Welcome Back!

Several old favorites are being reissued this month. The Caldecott Medal—winning The Little Island by Margaret Wise Brown, illus. by Leonard Weisgard, tells about the seasons and animals that touch a small island ("There was a little Island in the ocean./ Around it the winds blew/ And the birds flew/ And the tides rose and fell on the shore"), and a kitten who comes ashore learns a secret about the island and a lesson about faith. (Doubleday, $14.95 48p ages 5-8 ISBN 0-385-74640-7; Sept.)

From the creator of Captain Underpants comes the hilarious Dogzilla and Kat Kong by Dav Pilkey, first published in 1993 and featuring a wacky mix of animal photos, art and a deadpan Sam Spade-style narrative. The first title begins, "It was summertime in the city of Mousopolis," as the dreadful Dogzilla terrorizes the mice with her horrible dog breath. In the second, Doctor Varmint and Rosie Rodent capture the mighty Kat Kong and bring him to Mousopolis, where he breaks free and tears through the streets. (Harcourt, $14 each 32p all ages ISBN 0-15-204948-7; -204951-7; paper $4.95 each -204949-5; -204950-9; Sept.)

In Harry and the Bucketful of Dinosaurs by Ian Whybrow, illus. by Adrian Reynolds, Harry finds a dusty box of toy dinosaurs in Gran's attic. He cleans them, fixes them up and calls each by name: Scelidosaurus, Stegosaurus, Triceratops and more. Humorous illustrations show the dinosaurs coming to life for Harry in this charming story, originally published in 1999 under the title Sammy and the Dinosaurs. (Random, $14.95 32p ages 4-8 ISBN 0-375-82541-X; Sept.)

James Marshall's Pocketful of Nonsense (1992) collects traditional nonsense rhymes like "Fuzzy Wuzzy Was a Bear" and pairs them with his hilarious visual interpretations (such as children laughing at a flesh-toned, furless bear with a thought balloon, "What's so funny?"). Original limericks by Marshall add to the fun. (Houghton, $15 24p ages 4-8 ISBN 0-618-34187-0; $5.95 paper -34186-2; Sept.)

Beautifully illustrated with new artwork by Mary GrandPré, artist for the Harry Potter series, The Thread of Life: Twelve Old Italian Tales retold by Domenico Vittorini eloquently captures stories of humor, adventure and romance, often with surprise endings. From the foolish adventurer who exchanges his riches for a pair of kittens to an Italian spin on Cinderella, "Cenerentola," this collection was first published in 1958 as Old Italian Tales. (Running Press, $15.95 80p all ages ISBN 0-7624-1669-6; Sept.)

In The Three Funny Friends by Charlotte Zolotow, originally published in 1961, but with new artwork by Linda Bronson, Guy-guy, Bickerina and Mr. Dobie do all sorts of things the girl heroine would never do, but her parents can't see any of them at all. Bronson's geometric forms and swirling lines convey the antics of the girl's imaginary animal friends in humorous artwork that conveys the girl's gently rebellious nature. (Running Press, $15.95 32p ages 4-8 ISBN 0-7624-1553-3; Sept.)

Some Things Are Scary (No Matter How Old You Are) by Florence Parry Heide, illus. by Jules Feiffer, demonstrates an assortment of scary things, from "stepping on something squishy when you're in your bare feet" to "climbing a tree when you don't remember how to get down." Wry pictures demonstrate that scary things can be funny too in this witty and reassuring gift book. (Candlewick, $12 40p all ages ISBN 0-7636-2147-1; Sept.)

Further Adventures

George and Harold get into a sticky situation in Captain Underpants and the Big, Bad Battle of the Bionic Booger Boy Part 1: The Night of the Nasty Nostril Nuggets, the "sixth epic novel" by Dav Pilkey. Harold and George's latest prank makes "school brainiac" Melvin Sneedly vow to get revenge. But when Melvin transforms himself into the Bionic Booger Boy, things get a little drippy. Can Captain Underpants save the day? (Scholastic/Blue Sky, $4.99 paper 176p ages 7-10 ISBN 0-439-37610-6; Sept.)

In the sixth book in Dav Pilkey's adventure series aimed at younger readers, Ricky Ricotta's Mighty Robot vs. the Stupid Stinkbugs from Saturn by Dav Pilkey, illus. by Martin Ontiveros, a smelly space monster kidnaps Ricky's cousin Lucy. When Sergeant Stinkbug captures Ricky's Mighty Robot too, it's Ricky's turn to save the day. (Scholastic/ Blue Sky, $3.99 paper 128p ages 4-7 ISBN 0-439-37645-9; Sept.)

In The Spiderwick Chronicles Book 3: Lucinda's Secret by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black, siblings Jared, Mallory and Simon, having escaped goblins and trolls, are now being harassed by a house boggart. Mallory thinks the only way to stop the madness is to get rid of the Guide. And the only person who can help them is their strange old Aunt Lucinda. (S&S, $9.95 128p ages 7-up ISBN 0-689-85938-4; Oct.)

The hero returns to Bloor's Academy in Charlie Bone and the Time Twister: Children of the Red King Book 2 by Jenny Nimmo. When Charlie's young ancestor Henry Yewbeam accidentally travels through time from 1916 to the present, he needs Charlie's help to hide from his cousin Ezekiel Bloor and the scheming Yewbeam aunts. Can Charlie get Henry back home again? (Scholastic/Orchard, $9.95 416p ages 8-up ISBN 0-439-49687-X; Sept.)

When Mr. Beeba tells Akiko that Poog's in trouble, the fifth-grader sets out on her most urgent mission yet in Akiko and the Journey to Toog by Mark Crilley—to save Poog's home planet Toog. Unfortunately the Toogolians are not particularly welcoming. (Delacorte, $9.95 160p ages 8-up ISBN 0-385-73042-X; Sept.)

Questions and Answers

Who better to answer life's most intriguing questions than the thinkers who have made the most important contributions to world peace, medicine, literature, economics and more? In The Nobel Book of Answers: The Dalai Lama, Mikhail Gorbachev, Shimon Peres, and Other Nobel Prize Winners Answer Some of Life's Most Intriguing Questions for Young People, ed. by Bettina Stiekel, the luminaries tackle questions ranging from "Why can't I live on French fries?" to "What is love?" and "How much longer will the Earth keep turning?" With an introduction by former President and 2002 Nobel Peace Prize—winner Jimmy Carter, this book is a thought-provoking, surprising and sometimes humorous collection of wisdom for young people. (S&S/ Atheneum, $14.95 272p ages 10-up ISBN 0-689-86310-1; Oct.)

Girlwonder: Every Girls' Guide to the Fantastic Feats, Cool Qualities, and Remarkable Abilities of Women and Girls by Holly Hartman and the Editors of Information Please is an informative and inspirational look at women's activities, interests and achievements throughout history. This girl-focused book includes a calendar of events in women's history plus sections on fashion trends, health (detailed drawings of reproductive areas explain their functions), and women's achievements in sports, science, entertainment, politics and more. Brief biographies and glossaries round out various subject areas. (Houghton, $9.95 paper 240p ages 8-12 ISBN 0-618-31939-5; Sept.)

Ready, Set, Grow! A "What's Happening to My Body?" Book for Younger Girls by Lynda Madaras, author of the What's Happening to My Body? series. illus. by Linda Davick, introduces the basics of puberty and the physical changes that come with it. Straightforward discussions of breasts, body hair, reproductive organs and menstruation are handled with sensitivity. The author reassures readers that the changes that happen to them during puberty are normal. Real girls' questions and comments appear throughout. (Newmarket, $12 paper 128p ages 8-up ISBN 1-55704-565-8; Sept.)

The Code: The Five Secrets of Teen Success by Mawi Asgedom offers advice for teens about how to succeed in school and beyond. Having overcome enormous obstacles himself during a childhood in war-torn Africa, the author, now a successful motivational speaker, addresses teens in a straightforward no-nonsense way with advice ("Give first, receive second," is secret #3), personal experiences and motivational exercises. (Little, Brown, $15.95 144p ages 12-up ISBN 0-316-82633-2; $9.99 paper -73689-9; Sept.)

Make More Money Than Your Parents by Mike Bundlie, Kevin O'Donnell and Bart Diliddo provides tips for getting a job, spending money wisely, saving and investing, plus sample lists and financial charts. This guide to achieving financial freedom (defined as being able to "do what you want to do, and still have enough money to pay for your life") also includes stories of people who achieved financial success at a young age. (HCI [800-851-9100], $12.95 144p ages 11-16 ISBN 0-7573-0122-3; Sept.)