(4) K-3 Illustrated by Jennifer A. Bell. Squirrel Walnut, who misses Mom when she's at work, talks to her about why she has a job ("so I can pay rent on our den"). The writing is inconsistent, but the vigorously illustrated story is refreshingly honest about the nonmercenary reasons that grownups work ("I'm good at what I do"; "People depend on me").

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) YA When the mayor of Alex's hometown (to which he has finally returned across a post-apocalyptic American landscape) proves a poor leader, Alex and Darla create their own homestead, welcoming refugees despite the threat of vindictive neighbors. In the saga's finale (Ashfall; Ashen Winter), Mullin thoughtfully and urgently explores issues of leadership, maturity, and humanity against a backdrop that brings gritty to another level.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross

(4) YA When sixteen-year-old Mike's dad is killed by a drunk driver, Mike just wants to stay with his dad's girlfriend, finish high school, and mourn his father in peace. His estranged mother, however, has other plans, showing up to demand custody against Mike's wishes. Despite an overly measured pace, Mike's story effectively illustrates how real life can complicate the grieving process.

Reviewer: Norah Piehl

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Maris Wicks. A casually pleasant rhyming text narrates a family's day hike in the woods, from the chaotic early-morning start with four kids and a dog to an exhausted but happy return home. The adventure is illustrated with appropriately busy art including many humorous asides, such as a parent-child argument over hiking boots versus pink shoes and the resultant sullen teen in the pre-hike snapshot.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey

(4) 4-6 Celestine Chronicles series. When his grandfather, King Fredric of Dokur, is murdered, enchanter's apprentice Marcus and his friends undertake a new quest. They must help Marcus's master, Zyll, unmask the killer then journey to Voltana in search of information about Marcus's mother, Queen Ivanore. While this predictable fantasy novel treads no new ground, readers will enjoy following Marcus on his second adventure.

Reviewer: Barratt Miller

(4) 4-6 A highly implausible tale is spun by grownup Mickey as he regales his own kids with his childhood space adventures: as an orphan at NASA camp in 1977, Mickey and his pals were used for a secret mission on the moon, all because of a magnetic mineral that sickened anyone over thirteen. Sci-fi fans with a taste for silliness will be entertained.

Reviewer: April Mazza

(3) YA When Alex and Darla learn that Alex's parents may still be alive, they set off across the frozen post-Yellowstone-eruption middle-American landscape--with cannibal gangs newly in power--to find them. This chilling, action-packed dystopian follow-up to Ashfall features an epic love story and tough, complex characters struggling to retain their humanity in the face of a brutal new world.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Marie Letourneau. This "guide" invites readers to explore likely spots for mermaid sightings, such as tide pools and rock clusters. Altered color photographs feature seashore settings with cartoonlike pictures of mermaids frolicking and swimming. Although the staged photos are sometimes awkward-looking, young mermaid fans may welcome the book.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(4) PS Illustrated by Barbara L. Gibson. Mrs. Raccoon teaches her son about bravery by telling him of a robin who conquers his fear of flying. She offers this advice: "If you think you can’t, tell yourself you can, and do it!" The worthy lesson overwhelms the story, and her explanation becomes a bit confusing. The illustrations feature expressive drawings of both raccoons and robins.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(4) 4-6 Celestine Chronicles series. Orphaned wizard's apprentice Marcus joins in his village's quest to find the fabled Rock of Ivanore. Along the way, he encounters mysterious strangers, uncovers a threat to the kingdom, and discovers the truth about his past. While this straightforward fantasy treads no new ground and the prose is derivative, readers who enjoy classic quest tales will appreciate the story's familiarity.

Reviewer: Barratt Miller

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Nicole Wong. Wild Rose runs through meadows and rivers, playing with sheep and frolicking in the wind and rain while her grandmother entreats her to learn to weave. When she finally does, she sees that Grandmother has put all of her own experiences into her weaving. Life and art become intertwined in this poetic (if purposeful) book, illustrated with gentle paintings that portray idyllic rural life.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) PS An offstage narrator enumerates the ways that her dog and cat are different before concluding with what they have in common: besides loving pepperoni pizza, they "both love ME!" There's not much here, but the concept's simplicity may appeal to the book's audience. The art, with wavy ribbon-like borders, is suitably basic in use of shapes and colors.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) 4-6 In 630 CE China, thirteen-year-old Chengli joins a caravan heading into the desert. When a princess entrusted to his caravan is kidnapped by bandits, Chengli ventures across the desert and mountains to rescue her. The story vividly shares glimpses of city, desert, and mountain life in seventh-century China. A historical note is appended.

Reviewer: Juliet S. King

(2) YA The end of the world comes when a giant rock is thrown 900 miles from the exploding supervolcano under Yellowstone National Park. Mullin's debut novel is carefully researched and vividly realized, a post-apocalyptic backdrop for a suspenseful tale with adventure, graphic violence, and two teenagers learning to love. For readers who like intense action, a believable narrator, and an imaginable dystopia.

Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2012

(3) YA A Holocaust survivor describes her experiences as one of the sets of twins forced at Auschwitz to submit to Dr. Josef Mengele's sadistic medical experiments. The writing is clear and straightforward, adding an authentic and relevant first-person voice to the literature on the subject for young adults. Some black-and-white photographs are included. An epilogue and author's note are appended.

Reviewer: Amy Lois Cohn

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Bonnie Leick. After two weeks at Wolf Camp, Maddie acts in a most peculiar manner--howling at fire trucks, sniffing and snarling at the family dog, and even eating a grasshopper. Eventually she gets back to (almost) normal, just in time for Bear Camp the next summer. McKy's deadpan delivery and the illustrations of Maddie's wolflike behavior make for an amusing, offbeat book.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Christa Unzner. This book invites readers to join in the search for magical creatures. Nature photographs are overlaid with delicate cartoon-illustration fairies, to varying effect. The reminder that fantasy worlds could lurk beneath acorns, flowers, and other natural objects will appeal to fairy fans ("Under a tiny waterfall, fairies might...stretch out and dry their wings by the light of the moon").

Reviewer: Lauren Aimonette LIang

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Lea Lyon. A family living in the "Old Country" prepares for Hanukkah. Like the Maccabees, the family doesn't have enough oil (cooking oil, that is) to last eight nights. How they stretch their supply to make a Hanukkah miracle is the heart of the story. Rich illustrations, though occasionally stiff, reflect the cold of winter outside and the warmth of celebration inside.

Reviewer: Amy Kellman

(4) 4-6 Princess Andrea, who's determined to be a knight rather than a proper lady, discovers a link between her world (based on medieval Spain) and modern-day California. There Andrea uncovers secrets about her family history and begins to question in which world she truly belongs. The unusual fantasy setting and adept time-shift handling counterbalance an overly complicated romance and revenge plot.

Reviewer: Norah Piehl