The story of a girl who has just enough knowledge to control the monsters that live beneath the castle--and whose own hidden past eventually comes to light. A fresh and satisfying book.

The Pied Piper gets a new treatment here: what if the rats were in on the con? And what if the con artists met up with worse criminals and decided to stop them?

You may have read Howl's Moving Castle, which is marvelous, but be sure to try Wynne Jones's Chrestomanci books. Look for Volume 2, as well! The books are all linked by Chrestomanci, a nine-lived enchanter who supervises magic across a series of parallel worlds.

The ending of Cart and Cwidder gets me every time. Where the Chrestomanci books are set at least partly in our world, these books are set in another land and time. Still, though the setting may be more traditional in fantasy terms, the storytelling is unique and strong. There's another volume of Dalemark stories if you like this one.

Crown Duel is a romantic adventure, while Court Duel is an adventurous romance--both featuring a fallible yet likable and intrepid heroine. Together, they're a marvelous read, especially for girls. Try her Wren books, too.

I wasn't crazy about Island of the Aunts, but Which Witch? and The Secret of Platform 13 are a hoot. Ibbotson's books are wholesome and upbeat without being bland--a rare commodity these days.

Although it began with this particularly fine retelling of a well-known fairy tale, The Goose Girl became the first of three books (so far) about the land of Bayern. Another of Hale's books, Princess Academy, won a 2006 Newbery Honor award.

The first in a trilogy about a boy raising dragons to fight competitively--a mix of sci-fi and fantasy and a terrific read, especially for middle and high school age boys.

A unique setting, a version of California where alternative history has a magically talented military presence dealing with a rival Aztec group. Main character Flora is foolish yet brave, roaming her 10,000-room house and making deals with inhuman banished butlers. A bit hard to follow, but worth it. The sequel is more noticeably a book for teens.

One by one, the animals are losing their voices, but who is taking the songs, and why? When Sylvie's composer father disappears, she and her friend George set out to find him AND some answers.

Patrice Kindl asks that age-old question, "Would you really want to be the girl given supreme beauty by a grateful fairy, not to mention having gold fall out of your hair and diamonds fall from your lips on a regular basis?" As Alexandria soon discovers, these gifts are more trouble than they're worth.

Philip Reeve is at it again, this time creating a Victorian adventure set on a rambling spaceship--and why not? This book is doing what a lot of the other adventure books coming out these days are trying to do and failing; it tells a story with real panache. Unlike Mortal Engines, Larklight is a good fit for readers in grades 3-8.

A story with a tall-tale, "hillbilly" setting and tone, this rollicking read follows Magpie Gabbard on her adventures through the Kentucky mountains--as she tries to return her brother's missing foot, rescue the moon from goblin thieves, and end a decades-old feud with another clan.

Another rural fantasy, featuring Mibs Beaumont and her family, each of whom acquires an odd magical power or "savvy" at age 13. Her father is in a car accident in another city, so Mibs sneaks onto a traveling Bible salesman's bus to try to reach him--and she's joined by more stowaways.

As odd as its name, this book reminds me of Alice in Wonderland, A Series of Unfortunate Events, and The Lightning Thief--only it's not like any of them, really. Jo flees to another world when strange creatures show up at her aunt's Christmas party, only to find that she may be the greatest danger of all. Bizarrely funny and a bit dark.

After you save the world, not everyone's appreciative, as Charlotte and her cousin Zee find out in this sequel to The Shadow Thieves. Not only do her parents ground her, but the villain she defeated arranges for some elaborate and fishy payback! I love this writer's tongue-in-cheek style.

What, you thought I wouldn't recommend my own book? It's an ALA Notable book for 2007, but mostly it's just a fun read. The Runaway Princess turns the traditional quest for half the kingdom and the princess's hand in marriage on its head. A sequel called The Runaway Dragon came out recently.

Alys is staked out for the dragon to eat, but the dragon--who can take human form--becomes interested in Alys's desire for revenge and offers to help her. A book for teens, with a hint of romance and some thought-provoking ideas about revenge. Vande Velde has written other good books you might want to look for.

This was one of my favorite fantasy books as a child, and I still like it very much. Cousin "twin" jesters help a boy who's stolen a royal baby from a group of power-hungry witches. Humor and adventure!

Eleanor Farjeon took the story of Rumpelstiltskin, threw in a nursery rhyme about the man in the moon and an old name for the devil, and came up with this whimsical, adventurous book. The characters are the best thing about it.