New Books for Kids

Barry, Dave and Ridley Pearson. Peter and the Sword of Mercy ($19) to be signed Nov 4

The year is 1901--it's been twenty-three years since Peter and the Lost Boys returned from Rundoon. Since then, nobody on the island has grown a day older, and the Lost Boys continue their friendship with the Mollusk tribe, and their rivalry with Captain Hook. Meanwhile in London, Molly has married George Darling and is raising three children: Wendy, Michael, and John. One night a visitor appears at her door; it's James, one of Peter's original Lost Boys. He is now working for Scotland Yard and suspects that the heir to England's throne, Prince Albert Edward, is under the influence of shadow creatures...

Cashore, Kristin. Fire ($18)

She is the last of her kind... It is not a peaceful time in the Dells. In King City, the young King Nash is clinging to the throne, while rebel lords in the north and south build armies to unseat him. War is coming. And the mountains and forest are filled with spies and thieves. This is where Fire lives, a girl whose beauty is impossibly irresistible and who can control the minds of everyone around her.
Exquisitely romantic, this companion to the highly praised Graceling has an entirely new cast of characters, save for one person who plays a pivotal role in both books. You don't need to have read Graceling to love Fire. But if you haven't, you'll be dying to read it next.

Collins, Suzanne. Catching Fire ($18)

This is the follow-up to one of the best books I have ever read, The Hunger Games and I was not disappointing

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.

Delaney, Joseph. Clash of the Demons, The Last Apprentice book 6 ($18)

"You can't make alliances with witches and suchlike and hope to avoid being drawn toward the dark."
As the Spook's apprentice, Thomas Ward's first duty is to protect the County from ghosts, boggarts, and other dangerous creatures. But now his mother has come back from her homeland to seek his help. One of the most dangerous of the old witches, Ordeen, is about to return to earth, bringing with her suffering and devastation. Tom's mother has mustered a powerful army-including Tom's friend Alice, the Pendle witches, and the assassin Grimalkin-to confront Ordeen. If Tom joins them, the Spook will refuse to take Tom back as his apprentice. What sacrifices will be made in the battle against the dark?

Grabenstein, Chris. Hanging Hill ($17)

The follow up to The Crossroads that won Chris a 2009 ANTHONY AWARD for best Children's/Young Adult Novel.

This second book featuring the intrepid Zack and his stepmother, Judy, is full of the same humorous and spine-tingling storytelling that has made Chris Grabenstein a fast favorite with young and old alike.

Stewart, Trenton Lee. The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey ($7)

The Mysterious Benedict Society is back with a new mission, significantly closer to home. After reuniting for a celebratory scavenger hunt, Reynie, Kate, Sticky, and Constance are forced to go on an unexpected search--a search to find Mr. Benedict. It seems that while he was preparing the kids' adventure, he stepped right into a trap orchestrated by his evil twin Mr. Curtain.

With only one week to find a captured Mr. Benedict, the gifted foursome faces their greatest challenge of all--a challenge that will reinforce the reasons they were brought together in the first place and will require them to fight for the very namesake that united them.

Stocker, Bram. Dracula ($30)

Beware: This cool book is too scary for young readers.

In this lavish version of Bram Stoker's Gothic tale, contemporary language and illustrations, similar to those found in graphic novels, transport readers back to Transylvania's Carpathian Mountains, where young Jonathan Harker first meets the Count, then on to Victorian London where Dracula unleashes his reign of terror on Harker's fiancée, Mina. Brooding images and dramatic 3-D scenes rise from the pages as the evil Count Dracula works his sinister spells on a new generation. Reluctant readers, horror fans, and pop-up collectors will marvel as Dracula, the world's most popular and feared vampire, literally jumps off the page in search of victims. With multiple interactive elements on every page, readers will undoubtedly shriek as they watch a cemetery's mist inch toward them, and, just when they've caught their breath, try to keep in the sunlight as a stake is finally plunged into the heart of the villain. A superb example of paper engineering, this classic pop-up tale offers an interactive, blood-curdling experience while remaining true to the author's original version.

And for the young adventurer:
Young, Judy. The Hidden Bestiary of Marvelous, Mysterious, and (Maybe Even) Magical Creatures ($17)

The Deepening: "Delightful, The Hidden Bestiary by Judy Young, is an adventure, an exploration, and a series of visual puzzles set to marvelous prose, all rolled into a wonderful, exquisitely produced volume guaranteed to enchant both young and old. I shared it with my "test" kids, ages four through thirteen, and "enthralled" is the word. They each couldn't wait to get to hold the book themselves and page through it, looking at all there was to see. And the discussion throughout between the kids was great...