Bones Rock!: Everything You Need to Know to Be a Paleontologist by Peter Larson and Kristin Donnan. Invisible Cities Press ISBN:193122935X. $19.95. In this practical guide, Larson shares his obvious passion for his work, discussing scientific methods and a variety of fossil-hunting techniques.

Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett, pictures by Brett Helquist. Scholastic Press. ISBN:0439372941. $16.95. When a book of unexplainable occurrences brings Petra Andalee & Calder Pillay together, strange things start to happen and an invaluable Vermeer painting disappears. Can they decipher a crime that has left even the FBI baffled?

Creature Carnival by Marilyn Singer, pictures by Gris Griml. Hyperion Books for Children. ISBN:0786818778. $15.99. A distinguished author and poet invites readers into the carnival-"Our flying horse suggests you duck/Brer Rabbit says, `Hey, try your luck.'/Then watch Godzilla stomp a truck./It's Creature Carnival time"

Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke, pictures by Anthea Bell. Chicken House. ISBN:0439456959. $12.95. Young Firedrake, alone among the dragons, heeds the warning: return to the Rim of Heaven, or suffer destruction by humans. Joined by a feisty Scottish brownie, an orphaned boy Firedrake fulfills an ancient prophecy and safely returns to his ancestral home.

Ida B : . . . and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the World by Katerine Hannigan. Greenwillow. ISBN0060730242. $15.99. Fourth-grader Ida B spends happy hours being home-schooled and playing in her family's apple orchard but when her mother begins treatment for breast cancer, her parents must sell part of the orchard and send her to public school.

The Kids' Guide to Digital Photography: How to Shoot, Save, Play With & Print Your Digital Photos by Jenni Bidner. Lark. ISBN:1579906044. $14.95. If there is a new digital camera on the Christmas list, here is a book to enhance the gift.

Peter & the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson. Hyperion Books. ISBN:0786854456. $17.99. Did you ever wonder what happened before Peter met Wendy? Here’s some early history of Neverland.

The Ralph Mouse Collection by Beverly Cleary. HarperTrophy; Slipcase edition. ISBN:0064410048. $17.97. All your favorite Ralph Mouse tales in one boxed set -- just in time for the holiday season!

The Little Gentleman by Philippa Pearce, pictures by Tom Pohrt. Greenwillow. ISBN:0060731605. $15.99. A young girl's dull life is transformed when she befriends an extraordinary talking mole that likes to be read to and tell of his own past exploits throughout the centuries.

Merlin and the Making of the King by Margaret Hodges, pictures by Trina Schart Hyman. Holiday House. ISBN082341647X. $16.95. Three enduring and magical tales bring the legendary figures to life for a young audience. A captivating retelling, with fluid language and majestic full-color artwork.

The Pepins And Their Problems by Polly Horvath, pictures by Marylin Hafner. Farrar, Straus & Giroux, ISBN:0374358176. $16. Whether it's waking up to find toads in their shoes or becoming trapped on the roof, the Pepin family always seems to get into bizarre scrapes but they have an author with large psychic antennae who can receive readers’ suggestions.

Top Secret: A Handbook of Codes, Ciphers, and Secret Writing by Paul B. Janeczko, pictures by Jenna LaReau. Candlewick. ISBN:0763609714. $16.99. Here’s the lowdown on making and breaking codes through lucid explanations, enticing activities, and intriguing examples from history.

The Unseen by Zilpha Keatley Snyder. Delacorte. ISBN:0385730845. $16.95. When 12-year-old Xandra finds a magical feather, she unlocks a hidden world filled with both cuddly creatures and malicious monsters. In the process, she learns a great deal about herself and her siblings. A mesmerizing mix of fantasy and spine-tingling suspense.