This beautifully illustrated picture book biography of J.M. Barrie, creator of Peter Pan, is a wonderful read. It spans his entire life with great emphasis, naturally, on the making and success of Peter Pan. Yolen also notes Barrie’s gift of future royalties to the Great Ormand Street Hospital for Sick Children in London who has benefited from his largesse. How apropos that Barrie, who created one of the great stories for children, arranged that the proceeds of that work now go to helping children fight illnesses. The design of this book is beautifully done. Yolen includes quotes from Barrie’s work at the bottom of each page. That quote not only connects with the text above but the lovely green ink is echoed in the endpapers, tying the book together nicely. The art is textured, almost appearing to be painted on wood, and varies from whole pages to vignettes. My only complaint is that the artist’s medium is not noted. Joan Kindig

Owen is enthralled by his conviction that something amazing has fallen from a train in the night. He’s already had a coup this summer, capturing the largest bullfrog in Graham pond, but Tooley seems less than thrilled at living in confinement. There’s a satisfying sense of achievement when Owen (with the help of his nosy neighbor Viola) figures out how to launch the two-seater submersible that has tumbled intact from the curve in the tracks. With sure-voiced third person narration and consistent good humor, O’Connor is a scholar of the private dreams, worries and triumphs of middle-grade children—especially boys. Kathie Meizner

Sy Montgomery and Nic Bishop do it again. Who could be better to describe the intensive rescue effort forest rangers and volunteers working on an island off the New Zealand coast to save the nearly extinct, flightless Kakapo parrot? I was charmed by the comparisons of the island forest with a fantasy world. -- Kathy Isaacs