Many Happy Returns

Popular story lines continue in new novels this summer and fall. As in her previous novels, Chill Wind and Spellbound, Janet McDonald brings the dreams and personal battles of the Hillbrook Houses residents to life with Twists and Turns. This time, she focuses on Keeba and Teesha, two sisters who have just graduated from high school and have no solid plans for the future. When the girls decide to open a hair-braiding business, they discover that making a profit is more difficult than they had expected. The author offers an even balance of hardship and humor as the determined teens combat their many obstacles. (FSG/Foster, $16 144p ages 12-up ISBN 0-374-39955-7; Aug.)

In Stefan's Story, the sequel to Carolina Crow Girl, Valerie Hobbs reintroduces nature lovers Carolina and her paraplegic friend Stefan as they cross the bridge to adolescence, this time from Stefan's point of view. When the teens reunite in Oregon for the wedding of Carolina's mother, Stefan's feelings for Carolina start moving past friendship, but Carolina seemingly is smitten with another. Meanwhile, the timber company of Carolina's stepfather threatens to destroy an ancient forest—as well as the peace in Carolina's household. (FSG/Foster, $16 176p ages 10-up ISBN 0-374-37240-3; Aug.)

In Truly Winnie by Jennifer Richard Jacobson, illus. by Alissa Imre Geis, the heroine and her friends Zoe and Vanessa—first met in Winnie Dancing on Her Own (about which, PW said, "the author demonstrates her intimate knowledge of elementary school dynamics")—are off to overnight camp. Once again, Winnie worries that she will be "odd girl out," and seemingly with good reason: Zoe and Vanessa are assigned to the same tent, Winnie is not. But the situation presents as many opportunities as drawbacks. (Houghton, $15 144p ages 7-10 ISBN 0-618-28008-1; Aug.)

The ninth book about the Hatford boys and the Malloy girls, Boys in Control by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, finds Eddie Malloy and Jake Hatford gearing up for a championship baseball game on the same day that Mrs. Hatford is slated to run a yard sale. Meanwhile, the Malloy girls find some embarrassing photos from the boys' past, but Wally Hatford finds a way to regain the upper hand. (Delacorte, $15.95 144p ages 9-12 ISBN 0-385-32740-4; Sept.)

Back to Basics

Everyone's favorite teacher from the Magic School Bus leads a host of new titles that educate and entertain. In the second entry in a new historical series (the first was Ancient Egypt), Ms. Frizzle's Adventures: Medieval Castle by Joanna Cole, illus. by Bruce Degen, the wacky instructor whisks reluctant student Arnold back in time to a 12th-century English castle. Humor peppers historical details as they learn about life within the castle—and withstand a siege. (Scholastic, $15.95 40p ages 6-9 ISBN 0-590-10820-4; Aug.)

The creators of Into the A, B, Sea: An Ocean Alphabet bring their talents to an attractive new counting book, One Nighttime Sea: An Ocean Counting Rhyme by Deborah Lee Rose, illus. by Steve Jenkins. "All night long, while you are asleep, millions of sea creatures move through the deep!" begins the lyrical text. Through Jenkins's signature cut-paper collage artwork, readers view the ocean creatures that come out at night, among them dragonfish, moray eels and spider crabs. (Scholastic, $16.95 40p ages 3-8 ISBN 0-439-33906-5; Aug.)

Jane Yolen and her son, Jason Stemple, team up for their third collaboration in poetry and photos, Least Things: Poems About Small Natures. Tiny creatures such as tree frogs and grasshoppers come to light through the most economical of forms—haiku—as in this ode to the hummingbird: "Do hummingbirds dream/ Of soaring on eagle wings?/ Just for a moment." A few sentences of factual information follow each poem, and a full-bleed spread highlights a crisply realistic photo in this handsomely designed volume. (Boyds Mills/Wordsong, $17.95 32p ages 10-12 ISBN 1-59078-098-1; Sept.)

The oversize picture book (roughly 11"×14") Maisy's Rainbow Dream by Lucy Cousins takes children into a fantastical dream with all the colors of the rainbow. As Maisy dreams of a red ladybug, an orange fish and more, she invites her friends—and readers—to come along to see large, funny, dreamlike images, such as a green bus perched on the back of a golden snail or a fish with legs. The enormous trim can barely contain the exuberance of the cheerful mouse and bold rainbow colors. (Candlewick, $16.99 32p ages 2-up ISBN 0-7636-2195-1; Sept.)

Adding to his collections of deities from Ancient Norse, Ancient Maya and Ancient Egypt, Leonard Everett Fisher now introduces 17 of the most powerful in China: The Gods and Goddesses of Ancient China. From Nüwa, the part-woman, part-drag0n Goddess of Humankind, to Sun Wukong, the God of Mischief who is also known as "the Monkey King," Fisher briefly describes a fascinating array of characters that shaped ancient Chinese mythology. (Holiday, $16.95 40p ages 6-10 ISBN 0-8234-1694-1; Aug.)

From Ambulance to Zamboni, Alphabeep: A Zipping, Zooming ABC by Debora Pearson, illus. by Edward Miller, zips, zooms, beeps and vrooooms its way through the streets of a noisy town, introducing an alphabet of vehicles (Q is for quarry excavator). Bouncy read-aloud text that brim with metaphors (the quarry excavator "gnaws apart a tower of rubble, dropping rocks like crumbs") plus bold graphic illustrations bring the busy cars, trucks and trains to life. (Holiday, $16.95 40p ages 3-6 ISBN 0-8234-1722-0; Aug.)

In Jeepers Creepers: A Monstrous ABC by Laura Leuck, illus. by David Parkins, 26 monsters, from unlovely Ann the alligator to Zelda (who's "tall and getting taller") introduce the alphabet. They all gather at the end to look at the book their teacher is reading, where they spot a really freaky-looking character—you! (Chronicle, $15.95 28p ages 2-4 ISBN 0-8118-3509-X; Aug.)

The paper-over-board ABC Dog by Connie Sharar, with photos by Dennis Mosner, showcases 25 dog breeds ("Zero dog breeds begin with the letter z"). The pups assume many poses, from "Chihuahuas Cha-cha-cha-ing" to a Jack Russell—in-the-box to a "Weimaraner Wedding." The small format works well for little paws. (Dutton, $7.99 32p ages 3-up ISBN 0-525-47150-2; Sept.)

The fun of K Is for Kissing a Cool Kangaroo by Giles Andreae emanates from Guy Parker-Rees's renderings of an exuberantly silly animal world. All kinds of ABC-themed things pop up in his artwork. For "B is for busy and big bumblebee" he not only shows the plump bee in flight, but also a boat filled with a bull, bear, bucket, ball, and a beaver holding a balloon which is threatened by the bee's stinger. (Scholastic/Orchard, $15.95 32p ages 2-6 ISBN 0-439-53126-8; Aug.)

Hands-On!

The Flow Motion series of fitness guides for kids uses a sequence of photos that captures the entire flow of movement to teach a sport or exercise. Detailed step-by-step descriptions of how to do each exercise accompany the photos. Flow Motion: Fitness for Young People by Simon Frost teaches exercises designed to increase strength and endurance and improve coordination, including squat thrust push-ups and lunge steps, ball abdominal crunches and more. Skateboarding by Ben Powell illustrates beginner and intermediate tricks plus advanced maneuvers (ghosted type in the design of each spread indicates which section readers are in, for easy browsing), including powerslides, ollies, half-cab kickflips and more. Yoga for Young People by Liz Lark features classic yoga poses like Cat, Downward Dog and Windmill Twist to provide both relaxation and exercise. (Sterling, $9.95 each paper 96p ages 10 up ISBN 0-8069-9373-1; Skateboarding -9374-X; Yoga 1-4027-0668-5; Aug.)

The Middle School Survival Guide by Arlene Erlbach, illus. by Helen Flook, offers advice on everyday challenges that 10- to 14-year-olds face in school and at home, from difficult teachers and too much homework to changing friendships, sibling wars and the onslaught of puberty. Sensitive discussions touch on such topics as pregnancy and violence, and in each section kids also offer advice on common problems. (Walker, $16.95 160p ages 10-14 ISBN 0-8027-8852-1; $8.95 paper -7657-4; Aug.)

The titular Wizard from The Book of Wizard Crafts and The Book of Wizard Parties now instructs kids on how to create some magic of their own, with The Book of Wizard Magic by Janice Eaton Kilby and Terry Taylor, illus. by Linda Burnett. This jacketed, foam-covered collection of tips and tricks illuminates favorite illusions and sleights of hand, such as the "Disappearing Magic Ring Trick" and the "Levitated Salt Shaker" and each section ends with a "Show Stopper," such as the "Mysterious Card that Rises to the Occasion." Cartoony illustrations show the Wizard working his magic, while step-by-step diagrams help readers to try their hand. (Sterling/Lark, $19.95 144p ages 8-12 ISBN 1-57990-345-2; Aug.)

For more down-to-earth youngsters, Klutz's spiral-bound Velvet Art: Create Fabulous Fuzzy Masterpieces by Barbara Kane features coloring pages with raised black flocking, allowing budding artists to color literally between the lines with 1o markers sealed into a clear pouch on the cover. Velvety pictures of peacocks, space ships, mermaids and more morph into frames, bookmarks and greeting cards. (Scholastic/Klutz, $19.95 10p and 10 art boards ages 6-up ISBN 1-59174-259-5; Aug.)