(4) 4-6 Now in New York City, brainy middle-schoolers Sam, Theo, and Martina search for the third historical artifact hidden by a Founding Father. With Gideon Arnold (Benedict's descendant) and his goons still in hot pursuit, the kids race to crack ciphers, riddles, and American-history trivia questions--all related to Alexander Hamilton. It's the National Treasure formula yet again, but series fans likely won't mind.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(4) 4-6 Brilliant middle schoolers Sam, Martina, and Theo embark on another adventure (The Eureka Key), this time to find Jefferson's quill (the second of seven artifacts left by the Founding Fathers) in Montana. Numerous traps set by a descendant of Benedict Arnold are thwarted with the trio's puzzle-solving intelligence. Formulaic but fast-paced, with intrigue, interactive puzzles, and historical trivia for fans of the National Treasure movie franchise.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Andrew Plant. This easy-reader narrative account of the ocean-dwelling reptile order from the Mesozoic Era describes the plesiosaurs' hunting techniques, physical attributes, species variations, reproduction, and eventual extinction. Comparisons with contemporaries (dinosaurs and fish) help identify plesiosaurs' particular characteristics. Full-page illustrations of animals in marine environments include helpful labels of the various pictured species' scientific names. Reading list, websites.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(3) 4-6 To keep a powerful wish-granting pearl out of the hands of enemy Saiko, Kata (Deadly Flowers) relies on help from her assassin friends, thief Jinnai, and a band of ronin. Along the way, she faces even more dangers with roots in Japanese folklore (including a despair-inducing forest). Intriguing supernatural elements and fast-paced action build toward a satisfying conclusion.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher

(4) PS Illustrated by Lita Judge. In this reassuring tale, Papa Monkey does such a good job teaching Little Monkey how to stay safe--where to hide, when to keep still--that when she tumbles from a tree, she manages to evade an ocelot and other predators. The rainforest-set illustrations have a sameness but nevertheless capture animals' capacity for cuteness as well as menace.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) 4-6 Sam wins a puzzle contest for which the prize--a sightseeing tour--is actually a dangerous hunt for seven valuable keys secreted away by America's Founding Fathers. Villains trail Sam and his two sidekicks, history buff Martina and brawny protector Troy, as they race to solve brainteasers. It's the Da Vinci Code–lite formula again, but with a U.S. history focus.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(2) 4-6 Kata, a female ninja in feudal Japan, finds herself on the run with new acquaintance Saiko and her younger brother Ichiro. Someone is hunting the siblings to steal Ichiro's wish-granting pearl, which also happens to attract paranormal creatures. This action-packed adventure blends historical fiction with intriguing supernatural elements drawn from Japanese folklore. An author's note adds historical and mythological context.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2016

(4) 4-6 When Gabe was twelve, she developed a debilitating, degenerative muscle disease called Friedreich's ataxia and was severely bullied in school. Media attention surrounding a fundraiser for surgery for her beloved dog companion, Izzy, led to her becoming an anti-bullying spokesperson. Interspersed with moving letters from students who have heard her speak, the story is interesting but marred by repetition and unpolished prose. Websites.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Andrew Plant. Readers join this prehistoric mammal as it hunts for food, taking down an unsuspecting bison with its impressive teeth. The simple but well-written explanations of the animal's features and actions are carefully linked to the available scientific evidence, clearly indicating how fossils of today may explain behaviors of the past. Color illustrations, sometimes realistically gruesome, include scientific species' names. Reading list, websites.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(2) PS Illustrated by Joe Cepeda. A polar bear cub's first venture outside introduces her to a dazzling arctic landscape. Cub wonders at colors she's never seen, new geography, and the sheer expanse of the world. When a tumble down a hill separates her from her mother, Cub must use what she knows to find her, and the suspense is toddler-perfect. Cepeda's oil and acrylic paintings are textured and luminous.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2013

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Andrew Plant. Fifteen million years ago, a seven-foot carnivorous bird (Kelenken guillermoi) at the top of its food web dominated South America. The grisly particulars of the terror bird's feeding habits, its anatomy and behavior, and the basics of population dynamics are conveyed through simple sentences and evocative color illustrations that spare none of the bloody details. Reading list, websites.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(3) K-3 Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series. Illustrated by Jason Chin. Life in the Arctic is seen through the eyes of a cub, with attention to the care provided by its mother as it grows. The friendly narrative is strictly factual and provides solid information; the illustrations incorporate a polar bear scientist, and the wild bears verge on being anthropomorphized. An author's note about global warming is appended.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) K-3 Illustrated by James E. Ransome. Thomson weaves Lincoln's own words into her brief picture book biography, which focuses mostly on the sixteenth president's efforts to preserve the union and end slavery ("If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong"). Ransome's paintings exaggerate Lincoln's ears and height, making him larger than life yet oddly caricatured. No source notes are provided for quotations. Timeline.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Stephen Gilpin. This lighthearted tale provides a glimpse at the lives of cartoon pirates. Synthetic-looking digital double-page spread illustrations, accompanied by rhyming text, provide an entertaining if not very imaginative perspective, as the pirates explain who they are, what they do, and what scares them: "We show no mercy and feel no fear-- / except when the gloom of night creeps near..."

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Rob Gonsalves. "Imagine a place... / ...where your mind opens wider / than any walls around you." Thomson's imagery-heavy text asks readers to allow their imaginations to take them to wondrous places. Gonsalves's meticulous acrylic paintings, merging surreal Escher-inspired object transformations with Van Allsburg-like visual non sequiturs, are fascinating. This is a book to get lost in and to dream with.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(4) 4-6 Honoring a promise to a dying dragon, Mella (aided by squire Roger) carries a dragon's egg to the hatching grounds in the mountains. A persistent kidnapper interested in Roger's father's wealth tracks them at every turn. The book's pacing is sedate and its characters faintly sketched, but readers new to the genre will enjoy this amiable fantasy.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(2) YA When her father is arrested for being a Catholic, fourteen-year-old Rosalind escapes to London, in this historical novel set in 1592. A chance encounter with the playwright Christopher Marlowe results in a gig for Rosalind (now disguised as a boy) as his assistant. Thomson has created a well-rounded character who reacts believably to her unraveling life.

Reviewer: Jeannine M. Chapman | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2006

(3) K-3 I Can Read Book series. Early readers will appreciate large, well-spaced typeface over full-page Wildlife Conservation Society photos in these fact-filled, well-organized narratives. Simple page layout aids focus on the subject matter--gorillas in families and at play, and whales as the earth's largest water mammals--each studied and appreciated by scientists, and both "[needing] our help to survive." Review covers these I Can Read Book titles: Amazing Gorillas! and Amazing Whales!

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(4) YA Sixteen-year-old Justin has the perfect plan to meet girls: become a nanny in the Hamptons. While not nearly as salacious as Melissa de la Cruz's The Au Pairs, this is probably a more realistic look at teenage summer relationships. Despite the book's sitcom ending, Justin is a likable character whose bumbling efforts at romance are entertaining.

Reviewer: Jeannine M. Chapman

(3) K-3 I Can Read Book series. Early readers will appreciate large, well-spaced typeface over full-page Wildlife Conservation Society photos in these fact-filled, well-organized narratives. Simple page layout aids focus on the subject matter--gorillas in families and at play, and whales as the earth's largest water mammals--each studied and appreciated by scientists, and both "[needing] our help to survive." Review covers these I Can Read Book titles: Amazing Gorillas! and Amazing Whales!

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo