Librarian has her list of top kids books

OREM — Orem children's librarian Patricia Castelli has assembled a list of 100 of the best children's books of the 21st century. This is the second part of a partial list. The complete list is available on the Orem City Library Web site: lib.orem.org.

Middle-grade fiction:

SISTER GRIM SERIES. THE FAIRY-TALE DETECTIVES: Michael Buckley. Pictures by Peter Ferguson. Grades 3-6.

Sabrina and Daphne are descended from the famous Brothers Grimm. It is their family's duty to keep a lid on the fairy tale characters, which can be dangerous.

THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX: BEING THE STORY OF A MOUSE, A PRINCESS, SOME SOUP AND A SPOOL OF THREAD: Kate DiCamillo. Grades 3-6.

Despereaux, a mouse in love with a princess, is banished to the dungeon of the castle for speaking to a human. Despereaux finds courage, adventure and, of course, love.

THE MIRACULOUS JOURNEY OF EDWARD TULANE: Kate DiCamillo. Grades 3-6.

Edward Tulane is a china rabbit fond of himself. When he is taken from the child who loves him he begins a journey where he learns to care about others.

TOAD RAGE: Morris Gleitzman. Grades 3-6.

Limpy is a young toad on a quest to first discover why people deliberately squash toads flat on Australian highways and then find a way to make toads lovable to humans.

THE LIBERATION OF GABRIEL KING: K.L. Going. Grades 4-6.

Gabriel King's best friend Frita has a plan for liberating Gabriel from his fears. But Frita has a fear of her own. It takes a community willing to fight racism to make her safe.

WHO WON THE WAR? Phyllis Naylor. Grades 4-6.

The boys start the war when girls move in across the footbridge. Twelve months later, the girls are moving away. This series is full of practical jokes and get-even schemes.

THE SCARECROW AND HIS SERVANT: Philip Pullman. Illustrated by Peter Bailey. Grades 4-6.

Roald Dahl fans will relish this tale of a scarecrow come alive and the young orphan boy, Jack, who becomes his servant.

Fiction: Middle grade/teen:

WHALES ON STILTS: M.T. Anderson. Illustrations by Kurt Cyrus. Grades 4-7.

Three children try to save life as we know it from whales on stilts with laser-beam eyes prepared to burn the world. Humor jumps out at you when you least expect it.

WHITTINGTON: Alan Armstrong. Illustrated by S.D. Schindler. Grades 4-7.

Whittington is descended from the cat in the Dick Whittington tale. A parallel story is about the relationships among the animals and the boy the cat encourages to read.

CRISPIN: THE CROSS OF LEAD: Avi. Grades 5-8.