Children’s Notes

Kids will be thrilled to reunite with favorite friends in these picture book sequels. Sam (first introduced in Sam Is Never Scared) is back in Sam Tells Stories by Thierry Robberecht, illus. by Philippe Goossens. At a new school Sam impresses his new friends with stories about his “astronaut dad,” the aliens that came over for dinner and other seemingly harmless lies. But when Sam goes too far, he realizes that he must come clean with his friends and family. (Clarion, $12 32p ages 3-6 ISBN 978-0-618-73280-7; Aug.)

Third in the Little Rabbit series, Imagine Harry by Kate Klise, illus. by M. Sarah Klise once again taps a rich emotional vein, as the precocious long-eared hero weans himself from his imaginary friend Harry and makes the transition to the world of school. As Little Rabbit gets caught up in the excitement of school, Harry begins to fade from his consciousness. (Harcourt, $16 32p ages 3-7 ISBN 978-0-15-205704-6; June)

The bilingual Oh No, I Gotta Go #2 by Susan Middleton Elya, illus. by Lynne Avril, heralds the return of the niña who in Oh No, Gotta Go! spent a car ride proclaiming her need to use el baño. The girl has made certain not to “drink jugo or pink limonada. I didn’t drink agua. I didn’t drink nada!” But when her tummy begins to gurgle, she remembers “there’s more than one reason to sit on the pot.” (Putnam, $15.99 32p ages 4-up ISBN 978-0-399-24308-0; June)

The gastrointestinally challenged dog is back in Walter the Farting Dog: Banned from the Beach by William Kotwinkle et al., illus. by Audrey Colman. This time, Walter’s extreme flatulence impedes on the Crabbe summer vacation, but, per usual, ultimately saves the day. (Dutton, $16.99 32p ages 5-up ISBN 978-0-525-47812-6; June)

For those kids who want to delve into the dark world of the supernatural come several new titles. Encyclopedia Horrifica: The Terrifying Truth! About Vampires, Ghosts, Monsters, and More by Joshua Gee comprehensively collects information about supernatural creatures and occurrences such as haunted houses, telekinesis and ancient curses. Separating fact from fiction, Gee explores the history of fear and the stuff of which nightmares are made. (Scholastic, $14.99 144p ages 9-12 ISBN 978-0-439-92255-5; Aug.)

Sometimes the only way to fight demons or the undead is with magic. The Wizardology Handbook by Dugald A. Steer, illus. by Anne Yvonne Gilbert et al., is a full-fledged guidebook for the wizard’s apprentice. This spiral-bound book offers lessons on magical clothing, creatures, wands, astrology, spells and more. (Candlewick, $12.99 80p ages 9-up ISBN 978-0-7636-3401-8; May)

Vampyre: The Terrifying Lost Journal of Dr. Cornelius Van Helsing purports to be Dr. Van Helsing’s first person account about his voyage to Transylvania and investigation into the existence of vampyres. Journal entries, photographs and illustrations, newspaper clippings, flaps and envelopes make for an exciting interactive adventure for Dracula fans. (HarperCollins, $19.99 32p ages 10-up ISBN 978-0-06-124780-4; June)

Kids can turn to their favorite stories and characters in this slew of summer sequels. Four teens first introduced in Mystery at Blackbeard’s Cove are back in Blackbeard and the Sandstone Pillar: When Lightning Strikes, the second installment of Audrey Penn’s series. Having discovered a chest of treasure in the first book, the friends set off to return the loot to its rightful owners. But the discovery of a strange piece of sandstone leads them to the brink of disaster. (Tanglewood, $15.95 400p ages 8-12 ISBN 978-1-933718-08-8; June)

After How to Ruin a Summer Vacation brought 16-year-old Amy to Israel with her estranged father, How to Ruin My Teenage Life by Simone Elkeles finds the teen back in Chicago, living with her dad. It looks like another boring year until Amy signs her dad up for an online dating service, her mom gets pregnant, her dog impregnates her grumpy neighbor’s prize poodle and Amy finds herself falling for a new boy. (Flux, $8.95 paper 280p ages 9-12 ISBN 978-0-7387-1019-8; June)

Laura Ruby’s The Chaos King, a companion to The Wall and the Wing (which PW called an “utterly odd and charming modern fantasy”) centers on Georgie, who can make herself invisible at will. When the insane Chaos King targets Georgie for his deranged plans, she and her friend Bug must delve into the heart of their city and face a host of adventures. (HarperCollins/Eos, $16.99 336p ages 10-up ISBN 978-0-06-075258-3; June)

Despite winning a casino at the end of Pete Hautman’s No Limit, described by PW as “compellingly echoing gambling’s siren call,” 16-year-old Denn finds himself down on his luck and broke in Las Vegas in All-in. Denn knows that a million-dollar game could put him back on top, but he will have to trust Cattie, a casino dealer who is secretly working for a man who wants revenge on Denn. (S&S, $15.99 192p ages 12-up ISBN 978-1-4169-1325-2; June)

PW wrote that I Was a Non-Blonde Cheerleader’s “good, clean fun is downright infectious.” Fans can get another fix from Kieran Scott’s sequel, A Non-Blonde Cheerleader in Love. When the Sand Dune High cheering squad goes co-ed, Annisa finds herself in the middle of a showdown between the sexes. (Putnam, $16.99 272p ages 12-up ISBN 978-0-399-24494-0; June)

Halfdan Hroriksson continues on his mission to avenge his brother’s murder in Dragons from the Sea, the second installment in Judson Roberts’s The Stongbow Saga. Taking refuge on a ship while he trains for his final battle, Halfdan soon learns that his journey has just begun. (HarperCollins, $16.99 352p ages 14-up ISBN 978-0-06-081300-0; June)

Jay Leno’s How to Be the Funniest Kid in the Whole Wide World (or Just in Your Class) Jay Leno, illus. by S.B. Whitehead. Aladdin, $7.99 ISBN 978-1-4169-3963-4. With hundreds of stories, puns, knock-knock jokes and one-liners from the mind of Jay Leno, this is a perfect starting place for burgeoning class clowns and jokesters. Ages 7-12. (June)

The King of Mulberry Street Donna Jo Napoli. Yearling, $6.50 ISBN 978-0-553-49416-7. In a starred review PW wrote, “Napoli carefully lays out the dramatic growth of nine-year-old narrator Beniamino, from his last day in Naples, Italy, to his premature graduation into adulthood on the tough streets of New York City’s Five Points neighborhood in 1891.” Ages 8-12. (July)

Ranger’s Apprentice, Book Two: The Burning Bridge John Flanagan. Puffin, $7.99 ISBN 978-0-14-240842-1. The follow up to Ranger’s Apprentice: The Ruins of Gorlan (which PW called “an exciting tale of battle and honor”) finds apprentice Ranger Will, along with friends Horace and Evelyn, squaring off against the evil Morgarath a second time. Ages 10-up. (June)

Your Eyes in Stars M.E. Kerr. Harper-Teen, $6.99 ISBN 978-0-06-075684-0. Set in Depression-era upstate New York, this novel about an American girl and her newfound friend from Germany “explores issues of anti-Semitism, classism and capital punishment through the eyes of ordinary people, and demonstrates that taking a stand on the small things can mean the difference between justice and apathy,” wrote PW in a starred review. Ages 12-up. (July)

Stardust Neil Gaiman. HarperEntertainment, $6.99 ISBN 978-0-06-124048-5. Tristan, a Faerie/Human half-breed, sets out to bring back a fallen star for the girl he loves in this “magical adventure, charming love story and fable about attaining one’s heart’s desire,” that “employs exquisitely rich language, natural wisdom, good humor and a dash of darkness to conjure up a fairy tale in the grand tradition,” wrote PW in a starred review. Ages 12-up. (July)

Crunch Time Mariah Fredericks. SimonPulse, $7.99 ISBN 978-1-4169-3973-3. Max, Daisy, Leo and Jane become friends (and rivals) when they decide to ditch their SAT prep course and study on their own. Teens will be “intrigued by the philosophical discussion these four characters bring to light regarding what it means to be judged by standardized test scores,” wrote PW. Ages 12-up. (June)