Magnus Chase has been on the run for quite some time, ever since one mysterious night, two years ago, when an explosion killed his mother. Left homeless and alone in Boston, he’s become adept at surviving the toughest of circumstances, and for any other teenage protagonist, doing so would be enough to drive the narrative. But this is a novel by Rick Riordan, author of such myth-inspired, best-selling series as Percy Jackson and the Olympians, the Kane Chronicles and the Heroes of Olympus. Like those previous stories, Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Sword of Summer is inspired by mythology—this time the stories of the Norse gods.

The first installment in a planned trilogy, Riordan’s latest is fast-paced and full of action. Only in a world built by Riordan would a character turn 16, summon a sword so powerful it has a soul, then go to battle with a fire-wielding, flame-throwing Lord of Muspellheim—all within the first four chapters. Magnus is on a quest to find out who he is and how he can save the world. Whether he’s checking in at Hotel Valhalla, convincing a Valkyrie to go deep-sea fishing for Jormungand the World Serpent or trekking through the Nine Worlds, Magnus has the miraculous ability to stay one step ahead of disaster.

As irreverent as he is witty, Magnus is a delightfully crafted character who endears himself to the reader from the very first page.

Gary Paulsen has long been beckoned by nature, and throughout This Side of Wild, he recounts numerous tales from his decades of outdoor adventures. The one constant throughout this collection of short, true-life stories is Paulsen's ever-evolving and maturing relationship with the animals he both raises at home and encounters out in the wild, all of whom seem to know far more than humans assume.

In select snippets from his lifetime of interacting with animals, Paulsen describes preparing to dogsled the Iditarod through the Alaskan wilderness and facing off with a murder of smart, mischievous ravens. He writes reverently about a dog named Gretchen that figured out her own special means of communication and then trained her human companions how to speak it. And he affectionately honors the sickly, nine-pound toy poodle that once saved his life from an overly curious grizzly bear lurking near his own backyard.

Famously known for his YA novel Hatchet, the three-time Newbery Honor Award winner Paulsen reflects on his 70-plus years of living with, among and through animals in This Side of Wild. And all the while, his keen observations encourage readers to reflect on the “humanity” and wisdom of the animal kingdom’s creatures, both the domesticated and the wild. The writing perhaps ventures into the land of the slightly mystical, but for anyone who’s ever grown close with an animal, the connection is undeniably real.

Suzy has just started seventh grade when she realizes she’s become invisible—not really invisible, but close enough—by being very quiet.

She hasn’t said one word since her best friend, Franny, died while swimming in the ocean, a tragedy that didn’t reach Suzy for two whole days. The girls had grown apart in the months before the accident; actually, Franny had done all the growing apart. Franny used to love hearing Suzy spouting facts, but all that changed, and the newly boy-crazy Franny dumped Suzy for the popular girls. Both girls behaved badly in the fallout, one spitting and the other sabotaging a locker with disks of frozen pee. Yes, pee.

Now that Franny’s gone, Suzy digs for answers. How could an excellent swimmer like Franny have drowned? Why would Suzy’s mother throw up her hands with a “sometimes things just happen”? Suzy is determined to get to the bottom of her friend’s death, and everything points to venomous jellyfish. As Suzy learns, people are stung by jellyfish 23 times every five seconds. When Suzy tries to sneak off and visit a jellyfish expert in Australia, the plan—and Suzy’s silence—comes apart.

Ali Benjamin’s debut novel surprises with a mix of schoolgirl drama and profundity after the loss of a friend. It convincingly and positively explores issues of divorced parents and gay siblings, adding greater depth to an already important novel.

Billie B. Little is the Founding Director of Discovery Center at Murfree Spring, a hands-on museum in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

A reader could not ask for a more charming pair than Diva and Flea, from the gifted storytelling team of Mo Willems and Tony DiTerlizzi. Both Diva and Flea live in Paris, but their lives differ greatly: Flea is a street cat with a sense of humor, while Diva is a little dog with a big sense of duty and slightly shaky nerves. What adventures await these new friends?

Willems, best known for the Pigeon (Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!) and the Elephant and Piggie series, has a talent for bold, funny stories with poignant messages. DiTerlizzi, co-creator of the Spiderwick Chronicles, is known for his captivating, detailed illustrations. As a team, they tell a story that is quirky and sweet, enchanting and funny. Willems chooses words and clever phrases that appeal to children, but also add literary flair and absurdity for older readers. DiTerlizzi’s familiar style captures the sights of Paris, giving us a peek into Parisian life. French words interspersed throughout add an exotic flair (and up the book's educational ante), and the portrayal of everyday human trappings (the subway, coffee shops) viewed through animal eyes will have readers smiling at their bizarre take on our world.

Short chapters make The Story of Diva and Flea accessible for independent readers moving into longer, more involved books, and beautiful illustrations will make it a treasured favorite. Readers young and old will be enchanted by these two new friends as they help each other learn and grow, side by side.

Steve’s family has just welcomed a new baby, so all should be well. But it isn’t. The baby—who disconcertingly remains unnamed for many pages—is very ill, with an undisclosed congenital disorder, so his parents are constantly worried, stressed and distracted. It isn’t until young Steve begins to have inexplicable and surreal dreams that his life begins to change . . . not necessarily for the better.

The “angels” in his dreams tell Steve they can help the baby; all he needs to do is say yes to them. It sounds simple enough, but as his dreams take a sinister and unexplainable turn, Steve starts to question what is real and what is imagined.

The angels morph into wasps, which hatch a creepy plan to replace baby Theo with a new, healthy baby. But there are costs, and Steve soon decides he must try to thwart them. The story comes to a dizzyingly scary climax in a page-turner older children and even adults won’t be able to put down.

To say this book has “buzz” is both a pun and an understatement. The combination of a Printz Award-winning author and Caldecott Award-winning artist is synchronicity at its best. Jon Klassen is a master of dark illustrations, so his spare, creepy illustrations set the tone for Kenneth Oppel’s intensely creative text.

Comparisons to Neil Gaiman abound, placing Oppel securely in the realm of the master of Gothic and atmospheric tales. This is one scary—yet in its own way, touching—book. Readers will want to see more from this author, but they’ll never look at a wasp in the same way again.

The Doldrums is a whirlwind of an eccentric adventure tale centered on Archer B. Helmsley, the 11-year-old grandson of a pair of world-famous explorers thought to have disappeared on an Antarctic iceberg. He lives with his parents in his grandparents’ museum-like home, brimming with artifacts from their travels, including a stuffed ostrich, badger and giraffe that Archer occasionally talks to. Archer is bored and lonely; his overprotective mother barely lets him out of the house, fearing that her son has inherited the dangerous wandering genes of his forebears.

And indeed he has.

Luckily, the virtually imprisoned Archer discovers two trusty sidekicks: neighbor Oliver Glub and Adelaide Belmont, who has just moved from Paris with her wooden leg, reportedly the result of an unfortunate encounter with a crocodile.

Archer notices many mysterious details surrounding his grandparents, including mysterious trunks of belongings delivered by a man with an eye patch. As a result, he remains hopeful that his relatives are still alive, and of course decides to investigate for himself.

First-time novelist Nicholas Gannon has created a lavish, fun-filled romp that’s complemented by delightfully detailed full-color and black-and-white illustrations. Fans of Polly Horvath’s Everything on a Waffle and Lemony Snicket books are likely to be attracted to this novel with its likable young heroes and a cast of suspicious and nervous-Nelly adults. However, readers may ultimately be disappointed that there’s a lot more planning and plotting than actual adventure. The trio never makes it to the Antarctic, although absolute chaos erupts in the final wild scenes set in a museum, including tigers on the loose.

Fantasy lovers proceed with caution when publishers promise a book will be “the next Harry Potter,” as so many new titles given that moniker ultimately disappoint. But Lauren Oliver’s latest—billed as co-written by the shadowy H.C. Chester—may be the closest thing to another Potter book to hit shelves in a long time.

Of course, that depends on what aspects of Harry’s adventures attract a reader most. There are no epic battles between good and evil here; instead, four children with unusual abilities live in a place where magical goings-on (both real and faked) suffuse their daily existence. The scene is 1930s New York City, and Pippa the mind reader, Sam the strong man and Thomas the extraordinarily foldable boy have lived in Mr. Dumfrey's Dime Museum of Freaks, Oddities, and Wonders for as long as they can remember. They’ve recently been joined by knife thrower Max (don’t call her Mackenzie!), as well as by Dumfrey's strangest attraction yet, a shriveled and ugly object purporting to be a famous shrunken head. The head draws much-needed crowds to the museum, but when it disappears—and everyone associated with it starts turning up dead—the four children decide to investigate. As in Rowling’s classic stories, details planted in unsuspecting places turn out to be important clues for solving the mystery.

Best of all, Curiosity House: The Shrunken Head is the first in a planned series—so watch for more humor, friendship, marvels and magical adventures coming soon.

Jill Ratzan matches readers with books in a small library in southeastern Pennsylvania.

In her previous novel, the Newbery Medal-winning The One and Only Ivan, Katherine Applegate tackled issues of animal welfare while offering readers the opportunity to expand what they typically expect from traditional storytelling. In Crenshaw, Applegate once again tackles big issues with plenty of heart and humor.

Almost-fifth-grader Jackson literally can’t believe his eyes when he sees a giant, smart-alecky cat. Again. The last time he saw his “imaginary friend” Crenshaw, Jackson was just a little kid, and his family was going through some pretty tough times—so tough that they had to live in their minivan for a while. Now Crenshaw is back—but so are Jackson’s family’s money problems.

As Jackson’s parents try to make ends meet, Jackson struggles to figure out what Crenshaw’s reappearance means and how Jackson can help his family finally tell each other the truth.

Despite the fact that one of its central characters is a giant talking cat, Crenshaw is a surprisingly somber book at times, with a so- phisticated narrative structure that shifts back and forth in Jackson’s life story. By adding elements of fantasy and whimsy, however, Applegate is able to address issues such as poverty and food insecurity in a way that kids will respond to, perhaps thinking about their friends and neighbors—or, like Jackson, even themselves—with greater sympathy, generosity and understanding.

This article was originally published in the October 2015 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Margi Preus has a remarkable ability to create fascinating, page-turning stories that transport young readers to faraway times and places. Whether she’s evoking Norway during World War II or 19th-century Japan, Preus combines impeccable research with strong characterization and plot—the very elements that draw readers into history and spark the curiosity to learn more.

Fans of her Newbery Honor-winning Heart of a Samurai will be delighted to discover that Manjiro (based on the historical figure of Nakahama Manjiro) also appears in Preus’ new novel, The Bamboo Sword. The actual Manjiro was rescued from a shipwreck at age 14 by an American whaling ship and spent time in America before re- turning to Japan. Although initially arrested, he was released shortly before Commodore Matthew Perry arrived in Edo Bay in the summer of 1853, and as the only Japa- nese with firsthand knowledge of English and Westerners, he was an important figure in the opening of Japan to the West.

In The Bamboo Sword, readers experience the arrival of those first strange ships through the eyes of a fictional 13-year-old servant boy named Yoshi, who harbors the dream of becoming a samurai himself, a path not open to someone of his class. But events conspire to put a sword into Yoshi’s hand and to intertwine his fate with both Manjiro and a young member of the U.S. expedition, Jack Sullivan, inspired loosely by pioneering war correspondent and photographer Timothy O’Sullivan.

With its compelling story, block prints, historical photographs, glossary and substantive author’s note, The Bamboo Sword is historical fiction at its best.

Deborah Hopkinson lives near Portland, Oregon. Her most recent book for young readers is Courage & Defiance.

This article was originally published in the October 2015 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

BookPage Children's Top Pick, October 2015

With one action, Daniel Ellsberg became the most celebrated, most reviled and most dangerous man in America. Most Dangerous, by award-winning author Steve Sheinkin, tells the story of how Ellsberg, an unknown government analyst, compiled and then released 20 years of governmental records, reports and documents about the Vietnam War. These became known as the Pentagon Papers, revealing deception that ran across four presidencies and forever altered the way the American public viewed politicians.

Sheinkin once again offers a story that is compelling and eminently readable, while also being informative and immaculately researched. Labeled at the time as “the greatest story of the century,” this exposure of the Vietnam War—and the fallout from the release of the Pentagon Papers—has now been relegated to a dry chapter in history books. With themes of patriotism, free speech, honesty and power, Most Dangerous draws readers into this pivotal moment in American history and shows them how one act of bravery, or treason, can change everything.

This article was originally published in the October 2015 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Sisterly bonds are often far-reaching, but in Melanie Crowder’s A Nearer Moon, that sibling union transcends worlds.

This hauntingly beautiful fantasy unfolds through two storylines. The first takes place on a swampy Earth-like planet where stilt houses are connected by swinging bridges. Danger lurks just below the still surface of the marsh, and anyone who swallows the water is cursed, doomed to die in 21 days. Luna and her younger sister, Willow, are boating in the eerie fen, having a great and joyous time and refusing to let the ominous atmosphere spoil their fun. But when a swamp monster tips the boat, water splashes into Willow’s open mouth, and thus begins Luna’s quest to save her sister.

The other storyline follows twin water sprites, sisters who can sense each other through the thumping of their hearts, whether near or far. In the old days, sprites populated the world and shared their magic with people. But humans’ mining has created a hostile environment for the sprites, and they must leave Earth through a magic door to a new world. However, one of the twins fails to make it through the door and is left behind.

The real magic of this tale lies in how the storylines intertwine, through the unbreakable ties between the sets of sisters.

Debut novelist Kevin Sands is off to a roaring good start with The Blackthorn Key, which unfolds during six consecutive springtime days in 1665 London. Historical settings can be a bit off-putting to a young reader—they’re generally convinced that it’s going to be too “historical,” and without technology, how exciting can it be? But Sands imbues the story with all the realities of 17th-century England and still keeps the pace tripping along.

Christopher Rowe is an apprentice to an apothecary named Benedict Blackthorn, and after the horrors of the orphanage, Christopher is eager to learn and please his benefactor. Blackthorn, recognizing his young student’s potential, teaches him everything from chemistry and Latin to church history and cryptography. It’s well that he does, as Christopher will need all his wits and knowledge to solve the mystery of the murdered apothecaries happening around him.

Full of codes and puzzles, action and adventure, trials of friendship and growing up, the lurking menace of murderers and secret societies, The Blackthorn Key is not easy to put down. Some descriptions of murders and other injuries may not be suitable to a reader as young as 8, but it won’t bother older children. Sands doesn't leave the story hanging—thankfully—but readers will hope he writes another book soon.

Jennifer Bruer Kitchel is the librarian for a Pre-K through 8th level Catholic school.

Ten-year-old Christa Adams has a problem. Her parents are making the disastrous mistake of selling the family cabin in Wisconsin’s north woods, where Christa has spent every summer of her life. In the past, she might have had help reasoning with her parents from her sister, Amelia—but she’s been replaced by Amelia-the-Princess, who only seems to care about texting and tanning. Luckily for Christa, her new friend Alex might have a solution buried in his family’s past.

Alex’s family has moved to Hayward to help his grandfather run the family restaurant, Clarks Pizza. Clarks is famous for its glory days in the 1920s, when it was known as Clarks Fine Dining, and Al Capone himself would do business from his regular table. Most of Hayward believes the rumors about the Clarks, that they hid a chunk of Capone’s loot and Grandpa Clark knows where it is. If Christa and Alex—and their adventuring alter egos, Chase Truegood and Buck Punch—find Capone’s loot, Christa can save her family’s summer home.

Finders Keepers is infused with the magic of summer but also the bittersweet realities of growth and change, as Christa learns to see her family differently and to separate their priceless memories from the cabin itself. Christa is funny, confident and every inch a tomboy. Alex is shy and smart, but with a healthy dose of 11-year-old cheek. Their realistic friendship—and Christa’s passion for the Northwoods—captures the instant nostalgia of childhood summers and makes Finders Keepers a perfect escape from the school year.