Peter is a normal 12-year-old kid living in a tiny New York apartment with his scientist parents. Thea lives in a mysterious underground world with her aunt. Peter has finally gotten the chance to go on an expedition to Greenland with his father and mother. He’ll get to participate in the adventures he had always heard about. Thea has started to worry about her secret home and its ability to sustain a growing population. As she tries to find a way to keep her people safe, Peter is trying to make sense of his new headaches and weird visions. First Light is Rebecca Stead’s first novel. People who like their science with a little bit of magic will like this book about two kids trying to save what is most important to them.

Holly Lisle has long been one of my favorite authors for adults, so I was thrilled to find out she has started a fantasy series for kids. The Ruby Key (Moon and Sun) is the first in the Moon & Sun series. Mankind and nightlings have a treaty: mankind “rules by the light” and nightlings “rule in the night.” They each have their own special magic. When Genna and her brother Dan venture into the woods at night to try to save their mother from a mysterious illness, they learn of an evil plot against their family and their whole village. With the help of a cat who is not a cat and a nightling who has secrets of her own, Genna must travel the moonroads to find the one person who can save them.

I really liked this book and recommend it to people who like to immerse themselves in a world where magic is real.

When three kids and their adult cousin are stranded by a fierce storm, their cousin tells a story about a tiny orphaned creature who is trying to discover his purpose in life. What-the-Dickens is a skibberee born in a tin can and adopted by a bird before discovering others like him. In this story, Maguire introduces us to the odd, secretive society of the skibbereen, who collect human teeth and plant them to create wishing candles. This book has gotten mixed reviews. I enjoyed it, though, especially the descriptions of the skibbereen society and the suspense of wondering if the kids would make it through the storm safely.