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Here's a year-end look at some of the books that have kept us turning pages all year. During the winter break, check out the ones you haven't read yet.
SERIES-LY SPEAKING: Speaking of beginnings and endings, it was sad to see the end of the Lemony Snicket series - "A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 13: The End." Fans of the woeful saga of Violet, Klaus and Sunny won't be disappointed. And maybe, just maybe, "The End" is just the beginning of another set of stories. Hmmm. We'll have to wait and see. (HarperCollins, $12.99)
"Artemis Fowl: The Lost Colony," by Eoin Colfer, was the fifth in the series about the teen genius. In this one, Artemis must figure out a time spell in a mission that's out of this world. This book's ending opens up a lot of possibilities for Book 6. (Hyperion, $16.95)
Fans of the Charlie Bone series will want to check out author Jenny Nimmo's new 2006 series, "The Magician Trilogy." The first book, "The Snow Spider," held us in its web right to the very last page. If you like magical tales, and we sure do, you'll want to check out this story about Gwyn, a boy who discovers he is a magician. Luckily, Book Two, "Emlyn's Moon," is due out in January. (Orchard Books, $9.99)
RIVETING REFERENCE: DK'S "Pick Me Up" is worth picking up. The book of assorted facts is like a printed Google Internet search with a wide variety of facts at your fingers. (DK, $29.99 )
Oh, yeah! The person who brought us "Oh, Yuck! The Encyclopedia of Everything Nasty," has been hard at work digging up gross historical facts and fun for a new book. "Oh, Yikes! History's Grossest, Wackiest Moments," by Joy Masoff, sure isn't like any other history book we've come across. (Workman Publishing, $14.95).
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(c) 2006, Detroit Free Press. Distributed by Mclatchy-Tribune News Service.