(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Swindle, the first book in Gordon Korman's popular series about uber-planner Griffin Bing, is a whole lot of fun. It's not the best-written piece of middle-grade literature I've ever read, but it's an upbeat, exciting story that will speak to any kid who's ever felt invisible. This zany adventure makes for a quick, funny read, one that should engage even reluctant readers. I didn't like the book nearly as much as my kids did, but I definitely enjoyed Swindle. If my kids have anything to do with it - and believe me, they do - I'll be picking up the rest of the books in the series. Soon. And that's okay with me.

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Miserable with this new twist in her life, Shelby's ecstatic when she finally makes a friend. True, Gwen's a little odd. She hangs around the town cemetery, doesn't go to school, and says her family left her behind when they moved to New Orleans. Shelby can't make any sense of the girl, but she still likes being with her. Then, things start to get weird. Shelby spies a girl she thinks is Gwen stalking around the bayou at night, she finds a series of mysterious messages left in her mother's blue bottle tree and she realizes that Gwen knows things, things that could explain the profound sadness Allemond carries with her. In spite of herself, Shelby gets caught up in the eerie magic of the bayou, where the secrets of her mother's past still haunt the swampy waterways. As Shelby struggles to understand, she learns some powerful lessons about faith, family and, ultimately, forgiveness.

With colorful bayou settings, rich in wonder and magic, Kimberley Griffiths Little brings her poignant family stories to vivid life. Her debut, The Healing Spell, touched my heart, but her newest engaged both my ticker and my imagination and, really, there's nothing I like better in a book. Just in time for Halloween, Circle of Secrets is a Cajun ghost story that's spooky enough to send delicous little shivers down the spine, but not scary enough to cause nightmares. In fact, it's the perfect blend of natural terrors (gators, bullies, abandonment) and supernatural frights (ghosts, bumps in the night, etc.), which combine to make this a shivery, atmospheric read. Mostly, though, it's a warm, enchanting story about a young girl coming to terms with her imperfect family and, of course, herself. In case you can't tell, I loved it.

My good friends over at Gallery Books have asked me to host a giveaway for a trilogy of high fantasy books by Canadian author Chris Evans. I haven't had a chance to read these yet, but I think the story looks exciting. The giveaway is for all three books - paperbacks of the first two - A Darkness Forged in Fire and The Light of Burning Shadows - and a hardcover of the third, Ashes of a Black Forest, which just barely came out. Nice, huh? The contest be a quick one - it will run until midnight (MST) on Halloween and is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada only. To enter, just leave a comment on this post. As always, if you blog, Tweet, Facebook, etc. about the giveaway, I'll give you one extra entry per method of spreading the news. Good luck!

Book 2 of the Iron Elves: The Light of Burning Shadows (Pocket Books; October 26, 2010; $9.99)

Book 3 of the Iron Elves: Ashes of a Black Frost (Gallery Books; October 18, 2011; $25.99)

(Book images are from Indiebound.com)