(2) 4-6 Chronicles of the First Invasion series. Illustrated by George O'Connor. Everyboy William, with his uncle Maynard and classmate Sophie, battles flesh-eating extraterrestrials who have kidnapped Sophie's parents. The intrepid heroes discover that the aliens are dying out...from chicken pox. Forget the aliens' nasty habit of devouring the world's population, and applaud this vessel of pure escapist fiction, complete with dandy special effects and no small measure of wish fulfillment.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2009

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by George O'Connor. Earth has been invaded. After his stepparents are eaten, William, his friend Sophie, and his uncle Maynard (who's also William's violin teacher) must rescue Sophie's parents and save the world. Even with aliens, kidnappings, and battles, the story's pace is relatively sedate, due to an overabundance of description. Fine-lined black-and-white drawings illustrate some pages.

Reviewer: Becky Levine

(4) YA Evan Macalister and his two best friends cleared his father of a murder charge (Finding Lubchenko) but never abandoned their suspicion that Mr. Macalister's partner was involved in both the murder and in related bioterrorism activities. That suspicion fuels this sequel, sending Evan and company back to Europe to track the criminals, although this time their adventure lacks the intense plotting and heart stopping action of its predecessor.

Reviewer: Betty Carter

(2) YA This adventure-charged tale uncovers frame-ups, embezzlement, espionage, computer hacking, and a bit of corporate pilfering. Add to the mix three high school juniors, a clandestine week in Paris, and evidence tampering, and readers have a story that rivals any episode of 24. This is diversionary reading at its best, strong on plot and voice and humor, and completely satisfying in the moment.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2005

(4) YA After his father is jailed for insider trading, fifteen-year-old Brett, accustomed to a life of luxury, gets a summer job cleaning pools with an eccentric old man. The one-note story lacks a dramatic arc, but Brett's snotty first-person voice contains just enough glimmerings of self-knowledge that his eventual emotional turnaround, though limited, is convincing.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) PS When Lucy's little brother, Jamie, can't fall asleep, the two children travel to find the Dreamtime Fairies, and along the way encounter several friendly animals who help them in their search. Observant readers will spot stuffed versions of each of these animals in the children's bedroom, suggesting their adventure is really a comforting tale told by Lucy. The expressionistic art creates a dreamy mood for this bedtime story.

Reviewer: Anne St. John