Magyk by Angie Sage Septimus Heap Book One

In this enjoyable fantasy, Silas Heap, an ordinary wizard, discovers a newborn baby girl on his way home to his own wife and newborn son. When he arrives, the midwife is leaving with his son, who she says is dead. Ten years later, having raised the girl as their daughter, they discover she is the princess who barely escaped death when her mother was killed by the forces of the Supreme Custodian, who now rules the Castle. With the help of the ExtraOrdinary Wizard and a friendly ghost, they escape temporarily, but are pursued by the hunter, who is charged with finding the princess and killing her. With magic, good and evil, and even a dragon boat, there is excitement and several fun plot twists. A great story for fantasy lovers. The audiobook version is narrated by Allan Corduner, who distinguishes between the many characters with ease. Magyk by Angie Sage. Septimus Heap Book One. Recorded Books, 2005.

The Boggart by Susan Cooper

A Boggart is a mischevious spirit that likes to play tricks in this delightful tale by Susan Cooper. It has lived for generations in an old castle in Scotland playing tricks on the various occupants of the castle. When the current occupant, an old man, dies, the castle is inherited by relatives in Canada. After they travel to Scotland to look at the castle and decide what to do about it, the boggart gets trapped in a desk being sent to Canada with some of the castle furniture. Once in Canada, the Boggart begins to play its tricks on the Volkert family, including Emily and Jessup, the two children. When a psychologist begins to blame all the mysterious happenings on Emily creating a poltergiest with psychokinetic energy, things get tricky. It's up to Emily and Jessup to figure out what is going on and how to solve the problem of the Boggart with a decidedly modern day solution. The Boggart by Susan Cooper. Aladdin Paperbacks, 1993.

The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry

The Willoughbys is a delightful parody of an "old-fashioned" story that features cruel parents, plucky children and a resourceful nanny. The four children of the Willoughby family wish they were orphans as their parents ignore and mistreat them so. When the parents decide to take a world trip and sell the house out from under the children, they have to use their resourcefulness to work things out. The book is full of references to "old-fashioned" children and stories a la Anne of Green Gables, Pollyanna, etc. After the obligitory happy ending, Lowry provides a bibliography of "books of the past that are heavy on piteous but appealing orphans, ill-tempered and stingy relative, magnanimous benefactors, and transformations wrought by winsome children." Although I enjoyed it greatly, I felt like I might have missed some of the references to some of said books. A Glossary hilariously defines words that frequently show up in such works like auspicious, irascible, lugubrious, and many more. The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2008.

The Talented Clementine by Sara Pennypacker

Impulsive third-grader Clementine faces a challenge when her school decides to put on a talent show as a fund-raiser. Clementine doesn't believe she has any "talents," at least not ones she can do on stage. She knows her very talented neighbor, Margaret, will have lots of talents to choose from and implores her to help her come up with one. Alas, her efforts, while funny, aren't successful. It isn't until that last minute that Clementine discovers what her "talent" is. The audiobook version features narration by Jessica Almay who gets the irrepressible Clementine down pat. Readers who enjoyed the first Clementine book will enjoy the second book in the series. The Talented Clementine by Sara Pennypacker. Recorded Books, 2007.

Oliver's Travels: An Ohio Adventure by Cynthia Furlong Reynoldss

In this somewhat contrived tale, an intrepid mouse goes exploring the State of Ohio armed with a map on which symbols of the state are drawn. In his adventures, Oliver the mouse runs into ladybugs, a cardinal, and other symbols of Ohio. He travels to Cedar Point and Canton where he explores the Pro Football Hall of Fame and more, then heads through Columbus and all the way to the Ohio River. Along the way he learns many historical facts about Ohio, which he shares with the reader. The book ends with him traveling towards Indiana presumably to learn its symbols. While the book has merit as a tie in to Ohio History, I have trouble seeing students chosing to read this. It could work as a read aloud as a supplemental/enrichment type activity during an Ohio History unit. Oliver's Travels: an Ohio Adventure by Cynthia Furling Reynolds, Illustrations by Bruce Langton. Mitten Press, 2008.