Angelas Aliens

In this final installment of the IOU (Investigators of the Unknown) series, ever-skeptical Georgina and more impulsive Poco reunite with their friend Angela (star of The Gold Dust Letters), who has spent the past year with her father in Mexico. But the girl they remember as being outgoing, fun and always eager to find the source of ""real magic"" has changed. Besides being much taller and thinner, Angela dresses like an adult; even more unsettling is her chilly, standoffish demeanor. Inspired by unusual sightings in the sky, Georgina, Poco and Walter (the newest member of the IOU team) begin to think aliens are responsible for Angela's transformation. The sprinkling of fantasy found in Lisle's deeply compassionate writing will work its magic on even the most down-to-earth readers. The focus of this book, like its predecessors, is more on opening the door to possibilities in human relationships than on solving supernatural mysteries. IOU fans will feel a tug of regret when this fourth and last adventure comes to its poignant end. Ages 9-11. (Oct.)