(4) 4-6 Patrick Griffin and the Three Worlds series. Illustrated by Jake Parker. Patrick's siblings investigate his whereabouts after his kidnapping from Earth and a subsequent visit from a talking jackalope. This second adventure (Patrick Griffin's Last Breakfast on Earth) takes off from there, switching both worlds and viewpoints multiple times (sometimes confusingly). Advanced technology, a dystopian alternate world, and some truly gruesome villains should keep pages turning, but the humor can feel misplaced contrasted with the impending annihilation.

Reviewer: Renée Wheeler

(4) 4-6 After being forgotten at home by his distractible parents, Patrick slips into an alternate world--"Ith"--where social media runs rampant and conformity is prized above all else. There he is recruited to "restore balance" to an out-of-control regime. Timely themes of surveillance and freedom are sometimes lost under a mountain of set pieces that will frustrate as many readers as they delight.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross

(4) 4-6 Daniel X series. Alien hunter Daniel X learns that two of the most dangerous aliens on the planet are plotting to use video games to brainwash players. He must recruit the aliens' rebellious son as an ally before it's "game over" for humans. Short chapters (for short attention spans) keep the pace of the story (with its preposterous premise) brisk.

Reviewer: David Elzey

(4) YA Witch & Wizard series. Siblings Whit and Wisty (Witch & Wizard) continue their fight against the oppressive regime that has taken power. The protagonists attempt to harness their magical powers and free their parents. Perspective switches between the siblings as the story progresses, allowing us to see events from both--sometimes very different--perspectives in this dark and involving, if occasionally meandering, tale.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo