The Sixty-Eight Rooms Adventure series blends multiple topics of fascination to many a reader: miniaturization (think The Borrowers), time travel (think the Magic Tree House), mystery (think Hardy Boys), and secretly trawling a museum behind the scenes (think From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler). In this third outing, Jack's ancestor, from whom he inherits a gold coin, was apparently a seagoing man, and the coin appears to be connected to the adventures the kids have when they make themselves small enough to stroll though the doll-sized, historically decorated Thorne Rooms at Chicago's Art Institute. The mystery of the coin, and another involving Phoebe, a slave girl the friends met in a previous outing, reveal a new facet of the rooms' importance: as repositories for vital artifacts. Retrieving one for a classmate related to Phoebe becomes the duo's mission, even as they discover unwanted consequences. Intriguing, and with enough loose ends to entice readers to further installments, this remains a standout series.

Sixth graders Jack and Ruthie, able to shrink and use the Art Institute of Chicago's miniature Thorne Rooms as time portals, clear a friend's family name with evidence from her slave ancestor and almost negate Jack's existence through an encounter with his pirate ancestor. Full of coincidences and sweet resolutions, this series continues to provide adventure for readers unready for more intense scenarios.

BURGIS, Stephanie . Stolen Magic . 388p. (Kat, Incorrigible Series). S &; S / Atheneum . Apr. 2013. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-1-4169-9451-0 ; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-3382-3 . LC 2011042347. Gr 5-8 BYNG, Georgia . Molly Moon &; the Monster Music . 310p. HarperCollins / Harper . Mar. 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-06-166163-1 . LC 2012952450. Gr 46 COLE, Steve . Z. Apocalypse . 276p. Philomel . 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-399-25255-6 . Gr 69 COVEN, Wanda . Heidi Heckelbeck Is Ready to Dance! illus. by Priscilla Burris. 118p. S &; S / Little Simon . Mar. 2013. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-5192-6 ; pap. $4.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-5191-9 . LC 2011046288. Gr 13 ENGLISH, Karen . Nikki &; Deja: Substitute Trouble . illus. by Laura Freeman. 112p. Clarion . July 2013. Tr $14.99. ISBN 978-0-547-61565-3 . Gr 14 GIFF, Patricia Reilly . Zigzag Zoom . Bk. 8. illus. by Alasdair Bright. 80p. (Zigzag Kids Series). Random / Wendy Lamb Bks. Apr. 2013. Tr $12.99. ISBN 978-0-385-74275-7 ; PLB $15.99. ISBN 978-0-375-99075-5 ; pap. $4.99. ISBN 978-0-307-97703-8 ; ebook $4.99. ISBN 978-0-307-97704-5 . Gr 24 GILMAN, Charles . Teacher's Pest . Bk. 3. illus. by Eugene Smith. 176p. (Tales From Lovecraft Middle School Series). Quirk . May 2013. Tr $13.99. ISBN. Gr 68 HARPER, Charise Mericle . Just Grace and the Trouble with Cupcakes . illus. by author. 208p. Houghton Harcourt . May 2013. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-547-87744-0 . LC 2012033824. Gr 24 HARPER, Suzanne . A Mischief of Mermaids . Bk. 3. 288p. (The Unseen World of Poppy Malone Series). HarperCollins / Greenwillow . June 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-06-199613-9 . Gr 36 HUNTER, Erin . River of Lost Bears . 304p. (Seekers: Return to the Wild Series). HarperCollins / Harper . 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-06-199640-5 . Gr 46 IGNATOW, Amy . The Awesomely Awful Melodies of Lydia Goldblatt and Julie Graham Chang . Bk. 5. illus. by author. 208p. (The Popularity Papers Series). Abrams / Amulet . Mar. 2013. Tr $15.95. ISBN 978-1-4197-0536-6 . Gr 4–6 JENKINS, Emily . The Whoopie Pie War . illus. by Harry Bliss. 160p. (Invisible Inkling Series). HarperCollins / Balzer &; Bray . Aug. 2013. Tr $14.99. ISBN 978-0-06-180226-3 . Gr 2–4 JOBLING, Curtis . Nest of Serpents . Bk. 4. 494p. (Wereworld Series). Viking . 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-670-78457-8 . Gr 6–8 KLISE, Kate . Hollywood, Dead Ahead . Bk. 5. illus. by M. Sarah Klise. 144p. (43 Old Cemetery Road Series). Harcourt . Apr. 2013. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-547-85283-6 . Gr 4–6 LOOK, Lenore . Alvin Ho: Allergic to Babies, Burglars, and Other Bumps in the Night . illus. by LeUyen Pham. 192p. Random / Schwartz &; Wade Bks . Apr. 2013. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-375-87033-0 ; PLB $18.99. ISBN 978-0-375-97033-7 ; ebook $10.99. ISBN 978-0-375-98889-9 . LC 2012011455. Gr 2–4 MALONE, Marianne . The Pirate's Coin . Bk. 3. illus. by Greg Call. 210p. (A Sixty-Eight Rooms Adventure). Random . May 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-307-97717-5 ; PLB $19.99. ISBN 978-0-307-97718-2 . LC 2012017540. Gr 4–6 MATT AND DAVE . Yuck's Pet Worm . illus. by Nigel Baines. 112p. S &; S. Apr. 2013. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-8150-3 ; pap. $4.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-8149-7 ; ebook $5.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-8151-0 . Gr 3–4 MYRACLE, Lauren . Awesome Blossom . 384p. (A Flower Power Book). Abrams / Amulet . 2013. Tr $16.95. ISBN 978-1-4197-0405-5 . LC 2012035668. Gr 3–6 NELSON, Peter . AeroStar and the 3 1/2-Point Plan of Vengeance . Bk. 3. illus. by Rohitash Rao. 348p. (Herbert's Wormhole Series). HarperCollins / Harper . May 2013. Tr $10.99. ISBN 978-0-06-201220-3 . Gr 3–7. O'RYAN, Ellie . The Case of the Digital Deception . Bk. 5. 160p. (Club CSI Series). S &; S / Simon Spotlight . 2013. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-7258-7 ; pap. $5.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-7257-0 . Gr 4–7 PEIRCE, Lincoln . Big Nate Flips Out . illus. by author. 224p. HarperCollins / Harper . 2013. Tr $13.99. ISBN 978-0-06-199663-4 ; PLB $14.89. ISBN 978-0-06-199664-1 ; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-06-210759-6 . Gr 2–4 RIVERS, Nathan . Phoebe. Giving Up the Ghost . 160p. (Saranormal Series). S &; S / Simon Spotlight . 2013. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-6616-6 ; pap. $5.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-6617-3 ; ebook $5.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-6618-0 . LC 2012938943. Gr 4–7 ROBBINS, Trina . The Bark in Space . Bk. 5. illus. by Tyler Page. 64p. (The Chicagoland Detective Agency Series). Lerner / Graphic Universe . May 2013. PLB $29.27. ISBN 978-0-7613-8166-2 ; pap. $6.95. ISBN 978-1-4677-0725-1 ; ebook $21.95. ISBN 978-1-4677-0972-9 . Gr 4–7 RYLANDER, Chris /PRODU