In Heroes of the Frontier (Knopf, $28.95), Dave Eggers tells the story of Josie, who has left her dental practice and taken her two young children in a rickety RV (affectionately called “the chateau”) and fled to the wilderness of Alaska. Their adventure is exciting and memorable, but the most appealing aspect of Eggers’s novel is the depiction of Josie’s kids, Ana and Paul. Ana is an indefatigable force, likely to break anything she touches. Paul is an old soul, wise beyond his eight years, and his sister’s constant guardian. Together the three of them forge a unique and hilarious camaraderie. This is a book that pushes all the right buttons: heart, adventure, intelligence—all woven together to create a great novel.