THE EXTINCTS, by Veronica Cossanteli

The story: George was just looking for a job so he could save up for a bike--little did he know that working at Wormestall Farm would do more than lead him on a wild goose chase...try a basilisk chase! (Or maybe a unicorn chase--or a dragon chase!) Together with Prue, George must work to outsmart the evil taxidermist Diamond Pye, who's determined to stuff every last mythical beast on the farm. But they'd better be careful of the basilisk--it's hard to save the day when you've been turned to stone.

June Cleaver's ratings: Language G; Violence PG; Sexual content G; Nudity G; Substance abuse G; Magic & the occult PG; GLBT content G; adult themes (although there are some poo and pee references; overall rating G.

Liz's comments: I'm always on the hunt for a book that makes me laugh--and even though this is actually a fantasy story with a hefty dose of action, George is a funny narrator and there are a bunch of laugh-out-loud moments. Probably too young for the Lonestar list, but definitely a good choice for Bluebonnet readers!