(3) 4-6 A scientific exploration to the Amazon leads to mutiny aboard the nineteenth-century ship Polaris. Although the children on board survive, they are faced with the typical dangers of a sea journey home, as well as some sort of monster lurking below decks. There's just enough science to give the sci-fi creature some credibility, and the characters' motivations ring true.

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay

(4) 4-6 Tombquest series. Alex evades resurrected Death Walkers to track down his missing mother and her magic Egyptian scrolls, only to be captured by The Order's sinister leader: his estranged father. Alex must stop The Order before they can merge the realms of the living and the dead. These series-concluding volumes (with online components) offer fans deep characterization and high stakes alongside formulaic action. Review covers the following Tombquest titles: The Final Kingdom and The Stone Warriors.

Reviewer: Russell Perry

(4) 4-6 Tombquest series. Alex evades resurrected Death Walkers to track down his missing mother and her magic Egyptian scrolls, only to be captured by The Order's sinister leader: his estranged father. Alex must stop The Order before they can merge the realms of the living and the dead. These series-concluding volumes (with online components) offer fans deep characterization and high stakes alongside formulaic action. Review covers the following Tombquest titles: The Final Kingdom and The Stone Warriors.

Reviewer: Russell Perry

(4) 4-6 Tombquest series. In their third adventure, Alex and friends return to Egypt to continue searching for Alex's mother and ancient magic scrolls--while also trying to banish the Death Walkers his mom accidentally summoned. The sinister Order seems to know their plans in advance; can Alex uncover the traitor before it's too late? Despite a formulaic structure, this book (with online component) offers an action-packed mystery.

Reviewer: Russell Perry

(4) 4-6 Tombquest series. When Alex's mother uses ancient Egyptian scrolls to save his life, she inadvertently resurrects loathsome Death Walkers. After his mom disappears and a secret society emerges to use the scrolls' power for evil, Alex and best friend Ren must banish the mummies and rescue her. Despite a formulaic structure, this series (with an online component) provides ample mystery, action, and humor. Review covers the following TombQuest titles: Amulet Keepers and Book of the Dead.

Reviewer: Russell Perry

(4) 4-6 Tombquest series. When Alex's mother uses ancient Egyptian scrolls to save his life, she inadvertently resurrects loathsome Death Walkers. After his mom disappears and a secret society emerges to use the scrolls' power for evil, Alex and best friend Ren must banish the mummies and rescue her. Despite a formulaic structure, this series (with an online component) provides ample mystery, action, and humor. Review covers the following TombQuest titles: Amulet Keepers and Book of the Dead.

Reviewer: Russell Perry

(3) YA On vacation with his family, Davey leaves the hotel in the early morning. When he goes for a dip, a rip tide drags him out to sea, with no one the wiser. What follows is a series of miscommunications, escalating dangers, and one thrilling survival story. Davey's fear is palpable as his worries extend beyond the sharks circling beneath him.

Reviewer: Shara Hardeson

(3) YA JD returns from a summer at a juvenile detention center to find that his mom has adopted an abused Rottweiler. But just as the two start to bond, Johnny Rotten bites one of JD's friends under unclear circumstances, leading to a complicated lawsuit that could cost the dog its life. Northrop's characters are well developed and the story is suspenseful.

Reviewer: Randy Ribay

(3) 4-6 Jack Mogens, obsessed with baseball, offers a play-by-play account of his life as a sixth grader in small-town Tall Pines. A big tournament is in his future, but he is unprepared for an incident at home plate that threatens his baseball skills and challenges his courage. Crisp dialogue, realistic characters, and humorous moments enhance the story.

Reviewer: Nancy Hull

(4) YA Seven high school students find themselves trapped at their isolated, rural school for nearly a week when an unrelenting blizzard dumps upwards of ten feet of snow on southern New England. The first-person narrative immediately captures the claustrophobic atmosphere; it loses a little steam as it navigates the requisite obstacles for survival and the evolving group dynamic to an abrupt resolution.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt

(3) YA When their friend Tommy goes missing and their English teacher begins behaving suspiciously while teaching Crime and Punishment, Micheal and his dead-end friends assume foul play. They go about investigating a nonexistent murder with disastrous results. No happy endings here, as the boys' violent actions have realistic consequences. The teen voices are pitch-perfect in their awkward ignorance, longing, and despair.

Reviewer: David Elzey