(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Iacopo Bruno. In the 1920s, eleven-year-old Viviani Fedeler (based on a real girl) lives in the New York Public Library, where her father is the superintendent. Viviani loves to explore the building and tries--without success--to stay out of trouble, as when a prank leads to her investigating a possible ghost. Irrepressible Viviani and her story will appeal to the young reader who'd be thrilled to live in a library. Timeline.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(3) 4-6 With drama and humor, pit bull Daisy relates her moving journey from the pound to life as a service dog for Colonel Victor, a war veteran suffering from PTSD. This unorthodox, surprisingly believable, and sensitive fictional narrative told from Daisy's perspective follows her as she is trained to help the colonel and his family, and also deals with traumatic events in her own life (revealed via flashbacks).

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(4) 4-6 Based on a True Story series. Illustrated by Steven Noble. These historical fiction stories introduce middle-grade readers to the experiences of real children. Written under one pseudonym by different authors, the novels, accompanied by black-and-white drawings and archival images and photos, are accessible if not riveting entrées into their subjects' lives. (Jemison's use of savage, true to the times, would have benefited from some contextualizing.) Each entry includes an author's note separating fact from fiction. Clem and Jemison contain glossaries. Review covers these Based on a True Story titles: John Lincoln Clem, Mary Jemison, Nettie & Nellie Crook, and Sybil Ludington.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) 4-6 If a thirteenth zodiac sign was suddenly added, how might the entire world change? In this book, every personality is instantly skewed, and thirteen-year-old Jalen must battle the twelve Keepers throughout New Orleans to send them back to their rightful places. A flat protagonist limits appeal, though astrology devotees will have fun figuring out which sign is represented by which character.

Reviewer: April Spisak

(3) 4-6 The protagonist and her father are traveling vaudeville performers in 1910. Hope has had enough of the circuit, though, and wants to go home to Chicago. With Halley's Comet on the horizon, she and her friend--young Buster Keaton--hatch a scheme to sell "anti-comet pills" to the panicked public. The well-paced and entertaining narrative has an authentic historical feel.

Reviewer: Aimee Chevrette Bear

(3) 4-6 Change is coming fast for eleven-year-old Autumn. It's 1934, and the government wants to evict her family to create a national park. Autumn is all set to fight until she realizes that losing her home means saving nature for future generations. Told in Autumn's quirky, folksy voice, the story will resonate with readers who know how it feels to give up something they love.

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay