Trevayne, Emma. The Accidental Afterlife of Thomas Marsden. 256p. S. & S. Jul. 2015. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9781442498822.

Gr 4-7 –From the first chapter, Trevayne will have readers intrigued. On the eve of Thomas Marsden’s 12th birthday, he and his father are out after dark looking for graves to rob. It’s 19th-century London, and grave robbing is how Thomas and his father keep food on the table and the tallow candles burning. Thomas has developed a knack for “finding the bones”: the sense of knowing which grave might hold the plunder they can sell in order to fill their bellies and put coal in the home fire. On this night, the first grave’s yield is two silver coins. The second grave is fresh, and there is no coffin, just a body, one that is identical to Thomas, even down to the blemish on his cheek. There are also faeries living in London, trapped in the basement of a grand home belonging to a spiritualist named Mordecai. These faeries were brought to London against their will by Mordecai and able to speak for the dead, making him rich and famous. Even the queen has come to him in order to speak to her dead husband. The faeries are entrapped by evil magic and the iron that hurts and weakens them. The oldest of them, Deadnettle, has a plan to help them escape back to their world. The key is Thomas Marsden. Finding the grave of his “twin” leads Thomas to the faeries and to his destiny. Full of mystery and suspense, this fantasy adventure presents a likable main character, an eye into historical London, and an opportunity to recognize that sometimes it is our very ordinariness that makes us special. VERDICT A first purchase.–Kathy Kirchoefer, Henderson County Public Library, NC

Vernon, Ursula. Hamster Princess: Harriet the Invincible. illus. by Ursula Vernon. 208p. (Hamster Princess). Dial. Aug. 2015. Tr $12.99. ISBN 9780803739833; ebk. $10.99. ISBN 9780698403970.

Gr 3-5 –From the creator of the “Dragonbreath” series (Dial) comes a new fairy tale heroine in the form of a hamster. Princess Harriet Hamsterbone is not like ordinary princesses who are known for trailing around the palace looking ethereal and sighing a lot. She is, however, brave and intelligent and excels in other hamster princess skills, like checkers and fractions. Harriet is also invincible, due in part to a curse put upon her at birth by the evil wicked fairy god mouse, Ratshade. The curse dooms Princess Harriet to fall into a Sleeping Beauty–like slumber at the age of 12 but leaves her unable to die until then. Rather than worry about the inevitable, Princess Harriet lives life without fear—cliff-diving and Ogre-cat fighting, all with her trusty quail friend Mumfrey at her side. When the curse backfires, leaving all in the Kingdom in a deep slumber except Harriet and Mumfrey, it is up to the fierce little hamster to find a willing prince able to help her break the curse and save the kingdom. The artwork is large and in graphic novel–style, with sparse colors, similar to the “Dragonbreath” illustrations. Move over, Babymouse, there’s a new rodent in town! VERDICT Vernon has created a spunky heroine readers will cheer for and who will leave them eagerly searching for the happily ever after in the next installment.–Michele Shaw, Quail Run Elementary School, San Ramon, CA

Maihack, Mike. Cleopatra in Space: The Thief and the Sword. 192p. (Cleopatra in Space: Bk. 2.) Scholastic/Graphix. May 2015. pap. $12.99. ISBN 9780545528450.

Gr 4-7 –Cleopatra is back for more galactic adventures. In the opening scene, a foreign spaceship is infiltrated by a young thief using a series of daring and skillful maneuvers to defeat scores of troopers. The action then shifts to the futuristic Planet Mayet, where young Cleo and her talking cat now reside. Cleo, outfitted in a cheerleader-style space outfit with a cobra headband over multicolor bobbed hair, possesses a fearless and impulsive attitude. These attributes, along with her ray-gun skills and predetermined status as heroine of the universe, make her a popular teen classmate. Maihack’s characters, both human and nonhuman, are diverse, expressive, and visually distinct. With action varying from tumultuous chase scenes to quiet secret meetings, the book skillfully uses color to impart mood. This title is suitable for fans of Ben Hatke’s “Zita the Spacegirl” series (First Second) and Jeffrey Brown’s “Jedi Academy” (Scholastic) who are ready to move on to older characters and more complex images. Younger devotees of Jeff Smith’s “Bone” (Scholastic) may also enjoy it. VERDICT This full-color adventure series is recommended for public and school libraries.–Gaye Hinchliff, King County Library System, WA

Whitley, Jeremy. Princeless: The Pirate Princess. illus. by Rosy Higgins & Ted Brandt. 128p. Action Lab. Jun. 2015. pap. $14.99. ISBN 9781632291028.

Gr 3-7 –Why should a princess wait around for a prince to rescue her when she can rescue herself? Better yet, if a princess cannot save herself, why does it have to be a prince and not another princess who rescues her? This is the premise of “Princeless,” a refreshing, new graphic novel series starring a diverse cast of strong and independent young royals. Together they embark on quests, battling enemies and making friends along the way. In this volume, princesses Adrienne and Bedelia find Raven Xingtao, daughter of the feared Pirate King, locked in a tower, placed there after her jealous brothers convinced their father that his eldest child should be treated as a princess (i.e.: locked in a tower so she could be rescued by a prince) and not as the rightful heir. Adrienne, Bedelia, and Raven are adept fighters and easily overpower the men. The rest of this installment focuses on the relationship between Adrienne and Raven as they go from friends to enemies and then to honorary sisters. Bold colors allow the characters to pop against intricate scenery, and the action sequences are engaging and easy to follow. Pair with Jorge Aguirre’s Giants Beware! (First Second, 2012). VERDICT Diverse and memorable characters coupled with snappy dialogue and plenty of action make this a must-have for all children’s graphic novel collections. Put this in the hands of anyone who says action comics are only for boys.–Marissa Lieberman, East Orange Public Library, NJ

Allen, Elise & Daryle Conners. Gabby Duran and the Unsittables. 208p. ebook available. Disney. May 2015. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9781484709351.

Anderson, Jeff. Zack Delacruz: Me and My Big Mouth. 176p. Sterling. Aug. 2015. Tr $12.95. ISBN 9781454914990.

Barry, Dave. The Worst Class Trip Ever. 224p. Disney. May 2015. Tr $13.99. ISBN 9781484708491.

Belford, Bibi. Canned and Crushed. 208p. ebook available. Sky Pony. 2015. Tr $14.99. ISBN 9781632204356.

Bertman, Jennifer Chambliss. Book Scavenger. illus. by Sarah Watts. 368p. Holt/Christy Ottaviano Bks. Jun. 2015. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9781627791151.

Bradbury, Jennifer. River Runs Deep. 336p. ebook available. further reading. S. & S. Jul. 2015. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9781442468245.

Brallier, Max. Galactic Hot Dogs 1: Cosmoe’s Wiener Getaway. illus. by Rachel Maguire. 304p. (Galactic Hot Dogs: Bk. 1). S. & S./Aladdin. May 2015. Tr $14.99. ISBN 9781481424943.

Buyea, Rob. Saving Mr. Terupt. 368p. ebook available. Delacorte. Jul. 2015. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9780385743556; ebk. $10.99. ISBN 9780449818299.

Fiedler, Lisa & Anya Wallach. Stagestruck: Curtain Up. 192p. (Stage Struck: Bk. 1). ebook available. Sleeping Bear. May 2015. Tr $11.99. ISBN 9781585369232; pap. $6.99. ISBN 9781585369249. LC 2014035452.

Galvin, Michael M.B. & Peter Speakman. Rebels of the Lamp. 288p. (Rebels of the Lamp: Bk. 1). Disney-Hyperion. May 2015. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9781423179573; ebk. $9.99. ISBN 9781423187677. LC 2014029969.

Hayes, Christine. Mothman’s Curse. illus. by James K. Hindle. 320p. Roaring Brook. Jun. 2015. Tr $15.99. ISBN 9781626720275; ebk. $9.99. ISBN 9781626720282.

Hughes, Alison. Lost in the Backyard. 144p. Orca. 2015. pap. $9.95. ISBN 9781459807945.

Jennings, Sharon. Connecting Dots. 232p. (Gutsy Girl Series: Bk. 4). Second Story. 2015. pap. $9.95. ISBN 9781927583623.

Leung, Bryce & Kristy Shen. Little Miss Evil. 144p. ebook available. Spencer Hill. 2015. pap. $7.95. ISBN 9781939392091.

Lieb, Josh. Ratscalibur. illus. by Tom Lintern. 192p. Penguin/Razorbill. May 2015. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9781595142429.

McGuire, Sarah. Valiant. 384p. Egmont USA. May 2015. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9781606845523; ebk. $16.99. ISBN 9781606845530.

Moss, Marissa. Amelia’s Middle-School Graduation Yearbook. 80p. Creston. May 2015. Tr $12.95. ISBN 9781939547095.

Nickerson, Sara. The Secrets of Blueberries, Brothers, Moose & Me. 336p. Dutton. Jun. 2015. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9780525426547; ebk. $10.99. ISBN 9780698146662.

Pichon, L. Tom Gates: Excellent Excuses (and Other Good Stuff). illus. by L. Pichon. 352p. ebook available. glossary. Candlewick. May 2015. Tr $12.99. ISBN 9780763674748. LC 2014944793.

Sachar, Louis. Fuzzy Mud. 192p. Delcorte. Aug. 2015. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9780385743785; ebk. $10.99. ISBN 9780385370219.

Salane, Jeffrey. Justice. 288p. Scholastic. 2015. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9780545450317.

Sloan, Holly Goldberg. Appleblossom the Possum. illus. by Gary A. Rosen. 288p. Dial. Aug. 2015. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9780803741331; ebk. $10.99. ISBN 9780698155008.

Smith, Tamara Ellis. Another Kind of Hurricane. 336p. Schwartz & Wade. Jul. 2015. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9780553511932.

Spradlin, Michael P. Into the Killing Seas. 224p. Scholastic. Jun. 2015. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9780545726023; ebk. $16.99. ISBN 9780545726030.

Stephens, John. The Black Reckoning. 432p. (The Books of Beginning Series: Bk. 3). Knopf. 2015. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780375868726; ebk. $10.99. ISBN 9780375899577.

Venditti, Robert. Miles Taylor and the Golden Cape: Attack of the Alien Horde. illus. by Dusty Higgins. 304p. ebook available. S. & S. Jun. 2015. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9781481405423.

Yohalem, Eve. Cast Off: The Strange Adventures of Petra de Winter and Bram Broen. 320p. ebook available. Dial. May 2015. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9780525428565.

Graphic Novels

Cook, Katie. Gronk: A Monster’s Story. illus. by Katie Cook. 64p. (Gronk: Vol. 1.) Action Lab. 2015. pap. $9.99. ISBN 9781632290885.

Coverly, Dave. Dogs Are People, Too: A Collection of Cartoons to Make Your Tail Wag. 224p. Holt. 2015. pap. $12.99. ISBN 9781627790420.

Frampton, Otis. Oddly Normal. illus. by Otis Frampton. 128p. Image Comics. 2015. pap. $9.99. ISBN 9781632152268.

Grissom, Eric. Planet Gigantic: New World Home. illus. by David Halverson, Will Perkins, & Phil Sloan. 128p. Action Lab. Jul. 2015. pap. $14.99. ISBN 9781632290854.

Hosler, Jay. Last of the Sandwalkers. 320p. First Second. 2015. pap. $16.99. ISBN 9781626720244.

Kain, Alex. Beyond the Western Deep. illus. by Rachel Bennett. 80p. Action Lab. Jun. 2015. pap. $9.99. ISBN 9781632291035.

McClaren, Meredith. Clockwork City. illus. by Meredith McClaren. 112p. (Hinges: Bk. 1). Image Comics. 2015. pap. $15.99. ISBN 9781632152534.

Pommaux, Yvan. Orpheus in the Underworld. tr. from by Richard Kutner. illus. by Yvan Pommaux. 56p. (TOON Graphic Mythology). TOON Graphic. Jun. 2015. Tr $16.95. ISBN 9781935179849. LC 2014028862.

Metaphrog. The Red Shoes: And Other Tales. 64p. Papercutz. Oct. 2015. Tr $12.99. ISBN 9781629912837.