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Amato, Mary Invisible Lines 299 pp. Egmont isbn 978-1-60684-010-8 $15.99 LE ISBN 978-1-60684-043-6 $18.99
(3) Illustrated by Antonio Caparo. Trevor's family has just moved to the Hedley (a.k.a. "Deadly") Gardens apartment complex. As he seeks his place at a new school, among new friends, on a soccer team, and in an advanced science class, Trevor tries to navigate the "invisible lines" that govern his world. His frank, affable voice delivers a memorable narrative. RLH
A Anderson, M. T. Jasper Dash and the FlamePits of Delaware 423 pp. Simon/Beach Lane isbn 978-1-4169-8639-3 $16.99
(2) Illustrated by Kurt Cyrus. Pals in Peril Tale series. Jasper, Katie, and Lily (Whales on Stilts, The Clue of the Linoleum Lederhosen) again save the world. A "competitive staring" contest begins the nonsense, setting off a chain of events in which the friends help monks retrieve stolen artifacts. Anderson stuffs every scene with exotic setting details; that the mystical locale is Delaware gives the story an added layer of absurdity. Review 9/09. CMH
Appelbaum, Susannah The Hollow Bettle 403 pp. Knopf isbn 978-0-375-85173-5 $16.99 le isbn 978-0-375-95173-2 $19.99
(3) Illustrated by Jennifer Taylor. Poisons of Caux series. Ivy lives in a "poison or be poisoned" society. Her uncle, an apotheopath, disappears after a visit to the wicked king, leaving Ivy to venture out to find him - and save the entire kingdom. Appelbaum has created a wildly inventive, fully realized, and mysterious world. Taylor's eerie green-andwhite illustrations help readers visualize some of the story's fantastical details. LAL
Armstrong, Alan Looking for Marco Polo 289 pp. Random isbn 978-0-375-83321-2 $16.99 le isbn 978-0-375-93321-9 $19.99
(3) Illustrated by Tim Jessell. Mark's anthropologist dad heads to the Gobi Desert to "meet and live with the desert people like Marco Polo did." After Dad goes missing, Mark and his mother travel to Polo's home city of Venice to investigate. Fearful and tentative, the main character (with help from a talking dog) finds courage. The family drama plus stories of Marco in Italy will hold readers' interest. Bib. ERG
Avi Murder at Midnight 254 pp. Scholastic isbn 978-0-545-08090-3 $17.99
(4) In this prequel to Midnight Magic, homeless servant boy Fabrizio begins his work with Mangus the Magician. Trouble is afoot in this convoluted fifteenth-century Italianpalace intrigue as...