Kids' Home Library by Lee Littlewood

Kids love book series. From the days of "Nancy Drew," "The Hardy Boys" and the "Little House on the Prairie" books, young readers have clamored time and time again for new entries in favorite series. These are some of the newest.

"Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins; Scholastic Press; 400 pages; $17.99.

I knew this book was highly sought after when a mom friend was so excited to get her hands on my advance copy, she canceled all her weekend plans. The follow-up to the New York Times best-seller, "The Hunger Games," given rave reviews by even Stephen King and Stephanie Meyer, "Catching Fire" seems thus far to be just as big a hit.

The second in Suzanne Collins' thrilling, suspenseful series for teens, "Catching Fire" continues its tale of teen Katniss Everdeen after her win in the intense survival Hunger games. Collins' action-packed tale feels like it takes place in an otherworldly, oft-cruel, medieval-like world, yet also contains loads of hope, love and teen angst.

Will Katniss feel relieved to be back with her family and her long-time best friend? And did she and her cohort fuel a Capitol backlash that proves dangerous? Read on and see.

"The Seems: The Lost Train of Thought" by John Hulme and Michael Wexler; Bloomsbury Children's Books; 290 pages; $16.99.

A train full of thought? An actual place called the Middle of Nowhere? A 14-year-old boy suspended from his duties as fixer of a parallel universe known as the Seems? These are just a few of the "seemingly" unreal aspects of this third in the imaginative middle-grade series by Hulme and Wexler.

Likably friendly, sometimes humorous writing paired with mystical ingenious settings, top-notch action and thought-provoking thrills make "The Seems" a fantastic series, great especially for reluctant male readers.

"Leven Thumps and the Wrath of Ezra" by Obert Skye; Aladdin/Simon & Schuster; 445 pages; $8.99.

Another series incredibly popular with middle-school boys, "Leven Thumps and the Wrath of Ezra" is the fourth book about teen Lev and his quest to save the dreams of mankind from The Dearth, the true evil beneath the soil.

Fans of Star Wars and Harry Potter should certainly enjoy Skye's zesty, dramatic text — and there are even a few black and white illustrations peppered throughout to give kids' visual perspective.

Interestingly enough, the titled "Ezra" is a very angry, confused toothpick with tons of power. Sounds like the perfect character, and series, to get kids ages 9 to 14 to turn off their electronic devices.

"Piper Reed Gets a Job" by Kimberly Willis Holt; pictures by Christine Davenier; Henry Holt/MacMillan; 149 pages; $14.99.

In the third book about Piper Reed, the resourceful fifth-grader launches her own party-planning business to raise money for her Gypsy Club's new clubhouse. Things don't go as arranged at first, but as Piper's friends and family come to the rescue, wrongs are righted, and young Brady has a fantastic birthday celebration.

A wonderful step up after Junie B. Jones, the Piper Reed series is also a smart choice for military children, as Piper herself is one spunky Navy "brat," who is used to the moves and sacrifices of military families.

"Oggie Codder, Party Animal!" by Sarah Weeks; Scholastic; 165 pages; $16.99.

Weeks' second book in the series brings back hilariously droll Oggie Codder. He is invited to Donnica Perfecto's pool party only because her mother made her include him. Donnica goes to really funny lengths to keep Oggie away, but a rock band's visit, a cherry picker stunt, a bird-tweeting dog and a boy in a bear suit ruin her plans.

Oggie's quirkily, oftentimes dorky yet endearing personality will have 7- to 10-year-olds enraptured. Weeks' capture of childhood satire is smartly refreshing, resulting in a new series that meshes humor and heart perfectly.

To find out more about Lee Littlewood and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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