(3) 4-6 Facts about dinosaurs are presented in National Geographic's energetic, kid-friendly style, with plenty of graphics and sidebars. Each chapter takes a superlative ("Biggest," "Deadliest," etc.) and runs with it, using subheadings such as "Species Smackdown" to present information in playful and entertaining ways. More of a browsing book than a reference resource, but budding paleontologists will find this hard to put down. Ind.

Reviewer: Janet Dawson

(3) YA Eighteen-year-old Sammie, star debater and high-school valedictorian, refuses to give up her bright future--even to Niemann-Pick Type C, the fatal genetic disease robbing her of memory and eventually bodily control. So Sammie keeps a "memory book" to guide her future self. That book, and this novel, ultimately becomes a gut-wrenching but perceptive record of Sammie's decline and its effects on those around her.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(3) 4-6 Eleven-year-old Jamie narrates the story of how he and his twin brother, Ned, who is slowly dying of cystic fibrosis, find and care for a small, mysterious sea creature that has washed up on the beach; the juxtaposition of the magical and the mundane prepares them for the inevitable. It's a good readalike for David Almond's Skellig, although lighter in tone.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt

(3) K-3 National Geographic Readers series. This substantive "co-reader" (featuring "You Read" pages to be read by a fluent reader alternating with "I Read" pages to be tackled by an emergent reader) compares and contrasts African and Asian elephants' physical adaptations. Interactive "Your Turn!" sections engage readers by asking them to identify which type of elephant is which, for example. Bright, relevant photos enhance the presentation.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(3) K-3 Penguin Young Readers series. Illustrated by Marta Costa. The biblical story of Noah, his ark, the animals, and the flood are recounted in easy-reader format with simple words and declarative sentences tailored to an emergent reader. Reed manages to convey the religious essence of the story--God's miracle and Noah's unswerving faith--without oversimplifying, while Costa's colorful cartoon illustrations keep the mood appropriately light for the audience.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter

(4) YA Kelsey's identical twin, Michelle, has just died in a car crash. Peter, Michelle's boyfriend stationed in Afghanistan, doesn't know, and Kelsey can't bring herself to tell him--so she impersonates her sister on Skype, falling for Peter as she gets to know him. Their ensuing romance is artificial and the conclusion is too tidy, but Kelsey's grief feels authentic.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(4) YA Social change looms as a mysterious disease sweeps the biologically superior Prior population (Feuds). Prior heroine Davis, now ill, is sent to a research facility, believing her Imperfect boyfriend Cole to be dead. Cole, alive but in hiding, plots her rescue. Despite some facile resolutions and second-volume meandering, new love triangles and continued world-building should sustain interest among series fans.

Reviewer: Julianne Thouin

(2) YA Ever since discovering her older brother dead in his bedroom, Kaia speaks to no one. When an unspeaking, ragged "wild child" appears at school, Kaia befriends him; gradually, his companionship brings back her own emotional warmth and engagement. Kaia tells her story through a series of ostensible journal entries; her clean, uncluttered mode of expression makes this British import a quick and accessible read.

Reviewer: Deirdre F. Baker | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2014

(4) YA In a society divided into genetically superior Priors and lowly Imperfects, Prior ballerina Davis and Imp prizefighter Cole find a dangerous romance. But when Priors get sick due to their genetic alterations and the government covers it up, the two sow the seeds for a revolution. The dystopian/romance series-starter rooted in athleticism is told in alternating perspectives that complicate issues of class.

Reviewer: Susan Graham

(4) YA Incarnation series. Seraphina Ames is an Incarnate, an immortal changed by alchemy in the 1300s, currently trapped in the body and life of teenager Kailey Morgan. In this sequel to The Alchemy of Forever, Sera must save her loved ones by defeating her former love, Cyrus. While the romance with Kailey's neighbor Noah feels a little forced, Williams keeps readers guessing about Cyrus's new identity.

Reviewer: Jenn Matters

(4) YA Incarnation series. After six hundred years of stealing lives to remain immortal, Seraphina decides to run away from Cyrus, her controlling lover. She accidentally steals the body of Kailey Morgan and falls in love with her new and potentially dangerous life. While some parts of the story feel underdeveloped, Williams creates characters readers will look forward to meeting again in the next installment.

Reviewer: Jenn Matters