Lulu's Mysterious Mission by Judith Viorst

The 'difficult' Lulu returns, but now her parents have hired a babysitter! According to Lulu, eeny meeny miney mo, that babysitter's got to go. However, Lulu has met her match in Ms. Sonia Sofia Solinsky. A giant battle of wills commences, but can Lulu and Ms. Solinsky learn to work together?

Lulu's personality and Kevin Cornell's wonderful illustrations make Lulu's Mysterious Mission a great book for young readers and their parents. My seven-year-old boy read Lulu on his own, and my six-year-old loved it as we read aloud together. This makes another great addition to the world of easy readers.

Recommended ages--4 and up

Second Star by Alyssa B. Sheinmel

Wendy Darling is responsible-a straight A student heading for Stanford in the fall. But during the summer following graduation, Wendy is haunted by her missing brothers. When pieces of John and Michael's ruined surf boards show up on the beach, Wendy's parents give up hope, but Wendy believes her brothers are still out there. Her search leads her to Kensington beach, a surfing haven populated by runaways that live and breathe surfing. Drawn by their charismatic leader Pete, Wendy joins their carefree life of catching the next wave. However, she finds herself caught between Pete, his rival Jas, and the lies they tell about her brothers.

In fairy tale retellings, I look for creativity. How close can the author stay to the original story while also creating something entirely new? Peter Pan is one of my favorite fairy tales, so I was skeptical about Second Star . A surf-themed love triangle between Wendy, Peter Pan, and Captain Hook was intriguing, but seemed a little far-fetched. However, I was pleasantly surprised. Alyssa Sheinmel captures the magic of Peter Pan in a contemporary setting devoid of any actual magic. Her characters hold true to the forever young Peter, responsible Wendy, jealous Tinkerbell, and bad boy Hook (she takes some liberties with Hook, but in an acceptable way). The conflict is new, but lends itself well to most elements of the original Peter Pan story. Sheinmel also manages a love triangle free from sex or preoccupation with sex. Conservative readers should be aware this isn't an innocent and childlike Peter Pan. There are edgier, teenage elements to the plot, but the story remains appropriate for older teens who enjoy both contemporary novels and fairy tales.

Recommended ages-15 and up

Fire and Hemlock by Diana Wynne Jones

Nineteen-year-old Polly Whitacker has two sets of childhood memories. One childhood is normal and uneventful. In her other set of memories, Polly shares an unusual friendship with Thomas Lynn, a mysterious cellist. Together, Polly and Tom imagine stories of heroic adventures which seem to come to life. Characters they create turn out to be living exactly where they imagine them. To save Thomas Lynn, Polly must fight to protect her memories and her friend from the magic trying to destroy them.

On one level, Fire and Hemlock is an intriguing urban fantasy for tween and teen readers. Polly and Tom are fun characters that share a magical and mysterious friendship. Their adventures where imagination and reality mingle create a compelling story. However, on a deeper level, Fire and Hemlock is also a treasure for mythology and classic literature lovers. Diana Wynne Jones turns a simple children's story into an urban fantasy Odyssey. She draws from Thomas the Rhymer, Tam Lin, The Snow Queen, Snow White, The Odyssey, and other classic myths and stories. From whichever level you choose to read, Fire and Hemlock is a magical story for a variety of ages.

Recommended ages-12 and up