Publishers Weekly : Bestseller Cornwell's solid 17th thriller to feature Dr. Kay Scarpetta (after Scarpetta) finds Scarpetta—who's the senior forensic analyst for CNN—probing the murder of a Central Park jogger as well as looking into the disappearance of Hannah Starr, a wealthy financial planner. Quizzed on-air about previously undisclosed details of the perplexing Starr case, Scarpetta realizes that the tentacles of the case reach further than she imagined. Her niece, forensic computer whiz Lucy Farinelli, has her own reasons for digging into Starr's disappearance, along with Lucy's girlfriend, New York County ADA Jaime Berger. NYPD Det. Pete Marino, another series staple, is also in the loop as a member of Berger's task force. But it's the dark past of Scarpetta's psychologist husband, Benton Wesley—particularly his presumed death in Point of Origin and shocking reappearance five years later in Blow Fly—that binds the disparate pieces together and make this one of Cornwell's stronger recent efforts. (Oct.)

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School Library Journal : Gr 3–6—These slim books provide cursory introductions to the elements, chemical reactions, and mixtures and compounds, with some crossover of subject areas within the three titles. The audience for them is unclear. The open layout, with colorful photos and illustrations on each spread, would appeal to younger readers. However, the text is dense and difficult to read and the content is more appropriate for older readers. At times, the books are inaccurate or contradict each other. For example, in Mixtures and Compounds, the text states that atoms combine to create everything, including the "lead in our pencils." Actually, pencils now are created with graphite, not lead. In addition, Elements states that "nonmetal carbon is found in pencil lead." Chicken soup is offered as an example of a heterogeneous mixture, which is highly oversimplified. Children looking for a simple introduction to chemistry would be better served by Anita Brandolini's Fizz, Bubble & Flash! (Williamson, 2003). Students needing information for reports would likely require more comprehensive resources.—Maren Ostergard, King County Library System, Issaquah, WA

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School Library Journal : Gr 3–6—These slim books provide cursory introductions to the elements, chemical reactions, and mixtures and compounds, with some crossover of subject areas within the three titles. The audience for them is unclear. The open layout, with colorful photos and illustrations on each spread, would appeal to younger readers. However, the text is dense and difficult to read and the content is more appropriate for older readers. At times, the books are inaccurate or contradict each other. For example, in Mixtures and Compounds, the text states that atoms combine to create everything, including the "lead in our pencils." Actually, pencils now are created with graphite, not lead. In addition, Elements states that "nonmetal carbon is found in pencil lead." Chicken soup is offered as an example of a heterogeneous mixture, which is highly oversimplified. Children looking for a simple introduction to chemistry would be better served by Anita Brandolini's Fizz, Bubble & Flash! (Williamson, 2003). Students needing information for reports would likely require more comprehensive resources.—Maren Ostergard, King County Library System, Issaquah, WA

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions Inc. Terms

School Library Journal : Gr 3–6—These slim books provide cursory introductions to the elements, chemical reactions, and mixtures and compounds, with some crossover of subject areas within the three titles. The audience for them is unclear. The open layout, with colorful photos and illustrations on each spread, would appeal to younger readers. However, the text is dense and difficult to read and the content is more appropriate for older readers. At times, the books are inaccurate or contradict each other. For example, in Mixtures and Compounds, the text states that atoms combine to create everything, including the "lead in our pencils." Actually, pencils now are created with graphite, not lead. In addition, Elements states that "nonmetal carbon is found in pencil lead." Chicken soup is offered as an example of a heterogeneous mixture, which is highly oversimplified. Children looking for a simple introduction to chemistry would be better served by Anita Brandolini's Fizz, Bubble & Flash! (Williamson, 2003). Students needing information for reports would likely require more comprehensive resources.—Maren Ostergard, King County Library System, Issaquah, WA

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions Inc. Terms

School Library Journal : Gr 3–6—These slim books provide cursory introductions to the elements, chemical reactions, and mixtures and compounds, with some crossover of subject areas within the three titles. The audience for them is unclear. The open layout, with colorful photos and illustrations on each spread, would appeal to younger readers. However, the text is dense and difficult to read and the content is more appropriate for older readers. At times, the books are inaccurate or contradict each other. For example, in Mixtures and Compounds, the text states that atoms combine to create everything, including the "lead in our pencils." Actually, pencils now are created with graphite, not lead. In addition, Elements states that "nonmetal carbon is found in pencil lead." Chicken soup is offered as an example of a heterogeneous mixture, which is highly oversimplified. Children looking for a simple introduction to chemistry would be better served by Anita Brandolini's Fizz, Bubble & Flash! (Williamson, 2003). Students needing information for reports would likely require more comprehensive resources.—Maren Ostergard, King County Library System, Issaquah, WA

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Library Journal : This father-and-son writing team continue their well-received World War II Office of Strategic Services Men at War series where The Saboteurs left off. Double has two focuses: first, the laying of the groundwork for the Allied invasion of Sicily and the destruction of Nazi chemical and biological weapons in Sicily, which deals with the risks of going behind the lines on a key mission; second, the well-known diversionary spy story better known as the man that never was. What makes both of these tales interesting are the colorful real characters: President Franklin D. Roosevelt, actors David Niven and Peter Ustinov, and Gen. Wild Bill Donovan. Narrated by Paul Hecht, this work is highly recommended.—Scott R. DiMarco, Mansfield Univ. of Pennsylvania

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Library Journal : This father-and-son writing team continue their well-received World War II Office of Strategic Services Men at War series where The Saboteurs left off. Double has two focuses: first, the laying of the groundwork for the Allied invasion of Sicily and the destruction of Nazi chemical and biological weapons in Sicily, which deals with the risks of going behind the lines on a key mission; second, the well-known diversionary spy story better known as the man that never was. What makes both of these tales interesting are the colorful real characters: President Franklin D. Roosevelt, actors David Niven and Peter Ustinov, and Gen. Wild Bill Donovan. Narrated by Paul Hecht, this work is highly recommended.—Scott R. DiMarco, Mansfield Univ. of Pennsylvania

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Library Journal : This father-and-son writing team continue their well-received World War II Office of Strategic Services Men at War series where The Saboteurs left off. Double has two focuses: first, the laying of the groundwork for the Allied invasion of Sicily and the destruction of Nazi chemical and biological weapons in Sicily, which deals with the risks of going behind the lines on a key mission; second, the well-known diversionary spy story better known as the man that never was. What makes both of these tales interesting are the colorful real characters: President Franklin D. Roosevelt, actors David Niven and Peter Ustinov, and Gen. Wild Bill Donovan. Narrated by Paul Hecht, this work is highly recommended.—Scott R. DiMarco, Mansfield Univ. of Pennsylvania

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions Inc. Terms

Library Journal : This father-and-son writing team continue their well-received World War II Office of Strategic Services Men at War series where The Saboteurs left off. Double has two focuses: first, the laying of the groundwork for the Allied invasion of Sicily and the destruction of Nazi chemical and biological weapons in Sicily, which deals with the risks of going behind the lines on a key mission; second, the well-known diversionary spy story better known as the man that never was. What makes both of these tales interesting are the colorful real characters: President Franklin D. Roosevelt, actors David Niven and Peter Ustinov, and Gen. Wild Bill Donovan. Narrated by Paul Hecht, this work is highly recommended.—Scott R. DiMarco, Mansfield Univ. of Pennsylvania

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Publishers Weekly: The author of Because of Winn-Dixie and The Tiger Rising here shifts gears, demonstrating her versatility while once again proving her genius for mining the universal themes of childhood. Her third novel calls to mind Henry Fielding's Tom Jones; DiCamillo's omniscient narrator assumes a similarly irreverent yet compassionate tone and also addresses readers directly. Despereaux, the diminutive mouse hero ("The last mouse born to his parents and the only one of his litter to be born alive"), cares not a whit for such mundane matters as scurrying or nibbling, and disappoints his family at every turn. When his sister tries to teach him to devour a book, for example ("This glue, here, is tasty, and the paper edges are crunchy and yummy, like so"), Despereaux discovers instead "a delicious and wonderful phrase: Once upon a time"-a discovery that will change his life. The author introduces all of the elements of the subtitle, masterfully linking them without overlap. A key factor unmentioned in the subtitle is a villainous rat, Chiaroscuro (dwelling in the darkness of the Princess's dungeon, but drawn to the light). Ering (The Story of Frog Belly Rat Bone) brings an understated drama to the black-and-white illustrations that punctuate each chapter. His artwork conveys a respect for the characters even as they emit the wry humor of the narrator's voice. The teller of the tale roots for the hero and thus aligns himself with the audience: "Reader, you must know that an interesting fate (sometimes involving rats, sometimes not) awaits almost everyone, mouse or man, who does not conform." In addition to these life lessons, the narrator also savors a pointer or two about language (after the use of the word "perfidy," the narrator asks, "Reader, do you know what `perfidy' means? I have a feeling you do, based on the little scene that has just unfolded here. But you should look up the word in your dictionary, just to be sure"). Reader, I will let you imagine, for now, how these witticisms of our omniscient narrator come into play; but I must tell you, you are in for a treat. Ages 7-12.

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School Library Journal: Gr 3 Up-A charming story of unlikely heroes whose destinies entwine to bring about a joyful resolution. Foremost is Despereaux, a diminutive mouse who, as depicted in Ering's pencil drawings, is one of the most endearing of his ilk ever to appear in children's books. His mother, who is French, declares him to be "such the disappointment" at his birth and the rest of his family seems to agree that he is very odd: his ears are too big and his eyes open far too soon and they all expect him to die quickly. Of course, he doesn't. Then there is the human Princess Pea, with whom Despereaux falls deeply (one might say desperately) in love. She appreciates him despite her father's prejudice against rodents. Next is Roscuro, a rat with an uncharacteristic love of light and soup. Both these predilections get him into trouble. And finally, there is Miggery Sow, a peasant girl so dim that she believes she can become a princess. With a masterful hand, DiCamillo weaves four story lines together in a witty, suspenseful narrative that begs to be read aloud. In her authorial asides, she hearkens back to literary traditions as old as those used by Henry Fielding. In her observations of the political machinations and follies of rodent and human societies, she reminds adult readers of George Orwell. But the unpredictable twists of plot, the fanciful characterizations, and the sweetness of tone are DiCamillo's own. This expanded fairy tale is entertaining, heartening, and, above all, great fun.-Miriam Lang Budin, Chappaqua Public Library, NY

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