(3) YA Sixteen-year-old Elektra Kamenides is furious when she and her sister are dragged from Mississippi to California by their mother. Elektra misses her father, a scholar of ancient Greek tragedy, but as she makes friends with a wonderfully eclectic set of strays and drifters, she uncovers tragic family secrets and also discovers a reluctant resilience within herself. A delightful realistic novel about epic odysseys and new beginnings.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Jed Henry. Despite a Tyrannosaurus rex's fearsome reputation, he is no match for Edna, the world's first chicken. "I am small and brave and you should be afraid of me," declares Edna. A slapstick narrative--complete with guttural sounds ("Ughk. Oookh. Eegh")--plays well with Henry's digital-watercolor illustrations; see especially Edna pecking and clawing her way out of the T. rex's large mouth.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(3) YA Cody (Vampire High) and his rebellious, artistic cousin help turn an abandoned mill into an arts center to unite jenti (vampires) and gadje (everyone else). But not everybody--including Cody's best friend, his girlfriend, and some powerful jenti--likes their idea. It's easy to root for good-guy Cody, who takes supernatural feuds in stride; the book's happy ending is well deserved.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Olivier Latyk. With Santa too sick to deliver presents, his daughter Jeannette makes the trip. "Everything was going exactly right," until the impertinent reindeer leave her stranded on a rooftop, with the gift drop-off only half completed. Resourceful Jeannette manages to get the job done and even provide a home for some cheerful stray cats and dogs. The stylish cartoon illustrations exude warmth and attitude.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2010

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Tony Auth. Wilson's life is not much fun until his long-lost uncle arrives. Uncle Pirate, along with his talking penguin, Captain Jack, employs pirate logic to fix Wilson's woes at school and save the family from financial ruin. Though it's rather light on plot, the story's goofy humor will entertain pirate fans. Lively black-and-white pen-and-ink and watercolor spot art illustrates most pages.

Reviewer: Becky Levine

(4) YA Art Encounters series. Inspired by Sargent's The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit, this Gothic tale draws readers into the painter's relationship with a mysterious, eccentric family who may be hiding a terrible secret. The suspense is well maintained, but the ending is somewhat flat. Factual details of Sargent's life and work are included unobtrusively. An author's note provides further information. Reading list, timeline, websites.

Reviewer: Norah Piehl

(2) K-3 Illustrated by S. D. Schindler. When Mister Death comes to call, industrious Grandy Thaxter is busy but says, "If you give me a hand, I can leave sooner." He agrees, but Grandy has an endless amount of backbreaking housework, and, exhausted, Mister Death decides to come back another time. The finely detailed illustrations reflect and extend the well-told story's humor and olden-days setting.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2004

(2) YA Unhappy about moving from California to New Sodom, Massachusetts, Cody is failing every subject in high school. His father decides he needs more academic rigor, but Vlad Dracul Magnet School isn't what either of them expects. Most of the students are vampires, but the dangers Cody faces are the same as those for any kid. A light, engaging parable with a reader-pleasing happy ending.

Reviewer: Lauren Adams | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2003