Masterpiece by Elise Broach

A beetle that can draw reproductions of famous artist's work? It's a bit of a stretch, even for fantasy, but some might find it fun. Marvin is a beetle that lives in the home of James, a 10 year old boy. When his artist father gives him a pen and ink drawing set for his birthday, the beetle draws a picture with his front feet by dipping them in ink left in the cap. When his parents assume that James drew the picture, he ends up in an art museum being asked to reproduce a drawing by Albrecht Durer so it can be used in a plot to lure whoever has stolen the other drawings in the set. There are all sorts of attempts at human, insect communication and some excitement when the plan goes awry. The descriptions of insect family life are fun, also. Masterpiece by Elise Broach. Henry Holt and Company, 2008.

A Couple of Boys have the Best Week Ever by Marla Frazee

James visits Eamon's grandparents so the 2 boys could go to Nature Camp for a week. In this enthusiastic volume, the boys hang out, have fun on the beach, negotiate with Eamon's penguin loving grandfather and generally have fun. The book extoles the traditional summer joys of doing what you want, eating fun food, and creating something just for the fun of it. The illustrations are lively, and subtle, sometimes contradicting the text. Great fun. A Caldecott Honor Book. A Couple of Boys have the Best Week Ever by Marla Frazee. Harcourt, Inc., 2008.

The House in the Night by Susan Marie Swanson

This lovely bed-time read is based on a traditional rhyme, This is the key to the kingdom. The story flows from page to page describing a house, a bed, a book and the comfort of familiar things. The scratchboard illustrations resemble woodcuts giving it a timeless feel. Comforting. Caldecott Award Winner. The House in the Night by Susan Marie Swanson. Pictures by Beth Krommes. Houghton Mifflin Co., 2008.

How I learned Geography by Uri Shulevitz

This simple picture book illustrates how something can bring hope in the most dire circumstances. Uri Shulevitz's family fled Poland during the Nazi invasion and sought refuge in what is now Kazakhstan. Poor and hungry, his father returned from the market one day with a large world map, which they posted on the wall of their home. The book shows how Uri spent hours looking at the map and imagining the various places he could go, which took him away from his hunger, fear and frustrations. The illustrations of the dusty town and the soaring imaginary destinations are wonderful. A Caldecott Honor Book. How I Learned Geography by Uri Shulevitz. Farrar Straus Giroux, 2008.

Silver by the Tree by Susan Cooper

The final installment of Susan Cooper's Dark is Rising sequence, brings all the major characters together for a satisfying final battle against the dark. Will Stanton returns to Wales and connects with Bran Davis, the out-of-time boy from The Grey King. There he also meets up with the Drew Children, who were featured in Over Sea, Under Stone and The Greenwitch. Once again Alex Jennings narrates flawlessly, easily slipping into Welch dialect and pronouncing the Welch words that I stumbled on while reading the Grey King. In this book, Will and Bran have to seek out a crystal sword made to fight the dark in the "Lost Land," an area of Wales that was reclaimed by the sea hundreds of years ago. Then meeting up with Will's mentor, Merriman, they all take the final journey to stop the dark from rising. Full of wonderful symbolism, great mythological references, and historical figures, Silver by the Tree is a satisfying conclusion to the series. Silver by the Tree by Susan Cooper. Random House/Listening Library, 2007.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaimen

When a toddler escapes a killer by running into a graveyard, it sparks a lively tale of the dead working to help a living boy survive. Adopted by a pair of dead Victorian parents, the Owens, the boy, named Nobody, has the run of the graveyard and interacts with a wide variety of its residents from the Roman time to close to the present. Each one is identified by the name on his or her headstone and the saying engraved thereon. As Nobody (Bod) grows, he meets humans, ghouls, werewolves and other creatures who come into the graveyard, tries his hand at going to school, and tries to avoid the killer who is still out there hunting him. When the showdown finally comes between Bod and the killer, Jack, his knowledge of all things otherworldly comes in handy. Quirky, creepy, funny and creative, it is a story sure to engage those looking for a great read. Newbery Award winner. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaimen, with illustrations by Dave McKean. HarperCollins Publishers, 2008.