Published by Greenwillow Books 

Summary:  Archer B. Helmsley has spent his whole life in Helmsley House, surrounded by stuffed animals and other artifacts collected by his grandparents, the famous explorers Ralph and Rachel Helmsley.  Ever since Ralph and Rachel went missing on an iceberg in Antarctica, Archer’s mother has kept him at home in an attempt to keep him safe from any exploring instincts he may have inherited.  But as Archer gets older, he becomes restless, and eventually decides it’s up to him to head for the South Pole and rescue his grandparents.  He enlists the help of two neighbors, the cautious Oliver Glub, who is good at worrying over details, and the mysterious Parisian, Adelaide L. Belmont, whose wooden leg is a testimony to an adventurous past.  The whole rescue plan comes to an uproarious climax on a museum field trip complete with an evil teacher, a gazelle mask, a glass eye, and a pack of hungry tigers.  Grades 3-7.

Pros:  Fans of Roald Dahl and Lemony Snicket will appreciate the quirky characters and settings of this debut novel.  The author is also an artist who created over 20 gorgeous color illustrations, as well as many smaller black-and-white ones throughout the book.

Cons:  The whole story seemed to build toward a grand final adventure that never actually happens.

Published by Alfred A. Knopf

Summary: When Arthur Owens throws a brick at the Junk Man who roams his neighborhood picking through trash, the old man’s arm is broken and Arthur is sent to juvie. At his probation hearing, the Junk Man, a.k.a. James Hampton, requests that Arthur be sentenced to community service helping him. On his first day of the job, Arthur goes to the address he’s been given and finds a locked garage with a rusty shopping cart outside containing a list of the seven most important things he’s to find in the trash: cardboard, foil, light bulbs, mirrors, pieces of wood, glass bottles, and coffee cans. As the months wear on, Arthur gets to know Mr. Hampton and helps him create his work of art, The Throne of the Third Heaven. He begins to see that the seven most important things on Mr. Hampton’s list parallel the seven most important things in his own life. Through their work, he is able to grieve for his recently deceased father and let go of his guilt about his brick-throwing. By the end of their time together, everything has changed, and Arthur finds himself responsible for sharing Mr. Hampton’s masterpiece with the world. Grades 5-8.

Pros: A powerful story of redemption based on the real-life James Hampton and his eccentric and visionary work of art. The characters are perfectly rendered, from a Holden Caulfield-like Arthur to his gruff but caring probation officer, Officer Billie, to his struggling mother, and of course, the eccentric Mr. Hampton himself.

Cons: The two photographs of James Hampton and his work of art are too small to satisfy my curiosity about what he and the amazing Throne of the Third Heaven looked like.

Published by Scholastic 

Summary:  Hannah is reeling from a double blow: her neighbor and best friend Sophie has recently moved away, and she’s just learned that her stepmother is pregnant. When she meets the new girl whose family bought Sophie’s house, she’s sure she won’t like her.  But Hannah and Emme both have palindromes for names, love swimming and hate pizza, and share a New Year’s Day birthday.  They feel like they are almost twins, and soon they are best friends.  Fifth grade brings its share of ups and downs, though, and each girl worries about growing apart from the other.  Narrated in the alternating voices of Hannah and Emme, this story chronicles a strong friendship capable of withstanding the ups and downs of being eleven.  Grades 4-6.

Pros:  Fans of Wendy Mass, Cynthia Lord, and Meg Cabot will enjoy the story of a friendship between two “girl next door” characters.

Cons:  Some parents may take issue with the portrayal of Elle’s two-mom family.

Published by Feiwel and Friends

Summary:  Jackson’s imaginary friend Crenshaw has come back.  The oversized cat was his companion four years ago when his family lost their home and was forced to live in their van for fourteen weeks.  When they finally were able to move into an apartment, Crenshaw disappeared.  Now Jackson’s parents are arguing about money again, planning a yard sale to sell almost all of their possessions.  When Crenshaw starts showing up again, surfing at the beach or taking a bubble bath, Jackson is taken back to the time his family was homeless.  He doesn’t know what to do, but he knows he can’t ever live in a van again.  Is it possible that his imaginary friend could be the key to helping him and his family?  Grades 4-6.

Pros:  A moving story of a close, loving family caught in difficult circumstances.  The short chapters keep the story moving quickly.  This would make a good selection for a book group or literature circle, as even younger kids would find interesting topics for discussion.

Cons:  I judged this book by its cover, and thought it would be a somewhat humorous story about a boy and his imaginary friend.  Although there was humor in it, it was a much more serious story than I anticipated.