(3) 4-6 The Pied Piper leads the town's children into a magical world beneath Hamelin Hill, and siblings Marianna and Jakob must remain there until a curse is lifted. Attempting to return home along with their father, they begin to heal the wounds that have torn their family apart. A clever retelling of a classic fairy tale.

Reviewer: Aimee Chevrette Bear

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Peter Brown. The wooden people of Ashenpeake find a leader in determined young Snowbone, whose passionate crusade, first for vengeance, then to free her race from slavery, propels her across land, sky, and sea. The enthralling story rarely fumbles (perhaps losing steam at the ambiguous ending); the backbone of the episodic adventures is the warmly drawn, vivacious characters and their maturing relationships.

Reviewer: Amy Lee Bennett