PENGUIN AND PUMPKIN

written/illus. by Salina Yoon, (Walker Books, $14.99, ISBN 978-0-8027-3732-8), 40p, Ages 3-5

"It was fall, and very white on the ice, as always—which made Penguin curious." Wondering what warmer climates are like in the fall, Penguin, Bootsy, and friends travel across the ocean on their slowly melting ice flow to a pumpkin farm, finishing the trip by swimming to shore. At the pumpkin patch, everyone finds their perfect pumpkin, except Penguin, who is fascinated with the multicolor leaves falling everywhere. They sail for home in a gigantic hollowed out pumpkin, towing another filled with their pumpkins, leaves, books, blankets, and treasures. Back home, Penguin's gives his little brother not only a pumpkin, but also a special surprise treat. Little ones will enjoy the penguins' traveling attire, their solution to the problem of a dwindling ice flow, and the special treat for a little brother.

QUEST

written/illus. by Aaron Becker, (Candlewick Press, $15.99, ISBN 978-0-7636-6595-1), 40p, Ages 4-8

Expanding on his first award-winning story, Journey, Aaron Becker continues the wordless story of a young girl with a magic red crayon, who draws her way into an enchanting adventure and returns home with a beautiful violet bird to meet a boy with a purple crayon. Quest finds the two children sheltering under a bridge from the rain, when a king emerges from a hidden door, charges them with a quest to defeat his kingdom's enemies, and gives them a map, an orange crayon, and a holster with six crayon chambers. When the king is captured by soldiers, the children draw keys to the door which opens into the realm of Journey. They travel to a submerged Atlantis-type city, Mayan ruins, over a perilous rope bridge, collect crayons in all the colors of the rainbow, and narrowly escape capture. Intricate scenery, elaborate castles, steampunk-type airships, and architectural wonders attest to the artistry of imagination, magic, and fun in a world of adventure and quests.

URBAN OUTLAWS

written by Peter Jay Black, (Bloomsbury, $16.99, ISBN 978-1-61963-400-8), 288p, Ages 9-13

Beneath London streets live five orphan kids, who are dedicated to outsmarting criminals, stealing from the rich, sending secret donations to nonprofits, and performing Random Acts of Kindness (RAKing). With a huge sense of justice, they are the Urban Outlaws—hacker Jack, gadget-crazed Charlie, free runner Slink, communications guru Obi, and decoy whiz Wren. Upon discovering the location of the world's only quantum computer, capable of stealing the world's top secrets, they realize the enormity of their latest quest to destroy it. With the government and ruthless criminals in pursuit, the heroes use high tech gadgets, cunning imagination, guts, and skill to elude danger on their way to saving the world. Kids who love explosive action, cool technology, and characters with a sense of family, justice, and responsibility will love this debut series.

THE EYE OF ZOLTAR

written by Jasper Fforde, (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $16.99, ISBN 978-0-547-73849-9), 304p, Ages 13+

In this third installment of the Chronicles of Kazam, sixteen-year-old Jennifer Strange's eternal optimism is challenged, when she is summoned by the Mighty Shandar and given an ultimatum: Battle against him for the two remaining dragons or find the missing Eye of Zoltar, a power-filled magical jewel. Posing as adventure seeking tourists, Jennifer, along with the wizard Perkins and a spoiled princess travel to Cambrian Empire, a wacky Jeopardy Tourism country, where the estimated chance of survival is 50%. There, along with a daring young guide and unorthodox protector, they encounter licquorice, angel feathers, goats, homing snails, clever economics, the manipulation of a legal system, and battling railroad companies. A secondary mission involves retrieving the Once Magnificent Boo from the Ransom Clearing House, where she is held for illegally transporting a captured Tralfamosaur. Imagination, wit, and hilarity abound with battling wizards, a rubber dragon, Cloud Leviathans, Tralfamosaurs, a Bugatti Royale, and homing snails. Kids who love wackiness, adventure, and quests will eagerly look forward to the fourth installment, Strange and the Wizard.

SEALED WITH A LIE

written by Kat Carlton, (Simon & Schuster, $17.99, ISBN 978-1-4814-0052-7), 256p, 14-18

In Two Lies and a Spy, Kari and her genius seven-year-old brother, Charlie, discover that their parents are traitors, have abandoned them, and they are left to pick up the pieces of their lives. This sequel finds the two adapting to a new life at Generation Interpol, a training center for spies. When enemies kidnap Charlie, Kari is told that in exchange for his life, she is to break a thief out of prison to steal an item from a high security lab. With help from fellow spy, the gorgeous Evan, and loyal friends, they trek across Europe, break into a high-security lab vault, steal a valuable formula, find themselves captured, and encounter their missing parents along with the KBG. Likeable characters, martial art lessons, crafty break-ins, dangerous capers, and a bit of romance create a great page-turner for kids in this second spy thriller.