Anna and Kristoff. Olaf and Sven. Pablo and Alicia. The following books for young independent readers feature unlikely pairs palling around in the big city, the 'burbs…and contemporary Norway. (Is that close to Arendelle? It is!)

At the start of Nadja Spiegelman's lively graphic-novel picture book Lost in NYC: A Subway Adventure, new-kid Pablo's class is taking the subway to the Empire State Building. When self-described "lone wolf" Pablo hops the (wrong) train, his good-natured class-trip partner, Alicia, gamely tags along. Illustrator Sergio García Sánchez's detailed images, from every perspective and filled with trains, stations, people, streets, skyscrapers, and maps, vividly convey the children's travels below and above ground. The book is also available in a Spanish edition, Perdidos en NYC. (TOON, 5–8 years)

In Lulu and the Hamster in the Night (the sixth episode in the animal-loving seven-year-old's adventures by Hilary McKay), Lulu acquires an underappreciated pet hamster named Ratty. An impending overnight visit with her best friend/cousin Mellie to their grandmother Nan's house complicates things: Lulu and Mellie decide to smuggle Ratty along. The plot's "oh, no" foreshadowing and humorous details, along with frequent spot art by Priscilla Lamont, keep the action moving at a spirited pace. (Whitman, 5–8 years)

Adventures with Waffles by Maria Parr, set in contemporary Norway over the course of one eventful year, features adventures both big and small, madcap and poignant. Young narrator Trille's best friend is his next-door neighbor, Lena, almost nine, perhaps best described as a more-realistic Pippi Longstocking: fierce, fearless, daring, hilariously blunt. With Lena's penchant for thrill-seeking, their small close-knit community of Mathildewick Cove provides all the excitement they need, whether they are attempting to reenact Noah's ark on Uncle Tor's fishing boat (mayhem ensues) or advertising for a dad for Lena ("Must be nice and like boiled cabbage"). (Candlewick, 6–9 years)

Cody — star of Tricia Springstubb's Cody and the Fountain of Happiness — thinks the first day of summer vacation is the most beautiful thing in the world. With Mom pursuing a promotion in the shoe department at work; Dad, a trucker, on the road part of the week; and older brother Wyatt starting at "doctor camp," alternate plans are needed. Enter babysitter Payton Underwood (object of Wyatt's crush), along with a new younger friend named Spencer, his cat MewMew, and his feisty grandma GG. Cody's lively voice and keen observational skills build an involving story line out of the seeming banality of a vacation spent at home. Stylish spot illustrations by Eliza Wheeler suggest a diverse cast in this suburban setting. (Candlewick, 6–9 years)

From the June 2015 issue of Notes from the Horn Book.