Buglette the Messy Sleeper

written/illus. by Bethanie Deeney Murguia, (Tricycle Press, $15.99, ISBN 978-1-58246-375-9), 32p, Ages 3-6

During the day Buglette is a tidy and clean little bug, but at night her exciting and adventurous dreams result in twisted blankets and tossed pillows. It's hard work building mountains, kicking balls over the moon, and jumping from planes. "Mama Bug sighed. 'I just don't know how we ended up with a messy sleeper. Must have come from your father's side of the family.' " When a crow attacks her sleeping family, Buglette's nighttime adventures give her courage to defeat the enemy and save her ladybug family. This charming short tale of dreaming big, being different, and finding one's courage will please even the littlest dreamer.

Sniffles For Bear

written by Bonny Becker,illus by Kady MacDonald Denton, (Candlewick Press, $16.99, ISBN 978-0-7636-4756-8), 32p, Ages 3-6

Sometimes friendships have their remarkable moments, especially when Bear and Mouse are involved. "Bear was sick, very, very sick. His eyes were red. His snout was red. His throat was sore and gruffly. In fact, Bear was quite sure no one had ever been as sick as he." Sympathetic Mouse listens to his complaining, reads to him, sings, plays a banjo, makes soup, and tries everything to cheer him up. Thinking that Mouse doesn't understand the "gravity of the situation," Bear dictates his will and announces farewell. After a long nap, he feels remarkably better, but Mouse is now sick, and it's Bear's turn to be nursemaid. This funny, dramatic, endearing tale of friendship and selflessness should be in every child's library.

George FLies South

written/illus. by Simon James, (Candlewick Press, $16.99, ISBN 978-0-7636-5724-6), 40p, Ages 4+

When autumn leaves begin to fall, a mother bird encourages her little one to leave the nest and fly south. Due to a fear of flying, George refuses. "I think I like my nest best." While his mother searches for worms, a strong wind lifts George's nest into the air and blows it on top of a car and then to a barge where a cat awaits. Mom follows his progression and continually encourages him to flap his wings and fly. George enjoys the exhilarating ride and wonders if he is headed south. When the nest disintegrates, George finds that his options are eliminated. This charming story about choices, courage, confidence, and growing up should inspire many discussions.

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

adapted/illus. by Jerry Pinkney, (Little, Brown & Co., $16.99, ISBN 978-0-316-05696-0), 40p, Ages 3-6

Jerry Pinkney's rendition of the famous 1806 lullaby features a curious chipmunk, who takes a marvelous journey in an empty robin's nest into the nighttime sky. Transformed into a small boat, the nest sails along until a gust of wind over turns the boat and topples him into a pond. A white swan comes to his rescue and glides the little passenger to a smiling Moon. The beautiful illustrations give a dreamy quality to this timeless classic.

Otis and the Tornado

writtwritten/illus. by Loren Long, (Philomel Books, $17.99, ISBN 978-0-399-25477-2), 40p, Agues 4-7

Otis, the little tractor with a big heart, returns for a new adventure. His friends calf, horse, and the ducks enjoy playing follow-the-leader all summer, but they keep their distance from the angry bull on the farm, until the day of the storm. As a tornado approaches, the family heads for the root cellar, and Otis rounds up the animals and leads them to Mud Creek for safety. Upon hearing the cries of the bull locked in his pen, Otis frantically chugs to the rescue and both seek shelter with the other animals. From then on, the friends have a new playmate. "He flared his nostrils and huffed hot air. But instead of a snarl and a glare, he wore a happy grin and a friendly gaze as he took his place in line with Otis and the little calf in a grand game of follow-the-leader."

The Pied Piper of Hamelin

written by Michael Morpurgo, illus. by Emma Chichester Clark, (Candlewick Press, $16.99, ISBN 978-0-7636-4824-4), 64p, Ages 7-10

The town of Hamelin is plagued with garbage, abandoned children, corrupt officials, and the uncaring wealthy. When rats overrun the town, a mysterious piper offers to rid the rats for a fee. The mayor agrees, and the Pied Piper blows a tune on his silver flute to induce the rats to follow him to the river Weser where they drown. When the mayor reneges on his promise, the Piper takes revenge and lures the children away by playing a tune. In this retelling, the Pied Piper promises to return the children in a year and a day, if the town cleans up the garbage, builds parks and schools, instills fairness and kindness, and eliminates poverty. Finally, the repentant mayor and townsfolk decide to right their wrongdoings. As the narrator explains, "The shantytown and the garbage heaps disappeared first. Soon we had built enough proper houses for every family in town. We laid out the park, built a school. No beggars walked the streets anymore, and the sick and old were lovingly cared for." With themes of morality, social, and environmental issues, this retelling should provide plenty of fuel for discussion.

Secrets At Sea

written by Richard Peck, illus. by Kelly Murphy, (Dial Books for Young Readers, $16.99, ISBN 978-0-8037-3455-5), 256p, Ages 8-12

In 1887 four well-fed mice live a rich life within the walls of the Cranston estate home. Helena and her two sisters and brother find their neat and orderly life disrupted, when the Cranston's decide to sail to England in search of a husband for their awkward older daughter. Stowing away in the luggage, the four learn to overcome their fear of water, avoid the ship's one-eyed cat, maneuver the corridors and decks, and encounter other mice, which are traveling with their human passengers and crew. From one adventure to the next, they hobnob with rodent aristocracy, experience intrigue, discover new careers, and find romance, culminating with a royal wedding. Slapstick comedy, clever wit, and colorful characters all work together to provide a great entertaining read and read-aloud for kids.

Tuesdays at the Castle

written by Jessica Day George, (Bloomsbury Children's Books, $16.99, ISBN 978-1-59990-644-7), 288p, Ages 8-12

11-year-old Princess Celie and her family live at Castle Glower, a whimsical and magical castle that creates, alters, and shifts rooms, stairways, and corridors on Tuesdays. When her parents and oldest brother are ambushed and presumed dead, Celie and her remaining brother and sister fend off a foreign prince, who desires the crown, and treacherous castle Councilors, who seek to overthrow the royals. Having explored and mapped the castle for years, Celie and her siblings play pranks and create obstacles for those who seek to destroy the family. Always protective of Celie, the castle joins in the fun, until it falls under a wicked spell, and only Celie can save her beloved protector and defeat the enemy. Magical transformations, political intrigue, and comical escapades make this charming fantasy a fun adventure in reading.

Floors

written by Patrick Carman, (Scholastic Press, $16.99, ISBN 9778-0-5452-5519-6), 272p, Ages 9-12

10-year-old Leo lives in the basement of New York's Whippet Hotel with his handyman father. A most unusual hotel, each floor has it's own quirky personality, where some floors contain elaborate themed rooms, some are occupied with eccentric guests, while other floors wait to be discovered. When the owner, Mercanzer D. Whippet disappears, the building begins to deteriorate. Kind-hearted and adventurous Leo, sidekick Remi, the new bellboy, and Mercanzer's pumpernickel-eating ducks, follow, decipher, and collect clues. The find four boxes around the hotel, which lead them to puzzle rooms, haunted floors, train rooms, and a duck elevator. When Mercanzer returns, Leo realizes that he and the Whippet have a future beyond imagination. Kids will love this first book and eagerly await the next installment.

The Apothecary

written by Maile Meloy, illus. by Ian Schoenherr, (G.P. Putnam's Sons, $16.99, ISBN 978-0-399-25627-1), 368p, Ages 11+

In the early 1950's during the cold war/McCarthy era, 14-year-old Janie Scott's parents, suspected of being communist sympathizers, flee from Los Angeles to war-torn London. Miserable in a strange country with inadequate living conditions and a new school, Janie's life drastically changes when she meets Benjamin Burrows, the local apothecary's son. After Russian spies kidnap Benjamin's father, the two teens must decipher the apothecary's 700-year-old magical book of elixirs to find him and prevent the Russians from detonating a nuclear bomb. On the run and joined by a teenage pickpocket, they outwit a double agent (their Latin teacher) rescue a Chinese chemist, work with scientists around the world to thwart the detonation, and sample some of the book's fascinating elixirs. From Los Angeles to London to Norway and Russia, cold war politics, international spies, invisibility potions, bird transformations, and truth spells combine to make this a fun and fast-paced read of friendship, family, loyalty, and espionage.

The Son of Neptune

written by Rick Riordan (Hyperion Books, $19.99, ISBN 978-1-4231-4059-7), 544p, Ages 12+

This second installment in the Heroes of Olympus series, Percy Jackson's resurfaces with amnesia, remembering one name from his past: Annabeth. Pursued by gorgons, and rescued by two demigods from the West Coast Roman Camp Jupiter, Percy strikes up a friendship with Hazel Leneseque, daughter of Pluto and Frank Zhang, son of Mars. Together they begin an Alaskan quest to prevent the release of an underworld god. Regaining his memory, Percy realizes that the quest is part of a larger prophesy of seven, which will take them to Rome and eventually Greece. Told in the third person narrative from the three main characters' perspective, this latest installment is an exciting, humorous page-turner, and just a marvelous read.