(4) 4-6 Fablehaven series. Illustrated by Brandon Dorman. Now that the demons have been defeated, Kendra and Seth face a new threat: dragons. The teens agree to quell rebellion by becoming caretakers of the dragon sanctuary, but is this alliance a trap? Many nods to the original Fablehaven series will please fans, but this first book in a "sequel series" primarily sets up what's to come in future installments without much plot development.

Reviewer: Amy Bennett-Zendzian

(3) 4-6 Five Kingdoms series. Cole's adventures in the Outskirts continue, this time leading him and his friends from Zeropolis to Necronum, a land of ghosts. The group splits up, which allows the story to focus more closely on Cole. Lighter on action but with more mysticism, this entry in the series provides an interesting change of pace as the protagonists struggle against their foes, corporeal and not.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(4) 4-6 Spirit Animals series. With Emily Seife, Nick Eliopulos, Gavin Brown, and Billy Merrell. The franchise continues its expansion with this collection of stories with the usual online component. The focus here is on the children who have summoned the fallen Great Beasts who caused the Great War. Familiar characters provide continuity with prior books, with each tale providing backstory. The stories' brevity doesn't allow for much character growth, but Spirit Animals devotees won't be disappointed.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(3) 4-6 Five Kingdoms series. Cole's adventures continue in this third book, here set in the technologically advanced Zeropolis. With old friends and new allies, he searches for another of the High King's daughters. Unexpected twists and shocking revelations round out the exciting story, which maintains the series' brisk pace. While his world-within-a-world concept isn't new, Mull's execution of it is engaging.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(4) 4-6 Spirit Animals series. With Nick Eliopulos, Billy Merrell, Gavin Brown, and Emily Seife. This prequel short-story collection explains how Briggan the Wolf, Uraza the Leopard, Jhi the Panda, and Essix the Falcon came to be the legendary spirit animals who accompany the series' four child heroes. Devoted followers can expect the familiar action and adventure in these solid but formulaic fantasy stories with an online component.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(4) 4-6 Five Kingdoms series. The search for his friends from home has landed Cole (Sky Raiders) in the kingdom of Elloweer, where he confronts the mysterious foe known as the Rogue Knight; meanwhile, Cole must save Princess Mira's sister and learn to harness the shaping powers within himself. Action and adventure will keep readers turning the pages of this second book in the rather unoriginal fantasy series.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(4) 4-6 Five Kingdoms series. When Cole's friends are kidnapped by mysterious strangers, the sixth grader follows them through a magical portal and lands in a world dominated by Shapers, people who bend reality to their will. Action and adventure rule the day as Cole teams up with new friends on a hero's quest. The setup is hardly new, but Mull's intriguing invented world keeps things interesting.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(4) 4-6 Beyonders series. In this trilogy ender, Rachel, Jason, and company quest to end Maldor's despotic reign over Lyrian. Mull takes the plot device of the prophecy to an extreme: with every move mapped out in advance by an oracle, the characters struggle to set aside their doubts, taking risks on faith alone. The result is an action-packed (if telegraphed), plot-driven adventure that meditates on trust and sacrifice.

Reviewer: Amy Bennett-Zendzian

(4) 4-6 Spirit Animals series. Four children discover a common bond: their summoned spirit animals turn out to be legendary creatures, called back into being to fight a great evil. The children must learn what having a spirit animal means and determine which side of the fight they're on. Four separate story lines (with an online component) ultimately link up in this by-the-numbers fantasy adventure.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(4) 4-6 Beyonders series. Jason returns to Lyrian (A World Without Heroes) to find that Rachel is becoming adept in magic. Also, the heroes rebelling against evil wizard Maldor are being stalked by terrifying, shadowy beings. The pace plods and most characters remain two-dimensional, but genuinely funny dialogue, as well as plentiful encounters, alliances, and battles with cleverly imagined magical creatures, will keep readers turning the pages.

Reviewer: Amy Bennett-Zendzian

(4) 4-6 Beyonders series. Ordinary thirteen-year-olds Jason and Rachel stumble into the magical world of Lyrian, where an evil despot wizard's favorite entertainment is playing mind games to break the spirits of would-be heroes. Many elements remain underdeveloped in this series starter. However, Mull's strengths--action-packed fighting sequences, fantastically imagined magical races and situations, and cunning plot twists--leave readers eager for more.

Reviewer: Amy Bennett-Zendzian

(4) 4-6 If the forces of evil open the demon prison Zzyzx, the world will be destroyed; it's up to Kendra, Seth, and their allies to stop that from happening. Sounds familiar, but Mull skillfully balances most of the elements of his Fablehaven series ender--quests, betrayals, hair-raising escapes, humor, pathos, a little romance, and a cataclysmic final battle.

Reviewer: Amy Bennett-Zendzian

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Brandon Dorman. Gremlin-esque Pingo is the best imaginary friend a boy could have. But as Chad grows older, he tires of being teased about Pingo. Pingo follows Chad throughout his adolescence and adulthood until the two friends are reunited in old age. The story is a little message-y and light on kid-appeal. Caricature illustrations show the two main characters in humorous situations.

Reviewer: David Elzey

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Brandon Dorman. A dark plague threatens the inhabitants of the magical preserve of Fablehaven. The caretaker's grandchildren Kendra and Seth must summon all their courage and ingenuity, plus Kendra's developing fairy powers, to save it. Though he sometimes gets mired in an excess of recapitulation and info-dumping, Mull manages a complex world, high-stakes battles, and his ever-growing cast with emotional sincerity.

Reviewer: Amy Lee Bennett