GREEN

Lilybet Green gets something extraordinary for her 13th birthday: the chance to become a leprechaun keeper. All she has to do is pass three tests—of blood, cleverness and loyalty. But Lily does not want to be keeper of the leprechauns’ gold, at least until she learns that her beloved Grandmother, Gigi, who died last year, was the previous keeper and had intended for Lily to follow in her footsteps. If Lily fails the tests, not only will she not become keeper, the leprechauns will erase her memories of everything connected to them, including Gigi. So Lily decides to give it her all. During her tests, Lily learns that while many leprechauns cannot be trusted, she must trust herself and the clues that her grandmother has left behind for her. Lily is likable and well-drawn, but most of the other characters and the leprechaun world seem like quick sketches with most of the detail missing. Give this light fare to those graduating out of Magic Tree House and not yet ready for Percy Jackson or Molly Moon. (Fantasy. 9-12)