Queen Anne Books

Oliver Finch has very few friends in Balabad City (it’s basically Kabul), where his father works as a journalist and his mother is an art historian, except for a wealthy Baladi boy and a jolly rug-merchant. When thefts across the country introduce the boys to the secret Brotherhood of Arachosia, and then their friend disappears, they can’t help but get involved. There’s nothing like a summer adventure – kids out solving mysteries their parents wouldn’t want them involved in, a creepy villain out to ruin (or dominate, or whatever) the world, and a resolution that is neat and satisfying. Now put that in the hands of the former AP bureau chief for Pakistan and Afghanistan and you have an even more interesting story. The Middle Eastern setting is handled with a great balance of sensitivity and reality (no preaching and little politics).

Good for ages 9 to 12, or younger as a (great) read-aloud. ~Lillian

I can't resist a gorgeous picture book like this. The adorable characters, a young girl bear and an older bear who could be her grandfather, are so full of life and warmth that they look ready to dance off the page and give you a big hug. Although the publisher's descriptions seem to label the book as a grandchild/grandparent relationship book, I think it works for any special friendship. The story tells how the understanding, love, and support of a special person can help us be ourselves. I love that for all the sunshine and sweetness in the pages, it doesn't over-sweeten: it shows the reality that sometimes we're cranky or sometimes we're selfish, but it also shows how unconditional love helps us past that to our better selves. What a beautiful gift! ~Tegan

I really miss the anticipation and, of course, the reading of a new Harry Potter book so when I saw that Any Which Wall by Laurel Snyder was about "Common Magic" I had to pick it up! Common Magic is the "very best kind of magic and happens to kids just like you (and maybe even the occasional grown-up) when they're paying careful attention."

Friends Henry, Emma, Roy and Susan were spending a long hot summer in rural Iowa trying to keep busy with board games and made-up games such as Don't Touch the Floor. But the summer fun picked up when 6-year-old Emma finally learned to ride her bike and the adventure of a lifetime began when they found a wall in the middle of a cornfield. It wasn't a little wall, but a wall as tall and wide as City Hall. As the kids walked around the wall, Henry found an old skeleton key which, coincidentally, fit a lock in the wall. After some experimentation and unexpected trips, they learned they could wish themselves anywhere there was a wall. On their first real journey they went to King Arthur's castle and met Merlin who, knowing a thing or two about magic, gave them a clue or two about the wall.

This is a terrific and fun book, perfect for a summer vacation where, if you're smart enough, you might be lucky enough to encounter some Common Magic. Ages 8 - 12. ~Patti

I have been a fan of Jarrett Krosoczka's energy-filled picture books for years. I pull out my signed copy of Goodnight, Monkey Boy to giggle more often than a woman of my age probably should. But now I have a new favorite: the Lunch Lady graphic novels! These books are intended for older kids (around ages 7-10, the same audience of Babymouse and Captain Underpants), but I have a feeling adults will enjoy them, too. The heroine, Lunch Lady, protects the kids not just with nutritious lunches, but by using the secret gadgets made by her sidekick Betty: a spatu-copter (yup, a spatula that works like a helicopter), a laptop disguised as a lunch tray, and even a spork phone. Usually I'd say that school lunches are the last thing kids want to think about over the summer, but the hilarious, thrilling Lunch Lady comics should change that this year!~Tegan