Hazel Buys (Children's Literature)
Avi has assembled a delicatessen of literary briefs, covering a wide range of traditions: fantasy, comedy, drama, mystery, and cautionary tale. The earliest was written 200 years ago (“Rip Van Winkle”), the most recent published within the last several years. Many are suitable for reading to younger children and all offer something to children of all ages. There is a mix of stories about girls, stories about boys, and stories about adults and old people. Some of the authors are well known, others are not. The quality that unites all of the stories is that each is well worth the time spent reading or listening to it. As in all good writing, these stories encourage the reader to look for more short stories to share and to build his/her own list of “best” short stories. This book would be an excellent addition to a school library’s selection of short story collections and/or an English class’s study of the short story form. 2006, Houghton Mifflin Company, $16.95. Ages 12 up.

Barbara Pollock (Library Media Connection, April 2007)
Avi has put together a delightful collection of short stories that will appeal to all ages. With a centralizing theme the collection offers stories, new and old, that are fun to read. Classics such as Washington Irving's "Rip Van Winkle" and Frank Stockton's "The Lady or the Tiger" are included. Among my favorites was the story of the "Librarian and the Robbers." In this tale the lovely and intelligent librarian uses guile and good books to convert the robber chief and his men to lead good lives. Other stories include the "The Baby in the Night Deposit Box" by Megan Whalen Turner where a baby left in a bank's night deposit box grows up to be a princess; "Scout's Honor" by Avi is the story of his camping adventures in the Boy Scouts; a very short story by Natalie Babbitt titled "Nuts" in which the devil tricks greedy souls into cracking open walnuts for him; and many others. Taken from many traditions, the stories in this volume are all delightful with something to appeal to every lover of a good yarn. Recommended. 2006, Houghton Mifflin, 300pp., $16.95 hc. Ages 8 up.

Kaitlin Pankowski (The Kutztown University Book Review, Spring 2007)
The stories were selected by Newbery Medal- winner Avi. There are a wide range of genres such as humor, historical fiction, fantasy, science fiction, and adventure. Some of the authors are Lloyd Alexander, Natalie Babbitt, Paul Fleischman, Francisco Jimenez, Margaret Mahy, Beverly Naidoo, Richard Peck, Patricia McKissack, and many more. This book had such a wide variety of genres that the reader can get sucked into reading a genre that they do not typically like. There is something for everyone in this book. This book is great for read alouds. Category: Short Story.. 2006, Houghton Mifflin Company, $16.95. Ages 9 to 13.

Victoria Vogel (VOYA, October 2006 (Vol. 29, No. 4))
This collection of short stories begs to be read aloud. Avi and Shute choose short stories from award-winning contemporary and classic authors. Mysteries, animal stories, thrillers, and even fairy tales are represented here. The Caller by Robert D. Sans Souci features a young girl whose cell phone is stolen and used by her dead aunt for revenge. Isaac Bashevis Singer's Zlateh the Goat tells of a young boy whose life is saved by the goat his family is selling. The Baby in the Bank Deposit Box by Megan Whalen Turner is a fairy tale about a magical child who is raised by a bank when she shows up as a "deposit.÷ Although a few tales are a bit dull, most are very entertaining and would keep even a reluctant reader's interest until the end. The book finishes with an afterword by Katherine Paterson and entries on the collection's contributors. Short story collections are always a difficult sell, and this one will seem no more appealing at first glance. If read aloud and shared, however, these stories will captivate a class and perhaps convince them to seek out other stories by the authors. This collection is recommended for middle and elementary school libraries and is particularly suited for teachers looking for read-aloud material. VOYA CODES: 4Q 2P M J (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; For the YA with a special interest in the subject; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9). 2006, Houghton Mifflin, 100p., $16.95. Ages 11 to 15.