THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET -- By Brian Selznick Scholastic / 533 pages / $22.99 / ages 9 to 12
This novel "in words and pictures" was winner of the 2008 Caldecott Medal for children's literature. Orphan, clock keeper and thief, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric, bookish girl and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the station, Hugo's undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man and a hidden message from Hugo's dead father form the backbone of this intricate, tender and spellbinding mystery. The book is a lush hybrid of a creation, a blend of novel and graphic novel that invites you to linger over each page, but it also inspires a hunger to know more that keeps you turning the pages. This unforgettable work is homage to early cinema, to human curiosity and to magic that manages to evoke, in even the most modern, high-tech, wired reader, a sense of wonder at the splendid creations of the world in 1931.
TUNNELS
By Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams Chicken House/Scholastic / 480 pages / $17.99 / ages 12 and up
Fourteen-year-old Will Burrows has little in common with his strange, dysfunctional family. In fact, the only bond he shares with his eccentric father is a passion for archaeological excavation. So when his dad mysteriously vanishes, Will is compelled to dig up the truth behind his disappearance. He unearths the unbelievable: a subterranean society that time forgot. "The Colony" has existed unchanged for a century, but it's no benign time capsule of a bygone era, because the Colony is ruled by a merciless overclass, the Styx. Will must free his father - but is he also about to ignite a revolution?
THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES
By Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black Simon & Schuster / 672 pages / $49.95 / ages 6 to 10)
Spiderwick is a series of children's books by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black. The story takes place in New England, where 9-year-old twins Simon and Jared and their older sister Mallory have moved to the decrepit Spiderwick estate. They discover a field guide to faeries and quickly realize that the estate is infested with them. Some of the faeries are benign or even friendly, but many more of them are pesky or downright malicious. They discover many new creatures, as well.
HIS DARK MATERIALS
By Philip Pullman Knopf/Yearling / 1,312 pages / $37.80 / ages 10 and up
The three books in this trilogy by British writer and former schoolteacher Philip Pullman have received almost universal accolades from education and librarians' organizations, including awards from the American Library Association, Horn Book and Publishers Weekly. The books, resting somewhere between the fantasy and science fiction genres, revolve around a pair of pre-adolescents, Lyra and Will, children from different worlds (literally) who share two common bonds: the loss of parents and the possession of objects that give them unique access to knowledge. Lyra holds the "Golden Compass" of the first book, an object that communicates the truth about any situation to any person wise enough to be able to read it, which Lyra is. Will's gift is "The Subtle Knife" (the title of the second volume), an instrument that can cut open windows to other worlds.
UN LUN DUN
By China Mieville Del Rey/Ballantine / 496 pages / $17.95 / ages 9 to 12
Award-winning author China Mieville claims that he meant Un Lun Dun for younger readers, but, like the Harry Potter series, the novel will appeal to a wide range of ages. While it includes the basics of the genre - magic, monsters, quests, heroes - it breaks the mold in many ways. An urban adventure with a strong environmental message, the novel harks back to London's Great Smog of 1952, which bridges the real and the fantastical. Mi?ville's playful, clever language and plot are reminiscent of Lewis Carroll's work. Mi?ville's fantastical city is vivid and splendidly crafted.
Sources: Barnes & Noble, Children's Literature, Chicken House Scholastic, Bookmarks, School Library Journal