Readers will find a great read in the oldie-but-goodie THE EGYPT GAME by Zilpha Keatley Snyder. A group of six children, ranging in age from four to eleven, create a game using old Egyptian artifacts they find in a storage shed, along with their growing knowledge of the Egyptian culture. The author’s incredible descriptive abilities leave just enough to the imagination to make the experience an individual one. Mystery, excitement and friendship abound throughout the novel. Don’t miss the sequel, written nearly thirty years later, THE GYPSY GAME. (Paperback, $6.99) Recommended by Raven customer Amber Keck.

If you enjoy a good mystery and have a distinct appreciation for art, you will not want to miss CHASING VERMEER. Classmates Calder and Petra get caught up in the excitement of the greatest art heist of the century as they make discoveries about the people involved and the piece of art itself. It seems to be that the only way they can solve the crime and make things right for everyone involved is to work together and put their minds and abilities to the test. This children’s novel is action-packed yet filled with puzzles and clues, feeding the needs of any reader. Complimented by illustrations by Brett Helquist, Blue Balliett’s debut novel is sure to become a children’s mystery classic. ($7.99, paperback) Reviewed by guest reviewer Amber Keck.

Sherlock Holmes and Mary Russell have returned to England and a mystery that cuts deep into Holmes’ past and heart. In THE LANGUAGE OF BEES, thrilling adventure and more logical deduction ensues! Pick up this one now in paperback to prepare for its immediate sequel — GOD OF THE HIVE — just released this spring. It picks up where Language leaves off and introduces one of the most interesting characters yet encountered in this great series–a mysterious Green Man of the forest. In addition, King sketches in the fascinating character of Mycroft Holmes–Sherlock’s older brother–whose shadow activities on behalf of the British government become the catalyst for political wrangling, religious zealotry and murder.

Two new and engaging installments in the Holmes/Russell series that begins with THE BEEKEEPER’S APPRENTICE. (Paperback, $15.00) Recommended by Sarah.

Philip Pullman’s (author of His Dark Materials - The Golden Compass) latest book was written in response to criticism that he never mentioned Jesus or God in his previous young adult novel. Thus the title, THE GOOD MAN JESUS AND THE SCOUNDREL CHRIST, and contents. This book is definitely mind turning, a retelling of the Gospels using two figures, Jesus and Christ as twin brothers, to identify ways in which the Gospels were used to advance the position of the Church.

This is definitely adult reading, and if you want to share it with your young adult, please read ahead of time. Not everyone’s cup of tea, but an interesting idea. It may make some traditional religious groups upset! Be prepared. (Hardcover, $24.00) Recommended by Julie.

THE FOUR CORNERS OF THE SKY by Michael Malone is the perfect summer read! This warm Southern novel is great fun: it has a clever caper, endearing characters, great dialogue, wonderful humor and a fast-moving plot. Annie Peregrine Goode is raised by her aunt after her father, a charming but irresponsible con man, drops her off at the family home (when she’s seven), along with a full-size airplane. Annie becomes a Navy test pilot, builds a life, and then her father enters the picture again to enlist her aid in his biggest con. I was hooked from the first chapter and couldn’t put it down. Michael Malone is one of my favorite authors and his novel Handling Sin is one of my favorite books. (Paperback, $15.99) Recommended by Rochelle.

Reading ONE AMAZING THING by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is like enjoying real cream in a fresh cup of coffee–comfortable and satisfying. This author is a fantastic storyteller. She does so through the mindset of seven diverse characters who are unexpectedly thrown together in a crisis situation. As the dynamics of interpersonal relations play out we learn one amazing story told by each. I recommend this slender and satisfying book. (Hardcover, $23.99) Recommended by Martha, a Raven customer.

Another fine entry in the Maisie Dobbs series. This novel is a thoughtful exploration of the hopes and dreams of the WWI generation, whose lives and futures were forever changed. THE MAPPING OF LOVE AND DEATH is a good mystery story with such fabulous characters! Winspear is particularly adept at evoking the time and place of late 1920s and early 1930s England. She pays careful attention to important details such as food and clothing without becoming didactic. Her details sketch in the world of Maisie Dobbs–a world fast fading out of recent memory. Don’t miss this one! Recommended by Sarah (Hardcover, $25.99).

If you haven’t made the acquaintance of Olivia Manning and her fabulous BALKAN TRIOLOGY and LEVANT TRIOLOGY written abut an English couple caught in Romania and Greece and then Egypt during WWII, I highly recommend them. They were recently reprinted in a single volume.

Another of Manning’s books, SCHOOL FOR LOVE has been recently reprinted by New York Review Books. It is a delight and is the best book I read all of last year. Set in Palestine right after the end of WWII, it is the story of a few forlorn British refugees who have washed up in Jerusalem by the hazards of the war. Living in pensions, rooming houses and hotels of Jerusalem, they can’t get transport back to England yet, they have very little money, and there are no jobs. In particular, this is the story of a 16 year old British boy, an orphan with no family, no income and thus at the mercy of the “generosity” of a distant relative, a penny pinching, manipulative, sanctimonious middle aged female. He is mourning for his mother recently dead from typhus, he finds a stray cat for a friend, and he gets almost nothing to eat from his landlady/cousin, but his quiet, stoic, stubborn, curious spirit is somehow glowing amidst the dusty streets and gardens of the city. Manning observed the details of everyday life perfectly. (Paperback, $14.00) Recommended by Pat.

THIS BODY OF DEATH by Elizabeth George finds Thomas Lynley (still grieving after his wife’s murder) back at Scotland Yard, investigating the murder of a young woman. His old team is having a hard time dealing with the new department chief, a woman, who may or may not get Lynley’s old job. A seemingly unrelated crime runs through the narrative, which adds to the mystery. George always has well-developed characters and complex plotting, and this story is fascinating. Recommended by Rochelle (Hardcover, $28.99)

On this 40th anniversary year of Earth Day, I can’t think of anything better to read than a biography of Rachel Carson, arguably the founder of the modern environmental movement. Though not necessarily new, Linda Lear’s biography RACHEL CARSON: A WITNESS FOR NATURE is well worth reading. It delves deeply into Carson’s life, loves and motivations, which offers remarkable insights into her career. It’s a scholarly but hardly dry read. I highly recommend this. (Paperback, $17.95) Recommended by Kelly.