Children's Notes

by Staff -- Publishers Weekly, 6/26/2006

TO BE CONTINUED...

Just in time for summer reading festivities comes a plethora of series additions and favorite characters. "Peter Pan fans will find much to like in a what-if scenario that pays respectful tribute to the original," said PW of Peter and the Starcatchers. Peter and Tink depart Mollusk Island (where they landed in the previous book) for London in Peter and the Shadow Thieves by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson. But en route, they encounter creepy Lord Ombra, a cloaked, oozing part-creature/part-man obsessed with possessing the missing starstuff. (Hyperion/Disney, $18.99 464p ages 10-up ISBN 0-7868-3787-X; July)

Infernal Devices by Philip Reeve wraps up the Hungry City Chronicles. Here Wren, the daughter of Tom and Hester—introduced in Mortal Engines (in a starred review of it, PW wrote, "Like the moving cities it depicts, Reeve's debut novel is a staggering feat of engineering")—steals an Old Tech book and draws her parents back into battle. (HarperCollins/Eos, $16.99 368p ages 12-up ISBN 0-06-082635-5; June)

Bringing the Uglies trilogy to a close, Specials by Scott Westerfeld follows Tally Youngblood, first met in Uglies (which PW said "introduces thought-provoking issues"), as she is turned into a Special, a high-octane fighting machine, programmed to keep the uglies down and the pretties stupid. Can she listen to the small voice in her head or will she destroy New Smoke's residents? (Simon Pulse, $15.95 384p ages 12-up ISBN 0-689-86540-6; $6.99 paper ISBN 1-4169-3994-6; June)

The buttered-toast-loving porker is back in the paper-over-board Mercy Watson Goes for a Ride by Kate DiCamillo, illus. by Chris Van Dusen. When Mr. Watson takes Mercy for their customary Saturday drive, a surprise in the back seat takes them for a turn. (Candlewick, $12.99 80p ages 6-8 ISBN 0-7636-2332-6; June)

With the publication of the fourth paper-over-board adventure of these evil and funny twins, Edgar & Ellen: Pet's Revenge by Charles Ogden, Aladdin reissues the first three, begun with Rare Beasts. Here, their one-eyed Pet rebels against its masters, and Ellen begins bathing and dusting the house. Could Pet be behind her eccentric behavior? (S&S/Aladdin, $9.95 192p ages 8-12 ISBN 1-4169-1408-0; Beasts 1-4169-1409-9; Tourist Trap 1-4169-1411-0; Under Town 1-4169-1412-9; June)

PW called LBD: It's a Girl Thing a "fun, breezy novel," as it introduced 14-year-old narrator Ronnie Ripperton and her two best friends ("Les Bambinos Dangereuses"). Now in the third adventure, LBD: Friends Forever by Grace Dent, the trio turns 16 and things are not so rosy between Ronnie, Fleur and Claude. So they try to patch things up by banding together to get summer waitressing jobs. (Putnam, $16.99 272p ages 12-up ISBN 0-399-24189-2; June)

The gang from The Au Pairs ("a beach read without a doubt," according to PW) returns in The Au Pairs: Sun-Kissed by Melissa de la Cruz. Mara has set up housekeeping with Ryan Perry on his family's yacht, Jacqui plays the field, and Eliza and Jeremy seem set for happily-ever-after. Or are they? More fun in the sun is in store. (S&S, $15.95 320p ages 14-up ISBN 1-4169-1746-2; June)

In a starred review of Katherine Sturtevant's At the Sign of the Star, PW wrote, "Admirers of historical fiction will relish Sturtevant's detailed depiction of life in 1677 London." A now 16-year-old Meg returns in A True and Faithful Narrative; here she assesses whether to marry either of two suitors, weighing both love and her passion for writing. (FSG, $17 256p ages 12-up ISBN 0-374-37809-6; June)

Having fled Nigeria in The Other Side of Truth (in a starred review, PW called it a "sophisticated and emotional novel, poignant and accessible"), Sade and Femi now come up against new challenges in London, where they await being granted asylum in Beverley Naidoo's Web of Lies. Femi has been drafted into a gang of older boys, and Sade does not want to worry her father. (HarperCollins/Amistad, $15.99 256p ages 10-up ISBN 0-06-076075-3; June)

The hippo star of Birdbrain Amos is down in the dumps because Amoeba, his tick bird, has a new friend—an imaginary friend—in Birdbrain Amos: Mr. Fun by Michael Delaney. PW said of the first title, "The plot clips right along, and what makes this story so laugh-out-loud funny is the fully developed, quirky cast," which is in full swing here once again, as Amos attempts to win back Amoeba. (Philomel, $16.99 176p ages 7-up ISBN 0-399-24278-3; June)

Fiction REPRINTS

The Wedding Planner's Daughter Coleen Murtagh Paratore. S&S/ Aladdin, $5.99 ISBN 1-4169-1854-X. PW called this story of a seventh grader, who finally feels at home on Cape Cod near her Nana, "an appealing tale laced with literary allusions." Ages 8-13. (June)

The Sea of Trolls Nancy Farmer. S&S, $9.99 ISBN 0-689-86746-8. In our Best Books citation, PW wrote, "Fans of Viking and adventure tales will sail through this meaty volume to discover the fate of 12-year-old Jack and his sister, kidnapped from their homeland by Olaf One-Brow and his crew." Ages 10-14. (June)

The Realm of Possibility David Levithan. Knopf, $8.95 ISBN 0-375-83657-8. Through a series of poems, readers meet a group of friends and acquaintances, reflecting a diverse range of sexuality, race and social standing. PW called it "a realm worth exploring." Ages 12-up.

Happy Endings Adèle Geras. Harcourt, $6.95 ISBN 0-15-205773-0. "Aspiring thespians will find much to relish in this engrossing depiction of the grit and glamour of the theater," PW wrote. Ages 12-up. (May)

Shrimp Rachel Cohn. S&S, $6.99 ISBN 0-689-86613-5. "Once again, the memorable heroine of Gingerbread offers a light-hearted, sassy narrative that will enthrall her fans, and win over new recruits," according to PW. Ages 12-up. (June)

Skinny-Dipping Melissa de la Cruz. Simon Pulse, $8.99 ISBN 1-4169-0383-6. A gorgeous French male au pair comes on the scene to complicate the friendship between Mara, Eliza and Jacqui, turning up the heat in the Hamptons in this second adventure in the Au Pairs series. Ages 14-up. (June)

Correction: The author of The New Girl... and Me (Children's Books, June 12) is Jacqui Robbins.