspect. A moving, personal story of friendship, loss, and love, Brezenoff's novel is also a tender tribute to all LGBTQ youth.

Reviewer: Lauren Adams | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2011

(3) YA Lily, Noah, and Simon are a trio of friends with a roiling mix of hidden complications in their lives: abuse, divorce, a father with cancer. As the three take turns narrating, it becomes clear that their friendship also conceals a fundamental lack of connection among them. Brezenoff explores the characters' interactions honestly and head-on, without neat intersections or happy endings.

Reviewer: Hannah Rodgers Barnaby