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"Isabelle and the Angel"
(Preschool to age 6)
by Thierry Magnier, illustrated by Georg Hallensleben

What Isabelle likes the best is going to the museum, sitting in a great big red velvet chair, and gazing at her favorite painting. When the boy-cherub in the picture comes to life, the smitten pig is forever changed. "Isabelle and the Angel," originally published in France, is a simple story of the power of beauty and the transformative quality of love. This splendidly quirky book--with gorgeous illustrations by Georg Hallensleben--has heart and soul, truth and beauty. It belongs on the special shelf.

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"Into the A, B, Sea"
(Preschool to age 6)
by Deborah Lee Rose, illustrated by Steve Jenkins

"Swim the ocean waves with me / and dive into the A, B, Sea / where Anemones sting, and Barnacles cling / where Crabs crawl in / and Dolphins spin." This engaging alphabet book makes you want to linger where manatees lumber and narwhals slumber, and your favorite future marine biologist will, too. Illustrator Steve Jenkins uses paper collage to great effect--capturing textures and colors of marine animals and plants with astonishing skill.

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"The Color of My Words"
(Ages 10 and older)
by Lynn Joseph

What 12-year-old Ana Rosa Hernandez wants more than anything is a notepad of her very own. Writing is her passion, but in the Republica Dominicana, "silence was self-defense." When the chilling news arrives that the government wants to buy all the land in the village to build hotels and generate more tourism, people learn what it means to break their silence. Young readers will be inspired by Ana Rosa's drive and talent, warmed by vivid stories of her close-knit family, and moved by those who fight for what's right at the greatest possible cost. This lovely, lyrical book dances the merengue, glimmers with sunshine, and sways with island breezes.

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"Wizzil"
(Ages 4 to 8)
by William Steig, illustrated by Quentin Blake

Wizzil the horrible hag is bored stiff until her parrot not-so-sweetly suggests that she amuse herself by making somebody suffer, specifically the Frimps. Taking the bird's advice, she transmogrifies into a common housefly and zizzes over to Frimp Farm, where Wizzil proceeds to wreak havoc in a wacky sequence of plot twists. British illustrator Quentin Blake's scratchy yet fluid pictures--loaded with as many knee-slapping details as the story--are the perfect accompaniment to "Wizzil," William Steig's silly, romantic tale of the power of love to vaporize mean-spiritedness.

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"There's a Zoo in Room 22"
(Ages 6 to 10)
by Judy Sierra, illustrated by Barney Saltzberg

Miss Darling of room 22 is a very special teacher indeed. When her students ask her if they can have "a truly awesome classroom pet," Miss Darling replies, "Yes! Or better yet, / Let's choose a whole pet alphabet." So, from Amanda Anaconda to the zorilla, room 22 becomes a menagerie of some rather unusual creatures. Judy Sierra, the playful poet behind "Antarctic Antics" and "Counting Crocodiles," strikes gold again. Warning: students everywhere will soon be begging their teachers for pet fleas, vultures, and jaguarundi!

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"So You Want to Be President"
(Ages 8 and older)
by Judith St. George, illustrated by David Small

What's good about being the president of the United States? You have a swimming pool and you never have to take out the garbage. What's bad about it? You always have to be dressed up, people frequently get mad at you, and there's lots of homework. Judith St. George's book about the presidency is lively and witty, yet her underlying purpose is a serious one: to remind kids that the American presidents have been a motley group of individuals, not a row of marble busts. Executive hobbies, sports, virtues, and vices all get a tongue-in-cheek airing, perfectly matched by Caldecott Honor artist David Small's caricatures.

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"The Amber Spyglass"--due to be published on October 10--brings the intrigue of "The Golden Compass" and "The Subtle Knife" to a stunning resolution in the last volume of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials fantasy trilogy. Along with the return of Lyra, Will, Mrs. Coulter, Lord Asriel, Dr. Mary Malone, and Iorek Byrnison the armored bear comes a host of new characters and startling revelations. All the while, war rages with the Kingdom of Heaven, a brutal battle that will finally uncover the secret of Dust.

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With this trio of sturdy, pint-size board books--"My First ABC Book," "My First Number Book," and "My First Word Book"--young scholars can begin toddling down the grand path of knowledge. In each edition, photographs of familiar objects such as balls, ladybugs, teapots, cows, and swimsuits illustrate learning concepts. With this perfect little package, even the tiniest tots can begin to expand their vocabulary and learn to count.

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This deliciously suspenseful novel, the second book in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, is every bit as gripping, imaginative, and creepy as the first; familiar student concerns--fierce rivalry, blush-inducing crushes, pedantic professors--seamlessly intertwine with the bizarre, horrific, fantastical, or just plain funny. New in paperback!

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