ShareThisAre your kids looking for some good new novels to read? Try one of these:
Readers will be captivated by both the protagonist and the story in "Marcelo in the Real World" (Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic, $17.99). In this book for teens, author Francisco X. Stork details what happens when 17-year-old Marcelo, whose life has been defined by his Asperger-like condition, gets a taste of "the real world" when he accedes to his father's demands to work in his law firm for the summer.
Both Marcelo and his father get way more than they expected, as Marcelo learns unsavory truths about his father's work that could jeopardize his father's future -- and his own. Readers will find Marcelo a compelling character as he describes what it's like to constantly strive to interpret human emotions that his condition makes it hard to fathom.
Reminiscent of "The London Eye Mystery" by Siobhan Dowd, "Marcelo in the Real World" falters a bit in the end as Stork's pacing wobbles. But this is a quibble: overall, "Marcelo in the Real World" is one of those rare books you'll want to read in one sitting because you just can't put it down. (Ages 12 up).
Philippa Pearce may have been one of the greatest children's authors of the 20th Century, but her work, including her masterpiece, "Tom's Midnight Garden," remains too little known in the United States. Perhaps Pearce's last book, the just-published "A Finder's Magic" (Candlewick Press, $15.99), can rectify that situation.
Pearce wrote "A Finder's Magic" for her two grandsons and asked their other grandmother, the much-acclaimed children's book artist Helen Craig, to illustrate it.
Pearce died in 2006, just as Craig began work on the illustrations. But Pearce's daughter, Sally Christie, says in a brief note at the book's beginning that her mother "would have loved the result...." And so will readers who pick up this wonderful, fable-like story that begins with a young boy named Till, whose beloved dog Bess has mysteriously disappeared.
Fortunately, Till encounters a Finder, an elderly man whose magic eventually brings the book to a happy conclusion. Pearce's story, which takes place over the course of one day, is filled with whimsy and enchantment. Craig's line drawings and watercolor illustrations brings alive the grandeur -- and the coziness -- of the English countryside. (Ages 6-10).
Thirteen-year-old Jason is less than thrilled when he's forced to travel to St. Petersburg, Fla., to join his dad, who is getting ready to sell his mother's house. For one thing, Jason hardly knew his grandmother; for another, visiting Florida in the summer is like heading into a hot oven. On top of that, Jason is worried that his family is about to split up, and his father's strange behavior in Florida doesn't do anything to soothe his worries.
In "The Postcard" (Little Brown, $5.99), author Tony Abbott tells what happens when Jason unexpectedly uncovers a mystery-within-a-mystery that takes him all over St. Petersburg in a search for a missing piece of his family's history. Along the way, Jason develops a friendship with a local girl named Dia who helps him muster the courage and savvy to solve the case.
Best known for his "Secrets of Droon" fantasy series for younger readers, Abbott has produced a complex, engrossing mystery that will keep readers turning the pages. It's no surprise that "The Postcard" won the Edgar Award this year for best juvenile mystery -- this is a book that will appeal to many young readers. (Ages 8-12).
Here are a few other good choices:
A bag lady who's actually a genie helps Janna learn about life's real treasures in "The Genie Scheme" (McElderry Books/Simon & Schuster, $15.99). Kids who enjoy this engaging novel also will enjoy author Kimberly Jones' much-praised first book, "Sand Dollar Summer," just out in paperback (Aladdin/Simon & Schuster, $5.99). Both books are great for ages 8-12.
Kids who love funny books will love the "Horrid Henry" series by Francesca Simon. First published more than a decade ago in Great Britain, the books have been repackaged by Jabberwocky/Sourcebooks publishers with bright new covers each spotlighting a glowering Henry.
Each of the books is comprised of four short chapters, which makes them perfect for readers who are just ready for chapter books. Simon's hilariously dead-pan text is wonderfully complemented by Tony Ross's illustrations, which comically capture the consequences of Henry's horridness. Books in the series cost $4.99 each and include: "Horrid Henry," "Horrid Henry and the Mega-Mean Machine," "Horrid Henry's Stinkbomb" and "Horrid Henry Tricks the Tooth Fairy." (Ages 6-10).
(Karen MacPherson, the children's/teen librarian at the Takoma Park, Md., Library, can be reached at Kam.Macpherson(at)gmail.co
CHILDREN'S CORNER
