Zesty Books Kids Will Devour by Lee Littlewood on Creators.com

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Zesty Books Kids Will Devour

This brand-new batch of novels for young people is extra active and absorbing — perfect for reluctant and eager readers.

"Kingdom Keepers III — Disney in Shadow" by Ridley Pearson; Disney/Hyperion; 545 pages; $17.99.

Adult crime novelist Pearson already has hits in his Disney-themed books for young people — the "Peter and the Starcatchers" series and "Kingdom Keepers" and it's sequel, "Kingdom Keepers II." In the third installment, five teens are trapped inside Disney World's Epcot Center and Hollywood Studios, sometimes as holograms, as they thwart evil plans made by their nemesis, Maleficent. In a technology-gone-bad backdrop, the kids try to find their head Imagineer, taken by "The Overtakers." They quest for a magic sword and have life and death encounters with a giant snake.

Clues with deeper meanings are peppered throughout the huge novel, which ends up as a metaphor for the kids' fighting for their lives. Disney fans growing out of Fantasyland and Mickey Mouse will hunger for Pearson's action-packed, mystical series.

"Thomas and the Dragon Queen" by Shutta Crum; illustrated by Lee Wildish; Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers; 272 pages; $15.99.

Many parents and teachers search high and low for easy-to-read fantasy novels appropriate for younger readers. This charming knight tale introduces a lovable underdog who grows into a worthy knight pledging to save his country "to the end of his days." Filled also with swords, dragons and a princess in peril, Crum's honorable yet fun novel is perfect for kids graduating from leveled readers.

Most appealing to readers aged 7 to 10 may be Sir Thomas' small stature, small sword and a donkey as his steed. Though he ultimately perseveres in the face of being doubted, it's Thomas' character, not his sword, which he relies upon.

"Elvis & Olive: Super Detectives" by Stephanie Watson; Scholastic Press; 277 pages; $15.99.

Watson's popular "Elvis & Olive" won rave reviews. Her friendly duo, 10-year-old Natalie and her nine-year-old best pal Annie, use code names Elvis and Olive in order to confuse would-be criminals.

In Watson's newest installment, the girls open the E&O Detective Agency to solve mysteries in their neighborhood. They use their newfound status to find a home for a runaway dog and search for a mysterious flying lady.

Written clearly and in a friendly tone, Watson's newest tale is reminiscent of classics, such as "Ramona and Beezus," and is a spot-on chronicle of young friendship.

"Kid vs. Squid" by Greg Van Eekhout; Bloomsbury Books for Young Readers; 196 pages; $16.99.

Professor Griswald's Museum of the Strange and Curious and Gift Emporium might not be the most obvious place for an almost seventh grader to spend his summer, but to Thatcher Hill, it's just a part-time job at his uncle's place in California. Though fake mermaids and strange mummies might seem exciting to some, to Thatcher dusting them everyday is not as fun as it sounds.

Things heat up when a mysterious girl steals an artifact from the museum, sending Thatcher off on an adventure that takes him from the bottom of the sea to the top of the Ferris wheel. After he learns she's a princess from the lost city of Atlantis, Thatcher must try to stop her people's evil witch from cursing them to work the midway games at the boardwalk all summer.

Kids will be wowed by this incredibly fun and wacky book of oddities and even odder adventures; they will laugh their shrunken heads off until its summery end.

"The Zombie Chasers" by John Kloepfer; illustrated by Steve Wolfhard; HarperCollins Children's Books; 205 pages; $15.99.

The Zombie Chasers, Zack, Rice and Madison, can seriously not believe their whole town has turned into a brain-gobbling zombie fest. The undead, more funny than scary here, have infested the streets, and the three teens have to survive it all if they don't end up grounded first.

"Just ahead of them, the block teemed with hundreds of zombies. A teenage zombie wearing a BurgerDog polo shirt and server's cap turned to face them. His head tilted to the right where the side of his neck was missing a large hunk. The drive-through headset and microphone were still clamped to his head. Zack did not want fries with that," reads an excerpt from this new novelist, who seems to really know what entertains the preteen crowd.

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.