In Aunt Lucy's Kitchen

Three creative cousins bring can-do spirit and goodhearted fun to this new chapter book series from Newbery Medalist Rylant. Nine-year-olds Lily, Rosie and Tess are bunking with their Aunt Lucy for a whole year while their parents--ballet dancers all--tour the world. They've made a cozy haven in Aunt Lucy's attic where they can each enjoy their favorite pursuits and dream up fun things to entertain themselves. Starting a cookie company is the first order of business in In Aunt Lucy's Kitchen, and the girls manage to play match-maker for Aunt Lucy and befriend a 90-year-old neighbor on her birthday while delivering batches of cinnamon crinkles. And in A Little Shopping the girls show their flair for arts and crafts when they whip up something special for Aunt Lucy. Rylant's confident and sweet-natured heroines are the kind of girls-next-door that anyone would want to know better. Her chipper tone and succinct, yet open-ended stories will encourage her target readership to come up with their own creative projects. Halperin's (Once Upon a Company) generous sprinkling of cozy, pale-hued pencil-and-watercolor illustrations throughout capture a warm family dynamic and provide energetic expressions for a friendly cast. Ages 7-10. (Oct.)