Vick Mickunas: An autumn bounty of new books for young readers

Here they are:

“Kids Fight Plastic-How to be a #2 Minute Superhero” by Martin Dorey (Candlewick, 128 pages, $19.99, ages 7-10)

This inspirational book is meant to educate our young people about the worldwide plastic waste crisis. It offers suggestions of ways that we can try to reverse this situation. Here are some sobering facts: “More than 9 million tons of plastic enter the oceans each year. Every square mile of ocean has 46,000 plastic items in it.”

“Jasmine Green Rescues A Kitten Called Holly” by Helen Peters (Walker, 150 pages, $14.99, ages 7-9)

In this series, Jasmine Green rescues animals who are needing human interventions. In this book, she saves a tiny kitten that has been abandoned by its mother.

“Jasmine Green Rescues A Collie Named Sky” by Helen Peters (Walker, 150 pages, $14.99, ages 7-9)

Jasmine saved that cat in the previous book, but perhaps you are more of a dog person? Well, here’s your dog rescue story. In this one Jasmine finds a tiny collie puppy that was starving and she takes care of it while trying to find out if it has an owner.

“Embassy of the Dead” by Will Mabbit (Walker, 256 pages, $16.99, ages 8-12)

Halloween is around the bend and just in time for that, here’s a spooky mystery. Young Jake Green opened a package that was not intended for him. A big mistake. It was meant for the Embassy of the Dead and now some ghosts in a camper van are chasing him.

“The Clockwork Crow” by Catherine Fisher (Walker, 179 pages, $16.99, ages 9-12)

Apparently, the misdirected package theme is a popular one. In this story, based on Welsh folklore, a young orphan named Seren Rhys embarks on a fantasy adventure along with the ornery clockwork crow that had turned up inside that other package.

“The Missing — the True Story of My Family in World War II” by Michael Rosen (Candlewick, 94 pages, $16.99, ages 10-14)

Michael Rosen has written many books for children, and this one is deeply personal. It is the true story of his great-aunts and great-uncles.

They were living in France and Poland when WWII began. Then they were engulfed by the Holocaust.

“The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel” by Sheela Chari (Walker, 282 pages, $17.99, ages 8-12)

This mystery novel was adapted from the podcast version. Mars Patel is searching for his friend Aurora who has gone missing. All over the world, young people are vanishing. Is there some connection between this disappearance and the elite Pruitt Prep, the school founded by Patel’s idol, the tech mogul Oliver Pruitt?

“Wild Girl — How to Have Incredible Outdoor Adventures” by Helen Skelton (Candlewick, 144 pages, $19.99, ages 9-12)

During these pandemic times some of us have been going a bit stir crazy. In her book “Wild Girl” Helen Skelton suggests a number of energetic outdoor activities that could relieve the boredom for some young women. She does issue a caution however, check with an adult before you try any of these.

Vick Mickunas of Yellow Springs interviews authors every Saturday at 7 a.m. and on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. on WYSO-FM (91.3). For more information, visit www.wyso.org/programs/book-nook. Contact him at vick@vickmickunas.com.