(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Peter de Sève. In 1849, twelve-year-old Zeb Crabtree meets gambler and grifter extraordinaire Charles "Chilly" Larpenteur. Zeb, after losing his money, is seduced into Chilly's complicated con to "help rich gents be a bit more charitable and Christian-like with their pocketbooks." That Zeb is neither superhero nor helpless victim is a tribute to the rousing plot's nuances. An appended author's note provides rich historical background. Reading list. Glos.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2009

(3) 4-6 Duke and Claire are cousins who live along a mystical stretch of the Mississippi River, home to trolls and magic spells. When a mysterious old woman catches Duke bullying Claire, she replaces his nose with a rhinoceros-like horn that grows when he's mean. Claire's first-person narration offers a humorous and fantastical story in the best tradition of Mississippi River fiction.

Reviewer: Beth L. Meister