"Nurk," Ursula Vernon, Harcourt; 2008; 131 pp.

What makes "Nurk" such a readable little tale? There's nothing tingly and new about an adventure story in which the hero is a reluctant adventurer. A quiet homebody finds himself thrown into a situation where he must display his inner courage (if he has any) — we've all heard that one before.

Perhaps it's the startled shrew after which this book is named — I mean, can a hero get any cuter? Or maybe it's the homegrown wisdom from the journal of Nurk's aunt, Surka Aurelia Maxine Shrew, who was a real adventurer, in the truest sense of the word.