The Merlin Conspiracy, by Diana Wynne Jones (Greenwillow Books, 2003)

Arianrhod (Roddy) and her best friend Grundo live on the alternate Earth known as Blest, which acts as the magical center for thousands of worlds. To keep the magic stable, they travel with the King’s Progress, a perpetual movement of … Continue reading

The Little People, by Neil Philip (Harry N. Abrams, Inc, 2002)

Interested in fairy tales? Then I have a book for you. The Little People: Stories of Fairies, Pixies, and Other Small Folk, is just that, a beautiful illustrated compendium detailing numerous aspects of the mythical creatures found in folklore and … Continue reading

The Legend of Holly Claus, by Brittney Ryan (HarperCollins, 2004)

Somewhere beyond the Arctic Circle, ringed by magical glaciers, lies the Land of the Immortals, the kingdom known as Forever. Ruled by Nicholas, better known as Santa Claus, it’s a happy place where the immortal souls of those who’ve truly … Continue reading

The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray, by Chris Wooding (Orchard Books, 2004)

In an alternate Victorian London, night time is the dangerous time. Wolves, serial killers, and nightmarish creatures called wych-kin roam the streets and lurk in the shadows, savaging all who dare brave the city after dark. However, there are those … Continue reading

The Grand Tour, by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer (Harcourt, 2004)

Some people get Caribbean cruises for their honeymoons. Others get Grand Tours of Europe. Such is the case for cousins Cecy and Kate, who, after marrying, respectively, James Tarleton and Lord Thomas Schofield at the end of Sorcery and Cecilia, … Continue reading

The Golem’s Eye, by Jonathan Stroud (Hyperion Miramax, 2004)

Two years after the events chronicled in The Amulet of Samarkand, young magician Nathaniel has, in his adult guise of John Mandrake, risen quickly in the ranks of London’s magician-ruled government, becoming the assistant to Julius Tallow, Head of Internal … Continue reading

The Frog Princess, by E.D. Baker (Bloomsbury, 2003)

The Frog Princess is a twist on the old Frog Prince story, taking the theme of a prince whose transformation into a frog can only be reversed by a princess’ kiss, and adding a whole new dimension to it. In … Continue reading

The Far Side of Evil, by Sylvia Louise Engdahl (Walker Books, 2003)

As a new graduate of the Anthropological Service Academy, a starspanning organization dedicated to studying life across the universe, Elana is assigned to a dangerous, deadly case. The planet Toris, a Youngling society far less mature than Elana’s own world, … Continue reading

The Witches of Bailiwick, by Sandra Forrester (Barron’s, 2005)

At long last, the time has come for Beatrice Bailey and her friends to confront the evil sorcerer, Dally Rumpe, once and for all. In four previous missions to the Witches’ Sphere, the quartet (later quintet) of teenage witches went … Continue reading

The Witches of Winged-Horse Mountain, by Sandra Forrester (Barron’s, 2004)

Guess who’s back? That’s right, it’s Beatrice Bailey and her friends. In the fourth book in the series, they’ve been tasked with the mission of freeing yet another part of the magical land of Bailiwick from the clutches of the … Continue reading