Children's Books
by Staff -- Publishers Weekly, 1/2/2006
Picture Books
Good Boy, Fergus!David Shannon. Scholastic/Blue Sky, $15.99 (40p) ISBN 0-439-49027-8
Judging from his picture-book repertoire,Shannon (No, David!) knows well how exuberant types tend to get into trouble. His buoyant new work keeps the streak going, this time depicting the spunky, yet ever-so-natural behavior of a family dog (the Shannon family in fact—Fergus the West Highland terrier has appeared somewhere in all of Shannon's books). The morning routine is off to a good start when Fergus's partially seen owner lets him out, but things quickly take a turn: "Ready... set... Cat!" A feline sighting sends Fergus into a frenzy and, once outside, the pepped-up pooch will not come back in. (A hand-lettered page of the owner's verbal entreaties is a hoot.) Digging up a potted plant, getting a bath, taking a fur-fluffing spin in the car and begging for scraps at the table round out Fergus's fun-filled day (and reveal the unseen owner as a true pushover). Through it all, he's commended with "Good boy, Fergus!" Shannon's mixed-media illustrations, in the style of his David books, crackle with personality. Fergus's expressions and poses will be both funny and familiar to dog lovers, and the predominantly close-up perspective offers an immediacy that makes readers feel included in every second of the tail-wagging action. Paws down, Fergus is one memorable pooch. Ages 3-6. (Mar.)
Tiger Can't SleepS.J. Fore, illus. by R.W. Alley. Viking, $15.99 (32p) ISBN 0-670-06078-X
Many a parent will recognize the bedtime procrastinating of the amiable, anthropomorphized stuffed tiger in Fore's debut picture book. From potato chip-crunching and cartwheel-turning to one-tiger band music-making, the oversize toy—who is supposed to be sleeping in a boy's closet—employs several amusing stall tactics. Young readers, who'll likely see a bit of themselves in Tiger, will enjoy watching the boy hero in the parental role as he narrates in escalating, exasperated tones. "Shhh, Tiger! Quiet! You are driving me crazy! I'm trying to sleep. I don't want to hear any more noise." Alley's humorous cartoons vividly bring the exchanges to life. Tiger's bright orange fur and the boy's green pajamas stand out against the blue-gray nighttime backdrop. Tiger wears an appropriately contrite expression as he repeatedly says, "Oops! Tiger is sorry. Tiger will be quiet now." The facial expressions of both characters could just about tell the story by themselves when combined with the onomatopoeic words in large, colorful typeface emanating from the closet (e.g., "Crunch!" "Ker-thump!"). When the boy hears a "Boo-hoo" and discovers Tiger's fear of the dark, he takes a softer approach to his frightened friend. Readers of all ages will delight in the role changes and comic situations that make this book so appealing, not to mention its subtle lesson of empathy. Ages 2-up. (Jan.)
My Very Big Little WorldPeter Reynolds. S&S/Atheneum, $15.95 (40p) ISBN 0-689-87621-1
Reynolds (The Dot) introduces readers to SugarLoaf, so named because at birth, her dentist mother thought she was "as sweet as sugar" while her baker father believed she "felt as warm as a freshly baked loaf of bread." SugarLoaf looks more like a teddy bear than a human girl, yet she leads a recognizably cozy domestic life with her parents, her baby sister, SugarLump ("I used to talk baby talk, so I understand her"), and her older, gearhead brother, Spoke, plus a visiting grandmother with a fondness for orange and an aunt who owns her own construction company. Reynolds blithely skips among the highlights of SugarLoaf's life. Youngsters learn, in what seems to be no particular order, that SugarLoaf gets up early like her Dad (she wakes him up by bouncing on her parents' bed at 5 a.m.), that she's fond of hosting tea parties with her toys and making collages, and that "outside is one of my favorite places." There's occasionally some wry counterpoint between the text and Reynolds's spirited, genial watercolors (SugarLoaf announces, for instance, that she and her dad are "morning people" but Dad snoozes over his coffee while his daughter goes full throttle). While the book feels a bit like a set-up for other stories to follow, readers will likely anticipate more tales about the winsome SugarLoaf. Ages 3-7. (Jan.)
Good Knight, Sleep TightDavid Melling. Barron's, $14.99 (32p) ISBN 0-7641-5878-3
The king's loyal knight is sent off on a quest of national urgency: find new stuffing for the bawling infant princess's pillow. The original stuffing for "the softest, fluffiest pillow in the kingdom" has been gleefully decimated by the "the fat royal cat," and the newborn princess cannot sleep—so no one else can either. The knight must find some "soft and fluffy" filler so everybody can get some rest. The gent bravely wrests potential pillow material away from the ravenous beasts (too scratchy, according to his steed) and wolves (too bristly), before hitting the jackpot with a treeful of birds, who gladly give up their downy feathers for their princess. Melling's (The Kiss That Missed) storytelling feels a bit overlong, and there are really two endings: the princess won't go to sleep, even with her newly stuffed pillow, until her once-jealous big brother competently coaxes her with a cuddle. But Melling's watercolor-and-ink pictures bubble with a pleasing slapstick tone (the knight is constantly falling off his horse) and a mock-serio theatricality, while the narrative hints at just enough British urbanity to tickle the younger set ("Well really, it's hardly fair," complain the man-eating bears after their bottoms have been denuded of fur, "We just wanted a quick nibble"). A jovial offering. Ages 4-7. (Jan.)
For You Are a Kenyan ChildKelly Cunnane, illus. by Ana Juan. Atheneum/Schwartz, $16.95 (40p) ISBN 0-689-86194-X
Cunnane debuts with this playful, vivid tale that offers a glimpse of a rural Kenyan childhood. "Roosters crow,/ and you wake one morning/ in the green hills of Africa,/.../ Enter Mama's hut/ .../ sip maize porridge to begin the day,/ for you are a Kenyan child." Lyrical prose in the second person asks readers to imagine themselves as the young hero, who finds many diversions to his job of guarding Grandfather's cows (e.g., he chases a monkey, kicks a rag ball with a friend). At each detour, he calls out, "Hodi?" (Anybody home?), and hears, "Karibu!" (Welcome!) in reply; the words skip boisterously across the page in bold typeface. Author and artist convey a nurturing environment, as relatives and friends each offer the boy something (in translated Swahili phrases). The village chief lets him parade around with the "chief stick;" his grandmother gives him fresh sweet "sleeping milk" from a gourd; his gentle grandfather bestows forgiveness. Juan's (The Night Eater) signature wide-eyed characters and animals, and tweaked perspectives seem ideally suited to this exotic yet homespun tale. Blue snow-capped mountains and bright, often patterned clothing contrast against dusty ground painted in splatters of pinks and oranges. Despite the boy's tattered shorts and bare feet, readers will sense the generosity of his village. Meanwhile, his relentless distractions will resonate with children the world over who are prone to put off chores in favor of more exciting exploits. Ages 3-7. (Jan.)
I Lost My Tooth in AfricaPenda Diakité, illus. by Baba Wagué Diakité. Scholastic, $16.99 (32p) ISBN 0-439-66226-5
The creator of The Magic Gourd teams up with his teenage daughter for this story, based on the time the author's younger sister, Amina, actually did lose a tooth in Mali, while visiting their father's family. "My dad says if you lose a tooth in Africa and put it under a gourd, you will get a chicken from the African Tooth Fairy!... So I try tricks with my tongue to help it come out faster," writes Diakité, narrating as her sister, Amina. As the heroine waits for the tooth to come out, she also describes a fascinating daily rhythm within her paternal grandmother's African home, depicted as a walled compound. "Aunt Kadja has made my favorite dinner. It's rice and onion sauce with African eggplant and tiny noodles. We all eat together around one big bowl. Everyone eats with their right hand." After dinner, neighbors come by to play games and tell stories. With often whimsical touches, Baba Wagué Diakité illustrates a vibrant life among banana palms, birds and brightly dressed relatives and friends. Patterned borders surround each illustration, created on a ceramic tile (e.g., feathers and eggs decorate the scene of Amina's new hen laying eggs; even loose teeth come into play). Young readers may well be intrigued by how universal a milestone it is to lose a tooth, while learning the unique lifestyle of this warm and welcoming West African family. Ages 4-8. (Jan.)
Louis and the DodoMark Shulman, illus. by Vincent Nguyen. Sterling, $14.95 (36p) ISBN 1-4027-2872-7
Like a surrealist painting, the premise of this dreamlike story is disturbing, but newcomer Nguyen's noteworthy illustrations are suitably mysterious. Louis's parents worry about him because he has no friends except for the backyard birds. He disdains the baseball mitt his mother hands him, saying, "Those kids don't want to play with me... I'm not like them," and he is perfectly content to hang out with his bird friends exclusively. Nguyen pictures Louis in his red boots, clownish suit and bird-beaked hat, saving bird's eggs from a marauding cat and holding an umbrella over a nest of fledglings. Louis embarks on a journey when his feathered friends ask him to help save a caged dodo bird from menacing circus performers. As in a dream, the plot zig-zags with bizarre twists and turns, and Louis ends up rescuing the dodo and returning it to a hidden island paradise for birds. When Louis gets homesick, the birds lead him to a wooden door in a small hill that opens into his own real life bedroom, and he realizes he can return to bird paradise "any time he wished." Although the narrator assures readers that loner Louis knows "all about friendship" ("It meant helping... and protecting... and being brave"), his slip from reality into a fantasy world without human contact is disquieting. Ages 4-8. (Jan.)
Lost and FoundOliver Jeffers. Philomel, $15.99 (32p) ISBN 0-399-24503-0
This beguiling tale featuring the round-headed lad from Jeffers's debut book, How to Catch a Star, begins, "Once there was a boy who found a penguin at his door." Enticing, spare text and watercolor pictures follow the earnest, red-and-white-striped shirt clad child's quest to help the sad-looking penguin find its way home. He checks with the Lost and Found Office ("But no one was missing a penguin") and futilely asks some birds and the rubber duck that shares his bath for guidance before reading (in a book drolly entitled Where Penguins Come From) that his new friend hails from the South Pole. After making sure their rowboat is ship-shape, the two set out to sea, the child rowing south while telling stories to the rapt penguin, sitting in the bow, endearingly holding a striped umbrella over its head when the weather turns stormy. The prose reflects the hero's sudden sadness after he sees the bird home (there "was no point telling stories now because there was no one to listen except the wind and the waves"). Youngsters will cheer the pals' inevitable reunion and will likely request an immediate rereading of this gently humorous and heartwarming tale of friendship found, lost and regained. Ages 4-up. (Jan.)
Bess and BellaIrene Haas. S&S/McElderry, $14.95 (32p) ISBN 1-4169-0013-6
Haas does for winter in this cozy tale what she did for the year's longest days in A Summertime Song. The dream-like narrative begins with the appearance of a bird, smartly dressed in a striped frock, shawl and straw hat, who drops from the sky as lonely rosie-cheeked Bess and her doll have a tea party in the snow. The winged visitor introduces herself as Bella, and Bess invites her to share her rather meager "tea," consisting of cookie crumbs and melted snow served in a little cracked cup. Bella (who migrated too late, and frost on her wings caused her to fall) pulls out a host of tiny suitcases from which she extracts "babushkas for tablecloths, a teapot of tea, a beautiful bowl of just-baked buttery biscuits." The bright cloths and china patterns transform the small framed paintings from wintry grays and greens to a spread fit for a fiesta, and the tale's tone, too, becomes boisterous with the arrival of a truck carrying canine firefighters and, later, a mouse family. Haas suffuses both prose and pictures with a fairy-tale enchantment, as if the woods exude a wintry spell. The festivities end when Bess is called for supper, but Bella stays with Bess ("until one day it was spring, when birds return to their nests"), and when the bird flies home, a girl appears, asking Bess to play, assuring readers that the heroine will be lonely no more. In this charming tale, Haas hints at the magic in everyday moments. Ages 3-7. (Jan.)
The Little Stone LionKim Xiong. Heryin (626-289-3865), $13.99 (40p) ISBN 0-9762056-1-0
Xiong's first appearance in English is a quiet elegy to village life in China, narrated by one of many statues of mythical guardian lions that dot the Chinese countryside. The lion of the title is the silent keeper of the village's memories: "Although I'm smaller than a cat, I'm older than even the oldest village elder.... I remember all the people and all that has happened." Xiong depicts the stone narrator closing its eyes and tilting its head, a contented smile on its face, while tiny figures from the past fly upward across the spread—a man steering a boat, an ox still wearing its harness, a silver-haired grandmother. The spare and whimsical illustrations, which appear to be in charcoal and watercolor wash on textured paper, show the statue and the appealingly lumpy figures of the villagers under a full moon, blown by autumn winds and surrounded by snowflakes. "Children grow up and leave the village," the lion continues, as a bus pulls away from a bus stop. "Maybe they will forget me... But I will remember them and miss them." Xiong shows the lion from above, the memories of children with butterfly nets, umbrellas and glowing lanterns swirling above it; a single tear quivers at the corner of its eye. "I won't forget anyone," it promises. The book's theme of an object whose virtue is that it never changes may vex those who hanker for heroes and action. Meditative readers, though, may find themselves unexpectedly moved by Xiong's work. Ages 5-up. (Dec.)
Fiction
Hanne's QuestOlivier Dunrea. Philomel, $16.99 (112p) ISBN 0-399-24216-3
In this intriguing illustrated chapter book, Dunrea (The Trow-Wife's Treasure; the Gossie & Friends series) whisks readers to the misty island village of Skara Bree (a.k.a. Skara Brae, ancient settlement on the west coast of Orkney, off northern Scotland) where Mem Pockets is in need of a miracle to save her farm from foreclosure. Mem, who spends her days doting on her fine Scaldy hens and taking their speckled eggs to market, is behind in taxes. She laments her desperate situation as she tends the brood, unwittingly stirring her feathered friends to action. Late at night, Old Pegotty, sage of the henwoodie, shares a tale of a Great Mystery that allows certain specially chosen hens (born on the New Moon) to lay three golden eggs—but only if they perform three dangerous tasks. Young Hanne fits the criteria and is entrusted with saving the farm via her brave quest, which takes her North to the fields, West to ancient ruins, then on to the sea and back again. Dunrea may well enchant readers with his blending of elements of mythology and fantasy in this unusual adventure. His evocative, velvety full-page and inset gouache paintings create a rural idyll touched by some mystical drama. Hanne, though sweet-natured and occasionally showing some pluck, may not be a compelling enough character to corral a flock of followers. However, Mem's bond with her is touching, and the feathered heroine also attracts an impressive group of fans to aid her on her quest, including a mole, a sea turtle and a boy who helps her get home. Ages 7-up. (Feb.)
The Year of the DogGrace Lin. Little, Brown, $14.99 (144p) ISBN 0-316-06000-3
Lin, best known for her picture books, here offers up a charming first novel, an autobiographical tale of an Asian-American girl's sweet and funny insights on family, identity and friendship. When her family celebrates Chinese New Year, ringing in the Year of the Dog, Pacy (Grace is her American name) wonders what the coming months will bring. Her relatives explain that the Year of the Dog is traditionally the year when people "find themselves," discovering their values and what they want to do with their lives. With big expectations and lots of questions, the narrator moves through the next 12 months trying to figure out what makes her unique and how she fits in with her family, friends and classmates. Pacy experiences some good luck along the way, too, winning a contest that will inspire her career (Lin's fans will recognize the prize submission, The Ugly Vegetables, as her debut children's book). Lin creates an endearing protagonist, realistically dealing with universal emotions and situations. The well-structured story, divided into 29 brief chapters, introduces traditional customs (e.g., Hong Bao are special red envelopes with money in them, given as New Year's presents), culture and cuisine, and includes several apropos "flashback" anecdotes, mainly from Pacy's mother. The book's inviting design suggests a journal, and features childlike spot illustrations and a typeface with a hand-lettered quality. Girls everywhere, but especially those in the Asian-American community, will find much to embrace here. Ages 8-12. (Feb.)
A Brief Chapter in My Impossible LifeDana Reinhardt. Random/Lamb, $15.95 (224p) ISBN 0-385-90940-3
In a moving first novel, Reinhardt uses a sure but gentle hand to explore the relationship that develops between an adopted teen and her biological mother. Simone Turner-Bloom, 16, has always known she was adopted but has avoided asking questions about her past. She thinks of Rivka, the woman who gave her up at birth, in abstract terms: "Rivka became just a word to me, one with geometric shape, all angles and points. Somehow I've managed to keep myself from attaching it to a face." Thus it comes as a shock when Rivka calls to suggest that the two of them meet. Reluctantly agreeing, Simone is unprepared for the profound impact the reunion has on her life. During the next several weeks as she becomes acquainted with her biological mother, Simone learns of her Orthodox Jewish roots and is introduced to a new culture. As Rivka's tragic history gradually unfolds, Simone finds herself questioning things that have previously seemed irrelevant: the circumstances of her adoption, the possible existence of God and the meaning of family. At the same time, she enters her first serious relationship with a boy, who acts as both guide and confidante during Simone's "chapter" of self-discovery. Besides offering insight into the customs of Hasidic Jews, this intimate story celebrates family love and promotes tolerance of diverse beliefs. Readers will quickly become absorbed in Simone's quest to understand her heritage and herself. Ages 12-up. (Feb.)
Marly's GhostDavid Levithan, illus. by Brian Selznick. Dial, $14.99 (176p) ISBN 0-8037-3063-2
In Levithan's (Boy Meets Boy) clever but rather thin retelling of A Christmas Carol, he casts sad teenaged Ben as Scrooge. Because of his girlfriend's death from cancer, he has a "bah humbug" attitude about love as Valentine's Day approaches. His girlfriend, Marly, appears to him as a ghost, telling him he will be visited by the Ghost of Love Past, Present and Future. After their visit, Ben realizes that "giving up on love is the same thing as giving up on life itself." There are some fun adaptations in this modern version; Tiny Tim, for example, is not a boy who may die, but rather a young gay couple (Tiny and Tim) at risk of breaking up. But the book, attractively packaged as an unjacketed, red cloth-covered hardcover featuring a black-and-gold embossed heart bordered with chains, takes a bit too long to unfold. While readers will sympathize with Ben who says he "wanted to die" without Marly, they will likely be ready for some action long before Marly's ghost arrives. The witty writing is also a bit too self-conscious at times (at a present-day anti–Valentine's Day party, "only the sadder love songs would be broadcast tonight: The Cure with no sense of a cure, breakup breakdowns and long-player longings"). Selznick's cross-hatch pen-and-inks give a nod to Victorian drawings and boost the novel's haunting aura. In the end, this novel has charm, but is likely more memorable for its premise than for its story line. Ages 12-up. (Jan.)
IthakaAdèle Geras. Harcourt, $17 (368p) ISBN 0-15-205603-3
In this sequel to Troy, Geras once again shows her skill at fashioning multidimensional characters from mythological figures and making them accessible to a 21st-century audience. Set in Ithaka during the aftermath of the Trojan War, the story unfolds from the point of view of 14-year-old Klymene, faithful servant to Queen Penelope. While Penelope anxiously awaits her husband's return from battle, trouble arises as suitors, convinced that Odysseus is dead, invade the court demanding that the queen choose one of them to marry. Meanwhile, a new member of the household, beautiful and fickle Melantho, wins the heart of Penelope's son, Telemachus, whom Klymene secretly adores. Klymene's faith and courage are repeatedly tested as the suitors reek havoc in the palace and her chances of winning Telemachus' heart seem to grow dimmer each day. As in Troy, the Gods and Goddesses (including Pallas Athene, Poseidon and Eros, among others, flit in and out of Klymene's sight) play a key role in determining various characters' fates. Lovers of Greek mythology will appreciate the authentic flavor of this book, but readers need not be familiar with The Odyssey to follow the plot or to recognize themes of loyalty and unrequited love, which are brilliantly and movingly displayed throughout this ambitious, gripping novel. The author's feminist perspective once again adds a fresh, thought-provoking twist to the classic tale. Ages 14-up. (Jan.)
Freaks: Alive, on the Inside!Annette Curtis Klause. S&S/ McElderry, $16.95 (336p) ISBN 0-689-05143-3
Everything about the main character of Klause's (Blood and Chocolate) fin de siècle novel set in Middle America is appealing, including his name: Abel Dandy, 17, is the handsome son of a legless father and armless mother. The teen narrator never expresses anything but empathetic equanimity for the human "oddities" he lives among at Faeryland, an "educational" display of fat men, bearded ladies, co-joined siblings and the (un)like. But, "handicapped by [his] normality," Abel runs off to join the circus, seeking his fortune and, well, Abel "Randy" would have been an apt name, too. He's only ever kissed Phoebe the Dog-Faced Girl, and his burgeoning sexual desire has been exacerbated ever since he received an ancient gold ring as a gift. The ring is somehow linked to the beautiful dancer haunting his dreams ("Pleasure cupped my loins with a firm, hot paw," Abel says after one typically erotic session with her). During his journey, Abel learns he didn't so much flee but rather was called, and his mission expands from getting Apollo (Phoebe's equally furry brother, who followed him) back home to saving a whole horde of others from evil Dr. Mink, who runs an exploitative traveling freak show. Despite their unique physical characteristics, there are too many characters between Faeryland, circus and freak show to distinguish among them, but Abel makes an amiable hero and the narrative has a satisfying warm-heartedness to it. Teens, especially those who feel a bit freakish themselves, will gobble this up. Ages 14-up. (Jan.)
DriftX: Slide or DieTodd Strasser, illus. by Craig Phillips. Simon Pulse, $6.99 paper (224p) ISBN 1-4169-0581-2
This first installment in a planned trilogy about cars, girls and race by veteran author Strasser (Give a Boy a Gun) introduces 16-year old Kennin Burnett. He has moved to Las Vegas from California with his older sister to be near their surviving parent—a dirtbag father, who's imprisoned in a Club Fed–type facility for Internet fraud. Kennin makes a friend, Tito, at the casino garage where they work washing the high-rollers' Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Bentleys. Though Kennin is deliberately vague, somewhere in his mysterious California past, he picked up a passion for "drifting," a form of racing which involves skidding around turns while going downhill. Though neither Tito nor Kennin is old enough to drive, Tito's sister, Angelita is. And in her, Kennin finds a mature soulmate, and a girl who knows her way around an RB25DET engine. She also owns a vehicle—a Nissan 240 SX. This becomes important when Kennin is recruited to compete against a racist classmate in a "tsuiso," the Japanese term for a two-car race to the bottom of the hill. The book ends, abruptly, without the race taking place, but the hip subject matter, manga-style illustrations, short chapters and quick pace are sure to attract an audience who will demand the next installment, Battle Drift, due in April. Ages 14-up. (Jan.)
Picture Book Reprints
The Leprechaun's GoldPamela Duncan Edwards, illus. by Henry Cole. HarperTrophy, $6.99 ISBN 0-06-443878-3.
Two harpists set off for a contest to name the best in Ireland. "Edwards builds a mellifluous rhythm with her quaint phrasing and clean story line," wrote PW. "Cole conveys the stark differences between the two characters." Ages 4-7. (Feb.)
The Wishing of Biddy MaloneJoy Cowley, illus. by Christopher Denise. Puffin, $6.99 ISBN 0-14-240589-2.
"A girl in Old Ireland discovers that faerie magic isn't quite what it appears in this complex tale," said PW. "The acrylics feature gauzy lines, antique patinas and cozy details—all of which convey a sense of rustic realism." Ages 4-up. (Jan.)
Abe Lincoln: The Boy Who Loved BooksKay Winters, illus. by Nancy Carpenter. S&S/Aladdin, $6.99 ISBN 1-4169-1268-1.
PW called this a "fine introduction to a president over whom, from boyhood, 'letters cast a magic spell.' " Ages 5-8. (Jan.)
100th Day WorriesMargery Cuyler, illus. by Arthur Howard. S&S/ Aladdin, $6.99 ISBN 1-4169-0789-0.
The first-grade teacher wants each student to collect 100 small things in honor of the 100th Day of school, which starts one girl worrying. "This is a knowing and funny book that succeeds without patronizing its fretful heroine or sentimentalizing the supportive response of her family," PW wrote. Ages 5-8. (Jan.)
Fiction Reprints
Becoming Naomi LeónPam Muñoz Ryan. Scholastic Apple, $5.99 ISBN 0-439-26997-0.
Fifth-grader Naomi's great-grandmother has been a loving guardian for Naomi and her brother since their mother abandoned them seven years before; now she has suddenly reappeared. In a starred review, PW called this "a tender tale about family love and loyalty." Ages 8-12. (Dec.)
One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother DiesSonya Sones. Simon Pulse, $6.99 ISBN 1-4169-0788-2.
PW called this story of a 15-year-old who must move from Boston to L.A. after her mother's untimely death a "winning portrayal of a teenage girl's loves and losses." Ages 12-up. (Nov.)
Contents Under PressureLara M. Zeises. Random/Laurel-Leaf, $5.99 ISBN 0-440-23787-4.
PW said, "Zeises's novel takes a mature approach to many issues surrounding young people and sex, managing at the same time to be both light-handed and earnest." Ages 12-up. (Nov.)
Heart on My SleeveEllen Wittlinger. Simon Pulse, $6.99 ISBN 0-689-84999-0.
Two teens become smitten with each other during a college preview weekend, and readers learn about their lives through e-mails, instant messages and letters. "Chloe and Julian's fate may be fairly obvious, but most readers will applaud the author for imagining—and maintaining—such a complete world," said PW. Ages 12-up. (Jan.)
The Bermudez TriangleMaureen Johnson. Penguin/Razorbill, $7.99 ISBN 1-59514-033-6.
In this saga of three best girlfriends in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., Nina returns from a summer program at Stanford to discover her friends Avery and Mel kissing in a store dressing room. "The novel becomes more credible as it unfolds," wrote PW. Ages 14-up. (Nov.)
