(3) YA It's the summer before senior year, and Noah's two best friends drag him to a party, even though he'd rather be listening to Bowie and contemplating his recurring dream. After he's hypnotized at this party, his friends and family start to exhibit minute but profound changes, and Noah is the only one who sees them. A darkly comedic, surreal examination of connections and shared histories.

Reviewer: Jeannie Coutant

(3) 4-6 Speedy superhero The Flash--or Barry Allen, as he's known to his supportive team of friends--faces magical mind-control (Hocus Pocus) and a backwards, Multiverse version of our world (Johnny Quick). The appropriately fast-paced series relies on classic superhero action while integrating some science concepts. These novel spin-offs of TV's The Flash should appeal to both casual readers and hardcore fans of the new DC canon. Review covers these titles: The Flash: Hocus Pocus and The Flash: Johnny Quick.

Reviewer: Jeannie Coutant

(4) 4-6 Batman & Robin Adventures series. Illustrated by Luciano Vecchio. Batman and the Boy Wonder defeat familiar foes in these accessible books. Simple story lines--featuring comic book–style sound effects ("ZWIIIIP!") within the text--combine with rapid pacing and playful banter for slight but entertaining reads. Snazzy colors and popular characters will likely appeal to reluctant readers. Discussion questions and writing prompts are appended. Glos. Review covers these Batman & Robin Adventures titles: The Joker's Magic Mayhem, Scarecrow's Nightmare Maze, Clayface's Slime Spree, and Two-Face Face-Off.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) YA After participating in a hypnotist's act at the local fair, Hannah is the driver in a fatal car crash and her comfortable life unravels. Is she the target of a master mental-manipulator, or is the schizophrenia that led to her father's death manifesting in Hannah as well? Kelly blends the occult, crime, romance, and high-school politics in this somewhat predictable thriller.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Marek Jagucki. With the help of best friend Padreep and his pet zombie goldfish, Tom tries to stop his evil-scientist older brother's malicious plans, which involve a psychic octopus (Live), an ancient Egyptian curse (Any Fin), and more. The self-contained stories (two in each volume) are quick reads bolstered by constant action and deadpan humor. Black-and-white spot art ramps up the hilarity. Review covers the following titles: My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish: Any Fin Is Possible and My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish: Live and Let Swim.

Reviewer: Lana Barnes

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Marek Jagucki. With the help of best friend Padreep and his pet zombie goldfish, Tom tries to stop his evil-scientist older brother's malicious plans, which involve a psychic octopus (Live), an ancient Egyptian curse (Any Fin), and more. The self-contained stories (two in each volume) are quick reads bolstered by constant action and deadpan humor. Black-and-white spot art ramps up the hilarity. Review covers the following titles: My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish: Any Fin Is Possible and My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish: Live and Let Swim.

Reviewer: Lana Barnes

(3) 4-6 Gadgets and Gears series. Illustrated by James Hamilton. Seeking revenge after boy-genius Wally Kennewickett thwarted their previous plans (The Mesmer Menace), the evil Mesmers begin sabotaging the Kennewicketts' experiments. To put an end to the danger, the Kennewicketts, their staff of automatons, Nikola Tesla, and Noodles--the family dachshund and the book's narrator--board an airship for Europe to confront Iron Claw and Madini. A fast-paced steampunk adventure with humorous illustrations.

Reviewer: Randy Ribay

(3) 4-6 Hypnotists series. Gifted hypnotist Jackson Opus isn't keen on participating in military experiments, but it's the only way to keep his family safe from Dr. Elias Mako. When Mako breaks out of jail and uses another wunderkind hypnotist to implement a world-destroying plan, Jax heads to New York to stop his former mentor. Korman's suspenseful series will continue to have magnetic draw for tween boys.

Reviewer: Barratt Miller

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Iacopo Bruno. In 1778 Paris, Franz Anton Mesmer convinced many they were cured of ailments through "animal magnetism." Benjamin Franklin, Antoine Lavoisier, and others debunked Mesmer's procedure through their invention of the "blind" test and discovery of the placebo effect. Aside from the misdirection of giving Franklin all the glory, Rockliff's text is engaging and lively and pairs beautifully with Bruno's dramatic, bold illustrations. Bib.

Reviewer: Nina Lindsay | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2015

(3) 4-6 Hypnotists series. Wunderkind hypnotist Jackson Opus and his family are trying to lay low in the wake of Dr. Elias Mako's election-tampering campaign. Jax's burgeoning mesmeric gifts draw unwanted attention, especially after an elderly billionaire hires Jax to prolong his life using a dangerous hypnotism technique. Tween boys will enjoy this second engrossing mystery's relatable narrator, quirky secondary characters, and fast-paced plot.

Reviewer: Barratt Miller

(2) YA In Portland, Oregon, 1900, strong-willed seventeen-year-old Olivia Mead supports suffrage; her overbearing single father does not. Dr. Mead hires handsome hypnotist Henri Reverie to "teach her to accept the world the way it truly is." Fluid boundaries between what's tangible and what's intuited, lucidity and unconsciousness, sanity and madness are particularly apt for this story about hypnotism and emotional manipulation. Reading list, timeline.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2014

(3) 4-6 In her sixth book, Molly Moon is possessed by a magical gold coin that turns her into a narcissistic rock star capable of hypnotizing the world. She returns to her kind self when an evil man takes the coin--and it's up to Molly and her time-traveling relatives to dispose of it before it's too late. This lively adventure set in Japan will please fans.

Reviewer: Sophie Williamson

(3) 4-6 Gadgets and Gears series. Illustrated by James Hamilton. It's the early twentieth century, and Wally Kennewickett's genius parents are called away to stop the evil hypnotist Mesmers from controlling the minds of those in power. While they're away, the Mesmers infiltrate the Kennewickett inn/lab, and it's up to Wally, his dachshund Noodles, and the house automatons to stop them. Narrated by Noodles, the illustrated story is a lively steampunk escapade.

Reviewer: Randy Ribay

(3) 4-6 Hypnotists series. When twelve-year-old Jackson Opus discovers that he's a hypnotist, he thinks his new ability is pretty cool. After the director of the shady Sentia Institute discovers that Jax's mind control powers are uniquely strong, however, Jax finds himself caught in the middle of a dangerous conspiracy. The mixture of humor, fast-paced action, and suspense adds up to solid, engaging middle-grade fare.

Reviewer: Barratt Miller

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Jen Wang. When a spree of bank robberies strikes his wacky town, Lenny Flem Jr. knows that his best friend Casper is the culprit. It's only with the aid of has-been TV star "Jodie O'Rodeo, the preteen cowgirl queen" that Lenny can bring Casper to his knees. The breathless stream of deliberate stupidity is admirably relentless and will gain the book fans among those becoming bored with Captain Underpants.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2012

(3) 4-6 Molly Moon, eleven-year-old hypnotist and time traveler, has just learned how to morph into other beings. In search of the book that will help her and her twin, Micky, change back into humans, Molly must also stop four evil hypnotist morphers before they take over the world. Byng's fifth book about Molly again features her trademark energy and humor.

Reviewer: Sophie Williamson

(3) 4-6 While searching for her lost twin brother, Molly, stripped of her hypnotic abilities by a power-hungry child princess, is forced to rely on a new talent: mind-reading. The setting is a post-global warming future populated by genetically engineered half-beasts and children with the minds of mad scientists. Like its predecessors, this Molly Moon adventure is up-tempo and merry.

Reviewer: Amy Lee Bennett

(3) 4-6 In this strong follow-up to The Case of the Missing Marquess, fourteen-year-old Enola Holmes takes on a case that big brother Sherlock won't deign to touch: Lady Cecily's scandalous disappearance with an unsavory suitor. Enola's spunk (she refuses to become "a singing, dancing, French-quoting, delicately fainting decoration") and smarts (she unmasks a Jekyll-and-Hyde-type villain) are sure to resonate with readers.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(4) K-3 Inspired by the magician he sees on his birthday, Calvin hypnotizes his little sister, making her believe she's a dog. When he can't remember the word to end the spell, he must find a way to restore her before Mama gets home. Beautiful sepia-soaked spreads in Van Allsburg's signature style don't make up for desultory prose and the bland twist at the end.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross

(3) 4-6 The heroine of Molly Moon's Incredible Book of Hypnotism returns in a sprawling adventure. Here Molly's destination is Los Angeles, where she attends the Academy Awards, investigates a kidnapping, discovers she can stop time with her hypnotic powers, and learns the secret of her parentage. Purposefully preposterous, the busy story is filled with larger-than-life characters and comic dialogue.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta