Cool New Books for September

September's roundup of cool new books includes THE KINGDOM KEEPERS, an outstanding thriller written by Ridley Pearson in which five teenagers are pitted against Disney villains and witches; HIGH RHULAIN, Brian Jacques's eighteenth Redwall saga (and an irresistible cookbook based on the series); FLUSH by Carl Hiaasen, a funny novel that also deals with a serious environmental issue; and Dale Peck's DRIFT HOUSE, about three young children who go to Newfoundland to stay with an eccentric uncle and, much to their surprise, enter an extraordinary fantasy world.

ARTHUR AND THE FORBIDDEN CITY
Luc Besson
HarperCollins
ISBN: 0060596260
Ages 8-12
192 pages

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Arthur's backyard looks like a peaceful, ordinary garden --- if you're human-sized, that is. But if you're half an inch tall, like the Minimoys, this backyard is a vast world where fierce battles are fought, ferocious monsters are faced, and one evil wizard, Maltazard the Cursed, rules with cruel power from his terrifying stronghold: Necropolis, the forbidden city.

Now, in this exciting sequel to ARTHUR AND THE MINIMOYS, ten-year-old Arthur --- magically transformed into a Minimoy --- and his Minimoy companions, brave Princess Selenia and mischievous Prince Betameche must somehow find a way into this forbidden city. Their mission: to rescue Arthur's grandfather, recover a stolen treasure, and save the land of the Minimoys once and for all before it's too late.

DRIFT HOUSE: THE FIRST VOYAGE
Dale Peck
Bloomsbury Children's Books
ISBN: 158234969X
Ages 9-up
420 pages

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When Susan and her younger brothers, Charles and Murray, are sent to live with their uncle Farley in Canada, little do they realize that they're stepping into the adventure of a lifetime.

Uncle Farley's house looks like a ship perched at the edge of the sea, but it's not until a great flood comes that its name --- Drift House --- starts to make sense. Floating aimlessly, the house begins to yield its many secrets. But when a clan of diabolical mermaids trick the children and their uncle into helping them carry out a plan that will stop time forever, it will take all of Susan's ingenuity --- along with some help from a great whale, a band of pirates, and a magic carpet --- to set things straight.

FLUSH
Carl Hiaasen
Knopf
ISBN: 0375821821
Ages 10-up
272 pages pages

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Noah's dad is sure that the owner of the Coral Queen casino boat is flushing raw sewage into the harbor, but he doesn't have any proof. Noah is determined to prove that the boat is dumping illegally. Although his allies may not be ideal --- his sister Abbey, an unreformed childhood biter; Lice Peeking, a greedy drunkard with poor hygiene; Shelly, a bartender and a woman scorned; and a mysterious pirate --- Noah has a plan that should sink the crooked little casino once and for all.

HIGH RHULAIN: A Tale From Redwall
Brian Jacques
Philomel Books
ISBN: 0399242082
Ages 8-12
384 pages

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The otters of Green Isle have long been enslaved to the Wildcat Riggu Felis and his catguards, who torture the otters at every opportunity. The otters trudge on, waiting for the day their savior will arrive --- the prophesized High Rhulain, who will lead them in battle and a return to glory. Meanwhile, young Tiria Wildlough, an ottermaid at Redwall Abbey, longs for her chance to learn the ways of the warrior, much against the wishes of her father. But when an injured osprey arrives at the Abbey, seeking help for its wounds and carrying tales of an embattled clan of otters, young Tiria knows what she must do.

Here's a perfect companion to the Redwall series:

THE REDWALL COOKBOOK
Brian Jacques
illustrated by Christopher Denise
Philomel Books
ISBN: 0399237917
Ages 8-12
112 pages

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Ever read a Redwall novel and wonder exactly what Abbot's Special Abbey Trifle is? Or how to make Shrimp 'N Hotroot Soup, the delicacy of otters everywhere? Or Mole's Favourite Turnip and Tater Deeper 'N Ever Pie? From the simple refreshment of Summer Strawberry Fizz to Great Hall Gooseberry Fool, they're all here, along with dozens of other favorites, illustrated in full color. THE REDWALL COOKBOOK is a taste-tempting treat for fans of the Redwall series, old or new.

THE KINGDOM KEEPERS
Ridley Pearson
Disney Editions
ISBN: 0786854448
Ages 10-14
352 pages

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When Disney comes looking for five teenagers to serve as actors for a new technology -- Daylight Hologram Images, or DHIs -- there is more to it than meets the eye.

Finn Whitman, a middle-schooler, goes to sleep one night and has the dream of a lifetime: he "wakes up" inside Walt Disney World as his DHI character, a glowing hologram. He meets an old man there, Wayne, who claims to be one of the original Imagineers and explains to Finn that he "and your friends" have a mission to save the park from forces that humans can neither see nor hear. Back in real life, Finn sets out to find the four other kids who were chosen to be DHIs and in the process learns an eerie fact: he is not alone in this "dream." The five kids must solve the Stonecutter's Quill, a puzzle/fable left behind by Walt Disney --- and the solution of each phase of the puzzle involves a different ride in the park.

MOLLY MOON'S HYPNOTIC TIME TRAVEL ADVENTURE
Georgia Byng
HarperCollins
ISBN: 0060750324
Ages 8-12
400 pages

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In this third book in the New York Times bestselling series (MOLLY MOON STOPS THE WORLD, MOLLY MOON'S INCREDIBLE BOOK OF HYPNOTISM), Molly Moon heads to India to learn more about the ancient art of hypnosis. There, she runs into her arch nemesis and, through time travel experiments, younger versions of herself! Only Molly can save the world from the worst villain yet. But who exactly is the real Molly Moon?

NICKY DEUCE: WELCOME TO THE FAMILY
Steven R. Schirripa and Charles Fleming
Delacorte Press
ISBN: 0385732570
Ages 8-12
176 pages

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It's July, and Nicholas Borelli II's parents are scheduled to spend two weeks on a cruise, while Nicholas attends Camp Wannameka. But due to an explosion in the septic system, camp is canceled. The only place for Nicholas to go is to his grandmother's house in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, New York. When Nicholas tastes his grandma Tutti's meatballs for the first time, gets a nickname from his uncle Frankie, and makes a friend in the neighborhood, his feelings about Brooklyn --- and family --- begin to change.

TRADE WIND DANGER
Nancy Drew (All New) Girl Detective #13
Carolyn Keene
Aladdin Paperbacks
ISBN: 0689876416
Ages 8-12
160 pages pages

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Nancy, Bess and George are in San Francisco, and as tourists, the city has so much to offer them: fresh crabs, cable cars, hikes --- and stalkers? Well, perhaps stalker isn't the right word in this situation, but an older couple, Ed and Harriet, keeps popping up everywhere. Coincidental or not, their appearances are arousing the suspicions of Nancy, so the investigation begins. But who knew this would lead to more sleuthing --- in Hawaii?

WILLOW RUN
Patricia Reilly Giff
Wendy Lamb Books/Random House
ISBN: 0385730675
Ages 9-12
160 pages

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Meggie Dillon's life has been turned upside down by World War II. While her older brother Eddie is fighting in Europe, her father announces that they must help the war effort and move to Willow Run, Michigan, where he'll work nights in a factory building important war planes that will help fight the enemy in Europe. There, Meggie faces questions about courage, what it takes to go into battle, and how to keep hope alive on the home front.

--- Compiled and written by Tom Donadio

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