SKIPPING STONES 2018 HONOR AWARD WINNER FOR MULTICULTURAL TEEN BOOKS As the Civil War rages, fifteen-year-old Thomas Beck longs to fight for his country. He's underage, but his brother, Robert, claims there's another reason he can't fight: there's no such thing as a Chinese Yankee. Assumed a slave because of his odd appearance--including his traditional Chinese queue (long braid)--Thomas soon discovers that giving battle with his regiment isn't enough to shed the Chinese label from his Yankee status. It's not until Thomas befriends a runaway slave and the war moves toward a pivotal moment in Gettysburg that he begins to understand the true meaning of freedom in America. Freedom for Me is a historical novel based on the life of a real Chinese Yankee. For ages 10 and up. 

Friendship and magical realism sparkle on the page in this heartwarming, delightfully eccentric illustrated middle-grade gem from an extraordinary new literary voice. Perfect for fans of A Snicker of Magic and The Penderwicks.Alberto lives alone in the town of Allora, where fish fly out of the sea and the houses shine like jewels. He is a coffin maker and widower, spending his quiet days creating the final resting places of Allora's people.Then one afternoon a magical bird flutters into his garden, and Alberto, lonely inside, welcomes it into his home. And when a kindhearted boy named Tito follows the bird into Alberto's kitchen, a door in the old man's heart cracks open. Tito is lonely too--but he's also scared and searching for a place to hide. Fleeing from danger, he just wants to feel safe for once in his life. Can the boy and the old man learn the power of friendship and escape the shadows of their pasts?With a tender bond that calls to mind The Girl Who Drank the Moon, charming characters reminiscent of The Penderwicks, and the whimsy of A Snicker of Magic, this is a novel to curl up with, an extraordinary work of magical realism that makes the world feel like a warmer and happier place. Complete with dazzling interior illustrations, a gem from start to finish.Praise for The Boy, the Bird & the Coffin Maker:"A beautifully written debut about recovering from grief and finding hope through an unlikely friendship. The writing itself is a gorgeous lyrical prose laced with magical realism, like a Gabriel García Márquez story for young readers." --BookTrust★ "Woods has penned a gentle fable, one rich in hope that promotes the strength of kindness. Her magical realism nods to the like of Isabel Allende and Gabriel García Márquez, perfectly tailoring the genre for a middle-grade audience. Anuska Allepuz's whimsical illustrations add to the magical feel. Sweet, earnest and not to be missed." --Shelf Awareness, STARRED REVIEW★ "Elegantly told from start to finish and enhanced by Allepuz's evocative images and decorations, debut author Woods has created a fairy tale that will linger with readers." --Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW★ "This uplifting book will enthrallreaders, enveloping them in its gentle charm." --Booklist, STARRED REVIEW"Awash in magical realism, this is a gentle tale of two hearts, broken by a sometimes harsh world, who find solace, comfort, healing and safety in a new family. . . . A warm-hearted, beautifully told tale." --School Library Connection"A lyrical and melancholy tale [filled with] atmospheric writing." --School Library Journal"A quietly triumphant tale." --Kirkus Reviews"A gently compelling hybrid of intrigue and enchantment . . . filled with the redeeming magic of love and life." --VOYA

Stephanie Stewart is a typical sixteen-year-old girl—she loves hanging out with her friends, going to concerts, and sipping mocha lattes. Yup. Just your average teenager . . . Except for one difference—she can see and talk to the dead. In fact, Stephanie helps dead girls who who’ve been murdered or killed, cross over. Just as Stephanie is getting used to her unique “gift”, her mom stumbles into some dangerous witchcraft that backfires and triggers similar abilities in Stephanie’s best friend Cura, and nemesis Hillary. Stephanie already has enough trouble trying to maintain a “normal” life between school and her cute boyfriend Dylan, who happens to have a supernatural talent all his own. But now she has to help her friend Cura and her “frenemy” Hillary cope with their new-found powers as well as cross over two murdered cheerleaders and battle an evil demon who wants to use Stephanie’s supernatural strengths as a free pass to The Other Side. And she needs to do it all while still getting her term papers in on time. She’s definitely going to need an extra-large mocha latte for this.

In 1962 they thought she was dead, all they had to do was burn the old house down with her and those damnable cats in it and everything would be normal again. No more odd antics from the Crazy Cat Lady no more death. But what they didn't realize is there was much more to her relationship with her beloved cats than met the eye. Love, trust, and the bonds of a mother to her children all played a part to the insanity the town people thought raged within the crone's mind. It's now 2018 and the stories have not ceased. Instead it seems the legend of the 'Crazy Cat Lady' have grown more horrifying than ever before prompting the local children to take a visit. Most have only come within a few feet of the old half burned house. They would stand, staring at the place, watching the creepy cats mill about the area, climbing along porch railings meowing plaintively. But three high school boys decide to take it a bit further one night which begins a horrifying look into what happens when nature is misunderstood and an old crone that harmed no one is now out for revenge.