THE TOP 10

1. Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly
(Delacorte Books for Young Readers, $19.99, 9780385737630)
“Andi Alpers is a girl lost in a dark labyrinth of depression since the tragic death of her younger brother. A visit to Paris with her estranged father leads Andi to the discovery of a long-lost Revolutionary-era journal and an obsession with the author’s quest to save the life of a young prince. The mix of historical and modern drama creates a gripping tale of two girls, centuries apart, searching for redemption.” — Sandy Scott, The Galaxy Bookshop, Hardwick, VT

2. Snook Alone by Marilyn Nelson, Timothy Basil Ering (Illus.)
(Candlewick, $16.99, 9780763626679)
“Snook Alone is the tale of a beloved rat terrier, the companion of a gentle monk who has been asked to catalog the plant and animal species of their small part of the Indian Ocean. When the two are separated by ferocious weather, Snook must wait out the storm alone. The warmth of affection, the beauty of the Indian Ocean, the wonder of exploration, the tension of waiting — all are captured superbly in this marvel of a picture book.” — Kenny Brechner, Devaney, Doak & Garrett Booksellers, Inc., Farmington, ME

3. Nightshade by Andrea Cremer
(Philomel, $17.99, 9780399254826)
“Just when you thought you had enough of werewolves, along comes Nightshade, which turns the genre on its head. High school cliques take on a new meaning with wolves and their packs. This story is full of twists, suspense, and betrayal. You will be caught between two boys: one human, and one werewolf. The ending will shock you and leave you begging for more!” — Hallie Wilkins, Anderson’s Bookshop, Naperville, IL

4. Zora and Me by Victoria Bond, T.R. Simon
(Candlewick, $16.99, 9780763643003)
“Because I live in Florida and this novel features a young Zora Neale Hurston, I was intrigued, but this book’s charm extends far beyond race and state lines. On one hand it is a great little adventure story, complete with real gators and ghostly soul-stealing Gator Men. But spooky tales pale beside the ugly truths of bigotry and injustice in turn-of-the-century small-town Florida, and murder finds its way to their all-black Eden of Eatonville. Like the best of children’s literature, the lessons of community, love, and pride are found in these pages, wrapped in a riveting story children will remember.” — Leslie Reiner, Inkwood Books, Tampa, FL

5. Linger by Maggie Stiefvater
(Scholastic Press, $17.99, 9780545123280)
“This second book in The Wolves of Mercy Falls series is no less magical than the first, Shiver. Sam is trying to adjust to being a full-time human and the leader of the pack of winter wolves as an early spring thaw occurs. Some of the new members are having problems, and Grace seems to be suffering from the same sort of illness. The sense of a ‘ticking clock’ is prevalent in this book, and the cliffhanger ending will have readers baying at the moon, waiting for the next installment!” — Jackie Blem, Tattered Cover Bookstore, Denver, CO

6. On the Blue Comet by Rosemary Wells, Bagram Ibatoulline (Illus.)
(Candlewick, $16.99, 9780763637224)
“Bring back the trains! Eleven-year-old Oscar falls into an old Lionel electric train set and finds himself actually aboard the Blue Comet train on his way to Chicago! Transferring there to the Golden State Limited, he is on his way to California to find his father, who has gone there to find work. With both humor and suspense, Wells has crafted a fast-paced tale of courage during a time when dreams were about the only things most people owned. A heck of a ride!” — Sue Carita, The Toadstool Bookshop, Milford, NH

7. Extraordinary by Nancy Werlin
(Dial, $17.99, 9780803733725)
“What on the surface is a highly enjoyable story of suspense involving a covert mission of faery siblings and the mysterious debt that must be paid by a human teen, becomes a subtle yet vital examination of dating violence and esteem issues in adolescent girls. This should be on high school reading lists everywhere. Extraordinary, indeed!” — Beth Simpson, Cornerstone Books, Salem, MA

8. Children Make Terrible Pets by Peter Brown
(Little, Brown Young Readers, $16.99, 9780316015486)
“Lucy the bear is so excited when she finds a little boy in the woods! She immediately scoops him up, carries him home, and pleads with her mother to be allowed to keep him. But Mama Bear is not so sure about this arrangement — everyone knows that children make terrible pets! Against her better judgment, Lucy’s mother allows the little critter to stay. Squeaker seems to be the perfect pet, until one day he disappears! Lucy frantically searches high and low until she discovers a house not entirely unlike her own, where Squeaker has a family and — gasp! — a pet of his very own.” — Megan Graves, Hooray for Books!, Alexandria, VA

9. Touch Blue by Cynthia Lord
(Scholastic Press, $16.99, 9780545035316)
“When foster children are sought by families living on a small island off the coast of Maine in an attempt to increase enrollment enough to save their tiny school, 11-year old Tess can’t wait to have a big brother from the mainland. However, Aaron, a young musician, is less than happy to become an island-dweller far from all that he knows. Both have much to learn about change, strength and finding true happiness within themselves.” — Jeanne Snyder, Books & Books, Coral Gables, FL

10. Fat Vampire: A Never Coming of Age Story by Adam Rex
(Balzer + Bray, $16.99, 9780061920905)
“What if you were 15, chubby, and unpopular when you were accidentally turned into a vampire? Suddenly immortality doesn’t sound so hot. How do you get a girl to let you drink her blood? How do you live with the humiliation of drinking from very unsexy farm animals? Do you let the vampire take over? Is that giving up, or just another part of growing up? With numerous mentions that speak to our inner nerds — ComicCon, all kinds of superheroes, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, not to mention ‘The Google’ as a disease – Fat is fantastic!” — Katherine Fergason, Bunch of Grapes Bookstore, Vineyard Haven, MA

See Inside How Things Work has over 60 flaps that reveal the insides of car engines, toilets, escalators, submarines, microwaves, and many, many other machines. Internet links to websites with animations, games and experiments are included. (Ages 7 Years and up)

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