(3) YA In Wintersong, Elisabeth (Liesl) miraculously escaped the Goblin King's underground realm alive. Now Liesl travels with her violinist brother to Vienna as his composer. Yet as a painful new distance opens between the siblings, so too does the veil between the Underground and the nineteenth-century world. Fluctuating between mania and melancholy (Liesl, per the author's note, has bipolar disorder), this historical fantasy overflows with beautiful and terrifying emotions.

Reviewer: Jeannie Coutant

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Katie Harnett. After World War II, the world's magic "has come and gone," and the remaining dragons must fit into Vienna society under government regulation. Fire-breathing dragon Grisha meets a girl, Maggie, whose creative nature lets her see the world's remaining magic, and together they devise a plan to free the dragons. Each chapter of this enchanting historical fantasy begins with a full-page scene-setting illustration.

Reviewer: Jessica Bushore

(3) YA Nicolò Zen, an eighteenth-century orphaned teen in possession of an enchanted clarinet, goes from disguising himself as a girl to join Antonio Vivaldi's orchestra in Venice to finding fame on the stages of Vienna, helped by two benefactors who are doubles of each other. A fresh blend of historical fiction and inventive magical realism, sweeping romance and escapist fun.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Alison Jay. It's morning in Vienna when Oskar begins seeking the perfect birthday gift for Mama. And there it is: a yellow rose. But Oskar trades the gift for another, then another, and on. Eventually, through an act of kindness, he's empty-handed...until the act is repaid. Lodding's full-circle story is as charming as the quaint, cobblestone-street setting, pictured brilliantly in Jay's glowing crackle-varnish paintings.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(3) YA In eighteenth-century Vienna, fifteen-year-old Theresa Maria discovers that her murdered father, a violinist in Franz Joseph Haydn's orchestra, was also a spy investigating the persecution of Hungarian gypsies. As she moves between the court of Prince Nicholas Esterhazy and the gypsy camps, the strong-willed Theresa tells her own story. The details of this historical novel, part mystery, part romance, are intriguing.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(3) 1-3 Magic Tree House series. Illustrated by Sal Murdocca. Jack and Annie time travel to 1762 Austria. Their mission: to persuade an artist to share his gifts. However, they're hampered by Wolfie, a mischievous boy. With the help of a magic flute, the kids (inadvertently) complete their task as they find out "Wolfie" is young Mozart. Readers will learn a little about the composer's early life while being entertained by his exploits.

Reviewer:

(2) 4-6 Giants of Science series. Illustrated by Boris Kulikov. Krull introduces Freud as the man who brought empirical research into the canon. After several missteps, such as his early advocacy for the widespread use of cocaine, Freud found his niche, but not universal acceptance. Clearly and without sensationalism, Krull presents Freud's theories on dividing the personality into Id, Ego, and Superego. Back matter includes a listing of Freud's works. Websites. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2006

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Barry Blitt. "FACT: Ludwig van Beethoven lived in 39 different apartments." This information provides the slim premise for this amusing and imaginative explanation of why the famous composer lived in so many places and how he moved his pianos so frequently. Blitt's exaggerated caricatures of Beethoven, his neighbors, and the unfortunate moving men provide plenty of visual humor.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes. Annika has been raised by cook Ellie and housekeeper Sigrid, but despite her love for her adoptive family, Annika is thrilled when an aristocratic woman shows up to claim her as her daughter. Ibbotson's latest has all the eventfulness of a Victorian orphan adventure and is shot through with good-humored matter-of-factness, and especially with Ibbotson's affection for her setting--1908 Vienna.

Reviewer: Deirdre F. Baker | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2004

(4) 4-6 Greta's mother, still mourning the death of Greta's brother, doesn't realize her daughter is a gifted pianist. Greta arranges for lessons on her own and performs her first recital just as the Nazis take over her homeland of Austria. A too tidy epilogue has all the important characters escaping Europe unhurt, but the setting is well realized in this first novel.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) 4-6 Cities of the World series. Written in clear prose, the books explore the modern life of these European cities, combining anecdotes and facts with a brief historical background. Numerous color pictures, drawings, paintings, maps, and sidebars contribute to the travel-guide feeling of the books. Although a little fractured, they provide a lively introduction to the cities and their people. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Elena Abos Alvarez-Buiza