To Be Continued...

This fall offers fans a fresh crop of sequels. The final title in the Joey Pigza saga, What Would Joey Do? by Jack Gantos, finds the hero flustered by his parent's questionable reunion and his ailing grandmother's efforts to push Joey to make friends. (FSG, $16 240p ages 10-up ISBN 0-374-39986-7; Oct.)

Fans of Dial-A-Ghost will eagerly welcome the new flock of floating phantoms in The Great Ghost Rescue, Eva Ibbotson's wry companion novel, illus. by Kevin Hawkes. The ghosts' housing shortage continues, and human hero Rick wants the British government to do something about it. But even after the ghosts are settled, they're greeted by some unwelcome visitors: the exorcists (could there be another sequel in the works?). (Dutton, $15.99 144p ages 8-14 ISBN 0-525-46769-6; Aug.)

British author Jacqueline Wilson presents the third title in her Girls trilogy, Girls Out Late. Ellie goes ga-ga over a new boy, but when she breaks her curfew to meet up with him, her plan backfires. (Delacorte, $9.95 paper 192p ages 12-up ISBN 0-385-72976-6; Sept.)

When best friend Buzz falls victim to a freak accident, Guy contemplates the meaning of fate in Guy Wire by Sarah Weeks. Despite its serious start, the fourth installment in the series begun with Regular Guy retains the humor of its predecessors (HarperCollins/ Geringer, $15.99 144p ages 8-12 ISBN 0-06-029492-2; Oct.)

The sequel to Skullduggery, which PW called "part 19th-century history lesson and all entertainment," Bone Dry by Kathleen Karr chronicles the further adventures of Matthew Morrissey, young apprentice to phrenologist Dr. ABC (aka Asa B. Cornwall). Here, the duo travels to 1840s Africa in search of the skull of Alexander the Great. (Hyperion, $15.99 240p ages 10-14 ISBN 0-7868-0776-8; Aug.)

Holy wars and romantic intrigue adventure combine in Kevin Crossley-Holland's At the Crossing Places, book two in the Arthur Trilogy begun with The Seeing Stone. Here 13-year-old Arthur begins life as squire to Lord Stephen at Holt and aspires to be a Crusader in his own right, and perhaps win the hand of a fair maiden. (Scholastic/Levine, $17.95 416p ages 13-up ISBN 0-439-26598-3; Oct.)

The Three Rs Can Be Fun

Reading and 'riting and 'rithmetic combine in a trio of brain-teasing titles. From stone tools to the cotton gin to cloned sheep, 1000 Inventions & Discoveries by Roger Bridgman surveys life-changing breakthroughs. Starting in 3,000,000 B.C., the each chapter covers a distinct historical period, offering tightly constructed chunks of information alongside more in-depth explanations. A timeline along the bottom of each spread fills in details. The book is produced in association with the Smithsonian Institution. (DK, $24.99 256p ages 8-up ISBN 0-7894-8826-4; Aug.)

Two accessible titles in the Vicki Cobb Science Play series by veteran educator Vicki Cobb, illus. by Julia Gorton, teach science basics. In I Get Wet, hands-on experiments and clear examples help youngsters discover the intricacies of H2O. I See Myself explores what makes mirrors work. (HarperCollins, $15.99 each 40p ages 3-5 ISBN 0-688-17838-3; -17836-7; Aug.)

Ever wonder how many straight cuts it takes to saw a chessboard into 64 square pieces? In Math Mind Games by Heinrich Hemme, the German physicist poses 40 challenges inspired by everyday events. Accompanied by playful illustrations, each question is introduced with a story. Final pages provide solutions. (Sterling, $12.95 paper 128p ages 10-up ISBN 0-8069-7691-8; July)

Write On!

Aspiring writers learn from voices of experience in a trio of titles. In the first, Invitations to the World: Teaching and Writing for the Young, Newbery Medalist Richard Peck (A Year Down Yonder) describes his own beginnings as a writer and how he gets his ideas, and offers his opinion on education and crafting works of fiction. (Dial, $16.99 208p ages 12-up ISBN 0-8037-2734-8; Sept.)

William Steig, Maurice Sendak, Karla Kuskin, Rosemary Wells, Mitsumasa Anno, Jerry Pinkney and others—14 in all—discuss their work in Ways of Telling: Conversations on the Art of the Picture Book by Leonard S. Marcus. This engaging volume offers insight into the creative process of each author and illustrator as well as the social and political contexts from which their work emerged. (Dutton, $29.99 256p ages 11-up ISBN 0-525-46490-5; Aug.)

Finally, "In the Nurse's Office," "The Fat Girl" and "Notes Passed Back and Forth in United States History, Seventh Period" are just three of the more than 20 original offerings included in Poems from Homeroom: A Writer's Place to Start by Kathi Appelt. Divided in two, the book offers free verse in the first half; Part II uses the work to spark adolescent's own writing. (Holt, $16.95 144p ages 14-up ISBN 0-8050-6978-X; Aug.)

Arts and Letters

Images fine and funky accompany each letter of the alphabet in three noteworthy offerings. Museum ABC from The Metropolitan Museum of Art, for example, announces "A is for Apple" while, opposite, a full-color spread divided into quadrants presents the evidence with details from Roy Lichtenstein's Red Apple, a detail from Paul Cézanne's Apples and two other works from the museum's collection. "N" features the noses of Giorgio de Chirico (a detail from his Self-Portrait) and Nefertari Kneeling in Adoration, a detail from the subject's Egyptian tomb, among others. Back matter provides further information about each artwork. (Little, Brown, $16.95 60p all ages ISBN 0-316-07170-6; Sept.)

Everyday events in a baby's life play out in Baby's Alphabet by Jean Marzollo, photos by Nancy Sheehan. Captioned photos spell out the activities. "All gone!" accompanies a photo of a dirty-faced toddler and his upturned bowl; a photo of baby gesturing from the crib is labeled "Up." The handsize volume features a multicultural cast in crisp, clear snapshots. (Millbrook/Roaring Brook, $12.95 32p ages 1-3 ISBN 0-7613-1643-4; Aug.)