Wide- Awake Princess, Fairy Tales, Enchantment, Novel

THE WIDE-AWAKE PRINCESS By: E.D. Baker
Princess Annie is the younger sister Princess Gwen. Annie has know special powers, for the fairies made sure no magical powers could touch her. Her sister is the most beautiful princess in the land and has a curse upon her from one of the fairies. When she is sixteen she will prick her finger on a spinning wheel and sleep for a hundred years. (Sleeping Beauty) So goes this enchanting story of Annie, trying to get a prince to wake up her sister. Along the way she stumbles on other familiar fairy tales. The book is very clever and a humorous read. Ages 10-14 $16.99 Bloomsbury

Three Balck Swans, Twins?, Mystery

THREE BLACK SWANS By: Caroline B. Cooney
Missy and Claire are cousins and best friends.
They are only two months apart in age and
spend every weekend together. One day their
science teacher assigns a project. It is supposed to
be a hoax, something that could really happen. Well Missy decides that Claire should come to her school dressed exactly alike and they will tell everyone they are twins. Not only do they look alike, but they are identical. Could they really be twins? The two are video taped and posted on You Tube. Well talk about opening a can of worms. Well I won't tell you anymore, you'll just have to read this book. Fantastic! Ages 12 up $17.99 Delacorte Press

THE OTHER HALF OF MY HEART By: Sundee T. Frazier
Once in a great while a book comes along that sort of jolts you into thinking could this be possible? Keira and Minna are twin daughters of an interracial couple. When the girls are born they even made the news. For Keira is black like Mama and Minna is white like her Daddy. They live in the Pacific Northwest and are best of friends. Then their African American grandmother wants to enter then in the Miss Black Pearl Pre-Teen competition in North Carolina. Minna Finally realizes how different she is in this community. Will they be able to face those differences? Ages 9-12 $16.99 Delacorte Press

Hamster Magic, Humor

HAMSTER MAGIC By: Lynne Jonell
There are four children in this family. One is, let's say the
runt of the family. Celia is sick of being the baby of the'
family. So when they find out they have a a hamster
that can not only talk, but can grant one hamster like
wish, Celia blurts out she wishes she could be big.
Mush to her surprise she is now a giant hamster!
Will she ever be able to be human again? You will
just have to read the book to find out. Ages 6-9
$12.99 Random House books for young readers

Fast and Furriest, humor, boy book

FAST AND THE FURRIEST By: Andy Behrens

Kevin Pugh is 12 years old and he spends most of his time in the basement playing video games and sitting next to his dog Cromwell. Cromwell is part beagle and part coach potato dog. One day he sees a dog show on television and Cromwell goes crazy. He is overweight and hardly moves, but he is determined to do all the things the dog did in the agility competition. Thsi gets Kevin off the coach and in search of a class for Cromwell. His father doesn't want him to do this, he thinks he should play football. Kevin isn't interested. So he goes off and doesn't paly ball the way is parents think. it is extremely funny to read. Ages 9 up $15.99

Cardturner by Louis Sachar, bridge

CARDTURNER By: Louis Sachar
Alton Richards is seventeen years old and a junior in high school. He doesn't have a job or even a girlfriend. So starts his summer driving his blind great-uncle Lester to bridge club four times a week as a cardturner. Because his uncle is blind Alton has to read the cards to him. Alton becomes intrigued by the game and his uncle. (His parents only want him to be nice to his uncle so they will inherit his money when he dies.) Alton wants no part of this ruse. Alton makes friends with a young girl Toni and they both start playing the game. The book has the rules of the game, but the author gives you permission to ignore them if they don't interest you. I found the book heartwarming. Ages 12 up $17.99 Delacorte Press

Guinea Dog, book for boys and girls, humor

GUINEA DOG By: Patrick Jennings
Rufus is in fifth grade and really wants a dog. But his mom buys him a guinea pig instead. This is more than an ordinary pig, he can fetch, bark and even know what you need! Hilarious is the only word to describe this book. I read it to my grandsons and they loved it. Ian was 9 and Daniel was 6 at the time. They recommend this book to everyone who wants to laugh. Ages 8-12 $15.99

Is It Day or Night?, Holocaust, One Thousand Children Foundation

IS IT NIGHT OR DAY? By: Fern Schumer Chapman
We all know about the holocaust and what happened to six million Jews, but this is an extension of that horrific event. The story is about immigration of the One Thousand Children Foundation. This is Edith's story. Raised in Germany in a small village hers was the only Jewish family. Edith is going to be sent to America on an ocean liner alone to Chicago to live with her "Onkle and Aunt". for Ten days she travels with other children that are being rescued by this foundation. When she arrives she isn't welcome. But she promised to be good for her parents and not cause trouble. This is her true story of a time when she had hope her parents would join her in America. Edith's story will make you ache for her and realize how important a hug can be to a child. Please read it, it will change you forever. Ages 11 up $ 16.99 Farrar Straus Giroux