(2) YA In 1965, sixteen-year-old Victoria runs away with the VanDrexel traveling circus. Fifty years later finds Victoria training her talented teenage granddaughter, Callie VanDrexel, on the tightrope. Then Victoria dies unexpectedly; Callie's mother moves to Florida, dragging a sullen, grieving Callie with her. Alternating chapters follow plucky Victoria's introduction to life in the circus and Callie's introduction to life without it. This multigenerational story speaks compellingly of the power of family.

Reviewer: Jessica Tackett MacDonald | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2019

(3) 4-6 Ages of Oz series. Illustrated by Sebastian Giacobino. Created by Gabriel Gale. As Glinda and her friends continue their quest to defeat the wicked forces oppressing Oz, she discovers her relationship to a powerful sorceress, visits the Sea Fairies and Nomes, and acquires magical tools central to her identity. This darker-edged prequel series (A Fiery Friendship) revels in references to the Oz canon as it builds backstories for Baum's famous characters; occasional black-and-white illustrations are included.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac

(4) 4-6 Ages of Oz series. Illustrated by Sebastian Giacobino. Created by Gabriel Gale. When she graduates, young Glinda learns dangerous magical secrets about her mother, the history of Oz, and wicked witch Aphidina. Following a road of red cobblestones, Glinda travels with a growing group of companions to right ancient wrongs and discover her own powers. Fiedler's complicated prequel about this famous land is less charming than Baum's originals; occasional detailed black-and-white illustrations are included.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac

(3) 4-6 Mouseheart series. Illustrated by Vivienne To. Pet-store mouse Hopper, the Chosen One, struggles with the aftermath of the war in Mouseheart, here rebuilding the rat city of Atlantia in Brooklyn's subway tunnels. Predator-prey and enemy-ally relationships are examined as cats, rodents, and insects live in unison and discord. Fiedler's second animal fantasy is an adventurous journey propelled by courage in the midst of danger and strengthened by kinship.

Reviewer: Sophie Williamson

(3) 4-6 Mouseheart series. Illustrated by Vivienne To. Although no longer under the shadow of Felina the cat queen, the underground city of Atlantia is still full of danger. When young mouse Hope goes missing, everyone suspects the traitor Pup, who seeks a chance to redeem himself in this spirited adventure. The third Mouseheart book is full of classic fantasy elements with an animal twist, such as the dreaded pi-rats.

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay

(4) 4-6 Stagestruck series. Based on real events, this series recounts the summer Wallach, then twelve, started Random Farm Kids' Theater, a theater company created and run by kids. These fictional narratives highlight the challenges of sustaining a business venture (e.g., hard decisions, personal sacrifice, stage moms). While the plots are thin and both books end abruptly, the premise is inspiring. Review covers these Stagestruck titles: Curtain Up! and Showstopper!.

Reviewer: Andrea Curtis

(4) 4-6 Stagestruck series. Based on real events, this series recounts the summer Wallach, then twelve, started Random Farm Kids' Theater, a theater company created and run by kids. These fictional narratives highlight the challenges of sustaining a business venture (e.g., hard decisions, personal sacrifice, stage moms). While the plots are thin and both books end abruptly, the premise is inspiring. Review covers these Stagestruck titles: Curtain Up! and Showstopper!.

Reviewer: Andrea Curtis

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Vivienne To. After escaping from the pet shop, mouse protagonist Hopper learns he is the Chosen One of the rodents living within the subway tunnels beneath Brooklyn. He befriends the rat prince of Atlantia and struggles to decipher good and evil in the dangerous and unfamiliar underworld. Hopper's journey is arduous, and the story, full of rebellion and heart, will appeal to animal-fantasy fans.

Reviewer: Sophie Williamson

(2) YA In this Romeo and Juliet retelling, Rosaline recounts the story from her perspective. What makes this work is the author's command of Shakespearean language, syntax, and wordplay, allowing her to develop her funny, proto-feminist protagonist within the drama's strictures. The plot hiccups a bit as it lurches to the end, but readers will find Rosaline believable and appealing.

Reviewer: Vicky Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2007

(2) YA This clever revisioning of Hamlet, told from Ophelia's point of view, takes as its inspiration the play's theme of appearance vs. reality and creates a whole new story-behind-the-story. In this version, Ophelia isn't passive, crazy, or suicidal in the least--it's all an act. Readers, especially those familiar with the play, will appreciate this amusing, inventive retelling.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2003

(2) YA In this sequel to Curtis Piperfield's Biggest Fan, the conflict consists mainly of C.C.'s deliberations between three suitors. She's an engaging commentator on the social life of young teens, relating the funny details and thoughtful observations of a writer-in-training. The book picks up right where the first left off, at the end of ninth grade, but deals with slightly more mature themes.

Reviewer: Lauren Adams | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 1998