(3) 4-6 Eleven-year-old Eleanor "Groovy" Robinson aspires to attend culinary school. However, her plans are suspended after her father is sent to jail and family secrets come to light. Groovy's acceptance of her new circumstance is symbolically mirrored by the annual return of the swallows to her town of San Juan Capistrano. Her own personal journey is similarly rewarding.

Reviewer: Hannah Rodgers Barnaby

(4) K-3 This story tells of a boy and a wish-granting lion. At first the boy asks for stuff--"the fastest shoes in the world," his own roller coaster--but he realizes his last wish should be reserved for something the lion, not he, truly needs. The lesson-learned text is fairly standard; what makes the book notable are spare black-and-white line drawings with dramatic gold.

Reviewer: Amy Lois Cohn

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Roger Roth. Cassidy-Li, whose parents adopted her from China, is Star of the Week in kindergarten. She's making a poster with photos of the important people in her life, "but something is missing." What about her birth parents, whom she doesn't know? The author and artist, adoptive parents themselves, give their protagonist plenty of personality as they thoughtfully explore questions faced by adoptive families.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(1) YA Hathin is a conscientious caretaker of her sister Arilou, one of the Lost--those whose senses are "loosely tethered" to their bodies. After inspectors arrive to test Arilou's gift, the siblings are launched on a trek that changes their world. In this many-layered, richly rewarding story, poetic language and closely observed setting are well matched by the lively exploration of political themes.

Reviewer: Deirdre F. Baker | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2009

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Lynn Johnston. After a morningtime bath, Farley, lovable sheepdog from For Better or For Worse comics, spends his day sniffing the breeze and following its smells. Finally, he winds up back home (in need of another bath), but not before rescuing a little boy lost. Onomatopoeia on most pages and exuberant and funny cartoon illustrations make this a good book to use with groups.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2009

(4) YA Marr's eerie supernatural soap opera builds on the interpersonal and political intrigues established in Wicked Lovely. Aislinn, now the new Summer Queen, attempts to maintain her relationship with mortal Seth, whose bid to become a faery becomes part of a larger power struggle within Faerie. Though occasionally lacking direction, this sequel hooks readers with plenty of angst and strong emotional underpinnings.

Reviewer: T. Borregaard

(3) PS "'Do you love me?' / 'Always, dear.' / 'Do you need me?' / 'Ever near.'" Using spare rhyming text, this book depicts a series of tender parent-child exchanges. Digital images created by a design studio's illustrators show a variety of round-edged "snuzzles," usually touching nose to nose, against monochromatic backgrounds. The reassuring story provides the perfect dose of bedtime comfort.

Reviewer: Sethany Rancier Alongi