Cool New Books for June
June's roundup of cool new books includes the first entry in Nancy Drew's Super Mystery series, as the famous sleuth continues celebrating her 75th anniversary, and the debut of THE RANGER'S APPRENTICE, a fantasy/adventure series that has been compared favorably to The Lord of the Rings and to Redwall. This month also marks the release of Madonna's fifth book for children, Wendelin Van Draanen's fourth Shredderman novel, and HOVER CAR RACER, an action-packed series of techno-thrillers by New York Times bestselling author Matthew Reilly. All eight installments of this series were available in 2004 on Reilly's website as a free e-book, which was featured on both Kidsreads.com and Teenreads.com.
Chapter Books
 CRASH COURSE: Hover Car Racer, Book 1
Matthew Reilly
illustrated by Pablo Raimondi
Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
ISBN: 1416902252
Ages 10-up
224 pages
Jason Chaser, a 14-year-old hover car racing phenom, is ready to take the world by storm. His first stop though is the prestigious International Race School, where he has to match skill and will against tyrannical instructors, sabotaged equipment, and the planet's best teenage fliers. Among them are Jason's hometown rival Barnaby Becker; American Ariel Piper, the first girl ever to be accepted into race school; and a mysterious driver in black, who never seems to lose.
All eight installments of this high-octane series were available in 2004 on Matthew Reilly's website as a free e-book, which was featured on both Kidsreads.com and Teenreads.com.
 DIARY OF A FAIRY GODMOTHER
Esme Raji Codell
Hyperion Books for Children
ISBN: 0786809655
Ages 9-12
176 pages
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Hunky Dory can make flowers wilt like wet spaghetti, she can make thunder rumble like a whale's bellyache, and she can turn any prince into a frog --- but she always changes them back. Her interest in wishcraft over witchcraft gets her kicked out of charm school, where she was at the top of her class. Now she is determined to follow her heart and become a fairy godmother. But how will she go about doing this?
 THE EMERALD WAND OF OZ
Sherwood Smith
illustrated by William Stout
HarperCollins
ISBN: 0060296070
Ages 8-up
272 pages
Meet Em and Dori, two modern-day descendants of Dorothy Gale who follow in her famous footsteps to the magical land of Oz. But this is a new Oz, different in many ways from how it was when Dorothy traveled down the yellow brick road. Strange dark clouds hover over the Emerald City, Princess Ozma and her people are under an evil spell cast by Bastinda --- the new Wicked Witch of the West --- and Dorothy is nowhere to be found! It is up to Em and Dori to reverse the spell and save the people of Oz. But to do that they must get hold of the magic wand used to cast it --- a wand that belongs to the wicked witch!
 THE LIBERATION OF GABRIEL KING
K. L. Going
G. P. Putnam's Sons
ISBN: 039923991X
Ages 8-12
192 pages
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Gabriel King is afraid of everything: spiders, the rope swing over the lake --- and most of all, going to fifth grade. Frita Wilson, his best friend, decides that Gabriel needs some liberating from his fears, so they make a list and plan to tackle each fear. But one of the reasons Frita is so determined to help Gabe is that she needs his help too. Hollowell, Georgia in 1976 isn't exactly the most integrated place, and Frita is the only black student in a school whose town has an active Ku Klux Klan.
 PERMANENT ROSE
Hilary McKay
Margaret K. McElderry Books/Simon & Schuster
ISBN: 1416903720
Ages 8-12
240 pages
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In this companion to SAFFY'S ANGEL and INDIGO'S STAR, eight-year-old Rose takes center stage in the chaotic Casson household.
Eldest daughter Caddy is now engaged to Michael, and she's not so sure she likes it. Saffy and Sarah are on a mission to find Saffy's biological father. Indigo is cautiously beginning a friendship with a reformed bully, who wants so much to feel like part of the Casson family. While desperately missing Tom (who none of them have heard from), Rose enters into a life of crime, shoplifting small items until her misadventures nearly bring disaster. An accidental trip to London and a visit with Rose's father lead to a startling revelation, and Rose finds that there may be a way for her to see Tom.
 THE RANGER'S APPRENTICE
BOOK ONE: THE RUINS OF GORLAN
John Flanagan
Philomel Books
ISBN: 0399244549
Ages 8-12
256 pages
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The villagers believe that the Rangers --- with their dark cloaks and shadowy ways --- practice magic that makes them invisible to ordinary people. And now 15-year-old Will, always small for his age, has been chosen as a Ranger's apprentice. What he doesn't yet realize is that the Rangers are the protectors of the kingdom. Highly trained in the skills of battle and surveillance, they fight the battles before the battles reach the people. And as Will is about to learn, there is a large battle brewing. The exiled Morgarath, Lord of the Mountains of Rain and Night, is gathering his forces for an attack on the kingdom. This time, he will not be denied…
 SHREDDERMAN: ENEMY SPY
Wendelin Van Draanen
Knopf
ISBN: 0375823549
Ages 7-10
192 pages
Shredderman.com just made the national news, and everyone is talking about the new cyber-superhero. But now people are dying to know who is behind the website, and reporters are snooping all over Cedar Valley. Nolan's parents and even his sidekick, Mr. Green, think he should lay low for a while. But being Shredderman is the best thing that's ever happened to Nolan. It's so much better than being Byrd-the-Nerd. Plus, Nolan has just stumbled across what might be a real spy-ring! How can Shredderman not try to fight it?
 SOUL STEALER: The Alchemist's Son Part II
Martin Booth
Little, Brown and Company
ISBN: 0316155918
Ages 8-12
256 pages
In this riveting sequel to DOCTOR ILLUMINATUS, siblings Pip and Tim once again come to the aid of Sebastian, a medieval alchemist's son who has awakened from a centuries-long slumber and now finds himself face-to-face with a grand and terrifying evil. Appearing in disguise, another enemy of Sebastian's father has emerged from the past with a deadly plan: to get a hold of Gerbert d'Aurillac's ancient book of spells and use it to steal the souls of millions. As Sebastian talks to them about the secrets of alchemy and spells, Pip and Tim still must rely on quick wit and courage when a school field trip seems destined to turn into a nuclear disaster.
 WHERE'S NANCY?
Nancy Drew: Girl Detective Super Mystery #1
Carolyn Keene
Aladdin Paperbacks
ISBN: 1416900349
Ages 8-12
176 pages
Nancy Drew was right in the middle of an investigation when she suddenly vanished. Poof. Just like that. So now Bess, Ned, and George have the Case of the Missing Teen Detective on their hands. They've worked with Nancy on lots of cases, but they never had to crack those cases by themselves. Unfortunately the stakes have never been as high as they are right now. Bess, Ned, and George must draw on all the lessons they've learned from Nancy in order to solve this most baffling mystery.
Picture Books
 D IS FOR DAHL: A Gloriumptious A-Z Guide to the World of Roald Dahl
Wendy Cooling
illustrated by Quentin Blake
Viking Children's Books
ISBN: 0670060232
Ages 8-12
160 pages
Did you know that Roald Dahl loved chocolate, but never ate spaghetti? Or that he was a terrible speller? Or that he had four sisters? D IS FOR DAHL is an A to Z collection of facts, trivia, and zany details that bring Roald Dahl and his memorable characters to life. Filled with Quentin Blake's illustrations plus black and white photos, each spread is filled with information about the creator of Willie Wonka, James, and Matilda --- from his family tree to the exact type of pencil he used to write his stories.
 LOTSA DE CASHA
Madonna
illustrated by Rui Paes
Callaway Editions
ISBN: 0670058882
Ages 4-8
48 pages
Lotsa de Casha is the richest, and most miserable, man in the world. No matter how colossal his castles, how fast his horses, or how big his sandwiches, he remains a gloomy old sourpuss --- until he embarks on a fantastic adventure that leads him to the discovery of life's greatest treasure.
 NEW YORK, NEW YORK!: The Big Apple from A to Z
Laura Krauss Melmed
illustrated by Frane Lessac
HarperCollins
ISBN: 0060548746
Ages 6-up
48 pages
New York City (aka the Big Apple and the city that never sleeps) has something to offer everyone, from A to Z. Come visit the American Museum of Natural History and see prehistoric Animals, get a Bird's-eye view of the Brooklyn Bridge, and check out Central Park in this alphabetical tour from bestselling duo Laura Krauss Melmed and Frané Lessac, who brought us CAPITAL! WASHINGTON D.C. FROM A TO Z.
 REACHING FOR THE MOON
Buzz Aldrin
illustrated by Wendell Minor
HarperCollins
ISBN: 0060554452
Ages 6-9
40 pages
On July 20, 1969, Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong made their historic Apollo II Moon walk and became the first two humans to set foot on another world. With historically accurate paintings by artist Wendell Minor, Buzz Aldrin takes readers on an incredible journey that allowed him to achieve a dream that many believed was out of reach.
 SAVING THE LIBERTY BELL
Megan McDonald
illustrated by Marsha Gray Carrington
Atheneum/A Richard Jackson Book
ISBN: 0689851677
Ages 5-8
32 pages
Eleven-year-old John Jacob Mickley and his father were in the city of Philadelphia in 1777 when the Great Bell began ringing from atop the State House to warn the citizens that the Redcoats were coming. And indeed they did. The British stole any metal they could get their hands on in order to make more weapons --- and the ultimate prize was the Great Bell itself. But the clever Pensylvanians (yes, the word was spelled like that then) had other plans for keeping the Bell safe from the British.
 THE SERPENT CAME TO GLOUCESTER
M.T. Anderson
illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline
Candlewick Press
ISBN: 0763620386
Ages 6-10
40 pages
In a small Massachusetts fishing village in August 1817, dozens of citizens claimed to have seen an enormous sea serpent swimming off the coast. Terrified at first, the people of Gloucester eventually became quite accustomed to their new neighbor. Adventure seekers came from miles around to study the serpent and aggressively hunt it down, but the creature managed to avoid getting captured. The Gloucester sea serpent was then, and remains now, a complete mystery.
Award-winning author M.T. Anderson and illustrator Bagram Ibatoulline recount this exhilarating sea adventure through the eyes of a little boy who secretly hopes for the serpent's survival.
--- Compiled and written by Tom Donadio
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