Children's Book Week: A time to send thanks to authors and illustrators

There is a lot for upper elementary and middle-school readers to be thankful for. This is Children's Book Week, a time to salute great books and writers. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I've got a thank-you list for the publishing houses who have released some great books in every genre, sure to pull in both voracious and reluctant readers:
UThank you, C.S. Lewis, for creating the country of Narnia and thanks also to movie makers who read the books. With the debut of the movie in December, readers can take their pick of many editions of "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe." A new one for families is the beautiful full-color 2-volume boxed gift set of "The Chronicles of Narnia" HarperCollins, $24.99) with illustrations by Pauline Baynes. (It includes the first two books, "The Magician's Nephew" and "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.")
UThank you, Lemony Snicket, for a series that has many readers picking up your books. Out now: "The Penultimate Peril" (HarperCollins, $11.99).
UThank you, translators, for bringing fiction from overseas to our readers. A fantastic new fantasy, "The Water Mirror" by Kai Meyer (Simon & amp; Schuster, $15.95), has been translated from Meyer's native German . This fantasy complete with magic and mermaids is set amid the canals of Venice, Italy. The first book will begin a series. Fans of German writer Cornelia Funke will also like this adventure fantasy. It is for readers 12 and older, due to its complexity and some suspenseful scares.
UThank you, writers with a sense of humor about 5th grade, like author Allen Kurzweil, whose latest novel, "Leon and the Champion Chip" (Greenwillow Books, $16.89), is hugely fun and captures the travails of Leon Zeisel and his magnificent Potato Chip Collection.
UThank you, Ann M. Martin, for a bookshelf of captivating stories, including your most recent book, "A Dog's Life: The Autobiography of a Stray," inspired by Martin's work in animal rescue shelters. (Scholastic, $16.95).
UThank you, Margaret Peterson Haddix, for your amazing imagination and latest futuristic book. "Double Identity" (Simon & amp; Schuster, $15.95) masterfully captures what it would be like if you found out you're a clone of a sister who died. Readers will find this a page-turner of a book about Bethany, who learns her secret as her parents flee from the government and a businessman.
XCathy Collison writes for the Detroit Free Press
Knight Ridder Newspapers