What do you do when you’re a princess and none of your suitors suits you? Princess Patricia Priscilla is turning 16 and she’s bored, bored, bored and not at all looking forward to her birthday ball, where she’ll have to select a suitor. There’s not a Prince Charming in the bunch. Duke Desmond of Dyspepsia has a face like a warthog, an odd tuft of copper-colored hair and huge, crooked brown teeth. Prince Percival of Pustula has serious dandruff and hair slicked with foul-smelling oil. And Colin and Cuthbert the Conjoint are attached together, so do they count as one suitor or two?

In a tale that plays on Cinderella and The Prince and the Pauper, the princess finds a fine way to relieve the boredom of her pampered existence—trade clothes with her chambermaid, become a peasant and go to school in the village. She loves school and her handsome young schoolmaster, who, not knowing her true identity, tells her she ought to train to become a schoolteacher herself. The princess learns the ways of the commoners and eventually involves them all in her big day, with hilarious results.

Readers with a princess in their lives will enjoy this high-spirited and charming tale of trading places, mistaken identities and long-lost siblings. Add to the mix a hard-of-hearing queen; an 80-year-old serving boy; and identical triplet kitchen maids who sing in three-part harmony—that is, until they meet Colin and Cuthbert and sing with them in five-part harmony—and you have another winner from Lowry, the two-time Newbery Medal winner who will deliver the 2011 Arbuthnot Honor Lecture.

Jules Feiffer’s trademark cartoonish illustrations heighten the whimsy and bring the cast of eccentric and lovable characters to quirky life in lines that somehow evoke the full range of character and emotion. The Birthday Ball is a happily-ever-after tale of a princess learning to take charge of her life, and laughter and surprises are in store for lucky readers.

Ketchvar III has a job to do, and it isn’t easy; he’s an alien from the faraway planet of Sandoval who has come to Planet Earth to evaluate its inhabitants for the Galactic Federation. This isn’t some purely anthropological expedition, either. The lives of Earth’s entire human population hang in the balance, as Ketchvar’s experience will determine whether they’re worth saving—or annihilating. The outlook isn’t good, since Earth’s dominant species don’t appear to be doing a very good job as caretakers of their planet

The inhabitants of Sandoval resemble another earth creature—specifically, a snail—and the Federation’s superior technology has enabled Ketchvar to take over the body of a randomly selected human to conduct his analysis. That random selection happens to be one Tom Filber, a 14-year-old boy from an astonishingly dysfunctional family, the butt of jokes and the designated target of every bully at his junior high school.

At least that’s how Stuck on Earth, David Klass’ new novel for young readers, starts out. There are a lot of silly interactions between the befuddled Ketchvar, his hormone-infused host and the people he comes in contact with. They already think Tom is weird (his nickname is “Alien“), but they aren’t prepared when Ketchvar takes things to a new level. But then, Klass slyly takes the reader to a new level, turning this sci-fi romp on its ear by suggesting that what’s happening, however silly, is real—but not for reasons you’d expect.

Klass deftly weaves a story of growing up, environmentalism, the girl next door, human nature and all-powerful alien beings in a strikingly original way. Stuck on Earth manages to be hilarious, thoughtful and poignant, and there are plot twists you won’t anticipate; it’s got an ending that will leave you wondering, to boot. Don’t miss this entertaining novel.

James Neal Webb works with an alien species called “college students” at a university library.

I am not usually one for stories about parallel universes, but for Frances O’Roark Dowell’s new book, I must make an exception. In Falling In, sixth grader Isabelle Bean, even while dwelling in this world, lives in a world of her own. Raised by her orphaned parents, Isabelle has no relatives and no siblings. And since her father left when she was three, hers is a particularly small family. Isabelle lives in a world of intense imagination and curiosity, and her classmates find her oddly supernatural. She is a listener, observer and wonderer. Though she has no friends and does not fit in, she has not given up hope of finding her place in the world.

It’s not a big surprise to a dreamy person like Isabelle to open a closet door and find herself tumbling into a land that is nothing like the land of school and spelling tests and mean girls. She is greeted in this strange new place with wariness and suspicion by children who wonder if she could be the child-eating witch who is terrorizing their villages. Isabelle listens to their stories of camps filled with fearful children and decides to strike out on her own. Hunger and cold force her into an alliance—and then a friendship with others.

Isabelle’s story is a joy to read, complete with gentle side chats from the author to keep the pace quick. Little by little, the story unfolds of Isabelle’s traveling buddy Hen and the unusual older woman, Grete, who takes them in. The reader is an active participant in the tale, wondering who Grete really is, if she is a danger, if the girls are being lured to their death, and why Hen is not more worried about her little brothers and sisters in the woods. All these questions are mixed with Isabelle’s musings about whether she is a changeling and if Grete might be her real mother.

Dowell weaves a rich, accessible tale that works on many levels. On one hand, it’s an exciting, often humorous adventure about falling into a world of mystery and folklore. Deeper, it’s a mixture of fairy tale (is Grete really the witch from Hansel and Gretel?) and the mythology of fairies, changelings and other magical creatures. Deeper still, it’s the universal story of a girl, trying to find what she is meant to be. Never heavy, filled with humor and insight, Falling In is an enchanting story and a perfect choice for mother-daughter book clubs.

Robin Smith is a second grade teacher in Nashville.

A trip down memory lane is just the gift for readers who love children’s books. Noted authors Eileen and Jerry Spinelli weave together quotations from a wide variety of children’s books and follow each quote with explanatory information and questions to push the reader forward. Something like a page-a-day calendar, Today I Will also notes the birthdates of many authors and luminaries.

For instance, on October 27, a quote from Theodore by Frank Keating celebrates Teddy Roosevelt’s special day: “It is always better to be an original than an imitation.” The authors follow the quote with seven sentences about being a “one-of-a-kind creation” and a resolution to do something that is “pure me.” On March 2, Dr. Seuss’ birthday, they quote from a book by Kathleen Krull about the beloved author. “Once upon a time, there lived a boy who feasted on books and was wild about animals. . . . All in all, he excelled at fooling around.” Perfect.

The Spinellis must be voracious readers and quotation collectors because the quotes are pulled from many sources. Authors include young adult icons Chris Crutcher and Laurie Halse Anderson; old favorites E.B. White, Laura Ingalls Wilder and Frances Hodgson Burnett; and poets like Naomi Shihab Nye and Helen Frost.

While inspirational, this handsome volume will be appreciated more by readers who want to remember books read long ago and be inspired to find ones missed along the way. I now have a considerable list of books I need to find, all inspired by the Spinellis’ beautiful reflections.

Robin Smith is always on the lookout for new children’s books to share with the second graders in her Nashville classroom.

The first things about the cover of The Doll Shop Downstairs that catch a reader’s eye are the delicate illustrations and sweet title. Below the old-fashioned lettering, a girl clad in a plaid dress and apron cradles a doll amid paintbrushes, spindles of cloth and a turn-of-the-century cash register. It’s not only a book cover but a window on the charming story that follows.

Anna Breittlemann, the nine-year-old narrator, loves the porcelain dolls her father and mother mend in their New York City shop. She especially loves a dark-haired beauty, despite its missing foot and cracked arm. Sharing Anna’s love of dolls are her two sisters, each of whom has her own favorite. Together, they have tea parties and cope with the economic effects of the start of World War I.

But what happens when the dolls’ owners are ready to take them back home and away from the girls? That source of anxiety for Anna is only dwarfed by her family’s money troubles, which Anna and her sisters ingeniously help their parents solve. It seems, though, that all the ingenuity in the world won’t help them keep the dolls they’ve loved for months.

Yona Zeldis McDonough gently evokes a now-lost world with her portrayal of a loving family of doll-menders in New York's Lower East Side. Young readers will enjoy vicariously living above the shop in a brownstone walk-up, sleeping overnight on a rooftop to cool off in pre-AC summer heat and paying a penny for candy at the neighborhood newsstand.

Heather Maione's period illustrations complement the text and create a nice bridge for children moving from picture to chapter books. Together with the story, which celebrates simplicity and resourcefulness, they remind the reader of the possibilities that scraps of cloth and ribbon can create.

The images of immigrant family life in a New York long since past and an industry now nearly forgotten are strengths that make The Doll Shop Downstairs a welcome addition to the shelves of yesteryear- and doll-loving youngsters alike.

Aniko Nagy is a bookseller and freelance writer in Boston.

Orphaned stray dogs Bone and his sister, Squirrel, are left to fend for themselves in the great outdoors, not knowing where their next meal will come from. These two survivors have a strong sense of family—that is, until fate separates the two and Bone is left, alone and scared, to find a new home.

Bone’s canine adventures are only one of a trio of tales that make up Ann M. Martin’s latest book for middle grade readers. In alternating chapters, we are introduced to young Henry—who wants a dog so badly that he asks for a dog, and everything for a dog, on each year’s Christmas list. And then there’s Charlie, who loses his brother and finds companionship and solace with his own dog—until tragedy strikes again.

Each well-paced story is interesting enough to propel readers into the book, wanting to know what’s next for Bone, Henry and Charlie. Chapters shift back and forth among the three—until the story takes an interesting and unexpected turn, intertwining the three main characters.

It’s hard enough to write one solid and satisfying story with well-drawn characters. It’s even harder still to write three. Toughest of all, perhaps, is weaving those three tales together seamlessly. But that’s exactly what Martin manages in a novel that explores the themes of survival, companionship, family and the importance of home.

By the end of the book, readers gain greater insights into Bone, Henry and Charlie—and how those themes impact them all and change their lives, mostly for the better. To be sure, there is plenty of harsh realism (among them, hunters, hunger and loss), but Martin’s compassion for canines is at its best here—leading to a satisfying and entirely believable ending.

Dog owner Martin is also author of the critically acclaimed A Dog’s Life, and she’s truly found her niche with animal stories that are both touching and compelling. Fellow dog lovers—and even those without a penchant for pets—are sure to share her compassion for Bone, Henry, Charlie and the entire cast.

Freelance writer and former children’s librarian Sharon Verbeten lives in De Pere, Wisconsin, where she is one of the few people in her neighborhood without a dog.

At first glance, the intriguing title and cover illustration will pique readers’ curiosity about the eponymous pachyderm of The Magician’s Elephant. Once inside, however, that intrigue builds immediately, as Kate DiCamillo—in her eloquent, yet understated, prose—unveils the book’s suspense-filled theme. From page one, readers are transported to the market square in Baltese, some 200 years ago. There they follow 10-year-old Peter Augustus Duchene, a poor orphan who spends his last coin on a fortune teller, seeking the answer to one question—whatever became of his long-thought-dead sister?

The fortune teller reveals that his sister is alive and advises Peter, in enigmatic soothsayer fashion, to “follow the elephant” to find out more. The puzzled boy begins his quest to unravel the fortune teller’s meaning.

When a magician’s trick goes awry, an elephant is sent crashing through the roof of an opera house, disabling a town noblewoman. This spectacular event proves fortuitous for Peter and the rest of the town, who become inexplicably drawn to the elephant—a vessel, of sorts, through which they channel their hopes, dreams and wishes. Soon, a chain of events—some mundane, some amazing—results in a simple but impeccably well-told tale about belief, wonder and making the extraordinary come true.

Newbery Award winner DiCamillo has long been a word virtuoso, and this novel solidifies that role. Everything about this story is masterful. The prose is remarkably simple, with underpinnings of delicious dry humor. Yoko Tanaka’s illustrations have a soft Chris Van Allsburg-esque quality, which lend atmosphere to the tale.

The Magician’s Elephant is a well-paced fable about following the ever-elusive truth— a truth that is “forever changing,” as the beggar in the book observes. At its most ambitious, it’s also a haunting analogy of belonging—whether man or beast, rich or poor, beggar or countess, we all just want to be home, to be loved, to belong.

Former children’s librarian Sharon Verbeten is right at home with a husband and toddler, but no mysterious elephants, in De Pere, Wisconsin.

Mac Slater isn’t cool or popular, and he doesn’t care. But after attempting to jump over a group of kids in a flying bicycle, he is approached by the creators of the “Coolhunters” website about the possibility of becoming a coolhunter. Mac doesn’t think he knows what cool is, but he agrees to join the contest when he learns that winning the job will earn him a trip to New York from his home in Kings Bay, Australia.

The very hip Cat Devrees is also up for the title, and Mac’s initial attempts to outcool the coolest teen in town don’t go very well. An unyielding competitor, Cat is the obvious choice for the position; Mac appears to be just a small obstacle as she seeks to claim her prize. To compete, the two teens seek out what they think is cool and post their ideas online. The person with the most online votes will win the job.

The website creators gamble on Mac in the hopes that he’s so uncool he’s cool. Mac isn’t so sure, so he has to test himself and consider: Is “cool” found in new products and fashions and trends, or is “cool” something a little more elusive? Through seeking cool, Mac learns a few lessons about himself—and who he really aspires to be.

Kids searching for a place in what seems to be the strictly coded world of cool versus uncool will find hope and a new life outlook in Mac Slater Hunts the Cool. The novel is a refreshing and irreverent take on the underdog protagonist seeking and reaching new heights. And while Mac Slater is an obvious choice for boys, it will appeal to girls, too, because the themes are relevant to kids everywhere.

Emily Booth Masters reviews from Nashville, Tennessee.

“The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious,” said Albert Einstein, and that’s exactly what 12-year-old Miranda has. In fact, her whole story is a mystery. Readers know from page one that Miranda is telling this story to someone in particular. She narrates the story and stops every now and then to address the unknown person: “Just like you said” or “You asked me to mention the key.” Then there’s Sal, Miranda’s best friend—only friend, actually—who is hit in the stomach and face on the way home from school one day, and that ends their friendship, but we don’t know why that should be. And Miranda begins finding mysterious notes that say things like, “I am coming to save your friend’s life, and my own” and “The trip is a difficult one. I will not be myself when I reach you.” The notes indicate that she is being watched and that whoever is writing them knows about things before they happen.

The book’s cover gathers some of the clues: a key, a shoe, a two dollar bill, a mailbox with a person’s shadow extending from it (but there’s no person), a green coat, a book, a sack of bread. All of these things play into the story, though readers will just have to keep reading if they don’t understand everything right away. They can trust Rebecca Stead’s masterful plotting. She sprinkles clues, and readers must collect them along the way, as Miranda does.

In the midst of all the mysteriousness is an expertly crafted realistic story perfect for intermediate readers. The setting—New York City’s Upper West Side in 1979—is well drawn, and Miranda’s mother lets her navigate the streets of her neighborhood, teaching her to avoid those older boys hanging out and that mysterious laughing man always saying crazy things.

What could be better: a great setting, believable characters and a mystery deftly woven by a fine writer. This is a book to be reckoned with come Newbery season.

Dean Schneider teaches middle school English in Nashville.

According to my records, I have read The Wizard of Oz 17 times. That’s a conservative estimate and doesn’t count the number of times I heard the book read aloud when I was a child. I have defended L. Frank Baum’s work from detractors who find it didactic or flat, and I have watched the eyes of more than 300 second-graders as they absorb the story of Dorothy and her adventures.

Grace Lin’s latest book, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, is part Chinese legend, part Zen storytelling, part feminist-inspired folktale and many parts Oz. My list of “things that are just like Oz” includes: a girl on a journey for a magical being, a friend who needs help, a brick road, cliffhanger chapter endings, old-fashioned full-color illustrations and a dramatic tone. But, despite my long list, Lin’s adventure story reads like an homage to Oz rather than a story derived from it.

Our heroine, Minli, spends her family’s hard-earned money on a goldfish that is supposed to change their fortune. Ma is the keeper of the money, and she complains constantly about her family’s impoverished state. The stories of the talking goldfish inspire Minli to set out on a journey to Never-Ending Mountain, where she will ask the Old Man in the Moon for help.

Following the traditions of the hero myth, Lin portrays Minli as she travels far from home, carrying items that end up being important for her survival. She meets a magical and beloved dragon companion who helps her see what is really important. She meets and overcomes challenges and has to complete her mission alone. And, in the end, Minli learns what she is supposed to learn. Every character in the story changes and grows during the time that Minli is away.

My future second-graders are going to love Minli and her stories when I read this book to them next year. They will see the similarities to Oz, but that will only make the story better for them. Suspenseful without being scary, complex without being complicated, this spirited tale of self-discovery and fate has a little something for every reader.

Robin Smith shares Oz and other stories with her second-grade class in Nashville.