Let the good times roll! We're so proud of all our awesome authors and their glowing reviews this spring. Add another great one to David Patneaude and EPITAPH ROAD's pile this time from School Library Journal. Congrats, Dave!

PATNEAUDE, David. Epitaph Road. 272p. Egmont USA. 2010. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-60684-055-9; PLB $19.99. ISBN 978-1-60684-070-2. LC number unavailable.

Gr 6–10—Fourteen-year-old Kellen lives in a future in which 97 percent of the world's male population has been killed off by a virus. Women have taken over all governments and have relegated the remaining men to second-class-citizen status. Boys like Kellen have very few options. Something sinister is brewing, and an uprising of men who live independent of female rule coincides with a new outbreak of the virus. Kellen and his friends, Sunday and Tia, travel to the Olympic Peninsula to investigate and make sure that Kellen's dad, who lives in the colony, is protected from the virus. Each chapter begins with a haunting epitaph for one of the deceased. Most of these epitaphs express sorrow, but some are clearly for men who were abusive and are not missed by survivors. The story is fast paced, and the concept intriguing. The competent world-building allows readers to fully accept the book's premise. The author makes intriguing points about gender relations and the danger of polarization. The ending is satisfying in and of itself, but it does leave a potential opening for Kellen to have further adventures. This dystopian thriller will appeal to fans of the genre. Those who liked Neal Schusterman's Unwind (S & S, 2007), in particular, will appreciate the way a specific current-events issue is incorporated into a science-fiction context.—Kristin Anderson, Columbus Metropolitan Library System, OH

A hat-trick for Darren Farrell this week on great reviews! Forthcoming in the March issue of School Library Journal...

FARRELL, Darren. Doug-Dennis and the Flyaway Fib. illus. by author. unpaged. CIP. Dial. 2009. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-8037-3437-1. LC 2009012141.

PreS-Gr 1–Doug-Dennis, a sneaker and cap-wearing sheep, goes to the circus with Ben-Bobby, an elephant with jet-black hair. In the midst of the action, Dougy commits the cardinal friend-offense; he eats Ben-Bobby’s popcorn and then lies about it. After telling his fib, he is immediately launched into space where he is surrounded by all sorts of other liars (everyone from kids with imaginary friends to used-car salesmen) and eventually figures out that the only way to escape is to tell the truth. Farrell’s offhanded humor and the absolute absurdity of the situation and characters make this a fun lesson in truth-telling. The pen and ink and digitally created cartoon illustrations feel almost childlike in their imagination (the animals inexplicably have pink eye patches over one eye) and contain hidden gems of humor, much like the text. Each page contains dialogue and characters that offer funny asides and quips beyond the main story. Much like the work of funnymen Jon Scieszka, Lane Smith, and Mo Willems, some of the humor is intended for adults, but the absolute silliness of the story will have young readers giggling as well. Farrell takes the typically dull subject of lying and offers a wacky sheep and elephant friendship as a way of opening up family conversations about telling the truth.–Sarah Townsend, Norfolk Public Library, VA