(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Rowland Hilder. This newly edited precursor to The Box of Delights first introduces readers to young Kay Harker. While searching for a treasure that will elevate his circumstances and clear his great-grandfather's name, Kay encounters pirates, witches, and even King Arthur. The prose is dense, but readers looking for classic fantasy tales will be charmed by this story and its old-fashioned black-and-white illustrations.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(3) 4-6 From the moment Kay steps onto the train home from school, his Christmas holiday grows progressively stranger. "The Wolves are Running," an "old bright-eyed man" tells Kay, then entrusts him with a mysterious box. Magic, kidnapping, time travel, and shape-shifting ensue, all set against a British winter. Fans of C. S. Lewis and Susan Cooper might give this newly edited edition a try.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(3) 4-6 This classic by English poet Masefield is a rip-roaring adventure story about pirates and smuggling along the coast of Devon. When an orphan boy stumbles on the secret hiding place of a band of local smugglers, they force him to sail with them to ensure his silence. A glossary is appended for landlubbers unsure of the nature of fife-rails and marlinspikes.

Reviewer: Terri Schmitz