Gennifer Choldenko’s newest title, a 2005 Honor Book for the prestigious Newberry Medal, takes place in 1935, and follows the exploits of 12-year-old Moose Flanagan. Moose’s father has just taken a job at Alcatraz, the notorious federal prison set in San Francisco Bay. The book is filled with themes of solitude and captivity, but also the compassion and warmth expressed in Moose´s relationship with his autistic sister, Natalie. - Andrew Robinton

Living in the back of Oscar’s Pizza Palace in Washington, D.C., Wilky is a small bug with big dreams. His uncle Julius was a great adventurer, and Wilky longs to follow in his footsteps. But when he stows away on a pizza box and ends up at the most famous address in the country — on the day of a big state dinner hornor the president of France — it looks like his first adventure may be his last. WIth the President and his staff in crisis mode and hot on his trail, Wilky has some powerful shoes to outrun. But if there’s one thing a cockroach knows how to do, it’s survive. Written and illustrated by Howie Schneider, the creator of the cartoon “Eek & Meek.” (Read Review)