Even More Pottermania

Those fans who want to sharpen their Harry Potter prowess before book five arrives this summer might try So You Think You Know Harry Potter: Over 1000 Wizard Quiz Questions by Clive Gifford. The presentation here is straightforward: 300 questions devoted to each of the first four books, divided into easy, medium and hard levels, with complete answers in the back. For an easy one about Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (note use of the British title) try number 32: "How many players are there in a Quidditch team?" Those with more prodigious Potter memories might try number 294: "Harry's mother's wand was made from wood from which tree?" The introduction suggests getting together with friends for a Harry Potter quiz challenge, which might well be the best way for young readers to dip into this dizzying volume. (Hodder [Trafalgar Square, dist.], $8.95 paper 160p ages 9-up ISBN 0-34087-337-X; May)

Welcome Back!

Fans of a host of favorite authors will be glad to see their books being reissued this spring and summer. Tor Seidler's The Dulcimer Boy, originally published in 1979, is back with elegant half-tone illustrations by Brian Selznick. Opposite the title page, a detailed portrait introduces the two orphaned babies left at the door of their uncle, Eustace Carbuncle, Esq., with a caption: "William has the brown hair and Jules the gold." Other drawings depict milestones in the tale, such as William's discovery of the silver-stringed dulcimer in the antique mahogany secretary on the landing at the top of the stairs—a discovery that leads him and his brother to solve the mystery of their past. A handsome presentation of Seidler's eloquent tale of finding one's place in the world. (HarperCollins/Geringer, $15.99 160p all ages ISBN 0-06-623609-6; June)

A trio of titles by Lynne Reid Banks, author of The Indian in the Cupboard, makes a reappearance. For I, Houdini: The Autobiography of a Self-Educated Hamster, illus. by Terry Riley, "Banks has slipped into the hide of the hamster and seems to understand these small creatures completely, creating a tantalizing journey," wrote PW when the book was released in the U.S. in 1988. "The title tells all: slightly pompous, no slouch when it comes to vocabulary, and with a gift for dry humor, Houdini relates the story of his acquisition by a family and the trial runs and trouble spots that turn him into a great escapologist." In The Farthest-Away Mountain, illus. by Victor Ambrus, readers meet 14-year-old Dakin, who at age 10 set herself three goals: to go to the farthest-away mountain, to see a gargoyle, and to marry a prince. She hears a voice from the mountain calling her, and her quest is set in motion. When The Fairy Rebel was published in America in 1988, PW called it a "comfortable, old-fashioned read" about the "naughty but courageous" fairy Tiki, who defies her queen to give a childless couple a baby. A fierce conflict ensues when the fairy ruler tries to exact revenge. (Delacorte, $15.95 each 128—144p ages 9-12 Houdini ISBN 0-385-73075-6; Mountain -73077-2; Rebel -73076-4; May)

Activities for Active Kids

There's plenty to keep kids playfully busy in a handful of activity books. Play the Recorder! Book and Recorder Set by Jo Hurley, designed by Karen Hudson, combines a two-color paperback instruction booklet with a small plastic case containing a sparkly green plastic recorder. The text includes a quick history of the instrument, playing techniques (including detailed diagrams of "which holes to cover" with one's fingers) and popular tunes, such as "My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean." (Scholastic/Tangerine, $7.99 32p ages 7-up ISBN 0-439-45201-5; Apr.)

My Granny's Purse by P. Hanson, a cardboard pocketbook stored in a clear plastic box, opens to reveal a varied collection of objects, from common purse-dwelling items such as a mirror and comb to less likely candidates, such as a wrench and a heart-shaped box of chocolates. Some objects are removable, such as facsimile cardboard keys and sunglasses (too bad you can't see out of them). A short text contrasts Granny's wisdom with Mommy's. (Workman, $15.95 8p ages 3-up ISBN 0-7611-2978-2; Apr.)

Amazing Air Racers by Angela Robinson contains two battery-powered, propeller-driven plastic racecars and a paperback booklet that explains the science behind how the cars work (e.g., an explanation of "electrical energy") and offers some fun ways to race ("Get Loopy!" describes how to go in circles). (Scholastic/Tangerine, $9.99 24p ages 7-up ISBN 0-439-40965-9; Apr.)

In Print! by Joe Rhatigan explores a plethora of projects for kids to turn their writing into something concrete. Why be limited to plain sheets of paper when kids could create a calendar of seasonal poetry, or a "memory" picture frame about a loved one, or a haiku T-shirt? Includes tips on the writing process and on submitting works for publication, with a list of magazines that accept the work of young writers. (Sterling/ Lark, $19.95 128p ages 8-up ISBN 1-57990-359-2; May)

In Metal Mutz! A Barking Pop-Up Book! by Christine Tagg, with robots and photographs by David Ellwand (of Fairie-ality fame), a lonely space robot decides to build a canine companion out of scrap metal. He makes numerous mutts, and youngsters will get a kick out of the metallic version of telltale characteristics from a bulldog's spiky teeth to the stream-lined greyhound—but none is just right until the dog creations get together to construct the perfect mate. A barking sound chip concludes the paper-over-board volume. (Candlewick, $17.99 24p ages 5-10 ISBN 0-7636-2083-1; June)

For Youngest Readers

New titles arrive to tickle toddlers' fancies. David Wojtowycz's charming artwork enlivens two paper-over-board books: Can You Moo? and Can You Choo Choo? In the first title, a simple text presents a number of animals and the noises that they make, from the "cheep cheep cheep" of a "cheery little chick" to the "woof woof woof" of "playful little puppies." In the second, modes of transportation in a variety of colors speed along with their accompanying sounds, including the "roar roar roar" of the "silver rocket ship blasting off into space" and the "beep beep beep" of the "shiny yellow school bus." Both volumes recap the soundmakers and their noises on a final spread. (Scholastic/Cartwheel, $12.95 each 32p ages 2-4 ISBN 0-439-39483-X; -39485-6; June)

Beginning with their covers, three interactive board books feature tabs to push and pull, allowing children to "play" with the animals in Wag My Tail; Flap My Wings; and Wiggle My Ears, all by Richard Powell, illus. by Ann Martín-Larrañaga. In Tail, when the kitty meows readers can pull a tab that extends her tongue down to lap up the milk in her bowl. Wings lets readers roll a pig happily back and forth on his back in the mud. The simple texts allow children to learn the animals' attributes as they read and play, and the appealing artwork combines bright colors and mostly rounded forms outlined in black. (Tiger Tales, $5.95 each 8p ages2-4 ISBN 1-58925-691-3; -690-5; -692-1; Apr.)

Lift-the-flaps provide more interactive board book fun in two new titles featuring the orange-and-black striped hero: Bathtime, Little Tiger! and Hide-and-Seek, Little Tiger!, by Julie Sykes, illus. by Tim Warnes. In Bathtime, Mommy Tiger takes her two muddy cubs to the river to clean up before bedtime. When they are finally clean she allows them five more minutes to play, with pleasingly predictable results. In Hide-and-Seek, Little Tiger counts to 10 while his friends go hide. Little Tiger finds them all, but a surprise friend waits hidden in a bush at the end. (Tiger Tales, $5.95 each 12p ages 2-4 ISBN 1-58925-693-X; -694-8; Apr.)

The paper-over-board Peek-a-Book: A Lift-the-Flap Bedtime Rhyme by Lee Wardlaw, illus. by Melissa Sweet, presents a toddler's evening activities, from supper to bath to bedtime story, in a rhyming text and small lift-the-flaps. In the end it's bedtime—"Cozy warm/ In blankets deep./ Peek-a-moon,/ Peek-a-sleep"—with two superimposed time-lapse flaps revealing a moon who nods off, too. (Dial, $10.99 16p ages 2-6 ISBN 0-8037-2639-2; May)

Growing Up Is Hard to Do

Three titles offers helpful information to ease kids' growing pains. "What's That Smell?" (Oh, It's Me.): 50 Mortifying Situations and How to Deal by Tucker Shaw is organized into sections such as "Love Sucks" and "On-Line Humiliation." The text, laid out in shaded sidebars and lists provides visual interest and helps readers with everything from "Poorly Styled Prom Dates" (who shows up "in the most hideous getup you've ever laid eyes on") to "Warranted, If Unplanned-for Arrest" (one attends a protest to get the attention of a cute guy/gal and ends up with the cops instead). (Puffin/Alloy, $7.99 paper 160p ages 12-up ISBN 0-14-250011-9; Apr.)

Written by teens themselves, It's Your Rite: Girls' Coming-of-Age Stories, compiled by Nora Coon, examines the many experiences girls share as they move into young womanhood. Beginning with "The Bra" and including "Cupid's Arrows in My Back" and "PMS and Other Girl Things," girls ages 11 to 19 share their own coming-of age stories with honesty and insight. (Beyond Words, $9.95 paper 144p ages 12-up ISBN 1-58270-074-5; Apr.)

On the lighter side, How to Be a Kid, by Chris Tait, illus. by Jim Paillot, reveals plenty of tricks to help kids amuse and annoy just about everyone. Twenty-five brief chapters, with full-color illustrations, teach important lessons such as "How to Make Your Babysitter Crazy" and "How to Make Weird Noises from Your Armpit." (Sterling, $6.95 paper 96p ages 7-12 ISBN 1-8069-8503-8; May)