PAST THE SIZE OF DREAMING

Arriving too late for a full review, this sequel to Hoffman's fine hardcover debut, A Red Heart of Memories (1999), again features the witches Matilda "Matt" Black and Edmund Reynolds, and centers on the mysterious house that was the focus of the previous volume. Hoffman writes about magic creatively and with great feeling; YA readers in particular will identify with her characters; her ingenious plotting explores memory, the nature of recollection, and personal growth. She needs to work on her titles, though: that's two horrid clunkers back to back.