(3) K-3 Illustrated by Joey Chou. In this fractured folktale, B. Bear and Lolly work together to build the "Porridge Perfecter" but get waylaid when the Gingerbread Man accidentally topples the invention. Illustrative elements in the digital pictures give a nod to classic fairy tales and fables. This book serves as an additional purchase for "Gingerbread Man" collections.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Joey Chou. B. Bear and Lolly are best friends. "And why not? They liked the same porridge, the same chair, and the same comfy bed." In this forced spinoff tale, the duo's first day of kindergarten approaches; B. Bear loses his school supplies, but he has "the only thing he truly needed: a friend." Attentive readers may notice other folklore cameos in the bright, welcoming digital art.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(4) YA In this trilogy-ender, before she can stop Ragnarok, Valkyrie Mason Starling fights mythical creatures, finds her lost mother, and faces her evil father. She also struggles to tell Fennrys Wolf her feelings and guide him back from wildness. Jam-packed action sequences are broken up by drawn-out discussions of characters' histories, which may help readers understand the mix of random mythological figures.

Reviewer: Janet Daniels

(4) YA In this sequel to Starling, Mason finds herself trapped in the Norse world of Asgard. Her boyfriend, Fenn, rescues her and they join a crew of gods, demigods, and humans to prevent the prophesied end of the world. Well-informed readers of mythology may enjoy this exciting story stuffed with complex uses of it, but many will be left confused.

Reviewer: Janet Daniels

(4) YA Starling Saga series. Mason Starling, champion fencer at Gosforth Academy, thinks her biggest challenge is training for a spot on the national team. Then a sudden storm unleashes beasts from another world, as well as a mysterious swordsman who calls himself the Fennrys Wolf. The muddled use of different mythologies can be hard to follow, but vivid writing keeps things lively.

Reviewer: Betsy Thomas

(3) YA Kelley Winslow, changeling faerie princess and off-Broadway actress (Wondrous Strange, Darklight), struggles to save Faerie from takeover, keep her theater company from ruin, and help her true love Sonny harness the terrifying power within himself. With battles, betrayals, bittersweet reunions, a love triangle resolved, and final triumph, Livingston neatly wraps up all of the trilogy's story lines.

Reviewer: Amy Bennett-Zendzian

(3) YA The star-crossed romance of human-raised Faerie princess Kelley and Faerie-raised changeling Sonny (Wondrous Strange) continues. Sonny pursues a violent assignment in the Faerie world while Kelley attempts to balance her heritage and her acting aspirations. The machinations of the four Faerie courts unfold in fascinating ways, and the superimposition of magical creatures onto a New York City backdrop adds a whimsical element to the story.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross

(2) YA While playing Titania in A Midsummer Night's Dream, seventeen-year-old Kelley discovers she's the daughter of Faerie king Auberon. Naturally, she learns this as the mortal world is most threatened by fairy incursion. Kelley's story dovetails with Sonny's, a changeling guard of the gate between mortal and fairy realms. Plentiful action, a complex setup, and humorous plot strands keep pages turning.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2009

(3) PS Illustrated by Will Hillenbrand. The pleasant poem, originally part of a collection published in 1959, moves month to month, describing the year from a little girl's viewpoint. Playful mixed-media illustrations use color and clever perspectives to add energy to the slight text. Simple but satisfying, the book will bring smiles to the faces of young children and the grownups who read to them.

Reviewer: Elizabeth Shaver

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Brian Lies. Jaunty illustrations are the highlight of this tale of good sportsmanship. When Ruby the rabbit is out-hopped in the big race by Sue Kangaroo, Finklehopper Frog reminds her that everyone's a winner when they do their best. Uneven rhymes and a random subplot about bullying distract from the thrust of the well-intentioned story.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Brian Lies. In jaunty rhyme, a lesson about individuality is hidden beneath the "jazzy jogging suit" of Finklehopper Frog, as he gets the jogging bug and, once properly clad, tries to join the other animals. Finkle realizes frogs aren't built to jog, but hopping is fine, too. The bright, zany illustrations and rhythmic text help overcome the thinness of the story.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin