And Then What Happened?

Familiar characters face new adventures this spring. Georgia Byng offers more hypnotic high jinks in Molly Moon Stops the World, the sequel to Molly Moon's Incredible Book of Hypnotism, which PW described as "a lively symphony of hilarious escapades and madcap chases." This time, Molly travels to Los Angeles to stop a powerful hypnotist businessman who is trying to take over Hollywood—and then the world. Along with twists and surprises, Byng also works in themes about the pervasiveness of advertising and the influence of celebrity endorsements. (HarperCollins, $16.99 384p ages 8-12 ISBN 0-06-051410-8; Apr.)

Also taking to the spotlight is the familiar fourth-grade gumshoe in Bruce Hale's Give My Regrets to Broadway. In this pun-laden installment in the Chet Gecko mysteries, someone is trying to sabotage the Emerson Hickey Elementary school play, Omlet, Prince of Denver. It's once again up to Chet and sidekick Natalie Attired to solve the case while being bugged and badgered by classmates, teachers and the mysterious, haunting Phantom. (Harcourt, $14 112p ages 8-12 ISBN 0-15-216700-5; Apr.)

In the fifth book in Meg Cabot's Princess Diaries series, Princess in Pink, high school drama centers on the prom for Mia Thermopolis and her friends. A citywide strike threatens the very existence of the prom (which, horrifically, Mia's boyfriend isn't even interested in attending) and various friendships are tested. (HarperCollins, $15.99 272p ages 12-up ISBN 0-06-009610-1; Mar.)

Boston Jane: The Claim by Jennifer L. Holm, continues Jane's ongoing frontier adventures in the Pacific Northwest. Her world turns tumultuous when Sally Biddle, her debutante nemesis, arrives at Shoalwater Bay intent on destroying Jane's life. Moreover, Jane must contend with her ex-fiancé's attempts to turn the settlers against the native Chinooks. (HarperCollins, $15.99 240p ages 10-up ISBN 0-06-229045-5; Mar.)

Philanthropic pop-star or utter madman? Anthony Horowitz's latest, Eagle Strike: AnAlex Rider Adventure finds the teen spy tracking another arch-villain across Europe in an action-packed follow-up to Stormbreaker, Point Blank and Skeleton Key. PW wrote of the debut book, "Readers will cheer for the 14-year-old hero of this spy thriller and stay tuned for his next assignment." (Philomel, $17.99 272p ages 10-up ISBN 0-399-23979-0; Mar.)

Gerald Morris weaves another humorous and suspenseful tale of knightly intrigue in The Princess, the Crone, and the Dung-Cart Knight, the sixth in the Squire's Tales series. Sarah, a young princess, goes on a quest to rescue Queen Guinevere with familiar characters in the series, Terence and Sir Gawain. As the title suggests, the band is visited by a mysterious old woman and also joins a knight of dubious repute. (Houghton, $15 320p ages 10-14 ISBN 0-618-37823-5; Mar.)

"What dorks these mortals be." Such is one of the lessons of sixth-grade life in A Midsummer Night's Dork by Carol Gorman, which follows Dork in Disguise and Dork on the Run. Class president and definitive dork Jerry Flack shifts between numerous humiliations and triumphs while preparing for the Elizabethan festival. The story loosely parallels Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, while also continuing the series' equally Shakespearean ideal of "to thine own self be true." (HarperCollins, $15.99 224p ages 8-12 ISBN 0-06-050718-7; Mar.)

Doug Cooney's grade-school grifters are back in I Know Who Likes You, a follow-up to The Beloved Dearly. When Swimming Pool gets kicked out of Miss Ginger's School of Tap & Tumbling, Ernie and Dusty start their own finishing school so Swimming Pool's mother won't make her quit the baseball team ("I have to be a nice, sweet girlie-girl for my mom," says Swimming Pool). Readers will likely relate to the minor crises, shifting alliances and sneaky ploys that pepper the book. (S&S, $15.95 208p ages 8-12 ISBN 0-689-85419-6; Mar.)

In Elizabeth Wein's third entry in her post-Arthurian saga, The Sunbird, young Telemakos, skilled in stealth and subterfuge, is enlisted by the emperor to travel to neighboring Adulis. As the author profiles the lives of sixth-century Ethiopian royalty and their interactions with their British colonials, plague spreads across the land, which has led to quarantines. But someone in Adulis is defying the blockade in order to establish a black market to trade salt. (Viking, $16.99 208p ages 12-up ISBN 0-670-03691-9; Apr.)

Sixth-grade sleuth and "ghost magnet" Allie Nichols returns in The Ghost of Cutler Creek by Cynthia DeFelice. As in The Ghost of Fossil Glen and The Ghost and Mrs. Hobbs, Allie and her friend Dub solve earthly mysteries to help a ghost rest in peace. This time, the ghost (which communicates only in whimpers and moans) wasn't human in life. (FSG, $16 192p ages 8-12 ISBN 0-374-38058-9; Mar.)

A child born of two worlds faces growing pains in Who Goes Home? by Sylvia Waugh, a companion to Space Race and Earthborn. At age 13, loner Jacob struggles with the newfound knowledge of his extraterrestrial origins. The aliens of Ormingat had forecast a discomforting future for the boy when he was still an infant: "He is Javayl, throbbed the machine reluctantly, child of the broken word. He is Javayl, the outsider." Steven and Jacob observe and affect events from the previous books in the series, providing another view of these entwined tales. (Delacorte, $15.95 224p ages 10-up ISBN 0-385-72965-0; Apr.)

In the sequel to Hard Cash, 17-year-old Rich Steele deals with the challenges of living on his own in Shacked Up by Kate Cann. This soap-operatic installment finds Rich reluctantly taking a roommate, Bonny, into his flat, which is paid for by his benefactors, Barb and Nick (the ad agency boss from the last book). Bonny is on the lam from her manic mother, and Rich is soon embroiled in their mother-daughter drama, as he also deals with duplicitous girlfriend Portia and mends relationships with his own family. (Simon Pulse, $5.99 paper 352p ages 16-up ISBN 0-689-85906-6; Feb.)

In the Know

New hardcover books involve readers in a variety of topics. The king of "kick it up a notch" is back with Emeril's There's a Chef in My Family! Let's Get Everybody Cooking by Emeril Lagasse, illus. by Charles Yuen, photos by Quentin Bacon. This companion to Emeril'sThere's a Chef in My Soup dishes up 76 kid-friendly recipes for every course or occasion, from starters such as Tortellini in Brodo to finishing touches like Lemon Icebox Pie. Yuen's cartoonish depictions of the victuals (alongside photos of the chef or appreciative diners) ensure that no egos will be crushed if readers' results end up looking less-than-professional. (HarperCollins, $22.99 224p all ages ISBN 0-06-000439-8; Apr.)

Prospective young authors get a step-by-step guide (with an inviting design similar to the author's Follow the Money) in Look at My Book: How Kids Can Write & Illustrate Terrific Books by Loreen Leedy. Beginning with brainstorming ideas and research tips for aspiring writers, Leedy suggests ways of inventing characters, writing and revising text, and experimenting with different styles of artwork. The spreads brim with examples of possible settings, formats and layouts for books, while encouraging the audience to develop their own ideas. (Holiday, $16.95 32p ages 4-8 ISBN 0-8234-1590-2; Mar.)

There may be years of artistic diversions for young readers in Scribbles: A Really Giant Drawing and Coloring Book by Taro Gomi. This hefty paperback volume boasts more than 360 pages of designs, shapes and puzzles to color in, cut out and otherwise alter. In the upper corner of each page appear instructions or suggestions for what artists might do on the page (e.g., "Draw faces" on a page of vegetables and, on another, "Draw something secret. Then cut it out and hide it"). (Chronicle, $15.95 paper 368p ages 3-99 ISBN 2-02-061396-4; Apr.)

The Jumbo Book of Drama by Deborah Dunleavy, illus. by Jane Kurisu, covers a number of dramatic techniques and methods, including mime (and the requisite application of white-face), mask making and culturally based dramatic forms (such as Japanese Noh or Italian commedia dell'arte), as well as puppetry and more familiar stage theater. The invitingly designed volume also presents numerous sample monologues and scripts, plus acting exercises and set design suggestions. (Kids Can, $14.95 paper 208p ages 7-up ISBN 1-55337-008-2; Mar.)

From "Scooby-speak" (e.g., "Rooby-dooby-doo!") to the Wax Phantom, Scooby-Doo! The Essential Guide by Glenn Dakin covers all bases. The paper-over-board book supplies trivia, fun facts and even fashion critiques for the favorite heroes and villains. Images from the television series and recent film adaptation (plus a teaser to the sequel due out later this month) accompany the text. (DK, $12.99 48p ages 8-up ISBN 0-7566-0300-5; Feb.)