Twelve-year-old Alice has always been obedient, studious, and polite. So she is not sure what to do when she sees her father being threatened by a fairy when he has always insisted fairies weren't real. Before she can ask, he disappears on a business trip, and Alice is sent to a mysterious uncle living in a labyrinthine estate complete with a forbidden library. Like another Alice, she follows a talking cat into the enchanted space in search of answers. It's a perfect, if traditional, setup, and fans of Harry Potter and Cornelia Funke's Inkheart (2003) will relish that the library houses magical books, which only Readers can use. After entering a book and defeating the creature therein, and thus harnessing its power, Alice becomes her uncle's apprentice. It's a joy to watch the dutiful Alice develop her innate curiosity and become a proactive, resourceful heroine, matching wits with snarky cats, dangerous beasts, and a certain smug boy. This is a charming, adventuresome fantasy from a promising new author.

Sent to live with "Uncle" Geryon on his estate known as "The Library," newly orphaned Alice discovers she is a Reader (a magician capable of controlling certain powerful books). By giving the richly textured literary adventures "teeth" and by placing subplots both inside and outside the books, Wexler dexterously avoids the it's-only-a-story pitfall that might distance readers from the action.

Being a Reader comes with significant challenges in this fantasy filled with ever-changing library stacks, enchanted books and talking cats. Late one night, 12-year-old Alice Creighton stumbles upon her father in conversation with a threatening fairy. Next thing she knows, her dad is off to Buenos Aires on a steamer ship that mysteriously goes down in a freak storm. Now an orphan, she is sent to live with her uncle Jerry, aka Geryon, who happens to have an unusual and off-limits library that harbors a coveted book and creatures that may explain what really happened to Mr. Creighton. There, she meets the boy Isaac, a Reader, who has the power to enter books and interact with the creatures within them, and discovers that she's a Reader, too. She is also given the opportunity to apprentice herself to Geryon, which she takes in a desperate effort to find her father. Alice proves to be an active and intelligent heroine who adeptly pulls compatriot and rival Isaac out of more than one potentially fatal challenge. Vaguely reminiscent of Harry Potter, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Inkheart all rolled into one, it's good fun, if a tad light on character transformation and sagging a bit in the middle. Working in the grand tradition of children's fantasy, Wexler's off to a promising start. (Fantasy. 10-14)

Gr 4-7 Alice is sent to live with her Uncle Geryon after her father's ship goes down in a storm. She's never heard of this man and doesn't know what to expect when she arrives at his mansion. The only instruction she is given is to avoid the library. Left to her own devices, she meets a talking cat named Ashes, and Isaac, a boy who challenges her to open a book from the forbidden library. Giving in to temptation, she picks one up, finds herself trapped inside it, and must fight her way out. Along the way, Alice learns about the secrets that surrounded her father and the truth about Uncle Geryon. Every character she meets has a hidden agenda and so she must be careful whom she trusts. Alice questions everything she has been told and has to figure out everyone's motives, ultimately relying on her wits to survive. Each chapter ends on a cliff-hanger, and eerie illustrations enhance the story. This novel is reminiscent of Corneila Funke's Inkheart (Scholastic, 2003) and Neil Gaiman's Coraline (HarperCollins, 2002). Wexler ingeniously creates an inventive world with interesting creatures and frightening situations. The ending will leave children with many questions, as a sequel is strongly implied. H. Islam, Brooklyn Public Library

Lonely Alice rushes to greet her father one evening only to overhear a bizarre conversation between him and a large, buzzing fairy. This strange encounter sets off a series of events, including her father's death at sea and a suddenly orphaned Alice being sent to live with a heretofore unknown uncle. Her uncle's home is foreboding, with a forbidden library on its grounds, a building that seems to house answers to some of Alice's pressing questions, but also mysteries and magic. With a talking cat and a lost boy as companions, Alice discovers that she is a Reader, one who can enter stories, but must fight to the death to get back out.The Forbidden Library marks Wexler's children's literature debut. There is much familiar territory in this tale: orphaned heroine, mysterious library, books coming to life. For middle grade readers or young teens newly interested in fantasy, this will be an easy-to-access story. For more nuanced readers, the predictability of the plot and the uneven pacing will be problematic. Give to readers who enjoy Lemony Snicket's dark humor or those looking for a new fantasy series with a mild edge.Katie Mitchell.