The Magic School Bus Explores the Senses

School Library Journal:Gr 2-5–When Ms. Frizzle drives away from school before receiving an important message, Mr. Wilde, the new assistant principal, hops behind the wheel of the Magic School Bus to catch her. The class jumps aboard, too, knowing full well that only the Friz can handle the bus. When Mr. Wilde flips a mysterious […]

Breakfast At Bloomingdale's

Synopsis: Kat's come to New York City with a dream: to be a big fashion designer and to see her name on a label in Bloomingdale's. Back in Kentucky, she imagined a city paved in Prada . . . but the reality isn't quite so fashionable. Still, there are friends to be made, boys to […]

Into the Mist

School Library Journal: Gr 4-7 -Fans of Patrick Carman's "Land of Elyon" trilogy will be delighted to learn about Roland and Thomas Warvold's unusual and dangerous childhoods in this prequel (Scholastic, 2007) to the series. Their story begins in an orphanage where the brothers are forced to perform manual labor along with the other maltreated […]

Beyond the Valley of Thorns

Kirkus Reviews: Alexa Daley and her father return to the walled city of Bridewell, where Mr. Daley has more strictures for Alexa's behavior than ever. Nevertheless, Alexa leaves Bridewell through its underground tunnels led by Yipes, her tiny companion from Dark Hills Divide. Instructions in a letter from Warvold lead them in a quest to […]

The Tenth City

Synopsis: This is it: the final battle. On one side is the evil Victor Grindall and his horrific leader, the imprisoned Abaddon. On the other side is a girl named Alexa, who holds the fate of Elyon in her hands. If good is to win, Alexa must find a way to overcome the Lonely Sea, […]

The Dark Hills Divide

Publishers Weekly: In his debut fantasy, the launch of the Land of Elyon series, Carman crafts an intriguingly insular world, and introduces a plucky, convincingly curious heroine who yearns to see what lies outside of it. Alexa Daley, 12 years old, lives within the walled kingdom of Elyon with her father, the mayor of Lathbury, […]

Zen Ties

Added to the Lisbon Public Library collection in celebration of the birth of Troy Boissonneault. Synopsis: Summer has arrived — and so has Koo, Stillwater's haiku-speaking young nephew. And when Stillwater encourages Koo, and his friends Addy, Michael, and Karl to help a grouchy old neighbor in need, their efforts are rewarded in unexpected ways. […]