Kate DiCamillo's Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures (illustrated by K. G. Campbell; Candlewick, 6–9 years) — that warmly told and illustrated story of a comics-loving girl, a superheroic squirrel, and their friendship — took home the 2014 Newbery Medal. The following primary and early intermediate novels also star smart, spirited girls on adventures big and small, all accompanied by energetic illustrations — a winning combination for Flora fans.

Lulu (Lulu and the Brontosaurus; Lulu Walks the Dogs) may not be the "serious pain in the butt" she once was, but she's still a tough customer. When Lulu's parents go on vacation without her, she meets her match in babysitter Sonia Sofia Solinsky. Ms. Solinsky thwarts Lulu's schemes to oust her, eventually revealing that she is a spy and a spy-trainer. Readers may wonder: is Ms. Solinsky truly a spy? No matter; craving her tutelage, Lulu behaves with uncommon decorum. Author Judith Viorst and illustrator Kevin Cornell's farcical Lulu's Mysterious Mission will tickle younger listeners and emerging readers. (Atheneum, 6–9 years)

A black-and-white movie featuring a tough-talking private investigator inspires Ivy and Bean to solve some mysteries, starting with "The Mystery of What's Under the Cement Rectangle" in everyone's front yard. The other kids on Pancake Court become less impressed with each case — until a mysterious yellow rope appears tied to the chimney on Dino's house and the friends investigate whodunit. With Ivy + Bean Take the Case, the tenth entry in the popular series written by Annie Barrows and illustrated by Sophie Blackall, it's no mystery why these chapter books continue to please: clever stories and illustrations to match. (Chronicle, 6–9 years)

In author Sally Gardner's and illustrator David Roberts's Operation Bunny, Emily is demoted to Cinderella status after the birth of her (deliciously nasty) adoptive parents' own triplets. Fortunately, an elderly neighbor and her talking cat change everything. Soon Emily is neck-deep in magic: figuring out her role as the Keeper of the Keys, tracking down a mysterious shop she has inherited, and thwarting a witch who turns people into unlikely-hued rabbits. While reaching a satisfying conclusion, this first brisk, entertaining entry in the Wings & Co. series will leave readers eager for the next. (Holt, 8–11 years)

Exploring the museum where her father is a curator, Ophelia spies a boy through a cleverly hidden keyhole. He tells her that he's a prisoner of the Snow Queen. To defeat her, someone must find the boy's missing sword — and that someone is clearly Ophelia. Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy is a fable of psychic healing, in which Ophelia, mourning her recently deceased mother, must battle the queen and her sword, the Great Sorrow. Author Karen Foxlee's deftness with characterization and setting makes this a satisfying fantasy. (Knopf, 8–11 years)

From the March 2014 issue of Notes from the Horn Book.