Be they mysteries, character dramas, or tales of adventure, lighthearted or serious in tone, fantasy stories are linked by their magical happenings, and often, their fairy-tale qualities. Whether readers are soaring with dragons in a world entirely new and fantastical or dealing with monsters intent on invading quiet suburbia, the infinite directions in which these stories may go keep the genre ever enchanting. Exploring topics from grief to bullying in settings both contemporary and historical, a trio of spring 2016 titles mine real-world emotions and situations—and top them off with dashes of magic, horror, and talking skunks. Though he has a shiny new bicycle, fourth grader Mateo Martinez has a soft spot for his rusty old red tricycle. Perhaps it reminds him of a time when everything was simpler.  Between his former best friend, Johnny Ramirez, ditching him for a new group of boys at school, and his little sister, Mila, encroaching on every aspect of his existence, everything seems much more complicated lately. Then, one evening, when Mateo happens to glance out the window, he spots two skunks speaking to each other (!) and then stealing the trike (!!) this 10-year-old, who is preoccupied with chivalric orders, knows he has to defend his property and neighborhood against the thieves. In Robin Yardi’s warm debut, The Midnight War of Mateo Martinez (Carolrhoda, Mar., 2016; Gr 4-6), her protagonist must muster the courage of the knight to face his foes, be they playground bullies or skunks with the unexpected—and inexplicable—ability to speak and plan battles. Mateo is a wonderfully multifaceted character who spends as much time musing on the difficulties of being a Mexican American who can’t speak Spanish as he does reciting the chivalric code of honor and sharing goofy animal jokes with his new friend, Ashwin. Yardi breathes fresh life into a bullying story as Mateo finds himself on the outside of a group of kids who speak Spanish to one another to exclude him. The talking skunks and their animal adversaries add just the right amount of danger, magic, and humor to this sharply written story about being true to oneself and standing up for the little guy (or, in some cases, little, furry guys). Things haven’t been easy for Jennifer Maschari’s protagonist in The Remarkable Journey of Charlie Price (HarperCollins, Feb.2016; Gr 5-7), either. Last year, the 12-year-old’s best friend disappeared, and his mom died of cancer. He misses his mother terribly, his father is always working, and he hates the group therapy sessions he attends. Life is just not and will never be the same again. Unfortunately, the boy will soon face his most difficult challenge yet. One day, after a terrible argument with his sister, Imogen reveals a secret—she’s discovered a parallel world where their mother lives. Though it appears to be the answer to his wishes, Charlie soon discovers there’s a terrifying price to pay for visiting this realm and that his mother on the other side must be avoided at all costs. Like the protagonist in Neil Gaiman’s Coraline, Charlie finds his parent in the parallel universe to be a creature of darkness—and bent on his destruction. Debut author Maschari has more than horror up her sleeve, using this realm as a way to explore the devastating grief of losing a loved one. Though a few plot elements may leave readers with questions, they will be swept up by Charlie’s poignant emotional journey and the evocative world building. Most important, the cathartic ending confirms that there is a way forward after a loss. The creepy factor kicks in early in Janet Fox's The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle (Viking, Mar., 2016; Gr 5-7). It’s World War II, and while 12-year-old Kat has always tried to “keep calm and carry on,” it’s hard to stay composed when your father is called into secret service by His Majesty and you and your siblings are sent to a boarding school. This particular school is housed in a cold, dark castle in the Scottish highlands—home to the peculiarly lovely Lady Eleanor, who looks at the new arrivals with something akin to hunger in her eyes. Kat suspects that there's a Nazi spy on the staff; that Rookskill's walls shift, and that ghostly apparitions roam the castle's misty property; what she is certain of is that her mind has taken leave of her body as she tries to reconcile what she knows to be true in the real world with what she is witnessing in this strange, forbidding place. All her fears are true—an ancient, diabolic plot to steal the very souls of the children is at hand in Rookskill Castle—and this comfortably familiar world of the British home front during WWII becomes the sinister setting for a monster more mechanical than flesh that walks among the unsuspecting students. Atmospheric and truly frightening, the book is a marvelous blend of real history, twisty mystery, and the kind of magic that takes something out of the user while bestowing great power. Kat is a heroine to root for, with brains and chutzpah to spare, and the book’s nonstop action and high stakes will keep readers turning pages until the very end…and awake long into the night. Elisabeth Gattullo Marrocolla (@liswithanS) is the Assistant Head of Children’s Services and Collection Development Coordinator at Darien Library in Darien, CT. An avid sci-fi and fantasy fan, she can usually be found with her nose buried in a book.