Dutton/Viking/Penguin

Children's Bookwatch, Feb, 2005

Dutton/Viking/Penguin

345 Hudson St., New York NY 10014

www.penguin.com

Three highly recommended picks from recent publications deserve attention from discriminating librarians. Mette Ivie Harrison's Mira, Mirror (0670059234, $17.99) tells of a girl abandoned by her parents, then apprenticed to a witch. Desperate for friendship and family, Mira finds herself captivated by the witch's other young apprentice and is happy when the girl adopts her as a sister--until the girl embarks upon a dangerous road which changes Mira's life forever. Older readers will find this an engrossing, compelling fantasy. Susan Shaw's Boy From The Basement (0525472231, $16.99) tells of a boy perpetually punished by a brutal father who locks him in a basement. For Charlie, the basement is home, even though it's filled with dangers: once let loose into the world Charlie finds himself on a road to recovery and a search for love in this enchanting story of change. J. Irvin Kuns' While You Were Out (0525472959, $15.99) tells of Penelope, who has to begin fifth grade without her friend when he dies. Her father's the school janitor, further complicating matters, while a persistent neighbor seeks to replace Tim in Penelope's life as a new best friend. A secret notepad of confessional letters to the vanished Tim aids in survival--but to its credit, Kuns' While You Were Out isn't your usual cut-up diary format, but a smooth-reading story.