Spring is bursting forth with new buds, birds and books! We’ve got some new series and
stand-alone titles by popular authors for those emerging readers who have been working hard all
year in school and are ready for chapter
books full of mystery, humor, fantasy and fun!
Big Bad Detective Agency by Bruce Hale (120 pages). More than a fractured fairy tale, this is a
mystery based on the Three Little Pigs. The Big Bad Wolf has been unjustly
accused of ransacking cottages and teams up with a fourth Little Pig to clear his name. Hale is author of the
tongue-in-cheek Chet Gecko mystery series for children (Hiss Me Deadly, From
Russia with Lunch).
Emma and the Blue Genie by Cornelia Funke (90 pages) Best known in the U.S. for her popular
juvenile Inkheart novels, Funke earlier penned this tale of a young girl who
discovers a bottle with –abracadabra! - a genie inside it. Unfortunately this genie has had his wishing-granting
nose ring stolen by the evil genie Sahim.
Emma, her dog Tristan, and Karim (who still retains some magic) head via flying carpet for Barakash,
where Sahim now rules, to recover the nose ring and free the city's caliph and
citizens. A fast paced adventure with exotic yet familiar tropes to introduce
readers to Arabian folklore and fantasy.
Rescue on the Oregon Trail by Kate Messner (125 pages).
A
time-traveling golden retriever named Ranger stars in this magic-tinged first
book in the Ranger in Time series. While
digging in his yard for a bone, Ranger finds a first aid kit that is actually a
time travelling device. Transported back
in time to the Oregon Trail during the 1850's, Ranger joins and helps a family heading
west on the historic route. Possessed
with both human and animal wisdom, Ranger is torn between his new pioneer
family and his original owner. However,
we can be sure that Ranger will be travelling to other times and saving those in need.
Lucy Longwhiskers Gets Lost by Daisy Meadows (112 pages).
What could be more attractive to young girls who like to read about Rainbow
Fairies? Magic Animal Friends, of
course. Meadows, the author the hugely
popular
Rainbow Magic Fairy series, now gives us a somewhat simpler chapter
book series following the adventures in the Friendship Forest of both humans
and animals. Another sweet (but not magical) animal series newly published here in the U.S. is the
Pet Rescue series by Holly Webb.
Public School Superhero by James Patterson (273 pages). For elementary school fans of
JamesPatterson’s I Funny &
Middle School the Worst Years of my Life, a new antihero
: Stainless Steel! In real life, 6th
grader Kenny Wright attends an inner-city school with all its attendant
problems, but his unflagging imagination gives him the super powers to deal
with the usual middle school issues and then some. Periodic comic pages and strips keep the mood
upbeat.
The
Witch series by Ruth Chew (120 pages). This mildly scary series, originally written
in the 1970s, has been reissued with attractive updated covers and
illustrations. Each story involves
different pair of children as they encounter magic in their everyday lives and
ultimately a not too frightening witch.
Secrets Beneath the Sea by Janet Gurtler (284
pages). Four “Tails” in one book. In the Mermaid Kingdom, three young mermaid girls have the same problems
as their land based counterparts. Issues
of friendship, loyalty and secrets help elevate this light series while
engaging readers who think mermaids are just as splendid as princesses.
Justine by Lawrence Durrell (1957) Set in Alexandria Egypt on the eve of World War II, this
is the story of a doomed love affair between a struggling British writer and
the Jewish wife of an Egyptian banker. It’s
known for its beautifully crafted language, and creative structure and style. It
has been praised by both readers and critics. Justine is the first volume of the author’s Alexandria quartet which
also includes Balthazar, Mountolive and Clea.
Our Kind of Traitor by John LeCarré (2010) The author ratchets up the tension step-by-step in this accessible Russian Mafia spy thriller which focuses on the powerful, equivocal position of money launderers in the new world order.
