Random House's Young Indiana Jones unites adventure, history and mystery with commercial appeal that entices new readers that are ready for novel length books. Random also produces Stepping Stone books for a slightly less proficient reader. White Bird by Clyde Bulla, for example, is an emotion packed, historically correct intorduciton to good literature. All books for ages 7-10. Jackie French Koller's The Dragonling feeds the developing taste of a science fiction buff in the story of a young boy who nurtures a small dragon, a species hated by his people.
Feelings abound and the characterizations make both dragonling and hero very real.
Two of the best loved writers for this age have new books. Roald Dahl's Esio Trot is the story of an older man who loves a woman from afar. And the woman loves her tortoise. How Dahl combines plotting, humor,and word play to get the man his true love will keep children page turning and giggling with Dahl's plot twists. Ages 7- 11.