Children's Fiction

There is something about listening to Tupac’s music.  On the surface the lyrics are violent and ugly, but the more closely you listen, you find a beauty that’s deeply introspective.  It is this Tupac, the Tupac who wrote songs about poverty, about social injustice, about inner-city crime, whom Jacqueline Woodson uses as the backdrop for her book, AFTER TUPAC & D FOSTER (Putnam, $15.99). At its heart this is a story of the friendship among three young girls, two best friends and a foster child who joins their lives for a while.  But it is also a look at the social conditions which draw them together and eventually push them apart. Ages 10-14. Lars Townsend

Mayor Blunt needs a campaign issue, and creating an exit ramp off I-95 through a small wood is certainly the ticket, unless you are HIGHWAY CATS (Philomel, $14.99).  Tough, feral cats barely scrape out an existence in these woods. When a box of kittens lands in the midst of the busy highway and the kittens amazingly manage to cross safely, the cats take notice.  These tiny creatures become the focus of the cats’ battle to save the woods from destruction.  Newbery-Honor winner, Janet Taylor Lisle, and illustrator, David Frankland, have created a modern environmental fable full of adventure and hope.  Ages 8-12.  Mary Alice Garber

During WWII women started getting new ideas and odds-defying young women took to the skies. Sherri Smith’s Ida Mae Jones eschews the easy life when she signs up to be a FLYGIRL (Penguin, $16.99), part of the Women Air Force Service Pilots (WASPs), a government program for female pilots to fly supplies to non-combat zones. But Ida has a secret. This exciting narrative traces Ida’s ascent as she stretches the truth about who she is in order to do what she loves.  Ages 13-16.

Travis is a bibliophile who finds sanctuary—and mystery—in the Salinas Public Library in STEINBECK’S GHOST (Feiwel and Friends, $17.95). Salinas has always been “haunted” by the ghost of its most famous native son, but when Travis sees characters from Steinbeck’s novels appearing throughout the town, even he begins to wonder if he suffers from an overactive imagination. Through a blend of mystery and magical realism, Lewis Buzbee creates a landscape with endearing and mysterious characters that propel the story to its encouraging conclusion. Ages 10-14. Sylvan Bongi

Gunnar captures a snake and is convinced it is a male rattlesnake.  But, WE CAN’T ALL BE RATTLESNAKES (HarperCollins, $15.99), and Crusher turns out to be a female gopher snake who is desperate to be free. Together with Breakfast, a mouse that was once meant to be her breakfast, Crusher decides to use whatever means necessary to be free, or die in the attempt.  Ages 9-12.

Twelve-year-old Jane is no longer content with her quiet existence by the sea with her dreamy, free-spirited mother and her younger siblings. In the midst of everyday occurrences, adventures are popping up where Jane least expects them.  Her family life is suddenly peppered with the arrival of mysterious visitors from her mother’s past.  Delivering bibles with Preacher Phipps leads to a trip in a hot air balloon and a visit to a fortuneteller.  Along the way, Jane discovers that life is often a series of adventures. In her novel MY ONE HUNDRED ADVENTURES (Schwartz & Wade, $16.99), Polly Horvath introduces memorable characters and luminous writing that will capture the hearts of all readers. Ages 10-14. Mary Alice  Garber

Adam MELONHEAD (Delacorte, $12.99) Melon is always attracting trouble— especially when he and Sam find a pet snake on Capitol Hill. As they contemplate a science fair invention, funny family scenes ensue over custody of the snake. Katy Kelly’s companion to the Lucy Rose stories will keep you in stitches.  Ages 7-10.

After her dad's untimely death, Molly Williams seeks a way to avoid pity and still preserve memories of her father. While sorting through the baseball gloves that she and her dad used, Molly is inspired to try out for the baseball team since her dad taught her how to throw the perfect knuckleball. As the only girl to try out, Molly tenaciously weathers the challenges in THE GIRL WHO THREW BUTTERFLIES (Knopf, $15.99).  Author Mick Cochrane provides just the right mix of details about the game of baseball, humorous touches, and memorable characters in this story of loss and survival.  Ages 11-13.