(4) YA With Michael missing, the Electroclan and the Indigenous Tuvaluans prepare for the final battle, but Hatch's forces are ready and closing in on the Electroclan's leader. The novel starts slowly and focuses on new characters instead of the established large cast. Despite a rushed ending, longtime fans will still enjoy seeing who makes it out.

Reviewer: Lauren Chambers

(4) YA Michael and the Electroclan have a crazy plan to defeat Hatch by stealing the boat that acts as his floating bank. The odds are long, but it's their only hope. Though there is plenty of drama in this sixth story, it all resolves too quickly for tension to build. Short chapters keep things moving briskly and maintain focus on the action.

Reviewer: Lauren Chambers

(4) YA With the resistance's ranch destroyed, Michael and friends don't know if their families are alive or if their group is all that's left of the resistance. At the same time, villain Hatch begins his world takeover. Though most of this fifth Michael Vey book is a setup for future installments, Michael's character growth and hints about major plot changes with Hatch's group will intrigue fans.

Reviewer: Lauren Chambers

(3) YA After surviving in the Amazon jungle and reuniting, Michael and the Electroclan continue the fight against Hatch. They must now rescue a savant Taiwanese girl who may hold the key to their powers, but the task requires joining forces with a former enemy. Though this fourth story builds slowly, the time spent developing characters will ultimately deepen fans' engagement with the exciting series.

Reviewer: Randy Ribay

(3) YA Though the Electroclan's destruction of the Starxource plant was a major victory over the Elgen, the Peruvian government has branded it a terroristic act. Hunted by both the army and the Elgen fleet, Michael and friends must evade capture as they plan their next move against Dr. Hatch. Evans develops character relationships better in this third installment, which continues to be exciting.

Reviewer: Randy Ribay

(4) YA Having narrowly escaped the evil Elgen organization in The Prisoner of Cell 25, Michael and his friends, the Electroclan, are on the run. But when they discover his mom is being held in a hyper-secure facility deep in the jungles of Peru, the Electroclan decides to rescue her, uncovering the malicious organization's plan for world domination in the process. Despite a shallow cast, the Electroclan's exciting adventures are entertaining.

Reviewer: Randy Ribay

(3) YA Michael and Taylor discover they have inexplicable powers of electricity. They enlist the help of their hyperintelligent friend Ostin to investigate their origins. But when Michael's mother and Taylor are kidnapped, Michael and Ostin must travel to California to confront the ominous organization that's seemingly behind everything. The story line is standard for the genre, but well-developed characters elevate it.

Reviewer: Randy Ribay

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Jonathan Linton. Written with a pointed message in mind, this fable tells of a proud young man who builds a tower to live on after a wise man tells him that "to be great is to be looked up to." For no apparent reason, the story is set in an unnamed Asian country. Attractive oil paintings illustrate the well-intentioned but preachy text.

Reviewer: Anne St. John

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Jacob Collins. With a newly bought candle and chandler's warning that his purchase "is only four coppers... but you may find it costly," a mean-spirited Thomas heads home on Christmas Eve. En route, the candle's metamorphic illumination changes the faces of three beggars into those of Thomas's family members, changing his attitude toward those less fortunate. Realistic paintings lend this somber, heavy-handed tale a Dickensian feel.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute