Boxcar Children Redux

Twotitles mark a landmark anniversary of a classic series. The first, The Boxcar Children 60th Anniversary Edition by Gertrude Chandler Warner, illus. by L. Kate Deal, contains the original text, with an introduction by Barbara Elleman, as well as a brief biography of the author, b&w photos and "An Open Letter to Children Who Ask How I Happened to Write The Boxcar Children," all contained in a handsomely designed volume. (Albert Whitman, $18.95 168p ages 7-12 ISBN 0-8075-0848-9; Sept)

For a more in-depth look at the author, fans will want to pick up the newly released paperback edition of Gertrude Chandler Warner and the Boxcar Children by Mary Ellen Ellsworth, illus. by Marie DeJohn, which chronicles Warner's early years as an elementary schoolteacher in her hometown of Putnam, Conn., her work in children's publishing and the writing of the much-loved adventures. (Albert Whitman, $6.95 paper 72p 0-8075-2838-2; Sept.)

Together Again

Beginning readers will welcome the return of several favorite characters. Amber Brown stars in two titles by Paula Danziger, illus. by Tony Ross. In It's a Fair Day, Amber Brown, the heroine and her best friend, Justin, enjoy a vacation with their families. Unfortunately, things turn sour when Amber's parents start arguing and she gets lost at the county fair. Get Ready for Second Grade, Amber Brown focuses on first-day jitters that are quickly quelled. (Putnam, $12.99 each 48p ages 5-9 ISBN 0-399-23606-6; -23607-4; July)

Nergal is nervous about participating in Martian Health Week but, as Miss Vortex advises, he tries his "Martian best" in Nergal and the Great Space Race: First Graders from Mars, Episode 3 by Shana Corey, illus. by Mark Teague. (Scholastic, $15.95 32p ages 4-7 ISBN 0-439-26633-5; paper $4.50 -42443-7; Aug.)

"I hear a ringing in my ears." "A ringing? Maybe you should answer the doorbell." The inimitable housekeeper helps out at the doctor's office—and stirs up trouble—in Calling Doctor Amelia Bedelia by Herman Parish, illus. by Lynn Sweat, the fourth title penned by Peggy Parish's nephew. (HarperCollins/Greenwillow, $15.99 64p ages 5-up ISBN 0-06-001421-0; July)

Bunny Brown and Jack Jones help Ramón find his missing lawn chair in The Case of the Sleepy Sloth by Cynthia Rylant, illus. by G. Brian Karas, the fifth title in the High-Rise Private Eyes series. (HarperCollins/Greenwillow, $14.99 48p ages 6-up ISBN 0-06-009098-7; Aug.)

The SeeMore Readers series by Seymour Simon continues with the addition of four new titles. Baby Animals and Fighting Fires are Level 1 readers (preschool to grade three); Level 2 readers (grades 1-3) include Danger! Volcanoes and Amazing Aircraft. Softcover editions contain a perforated page of four collectible cards with full-color photographs on one side and facts on the other. (North-South/SeaStar, $13.95 32p ISBN 1-58717-170-8; -168-6; -181-3; -179-1; $3.95 paper -171-6; -169-4; -182-1; -180-5; July)

A young dinosaur and his patient mother star in the Mama Rex and T chapter-book series for early readers by Rachel Vail, illus. by Steve Björkman, first published for the school market and now available to the trade. In the first tale, Mama Rex and T: The Horrible Play Date, T's best friend, Walter (a boy), arrives for a play date and the two turn T's room into a disaster. Mama Rex and T: Homework Trouble features T and his mother racing to do a school project at the last minute because T forgot to tell Mom about it sooner. In both cases, mother knows best, using subtle methods to bring about desired results. Björkman's ink-and-watercolor artwork, sometimes reminiscent of James Stevenson, lends a generally airy sense of motion to the proceedings. (Scholastic/Orchard, $14.95 each 32p ages 5-7 ISBN 0-439-40627-7; -40628-5; paper $4.99 each -42617-0; -42616-2; Aug.)

Poetic Expressions

Spirited poetry and vibrant photographs combine in Perfect Harmony: A Musical Journey with the Boys Choir of Harlem by Charles R. Smith Jr. Chapters include "Tempo," "Soprano Haiku" and "B-flat Boogie," and back matter provides a glossary of musical and poetic terms. (Hyperion/Jump at the Sun, $15.99 32p ages 5-9 ISBN 0-7868-0758-X; Aug.)

Beginning in the Arctic Circle, traveling all the way to England and making pitstops in places like Nicaragua, Mozambique and the Czech Republic, readers make a poetic pilgrimage in Around the World in Eighty Poems, edited by James Berry, illus. by Katherine Lucas. (Chronicle, $19.95 96p ages 6-up ISBN 0-8118-3506-5; Aug.)

Another anthology, My First Oxford Book of Animal Poems, compiled by John Foster, catalogues various creature by habitat. Sections such as "Around the House and in the Garden" and "Beside the Sea, Beneath the Waves," include more than 90 poems by writers as diverse as Dylan Thomas, Emily Brontë, Jane Yolen and Margaret Wise Brown. (Oxford Univ., $19.95 96p ages 6-10 ISBN 0-19-276269-9; June)

For Your Reference

Newly updated and attractively organized with easy-to-read pronunciation guides, sample sentences and plenty of pictures, the paper-over-board Scholastic Children's Dictionary remains a kid-friendly resource. Back matter contains a U.S. and world map, the Braille and American Sign Language alphabets, flags and basic facts about the world's countries and information about the American presidents. (Scholastic Reference, $17.95 656p ages 8-up ISBN 0-439-36563-5; June)

My World: A First Picture Encyclopedia from Reader's Digest offers some 1,400 words and 1,000 images in more than 30 categories including "Colors," "What We Eat and Drink" and "Amazing Wild Animals." The oversize volume brims with big, bold, colorful pictures; it begins with teaching tips and ends with an index. (Reader's Digest, $14.99 64p ages 2-5 ISBN 1-57584-989-5; July)

Nick Jr.'s colorful canine takes youngest readers on an educational journey in Blue's World of Words by Lara Bergen, illus. by Victoria Miller. More than 500 words fill busy spreads of Blue at home, school and grocery store. Each object pictured in the scenes is repeated—with a label—on the border. (S&S/Simon Spotlight, $12.95 32p ages 2-5 ISBN 0-689-84741-6; June)

Summer Fun

Little ones will enjoy the sturdy paper-over-board offering, Peekaboo Kisses by Barney Saltzberg. In the opening, a kitten covers its eyes ("Peekaboo! I see..."); readers lift the flap to find "Fluffy kitten kisses." Throughout, fabric patches in bold colors mimic the fur of each animal. Closing pages include a squeaker and mirror ("Peekaboo! I see.../ YOU!"). (Harcourt/Gulliver, $8.95 14p ages 6 mos.-4 yrs. ISBN 0-15-216541-X; Aug.)

Mr. Frumble chases his flyaway hat only to see it flattened—and incredibly enlarged—by Busytown traffic in Richard Scarry's Mr. Frumble's Biggest Hat Flap Book Ever! True to its title, the oversize paper-over-board book boasts unusually large flaps that peel back to reveal more of the story of the hero's hat chase. (S&S/Little Simon, $12.95 12p ages 3-6 ISBN 0-689-84844-7; July)

A wrecker's ball swings (from a string) and a backhoe's shovel extends from the pages of The Big Dig: A Pop-Up Construction! by Paul Stickland. In all, the well-crafted creation displays seven amazing machines; a final fold-out reveals the work in progress. (Ragged Bears, $17.95 14p ages 2-7 ISBN 1-929927-41-X; Aug.)

Shaped like its title, My Ballet Bag by Elissa Held, illus. by Bethann Thornburgh, helps budding ballerinas pretend they're starring in a show. The pink carryall holds a removable brush, comb and bottle of hair spray, among other items; fabric accents give an authentic feel to tights and a fluffy tulle tutu. Pull-tabs draw the curtain as the recital begins; in the end, the dancer holds a bouquet of pop-up roses. (S&S/Little Simon, $14.95 14p ages 3-6 ISBN 0-689-84966-4; July)

Older readers will appreciate two Magic Color Skeleton Books, for which acetate panels—activated by pull-tabs—transform skeletons to full-color creatures, while graphically hip scrapbooks convey the facts: Incredible Animal Discovery and Amazing Dinosaur Discovery by Shaheen Bilgrami, illus. by Treve Tamblin and Mike Phillips. In the first, Sally and friends Joe and Ben at the Natural History Museum; the second features Tom at the Dinosaur Museum with his dad. (Sterling/ Pinwheel, $9.95 24p ages 4-7 ISBN 0-8069-8593-3; -8591-7; July)

Aspiring cartographers can chart the neighborhood, make a compass and create a 3-D map out of clay with Map Mania: Discovering Where You Are & Getting to Where You Aren't by Michael DiSpezio, illus. by Dave Garbot. Fun and informative activities, humorous geography quizzes and strange stories about places like the Bermuda Triangle and Atlantis make this a kid-friendly volume. (Sterling, $19.95 80p ages 8-12 ISBN 0-8069-4407-2; July)

And if traveling plans include England... Once Upon a Time in Great Britain: A Travel Guide to the Sights and Settings of Your Favorite Children's Stories by Melanie Wentz is the guide for young readers to get. Each chapter focuses on a single story (including Peter Pan, the Harry Potter books and E. Nesbit's The Railway Children) and offers a brief biography of the author and illustrator as well as information about the places connected with the story and how to visit them. B&w photographs appear throughout. (St. Martin's, $15.95 288p ISBN 0-312-28338-5; Aug.)

Whether blessed with a sense of humor or trying to uncover their inner comic, kids will find a lot to laugh about in Funny Bones: Comedy Games and Activities for Kids by Lisa Bany-Winters. The acting teacher and author of Show Time: Music, Dance, and Drama Activities for Kids offers nearly 90 activities including tips on creating memorable characters, using props and developing a stand-up routine. (Chicago Review, $14.95 paper 160p ages 9-12 ISBN 1-55652-444-7; June)

Be a Clown by Mark Stolzenberg, photos by Padua Kassel, offers some seriously funny tips on the art of clowning around, including getting into character, mastering basic routines and creating a signature act. Color photographs offer step-by-step instructions, and a glossary and index round out the volume. (Sterling, $19.95 128p ages 10-up ISBN 0-8069-4816-7; July)

Fancy bread, hearty soups and fruity upside-down cake are among the 50 accessible recipes in The Cooking Book by Jane Bull. One of the original designers of DK's signature Eyewitness series, Bull spices up the paper-over-board volume with bold graphics and clear step-by-step photographs. A "Getting Started" section lays out the basics, including safety tips, measurement conversions and nutrition. (DK, $12.99 48p ages 5-8 ISBN 0-7894-8834-5; Aug.)

What's Your Sign? A Cosmic Guide for Young Astrologers by Madalyn Aslan, illus. by Jennifer Kalis, provides the pertinent details on each astrological sign, explaining the history ("Libra was Themis, goddess of Justice"), lucky color, day of the week, etc. ("Opal... is lucky only for Libras") and personality associated with each (including the ideal sign for your "crush"). The sturdy, spiral-bound edition contains a pull-out poster and a zodiac spin wheel for fast fact-finding. (Grosset & Dunlap, $12.99 128p ages 8-up ISBN 0-448-42693-5; July)

Budding tycoons—and those with more worldly concerns—will appreciate The Motley Fool Investment Guide for Teens: 8 Steps to Having More Money than Your Parents Ever Dreamed Of by David and Tom Gardner with Selena Maranjian. The editors of the Motley Fool Web site offer sound advice on everything from finding a job, investing in the stock market and avoiding financial pitfalls. "Take It from Me" and "Keep in Mind" sidebars offer brief advice from peers and the authors, respectively. (S&S/Fireside, $14 paper 256p ages 12-up ISBN 0-7432-2996-7; Aug.)