Yolen, Jane & Hayden, Patrick Nielsen, eds. The year's best science fiction and fantasy for teens.

YOLEN, Jane & HAYDEN, Patrick Nielsen, eds. The year's best science fiction and fantasy for teens. Tor. 288p. c2005. 978-0765-31384-3. $12.95. JSA*

Eleven stories all copyrighted in 2004 (except Rudyard Kipling's "They") are gathered in this collection. It starts well with Kelly Link's "The Faery Handbag," about a girl who inherits (and then loses) her grandmother's handbag, which also forms a magical link to the land of the fairies. The trouble is her boyfriend just recently went through it. Delia Sherman's "CATNYP" is also excellent. In it, the "fairy" version of the New York Public Library has a living card catalog named CATNYP. Rudyard Kipling's inclusion is well introduced and proves that even his old stories are still above average. It ends with a bang with Bradley Denton's "Sergeant Chip," about a canine "officer" during the Vietnam War. Appended is an honor roll of other good 2004 stories, as well as short notes on the contributors.

It is nice to finally have one of these compilations just for teens. It was a long time coming! Just wish the cover art and design better reflected how exciting the stories are. It looks too old-fashioned--but this is a collection that will serve well to introduce students to the best that SF and fantasy have to offer. Sherry Hoy, Media Spec., Tuscarora JHS, Mifflintown, PA

J--Recommended for junior high school students. The contents are of particular interest to young adolescents and their teachers.

S--Recommended for senior high school students.

A--Recommended for advanced students and adults. This code will help librarians and teachers working in high schools where there are honors and advanced placement students. This also will help extend KLIATT's usefulness in public libraries.

*--The asterisk highlights exceptional books.