The Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic, by Jennifer Trafton (3-6)
Persimmony Smudge, 10, is leading a life as dull as her name on the Island at the Center of Everything. But one day she goes out to find another magic pot (having broken the first one) and soon finds herself in the midst of a dangerous adventure. Twelve-year-old King Lucas, who loves pepper, disdains his subjects, and has a talent for rudeness, sends Persimmony, along with Worvil the Worrier and Guafnoggle the Jester, to see if there’s really a sleeping giant under Mount Majestic and, if so, to make sure he is absolutely, positively not awakened. First-time novelist Trafton uses delicious descriptions and flight-of-fancy words to put Persimmony on the path of a hero’s journey, and the story is filled with characters who make an impression. 
The Timekeeper's Moon, by John Sensel (5-6)Sequel to the Firewalkers Quest. It’s been a year since Ariel discovered the Vault, and since then she has used her Farwalking skills well, offering trade and knowledge to isolated villages. At night, voices from the moon plague her, but she doesn’t know what they want, only that they are connected to a mysterious map. Determined to go wherever the map leads, Ariel, Scarl (her prickly yet sincere guardian), and two new companions set off. As the map becomes clearer, they realize failing this quest could mean the end of everything.
Lost: A Dog Called Bear, by Wendy Orr (2-4)Logan is moving from the farm to the city. He’ll miss all the things he’s leaving behind, but at least he has Bear. He loves Bear more than anything else in the world—because Bear is his dog. Hannah lives in the city. What she wants, more than anything else in the world, is a dog of her own. At the Rainbow Street Shelter, Logan and Hannah find a talking parrot, an old black Labrador, a three-legged goat, a puppy that looks like a peanut—and a Surprise that just might be the best thing in the world.
Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things, by Lenore Look (2-4)
Readers meet Jeremy, a blond, spike-haired boy, alone in his third-floor apartment, gazing at a group of children playing ball below. The text reads, "He had his very own room. He never left. He never went outside." But Jeremy does have a fancy pen, and one day he conjures up a robust blue monster that, in short order, demands a sandwich, a checkerboard, a television, and a hot dog, which Jeremy and his pen quickly supply. Soon the novelty wears off and when the monster demands a hat because he is "going out," Jeremy is relieved to see him go. The monster returns, but Jeremy takes charge and when he departs for good, the neighborhood children gather—"Do you want to play ball?" they ask, and indeed Jeremy does. McCarty matches his understated story with both black-and-white and color illustrations that flow loosely across ample white space; the openness of the images gives just the right feel to the tale.
Not a Box, by Antoinette Portis (K-2)
Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things, by Lenore Look (2-4)
Second-grader Alvin Ho is determined to make friends, even though he is afraid of any number of things and can't talk—at all—in school. Episodic chapters feature events at home, at school, and in his Concord, MA, neighborhood. Everyday adventures include being left stranded by his siblings during stretching exercises that leave him upside down in a tree, being sent alone to the scary piano teacher's house, and deciding whether or not to hang out with the classroom bully. Although Look resists providing a tidy ending, readers will be sure that Alvin is on the right road when he surprises even himself by suddenly speaking to his psychotherapist. And they won't have to understand the Shakespearean curses that come out of his mouth to know that this time he has a good reason to be afraid. Whether they are fearful or brave, kids will smile at Alvin's scrapes and empathize with his concerns.
The Composer is Dead, by Lemony Snicket (2-6)
The story is well paced, employing wordplay, humor, and mild suspense to build a slow crescendo that originates with the delicate strings and climaxes with percussion. The bombastic Inspector, read by Snicket on the CD, sports pinstripes, a bowler hat, and a handlebar mustache in the book. As he interrogates each section of the orchestra, the instruments describe their whereabouts on the night of the crime in characteristic voices, telling something about their actual roles while offering imagery for the illustrator. Thus, "'We were performing a waltz,' said the Violins. 'We played graceful melodies so the ladies and gentlemen could spin around and around and around until they felt dizzy and somewhat nauseous.'" Ellis's watercolors combine caricatures of the action with silhouettes of the instruments. Evidence leads to the conductor, since "wherever there's a conductor, you're sure to find a dead composer!"
Jeremy Draws a Monster, by Peter McCarty (K-2)
Readers meet Jeremy, a blond, spike-haired boy, alone in his third-floor apartment, gazing at a group of children playing ball below. The text reads, "He had his very own room. He never left. He never went outside." But Jeremy does have a fancy pen, and one day he conjures up a robust blue monster that, in short order, demands a sandwich, a checkerboard, a television, and a hot dog, which Jeremy and his pen quickly supply. Soon the novelty wears off and when the monster demands a hat because he is "going out," Jeremy is relieved to see him go. The monster returns, but Jeremy takes charge and when he departs for good, the neighborhood children gather—"Do you want to play ball?" they ask, and indeed Jeremy does. McCarty matches his understated story with both black-and-white and color illustrations that flow loosely across ample white space; the openness of the images gives just the right feel to the tale.
Not a Box, by Antoinette Portis (K-2)Through a series of paired questions and answers, the rabbit is queried about why he is sitting in, standing on, spraying, or wearing a box. Each time, he insists, "It's not a box!" and the opposite page reveals the many things a small child's pretending can make of one: a race car, a mountain, a burning building, a robot. One important caveat: the younger end of the intended audience is both literal and concrete in their approach to this material.
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