(4) 4-6 Wildwood Chronicles series. Illustrated by Carson Ellis. Separated, Prue (accompanied by talking bear Esben), bandit-in-training Curtis, and Curtis's sisters fight multiple threats to Wildwood. An enormous cast of characters--human, animal, and supernatural, all quirky as ever--and the scope of the kids' respective quests make this trilogy-ender harder to follow than previous volumes, but witty descriptive language and warm black-and-white illustrations invite readers into this enchanting forest world.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher

(3) 4-6 Wildwood Chronicles series. Illustrated by Carson Ellis. Reunited, Prue and bandit-in-training Curtis set out to restore Wildwood's true heir. Meanwhile, an avaricious entrepreneur forces a group of "Unadoptable" children to breach Wildwood's magical boundary. Wry humor, suspense, and distinctive fantasy elements make this lengthy novel a quick read. Ellis's detailed illustrations (both black-and-white spot art and color full-page tableaux) capture the human and animal characters in all their quirky glory.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher

(3) 4-6 Wildwood Chronicles series. Illustrated by Carson Ellis. When her baby brother is carried by crows into the Impassable Wilderness, plucky twelve-year-old Prue follows--and Prue's friend Colin follows her. Prue and Colin are soon separated, then both are entangled in ongoing hostilities between bandits, forest creatures, and the witchy Dowager Governess. Meloy's witty prose and Ellis's nuanced black-and-white illustrations create an alluring arboreal society.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher