(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Steve Björkman. Twitch the squirrel returns in his third book, this time wreaking havoc at the science museum. On the advice of science-savvy classroom geckos, Twitch stows away on a field-trip bus. Once at the museum, he faces dangers such as animatronic dinosaurs, a revolving postcard display rack, a remote-control Mars Rover model, a Foucault pendulum, and more--with hilarious results. Plentiful black-and-white illustrations depict the mayhem.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(3) 4-6 Cursed Prince Telmund, who transforms into a new animal whenever he sleeps, and Princess Amelia, who's been kidnapped by the odious Prince Sheridan, work together to save each other in this delightful companion to The Princess Imposter. Alternating third-person perspectives reveal a daydreaming Telmund and a practical Amelia, which provides plenty of humorous contention and memorable adventure in this original fairy tale.

Reviewer: Lana Barnes

(3) 4-6 In this frothy fairy tale, high jinks ensue when fairy commoner Phleg switches places with unsuspecting human princess Gabriella for three days. Vande Velde's funny third-person narrative alternates focus between the two characters' story lines--from hilarious lows (Phleg practically causing an inter-kingdom incident) to laudable high points (Gabriella using logic to solve a fairy conflict)--and culminates in an unexpected resolution.

Reviewer: Lana Barnes

(3) YA Fifteen-year-old Zoe stumbles upon an armed bank robbery. Attempting to alter the violent course of events, Zoe uses her ability to travel twenty-three minutes back in time, which she can only do ten times before the events become permanent. Each re-do has its own victims and complications, and reveals more backstory for everyone involved. A riveting reflection on ethical dilemmas.

Reviewer: Grace Enriquez

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Steve Björkman. School-yard squirrel Twitch (8 Class Pets + 1 Squirrel ÷ 1 Dog = Chaos) narrates his adventure journeying into the house next to the school via the special brick "squirrel door" (chimney). When the resident dog discovers Twitch, hilarious chaos ensues until a child's accident forces the animals to cooperate. Vande Velde cleverly maintains the squirrel's perspective. Silly line drawings illustrate every page.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(4) 4-6 When twelve-year-old Princess Imogene agrees to help a frog claiming to be under a spell, the spell transfers to her instead. Being a princess is difficult, but being a frog who's forced to join a traveling theater group is far worse. Despite a humorous, high-interest plot and witty, solidly written dialogue, this pleasant-enough story may fade from readers' memories.

Reviewer: Lana Barnes

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Steve Björkman. Twitch, a squirrel, runs across a sleeping dog's nose and into school, inadvertently launching a series of calamities. Various classroom pets narrate chapters detailing the disasters in their particular room. The cumulative mayhem results in consequences narrated by the dog. Readers will chuckle at each pet's unique voice and talent (math, poetry, etc.). Spot illustrations enhance the chaotic fun.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(3) YA After a sassy introductory author’s note (on Little Red's parents' choice of names: "We'll just call our youngest daughter after an article of clothing"), Vande Velde presents eight short-story retellings that riff on the well-known classic. The tales cleverly echo the original, with sharp allusions and interesting points of departure. It's an entertaining exercise.

Reviewer: Rebecca Hachmyer

(2) 4-6 Twelve-year-old Isabelle has no memories of her past. Locals suspect she's the same girl who was abducted six years earlier, sister to an infant recently stolen by a witch. With skillful pacing, Vande Velde adds clues to the mystery of Isabelle's identity. Readers will enjoy watching each piece fall into place and discovering the story's true villains and heroes.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2008

(2) YA Was it suicide or an accident--or was ninth-grader Raquel Falcone pushed into traffic? In shifting narration, Raquel's friends, family, and acquaintances mull over her death. Vande Velde mixes in snippets from Raquel's blog, the police report, and the school custodian's notes. Together, these bits and pieces yield a poignant portrait of a kindhearted and self-sufficient young woman.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2008

(2) YA In thirteen creepy tales, Vande Velde draws readers in with her conversational tone and familiar situations (meeting a date's parents, driving home from a party) before skillfully and swiftly shifting the narratives in unsettling, sometimes terrifying, directions. The mostly contemporary teenage characters not only balance the stories' menacing elements but also make the unexpected twists of fate that much more effective.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2006

(4) YA A magical pair of sunglasses enables vision-impaired Wendy to see the supernatural--including an elf and an old crone disguised as classmates. An accidental trip through a magic gate embroils them all in an elvish plot and a dragon rescue. Although it bogs down with fussily reasoning out how the glasses and gates work, this romantic adventure will entertain fantasy lovers.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(4) 1-3 When six-year-old Sarah, dressed as a fairy princess, helps a real witch on Halloween, the witch makes Sarah's wand real. This comedy of wishes granted and reversed (and eventually dissolved) ends with everything (including Sarah's memory) back the way it was before, which leaves the story's point hazy. However, the solid writing and clear characterizations offer a light, pleasant-enough Halloween read.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(3) 4-6 The protagonist, who runs a wizard school (no, not that one), plans to spend his summer vacation gardening but keeps getting called away to assist people in need. He must help a village deal with a gang of delinquent unicorns, rescue a damsel who doesn't want to be saved, and find a husband for a down-to-earth princess. The simply written book will appeal to those who like fantasies with a humorous touch.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(2) 4-6 When a virtual reality arcade is vandalized, fourteen-year-old Giannine, unable to be safely disconnected from her game, is stuck playing the part of heir to a threatened kingdom as if her life depends on it--and it does. Supported by an intriguing premise, a virtual-medieval setting, and vividly evoked characters, the novel's strength lies in tenacious Giannine's witty and sarcastic first-person narration, which keeps the lengthy story moving.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2002

(4) YA In a sometimes withering tone, Susan reveals that her rebellious older sister Alison "went away" three years earlier and hasn't been heard from since. Susan is a likable, self-deprecating character, but her narration is disappointingly flat, especially considering that, as she finally lets on, her sister was likely the victim of a serial killer.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann

(2) YA Long known for stories that leaven supernatural elements with comedy, Vande Velde here forgoes the humor to present a set of ghost stories for readers who enjoy being really scared. The collection features an intriguing variety of characters, and all seven short stories concern one of the unquiet dead, back to finish important business with the living.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2001

(4) 4-6 In a novel approach, Vande Velde retells this tale not once, but six times, inspired, she says, by questions begged by the original tale ("you'd think that in reality [the miller] would have noticed that his daughter doesn't actually know how to spin straw into gold"). The stories, for the most part amusing, drip with sarcasm; the humor is occasionally thin and more bitter than funny.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander

(4) 4-6 Being a witch, Nola is often persecuted, so when she magically witnesses a murder, she can't testify or she'd betray her own secret. Her mistakes entangle her in the murder investigation, however, where she falls under the charm of detective Lord Galvin. The plot of this fairy tale novelization is somewhat forced and the denouement rushed, but Vande Velde has the knack of engaging characters and intriguing situations.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(2) 4-6 Fifth-grader Amy agrees to help a friendly dog who has escaped from the local university, because the dog (a "science experiment") is not only smart enough to talk but also extremely polite. Amy and Sherlock barely manage to stay half a step ahead of the researchers, who plan to dissect Sherlock's brain. The accessible vocabulary, quick-moving plot, and humor make the novel appealing.

Reviewer: Anne St. John | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 1998