(2) 4-6 Illustrated by David Elliot. Ten-year-old Josh's pregnant mother is in the hospital. At the same time, there's a fox threatening their farm's chickens--specifically stubborn, demanding Semolina, who talks only to Josh. The plot strands of baby-to-be and fox drama weave together naturally; a scene in which hundreds of chickens announce the birth of Josh's sister with a cacophonous chorus is a delicious moment of magic realism.

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2008

(3) YA Illustrated by David Elliot. In this installment of the popular Redwall series, young squirrel Dwink and mouse Bisky follow clues to find four jewels hidden long ago by Gonff, Prince of Mousethieves. However, Redwall is threatened by Korvus Skurr, leader of an unholy raven-snake alliance, who wants the jewels back. Fans will enjoy familiar conventions of feasting, fighting, and rodents speaking in thick British accents.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by David Elliot. The feisty, feasting, medievalesque rodents of Redwall return for another thrilling adventure: Mad Maudie (a boxing hare) goes on a quest to find the badger prophesied to lead Salamandastron, while said badger, Gorath, resists a berserker-like Bloodwrath. Readers willing to wade through the thick dialect will enjoy the rollicking tale.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by David Elliot. N'er-do-well Nacky Patcher and orphan Teedie Flinn discover a way to lift the curse that plagues their village: they must rebuild a ship from scratch with materials that mysteriously wash up from the lake. Readers will be intrigued by this quirky adventure with its oddly endearing cast of characters. The theme of cooperation comes through without overwhelming the plot.

Reviewer: Allison Cole

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by David Elliot. Ben and Ned, immortal boy and dog companions, are enslaved by Al Misurata, pirate of the Barbary Coast. In swashbuckling, high-seas adventures, they rescue a band of entertainers from Al Misurata's grasp, including the beautiful Serafina. Characters, both the good-hearted and the villainous, are thinly drawn, but fans of Jacques's hearty style might overlook this shortcoming.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by David Elliot. In this seventeenth entry in his popular Redwall series, Jacques continues with his proven formula of heroic young animals fighting evil vermin. Gulo the Savage, a wolverine, is opposed by a cast including Rakkety Tam MacBurl, a warrior squirrel, and Sister Armel, a brave squirrelmaid. Jacques's descriptions, adventure, and character accents will entertain his many fans.

Reviewer: Beth L. Meister

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by David Elliot. In this sixteenth novel of Redwall, Martha--a haremaid who uses a wheelchair--learns that the cure for her disabling condition may be found at the lost abbey of Loamhedge. As a group of Martha's friends embark on the quest to Loamhedge, a band of vermin lays siege on Redwall in hopes of stealing a treasured sword. Jacques weaves a vivid tapestry, capably mingling several plot strands and creating a myriad of colorfully limned characters.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2003

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by David Elliot. Ben, the immortal protagonist of Castaways of the Flying Dutchman, joins the crew of a pirate ship in a voyage marked by wild chases, dangerous attacks, and a mutinous crew. Upon arriving in France, Ben searches for a young man kidnapped many years earlier by an evil local clan. Set in the early seventeenth century, this big, sprawling adventure will win new fans for Jacques's series.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2003