(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Stephen Fieser. In nine tales, divided into three sections--the Kingdoms of Angels, Spirits, and Demons--Schwartz uses spare and rhythmic language to create a haunting and haunted mood that unsettles here, calms there. He frequents ancient and modern cultures in his search for "the best supernatural tales." The illustrations capture dramatic moments in the lives of the mortals with whom the otherworldly creatures interact.

Reviewer: Susan P. Bloom | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2002

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Stephen Fieser. The story of Hanukkah is folded into the story of narrator Alexandra and her coming of age as a young Jew in Judea circa 165 B.C.E. Alexandra's mother encourages her writing talent and convinces Alexandra that the times in which they live must be recorded. Chaikin tells many stories at once; Fieser follows the strands with vibrant art that captures the generalities of wartime oppression and the particularities of child friendship.

Reviewer: Susan P. Bloom | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2002