Simon & Schuster

Children's Bookwatch, May, 2005

Simon & Schuster

1230 Ave. of Americas, NY, NY 10020

www.simonsayskids.com

Susan Cooper's The Magician's Boy (06-8987622X, $14.95) tells of Boy, who does all the grunt work for a magician who puts on a puppet play. One day he can't locate a puppet--and the Magician is transported to a strange Land of Story where he must find the puppet to gain freedom. Boy's adventures will reach ages 8-12 in an easy reader packed with action. Coleen Murtagh Paratore's The Wedding Planner's Daughter (0689873409, $15.95) tells of a pre-teen who moves to a new town, meets a new best friend, and encounters a possible new father in her English teacher Sam: all these positive changes are affected by one big negative in this fun, zany story of romance and change. Older teen readers will appreciate Charmain Hussey's The Valley Of Secrets (0689878621, $16.95), in which a distant uncle's death brings Stephen to find he's the only heir to a great estate in the countryside. His journey to his new home brings him to a puzzling abandoned mansion, a recluse uncle, and a confrontation with a mysterious presence in the house. When Stephen discovers his great-uncle's diary and journey through the Amazon, a strange truth evolves which will make Stephen the keeper of a rare secret.