(4) 1-3 Illustrated by Laura Ellen Anderson. In this sequel to Harper and the Scarlet Umbrella, Harper and her friends discover the whimsical Circus of Dreams, suspended in the sky by balloons and populated with an array of quirky characters. Treacly prose creates a world filled with sparkly magic but not much emotional resonance beyond wonder and awe. Tidy grayscale illustrations play up the fanciful.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(3) 4-6 Witch Wars series. Illustrated by Laura Ellen Anderson. After newly crowned Top Witch Peggy's disappearance, evil Felicity Bat succeeds her, and it's up to nine-year-old Tiga (Witch Wars) and her good witch friends to restore order to Ritzy City. Short chapters quickly jump from one outrageously funny scene to another, and colorful characters and pure silliness abound throughout. Anderson's black-and-white illustrations are detailed and stylish, complementing the text.

Reviewer: Lana Barnes

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Laura Ellen Anderson. Firefighter-costumed Big Bob challenges quiet, sensitive neighbor Little Bob during one of their attempts to play together ("Hey! Those are girls' clothes!"). But when new girl Blossom mocks Little's Bob's dolls, Big Bob defends his friend. Feel-good illustrations eventually depict the odd trio (including Blossom, who prefers trucks to dolls) happily parallel-playing in this clear-eyed look at the folly of policing gender norms.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Laura Ellen Anderson. Fran the Fabulous Fairy whisks nine-year-old Tiga Whicabim away from her evil guardian and down through the drain pipes to the magical land of Sinkville. There Tiga has been nominated to compete in a televised contest for Top Witch. Despite a rushed ending, readers will enjoy the wildly whimsical humor as they try to solve the riddles alongside the colorful contestants.

Reviewer: Lana Barnes