(4) K-3 Illustrated by Sam Hearn. Snail Oscar wants to stand out from his twenty-five brothers and sisters. After his fairy godsnail grants him three wishes, he decides that "maybe being ordinary isn't so bad after all." Text and illustrations' combined exuberance is impressive, but equally conspicuous is how ordinary the story is--a problem only somewhat alleviated by snail puns ("He just oozes charm!").

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Sam Hearn. Jack Bolt discovers that there is a door to the past in his grandmother's house, and he befriends a group of eighteenth-century highwaymen who come through it. The intriguing premise doesn't quite live up to its potential since Jack's more of a passive, go-with-the-flow protagonist than one who takes charge. Readers will most likely be entertained by lead robber Lord Henry Vale.

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