13. Seraphina, by Rachel Hartman. Published in July by Random House. "I love the detailed art," says Templeton. That dragon, that architecture! (Jacket art by Andrew Davidson)

14. The Peculiar, by Stefan Bachmann. Published in September by Greenwillow. Meade says, "I thought this one was pretty cool (and the book is great)! It's a steam-punky fantasy for kids." Wood seconds it: "Steampunk for the win! This cover just looks fun and adventurous, something my middle-grade self would be freaking out over." (Design by Paul Zakris; jacket art by Thierry Lafontaine, Imaginism Studios; display type and hand lettering by Ryan O'Rourke)

15. Under Wildwood by Colin Meloy. Published in September by Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Children’s books. It "appeals to me because I've always liked Carson Ellis' art," says Templeton. Wood adds that the Wildwood series (this is the second one) has "the coolest middle-grade covers I've seen in a long time. These covers are like little jigsaw puzzles ... you have to take your time and look carefully at each piece until you're ready to view the whole image at once." (Illustrations by Carson Ellis)

16. The Secret Tree, by Natalie Standiford. Published in May by Scholastic. This childlike but clearly skilled illustrative quality just tugs at the heartstrings, for me at least. Plus: a tree that holds secret notes ... I'm intrigued. (Jacket art by Nathan Durfee, design by Christopher Stengel)

17. Chopsticks, by Jessica Anthony, Illustrated by Rodrigo Corral. Published in February by Penguin/Razorbill. This cover is kind of the epitome of romance; we're getting to look in at this intimate, lovely moment, as we do, in multi-media ways, over the course of the book. (Design by Rodrigo Corral)

18. The Dark Unwinding, by Sharon Cameron. Published in September by Scholastic. Gloomy and steampunky and Victorian cool. (Design by Elizabeth B. Parisi)

19. The Raven Boys, by Maggie Stiefvater. Published in September by Scholastic. For the texture and whorls and foreboding mystery in the raven wings alone. (Design by Christopher Stengel; illustration by Adam S. Doyle)

20. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi. Published in in November 2011 by Harper Collins; paperback revision released in October of this year. As Wood explains: "The new paperback cover wins for best use of photoshop and digital design of 2012. What an improvement over the generic original cover! If you really look at the eye you'll be able to pick out so many tiny, hidden details like birds and trees. Someone took the time to build out an entire scene in the eye, that's incredible!" Mafi wrote on her blog of the new cover, "I know a lot of people hate it when covers get redone, but believe it or not, it's always done for a good reason. For us, it was no different. As much as we loved the original cover for Shatter Me, we felt like it wasn't properly reflecting the book and the feel of the story, especially as we moved forward in the series. so we tried something new." We like it. (Cover art by Colin Anderson; art inspired by a photograph by Sharee Davenport; cover design by Cara E. Petrus)