The Fire Within, by Chris D'Lacey

When David is scouring the newspaper for a place to live while attending college, one catches his eye that seems just right, stating that one must be good with animals. Dogs and cats are nice, "why not," he thinks. Little did he know that he would be dealing with dragons!

The Pennykettles, Liz and her daughter Lucy, are eccentric to say the least. Liz spends her days making clay dragons while Lucy spends hers chasing after an injured squirrel. David is soon wrangled into the search and inspired to write a story about a squirrel named Snigger. Meanwhile, he's becoming more closely acquainted with the dragons of the house; especially the one that has a penchant for stories, named Gadzooks.

Oddly enough, their real lives begin to look a lot like the David's story and the lines between reality and imagination begin to blur as David's learning goes beyond his college work and into the fantasy land of dragons.

I've wanted to read The Fire Within series for a while, now, since I see the kids check it out year after year. I'm not sure that I'll make it through all seven any time soon, but I can now recommend it from first-hand-experience rather than the fact that it's popular. D'Lacey makes what could possibly be a very silly story about clay dragons into an endearing quest bouncing between this world and those only imagined.

Wildwood, by Colin Meloy, illustrated by Carson Ellis

When Prue McKeel's baby brother, Mac, is swept into the Portland sky by a murder of crows she's simultaneously dumbfounded, scared, and heartbroken. However, there is no time to dwell in her feelings as she chases them into the uncharted area just outside of the city known as Wildwood.

This area is rarely, if ever, entered and Prue quickly finds out it's a world entirely its own. Just before she enters the woods she happens to run into a boy from school, Curtis, who insists on going along for the ride. Soon, they encounter a group of coyotes in military uniform that kidnap Curtis, leaving Prue all alone. The two have different, but equally wild experiences, as they happen upon good and back creatures, including a wise owl, a helpful rat, an eagle that is a general, the evil governess, a rabbit that is a constable, a mystic name Iphigenia, and a melting pot of creatures that make up a group of bandits. All creatures walk, talk and act like humans in this area made up of Wildwood, Northwood, and Southwood. The creatures of each area have their own ways, but overcome their differences when all of The Wood is threatened by the governess who intends to sacrifice Mac to the ivy, so that it will take over and she can rule supreme.

Prue and Curtis both find that they have inconceivable family ties to The Wood and each are forced to make very difficult decisions that, in turn, ensure the safety of Mac and in some cases change their lives foreer. The combination of Meloy's melodious magical narrative with Ellis' deliciously detailed pen and watercolor illustrations is beyond captivating. So, turn on some Decemberists and snuggle up by the fire with this book that goes hand-in-hand with all the magic of Fall.