Attack of the Mutant Underwear by Tom Birdseye. Puffin. ISBN: 0142407348. $6.99. Fifth-grader Cody Carson keeps a journal of his hopes for a fresh start in a town where nobody knows about his humiliating mistakes of the past, but before school even begins, so does his embarrassment.

The Children Who Smelled a Rat by Allan Ahlberg with picture by Katharine McEwen. Candlewick. ISBN: 0763628700. $15.99. In this thrilling and amusing Gaskitts story, Mrs. Gaskitt finds a very peculiar package, Mr. Gaskitt loses a baby in a shopping cart, Horace the cat has mixed feelings about a bird, and the twins' beloved teacher, Mrs. Fritter is not herself. Why? How? When?

Cornelia and the Audacious Escapades of the Somerset Sisters by Leslie M. M. Blume. Knopf. ISBN: 0375835237. $15.95. Eleven-year-old Cornelia is the daughter of two world-famous pianists—a legacy that should feel fabulous, but instead feels just plain lonely. But when Virginia Somerset moves next door, Cornelia discovers that the world is a much more exciting place than she had originally thought.

Encyclopedia Prehistorica Sharks and Other Sea Monsters: The Definitive Pop-Up by Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart. Candlewick. ISBN: 076362229X. $27.99. Pop-up masters Sabuda and Reinhart explore the prehistoric underwater world, where monsters like megalodon ruled the waves. Also consider Castle: Medieval Days and Knights by the same team.

Phineas L. MacGuire . . . Erupts! The First Experiment (From the Highly Scientific Notebooks of Phineas L. MacGuire) by Frances O'Roark Dowell and Preston McDaniels. Atheneum. ISBN: 416901957. $15.95. Fourth-grade science whiz Phineas MacGuire is forced to team up with the new boy in class on a science fair project, but the boy's quirky personality causes Phineas to wonder if they have any chance of winning.

Horns & Wrinkles by Joseph Helgerson with pictures by Nicoletta Ceccoli. Houghton Mifflin. ISBN: 0618616799. $16.00. Twelve-year-old Claire and other Blue Wing townsfolk know there's something magical about living along the Mississippi River. How else can they explain Claire's bullying cousin Duke suddenly finding a rhino horn growing where his nose was?

The Homework Machine by Dan Gutman. Simon & Schuster. ISBN: 0689876785. $15.95. Four kids share a secret--a homework machine. Everything is great for a while, but soon the machine is out of control and even its inventor is powerless to stop it.

How to Raise and Keep a Dragon by John Topsell with pictures by Dan Malone. Barron’s Educational Series. ISBN: 0764159208. $18.95. Kids who enjoy whimsy will be delighted by this beautifully illustrated owner's manual for dragon fanciers.

Go! Dk Publishing. ISBN: 0756622247. $26.99. This just might be the perfect book for that child on your list that loves pictures and facts about machines but isn’t an enthusiastic story reader. An historical context is provided by timelines and stunning photos and diagrams take the reader on an amazing visual journey.

Hanne's Quest by Olivier Dunrea. Philomel ISBN: 0399242163. $16.99. On an island off the coast of Scotland, a young hen must prove herself pure, wise, and brave in a quest to help her beloved owner, Mem Pocket, from losing her family's farm.

How Nearly Everything Was Invented…by the Brainwaves by Roger Bridgman and Lisa Swerling. DK Publishing. ISBN: 0756620775. $19.99. In a lighthearted look at more than 300 of the world's most important inventions, this fascinating book begins with six key inventions and explores the people who created them, the mechanics that make them work, and the ideas and innovations that inspired them.

Knitting by Anne Akers Johnson. Klutz. ISBN: 1591743842. $24.95. With its simple, clear illustrations and energetic style, Knitting renews the ultimate traditional pastime for today's generation. The book comes complete with everything you need to knit right now, and teaches you how to knit a long skinny scarf, a cozy hat and more.

Lone Wolf by Kristine L. Franklin. Candlewick. ISBN: 0763629960. $5.99. An 11-year-old boy who lives with his reclusive father gradually warms up to a new friend and her large, loud, and loving family. A tightly narrated story about coming to terms with past tragedies.

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo with pictures by Bagram Ibatoulline. Candlewick Press. ISBN: 0763625892. $18.99. Edward Tulane, a cold-hearted, proud toy rabbit, loves only himself until he is separated from the little girl who adores him and travels through the country, acquiring new owners and listening to their hopes, dreams, and histories.

Punished! by David Lubar. Darby Creek. ISBN: 1581960425. $15.95. Logan gets caught when he runs into a mysterious man. When Logan doesn't apologize sincerely, the mysterious gentleman punishes him by causing him to speak in puns.

The Treasure of Savage Island by Lenore Hart. Dutton. ISBN: 0525470921. $17.99. Rafe is an escaped slave, shipwrecked while stowing away to Boston. Molly is the strong-willed, penniless island girl who rescues him. Their wary friendship is tested when Savage Island is raided by picaroons still loyal to England after the Revolution.

The Various by Steve Augarde. Dell Yearling. ISBN: 0440420296. $6.99. 12-year old Midge discovers the Various, knee-high beings rarely glimpsed by humans. Confined by human encroachment to a single patch of English forest, they eke out a hardscrabble existence. Now even this is threatened.

The Wright 3 by Blue Balliet. Scholastic. ISBN: 0439693675. $16.95. In the midst of a series of unexplained accidents and mysterious coincidences, sixth-graders Calder, Petra, and Tommy lead their classmates in an attempt to keep Frank Lloyd Wright's famous Robie House from being demolished. Also look for Chasing Vermeer, the first book in the series.

The Year of the Dog by Grace Lin. Little Brown. ISBN: 0316060003. $14.99. Frustrated at her seeming lack of talent for anything, a young Taiwanese American girl sets out to apply the lessons of the Chinese Year of the Dog, those of making best friends and finding oneself, to her own life.