In Kathy Tucker’s delightful update of a classic Chinese folk tale, each sister uses her talent in a surprising way to rescue baby Seventh Sister-and even Seventh Sister turns out to have an unexpected skill!

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of Camp Mariposa, where both animals and campers are struck by the urge to

shake, clap, jump, waggle, and eventually yawn. Melody line and chords are

provided at the end.”–Language Arts.

Little Porcupine’s mother calls him the “light of her life,” but it’s not until the night before Christmas, the very night of the Christmas play, that Little Porcupine sees the truth in her words.

“Masterfully structured and rich in theme; the action is well crafted, well timed, suspenseful.”—The New York Times Book Review

“The characterizations of all the boys are superb.”—School Library Journal, Starred

“Compellingly immediate. . . . Readers will respect the uncompromising ending.”—Kirkus Reviews, Starred

An ALA Best Books for Young Adults

A New York Times Outstanding Books of the Year Amazon.com Review
Does Jerry Renault dare to disturb the universe? You wouldn’t think that his refusal to sell chocolates during his school’s fundraiser would create such a stir, but it does; it’s as if the whole school comes apart at the seams. To some, Jerry is a hero, but to others, he becomes a scapegoat–a target for their pent-up hatred. And Jerry? He’s just trying to stand up for what he believes, but perhaps there is no way for him to escape becoming a pawn in this game of control; students are pitted against other students, fighting for honor–or are they fighting for their lives? In 1974, author Robert Cormier dared to disturb our universe when this book was first published. And now, with a new introduction by the celebrated author, The Chocolate War stands ready to shock a new group of teen readers.

Everything changes the day ninth-grader Will Tuppence learns one startling fact: protons-those tiny atomic particles, the building-blocks to the building-blocks of life-can die. The one thing that was so certain in this world to Will has an expiration date.

And Will′s carefully planned-out life?

Not so certain, either.

Newbery Medalist Jerry Spinelli tips Will′s world on its side to show that the beauty and wonder of life is in not knowing what comes next.

Ages: 10+

Christmas has given everyone a bad case of the greedies, and Santa Bear is upset. He’s canceling Christmas until he can find the true holiday spirit. It’s up to the Berenstain Bears — but will they be in time to save Christmas?

Readers, we will cast a giant invisibility cloak over any more plot and reveal only that You-Know-Who is very much after Harry and that this year there will be no Quidditch matches between Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. Instead, Hogwarts will vie with two other magicians’ schools, the stylish Beauxbatons and the icy Durmstrang, in a Triwizard Tournament. Those chosen to compete will undergo three supreme tests. Could Harry be one of the lucky contenders?

But Quidditch buffs need not go into mourning: we get our share of this great game at the World Cup. Attempting to go incognito as Muggles, 100,000 witches and wizards converge on a “nice deserted moor.” As ever, Rowling magicks up the details that make her world so vivid, and so comic. Several spectators’ tents, for instance, are entirely unquotidian. One is a minipalace, complete with live peacocks; another has three floors and multiple turrets. And the sports paraphernalia on offer includes rosettes “squealing the names of the players” as well as “tiny models of Firebolts that really flew, and collectible figures of famous players, which strolled across the palm of your hand, preening themselves.” Needless to say, the two teams are decidedly different, down to their mascots. Bulgaria is supported by the beautiful veela, who instantly enchant everyone–including Ireland’s supporters–over to their side. Until, that is, thousands of tiny cheerleaders engage in some pyrotechnics of their own: “The leprechauns had risen into the air again, and this time, they formed a giant hand, which was making a very rude sign indeed at the veela across the field.”

Long before her fourth installment appeared, Rowling warned that it would be darker, and it’s true that every exhilaration is equaled by a moment that has us fearing for Harry’s life, the book’s emotions running as deep as its dangers. Along the way, though, she conjures up such new characters as Alastor “Mad-Eye” Moody, a Dark Wizard catcher who may or may not be getting paranoid in his old age, and Rita Skeeter, who beetles around Hogwarts in search of stories. (This Daily Prophet scoop artist has a Quick-Quotes Quill that turns even the most innocent assertion into tabloid innuendo.) And at her bedazzling close, Rowling leaves several plot strands open, awaiting book 5. This fan is ready to wager that the author herself is part veela–her pen her wand, her commitment to her world complete. (Ages 9 and older) –Kerry Fried

As it turns out, Harry isn’t punished at all for his errant wizardry. Instead he is mysteriously rescued from his Muggle neighborhood and whisked off in a triple-decker, violently purple bus to spend the remaining weeks of summer in a friendly inn called the Leaky Cauldron. What Harry has to face as he begins his third year at Hogwarts explains why the officials let him off easily. It seems that Sirius Black–an escaped convict from the prison of Azkaban–is on the loose. Not only that, but he’s after Harry Potter. But why? And why do the Dementors, the guards hired to protect him, chill Harry’s very heart when others are unaffected? Once again, Rowling has created a mystery that will have children and adults cheering, not to mention standing in line for her next book. Fortunately, there are four more in the works. (Ages 9 and older) –Karin Snelson

dancing sugarplums while patiently waiting for Santa and his reindeer to arrive.

Now Bear is worried. Won’t Nora be sad that he broke his promise! What will happen on Christmas morning?

Every Christmas season, this heartwarming tale stirs in us the feelings of forgiveness and repentance that transform Scrooge from miser-”Bah, humbug!”-to merrymaker. Dickens’s other Christmas stories in this collection also evoke both the tragedy of those who lack the Yuletide spirit and the joy of those who raise a wassail cup to goodwill toward men.

From the Hardcover edition. Amazon.com Review
A cup, a compass, a key: the magic tree house has brought siblings Annie and Jack to Camelot, where they embark on a mysterious mission to find these enigmatic gifts. In this special hardcover addition to the bestselling Magic Tree House series, the young adventurers must travel to the Otherworld, an “ancient, enchanted land beyond the edge of the Earth, the place where all magic began” to save Camelot from dark wizard Mordred’s evil spell. If they fail, Camelot will be forgotten forever. Fans of the beloved, highly readable series by Mary Pope Osborne will rise to the challenge of this longer, more complex companion to her other titles, which include Earthquake in the Early Morning and Twister on Tuesday. As in every story in the sequence, Jack and Annie bravely plunge into their quest, learning about a culture and time very far removed from their own, and prove once again that children can make a difference. (Ages 6 to 9) –Emilie Coulter