Word Play: An archive of past reviews

Josephine Angelini’s ‘Starcrossed’ and Meg Cabot’s ‘Abandon’ find fresh inspiration in Greek mythology.

The conventions of children’s fantasy are highly familiar… and well-executed in John Stephens’ ‘The Emerald Atlas.’

Best friends spend the summer without each other in ‘Jersey Tomatoes Are the Best’; new picture books ask readers, and fathers, to give their undivided attention.

New young adult novels depict the fear and cruel dilemmas of bullying with fierce honesty.

In ‘Sapphique,’ the sequel to ‘Incarceron,’ Catherine Fisher continues the adventures of her young heroes in a world with a mind of its own.

Barack Obama’s ‘A Letter to My Daughters’ and other new picture books prepare young children for the delights and challenges of readings.

Confessions of a graphic-novel convert, or, the perfect bat mitzvah gift.

A roundup of children’s picture books this season include more adventures from Knuffle Bunny, Marla Frazee’s pushy little “boss baby” (pictured) and more.

The supernatural (Alyson Noël’s ‘Radiance’) mingles with popular series (Jeff Kinney’s ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth’) and graphic novel adaptations (‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’).

Francesca Simon talks about why her ‘Horrid Henry’ series is so popular. ‘Book are a good way to vent feelings that aren’t acceptable,’ she says.

In ‘The Grimm Legacy,’ magical objects reside in a lending library in New York City.

A roundup of picture books from Francesca Lia Block, Mo Willems and many others provide a lot of choices this summer for children — and their parents.

In ‘The Cardturner,’ the bestselling author of “Holes” turns to one of his favorite games: bridge.

Narrators with autism and Asperger’s Syndrome provide unexpected perspectives on the worlds of childhood and maturity.

New books on a variety of subjects -- love and grief, tragedy, the big bang, eco-issues -- show us that no topic is too much for young minds, provided it’s given the right presentation.

In ‘Incarceron,’ ‘The Maze Runner,’ ‘The Midnight Charter’ and ‘The Dreamhunter,’ characters face unfair judgment and arbitrary rules -- isn’t that what every teen experiences?

‘From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun’ and ‘The Boy in the Dress’ offer first lessons in understanding differences.

What does St. Nick eat? Where does he live? What does he wear? The most popular subgenre in holiday books for children concerns the details of Santa’s life.

Our children’s/young adult columnist offers her best picks of the year, including fresh retellings of old fairy tales and the latest installments in several series.

Interested in more than what the U.S. children’s market has to offer? Here are new imports from British, Dutch and French authors.

Kristin Cashore’s ‘Fire’ and Barry Lyga’s ‘Goth Girl Rising’ tackle the difficult subjects of young women’s budding sexuality and the power of gender from engaging perspectives.

Encounters with dangerous horses, Al Capone and Destiny give young adult readers glimpses of the realities beyond childhood.

Everything old is new again, as illustrated by new takes on the familiar stories of Aesop, Chicken Little and Disney.

An early work by Arnold Lobel may precede the creation of his popular pair, but the elements of that successful series are already there, as his daughter explains.

New young adult novels show readers how those precious 10 weeks of the year can change one’s life.

Jeremy Tankard’s stories focus on essential things -- grumpiness, hunger, sorrow -- to the delight and fascination of children and their parents.

Rick Riordan concludes his terrific ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ series with the fifth installment. Keeping the series’ plots straight takes Herculean efforts, but why bother? Just enjoy.

Not every character has to be mean to be interesting. In Gayle Forman’s ‘If I Stay,’ Alison McGhee’s ‘Julia Gillian (and the Quest for Joy)’ and Tomi Ungerer’s “The Three Robbers,” the girl heroines are devoted to family, responsible -- and fascinating.

The timely appeal of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s “Little House” series

Chickens play an important role in many young adult and children’s stories. What is it about these critters that appeals to storytellers?

When a tide of popularity rises, it erases all boundaries.

An unusual interactive event brings people together at the Santa Monica Public Library.

Marion Bataille’s ‘ABC3D’ offers an exuberant visual exploration of the alphabet.

In ‘The Hunger Games,’ a parody of reality TV programs like ‘Survivor’ presents a grim, apocalyptic world where teens fight to the death for the pleasure of TV audiences.

A talk with Jon Scieszka, National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, about getting kids to read

Why search for a new children’s fantasy for your family when “The 13 Clocks” will do?

New books from Jeane Birdsall, Lois Lowry and others create enchanting, warm family stories that also play games with the familiar conventions of children’s stories.

Mike Lupica and Linda Sue Parks have new offerings for middle-school baseball fans.

Some authors treat the subject of affairs between boys and their teachers as romance; others see it for what it is--the stealing of innocence

Usually when I go out to interview authors, I don’t feel as if I’ve stumbled into a slumber party.

Q & A with Rick Riordan Question -- Have you ever had a teacher like Mrs. Dodds? (Mrs.