All Books
Synopsis: Emmy Award–winning ABC News chief national correspondent and Nightline coanchor, Byron Pitts shares the heartbreaking and inspiring stories of six young people who overcame impossible circumstances with extraordinary perseverance.
Abuse.
Bullying.
War.
Drug Addiction.
Mental Illness.
Violence.
None of these should be realities for anyone, much less a young person. But for some it is the only reality they have ever known. In these dark circumstances, six teens needed someone to “be the one” for them—the hero to help them back into the light. For Tania, Mason, Pappy, Michaela, Ryan, and Tyton, that hero was themselves. Through stirring interviews and his award-winning storytelling, Byron Pitts brings the struggles and triumphs of these everyday heroes to teens just like them, encouraging all of us to be the source of inspiration in our own lives and to appreciate the lives of others around us.
Abuse.
Bullying.
War.
Drug Addiction.
Mental Illness.
Violence.
None of these should be realities for anyone, much less a young person. But for some it is the only reality they have ever known. In these dark circumstances, six teens needed someone to “be the one” for them—the hero to help them back into the light. For Tania, Mason, Pappy, Michaela, Ryan, and Tyton, that hero was themselves. Through stirring interviews and his award-winning storytelling, Byron Pitts brings the struggles and triumphs of these everyday heroes to teens just like them, encouraging all of us to be the source of inspiration in our own lives and to appreciate the lives of others around us.
Publication Date: 05/16/17
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis: What if your greatest secrets became public? For the students at Alexandria Prep, a series of hacks leads to a scandalous firestorm—and the students are left wondering whose private photos and messages will be exposed next. It’s Pretty Little Liars meets WikiLeaks.
ONE HACK. EVERY SECRET. EXPOSED.
Alexandria Prep is in total social chaos. Someone—no one knows who—has hacked into the phones of the school’s social royalty and leaked their personal messages and photos. At first it was funny—everyone loved watching the dirty private lives of those they envied become public. But when things escalate, the students realize anyone could be a target.
When Anna returns to school for senior spring, she’s initially grateful that all eyes are on everyone else’s problems...and not on her humiliating breakup with her basketball-star boyfriend. But as the hacks begin to shatter lives and threaten futures, Anna races to protect those she loves—as well as her own devastating secrets.
If only the students of Alexandria Prep could turn back the clock so they knew then what they know now: sometimes we share too much.
★ "This debut novel is timely, cautionary, and compelling." —VOYA, starred review
"In an age of adult anxieties over digital privacy, this book is #relevant." —Kirkus Reviews
ONE HACK. EVERY SECRET. EXPOSED.
Alexandria Prep is in total social chaos. Someone—no one knows who—has hacked into the phones of the school’s social royalty and leaked their personal messages and photos. At first it was funny—everyone loved watching the dirty private lives of those they envied become public. But when things escalate, the students realize anyone could be a target.
When Anna returns to school for senior spring, she’s initially grateful that all eyes are on everyone else’s problems...and not on her humiliating breakup with her basketball-star boyfriend. But as the hacks begin to shatter lives and threaten futures, Anna races to protect those she loves—as well as her own devastating secrets.
If only the students of Alexandria Prep could turn back the clock so they knew then what they know now: sometimes we share too much.
★ "This debut novel is timely, cautionary, and compelling." —VOYA, starred review
"In an age of adult anxieties over digital privacy, this book is #relevant." —Kirkus Reviews
Publication Date: 05/16/17
Age Level: Mature Young Adult
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis: "Gripping from start to finish . . . with twists that left me shocked."—Victoria Aveyard, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Red Queen
For fans of Gillian Flynn and Pretty Little Liars, The Darkest Corners is a psychological thriller about the lies little girls tell, and the deadly truths those lies become.
There are secrets around every corner in Fayette, Pennsylvania. Tessa left when she was nine and has been trying ever since not to think about what happened there that last summer.
She and her childhood best friend Callie never talked about what they saw. Not before the trial. And certainly not after.
But ever since she left, Tessa has had questions. Things have never quite added up. And now she has to go back to Fayette—to Wyatt Stokes, sitting on death row; to Lori Cawley, Callie’s dead cousin; and to the one other person who may be hiding the truth.
Only the closer Tessa gets to what really happened, the closer she gets to a killer—and this time, it won’t be so easy to run away.
And don't miss Kara's next "eerie and masterly psychological thriller" Little Monsters—on sale now (SLJ)!
For fans of Gillian Flynn and Pretty Little Liars, The Darkest Corners is a psychological thriller about the lies little girls tell, and the deadly truths those lies become.
There are secrets around every corner in Fayette, Pennsylvania. Tessa left when she was nine and has been trying ever since not to think about what happened there that last summer.
She and her childhood best friend Callie never talked about what they saw. Not before the trial. And certainly not after.
But ever since she left, Tessa has had questions. Things have never quite added up. And now she has to go back to Fayette—to Wyatt Stokes, sitting on death row; to Lori Cawley, Callie’s dead cousin; and to the one other person who may be hiding the truth.
Only the closer Tessa gets to what really happened, the closer she gets to a killer—and this time, it won’t be so easy to run away.
And don't miss Kara's next "eerie and masterly psychological thriller" Little Monsters—on sale now (SLJ)!
Publication Date: 05/09/17
Age Level: Mature Young Adult
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis:
The 40th anniversary edition of the classic Newbery Medal-winning title by beloved author Katherine Paterson, with brand-new bonus materials including an author's note by Katherine herself and a foreword by New York Times bestselling author Kate DiCamillo.
Jess Aarons has been practicing all summer so he can be the fastest runner in the fifth grade. And he almost is, until the new girl in school, Leslie Burke, outpaces him. The two become fast friends and spend most days in the woods behind Leslie’s house, where they invent an enchanted land called Terabithia. One morning, Leslie goes to Terabithia without Jess and a tragedy occurs. It will take the love of his family and the strength that Leslie has given him for Jess to be able to deal with his grief.
Bridge to Terabithia was also named an ALA Notable Children’s Book and has become a touchstone of children’s literature, as have many of Katherine Paterson’s other novels, including The Great Gilly Hopkins and Jacob Have I Loved.
Publication Date: 05/02/17
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis:
This beloved Newbery Honor-winning story about a feisty heroine is sure to enchant readers new and old.
At her birth, Ella of Frell receives a foolish fairy's gift—the “gift” of obedience. Ella must obey any order, whether it's to hop on one foot for a day and a half, or to chop off her own head! But strong-willed Ella does not accept her fate...
Against a bold backdrop of princes, ogres, giants, wicked stepsisters, and fairy godmothers, Ella goes on a quest to break the curse forever.
Publication Date: 05/02/17
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis: From acclaimed author Kat Zhang comes a “fast-paced mystery adventure” (BCCB) about a girl who embarks on a hunt for a long-lost treasure while on a summer trip to China.
Mia Chen is on what her mother calls a Grand Adventure. She’s not sure what to make of this family trip to China, and didn’t want to leave her friends for the summer, but she’s excited about the prospect of exploring with her Aunt Lin, the only adult who truly understands her.
Then Aunt Lin disappears, right after her old nemesis, a man named Ying, comes to visit. Mia knows that years ago, when Aunt Lin and Ying were sent to the Fuzhou countryside to work as laborers, the two searched for an ancient treasure together—one that still hasn’t been found. She’s suspicious that their shared history might be linked to Aunt Lin’s disappearance.
When Mia discovers an old map filled with riddles in Aunt Lin’s room, she quickly pieces together her mission: find the treasure, find her aunt. Now, Mia, along with her big brother, Jake, must solve the clues to rescue the person she knows best in the world—and maybe unearth a treasure greater than her wildest dreams.
Mia Chen is on what her mother calls a Grand Adventure. She’s not sure what to make of this family trip to China, and didn’t want to leave her friends for the summer, but she’s excited about the prospect of exploring with her Aunt Lin, the only adult who truly understands her.
Then Aunt Lin disappears, right after her old nemesis, a man named Ying, comes to visit. Mia knows that years ago, when Aunt Lin and Ying were sent to the Fuzhou countryside to work as laborers, the two searched for an ancient treasure together—one that still hasn’t been found. She’s suspicious that their shared history might be linked to Aunt Lin’s disappearance.
When Mia discovers an old map filled with riddles in Aunt Lin’s room, she quickly pieces together her mission: find the treasure, find her aunt. Now, Mia, along with her big brother, Jake, must solve the clues to rescue the person she knows best in the world—and maybe unearth a treasure greater than her wildest dreams.
Publication Date: 05/02/17
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis: Wonder meets Mark Haddon in the poignant and uplifting debut novel about superheroes, super-nurses, and the beauty you can find in hope.
Eleven-year-old Joe has never had a life outside of the hospital, with its beeping machines and view of London’s rooftops. His condition means he’s not allowed outside, not even for a moment, and his few visitors risk bringing life-threatening germs inside his bubble. Then a new nurse offers Joe the possibility of going outside. But Joe doesn’t know if the nurse is serious—or whether he could survive the adventure.
Bubble is the touching story of how Joe spends his days, copes with his loneliness and frustration, and looks—with superhero-style bravery, curiosity, and hope—to a future without limits.
Eleven-year-old Joe has never had a life outside of the hospital, with its beeping machines and view of London’s rooftops. His condition means he’s not allowed outside, not even for a moment, and his few visitors risk bringing life-threatening germs inside his bubble. Then a new nurse offers Joe the possibility of going outside. But Joe doesn’t know if the nurse is serious—or whether he could survive the adventure.
Bubble is the touching story of how Joe spends his days, copes with his loneliness and frustration, and looks—with superhero-style bravery, curiosity, and hope—to a future without limits.
Publication Date: 05/02/17
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis: Nine-year-old Maria Singh longs to play softball in the first-ever girls' team forming in Yuba City, California. It's the spring of 1945, and World War II is dragging on. Miss Newman, Maria's teacher, is inspired by Babe Ruth and the All-American Girls' League to start a girls' softball team at their school. Meanwhile, Maria's parents--Papi from India and Mama from Mexico--can no longer protect their children from prejudice and from the discriminatory laws of the land. When the family is on the brink of losing their farm, Maria must decide if she has what it takes to step up and find her voice in an unfair world. In this fascinating middle grade novel, award-winning author Uma Krishnaswami sheds light on a little-known chapter of American history set in a community whose families made multicultural choices before the word had been invented.
Publication Date: 05/02/17
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis: Months after she has been healed from the Enemy Sickness that afflicted her in Trail of the Dead, Lozen and her family have gathered a community around them in Valley Where First Light Paints the Cliffs and have begun to rebuild. Lozen knows danger still stalks them and she intends to be ready to defend her people, but she hopes to avoid killing another human being--though gemod monsters are not off the table. Miles away, the remaining Ones plot Lozen's demise, and a threat Lozen thought she'd eliminated comes closer. And a newfound power will complicate everything for Lozen. Masterful storyteller Joseph Bruchac delivers a satisfying conclusion of the acclaimed Killer of Enemies series.
Publication Date: 05/02/17
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis: Eleven-year-old Jeremy Wilderson teams up with his rival crime fighter to stop the stealing spree that’s wreaking havoc on Scottsville Middle School in this action-packed MAX novel.
Jeremy Wilderson is not a thief. In fact, he is his middle school’s one and only retrieval specialist. Confiscated cell phones, stolen lunch money—he’ll discretely retrieve it before the last bell rings. Business is good, and if it weren’t for the meddling of preteen private investigator Becca Mills, he’d be happier than a gym teacher on dodgeball day.
But a new job shatters his comfortable lifestyle. Now, thanks to Jeremy, the master key to the schools’ lockers is in the hands of an aspiring crime kingpin who doesn’t exactly have Jeremy’s strong moral character. Soon not even combination locks can protect the students’ textbooks and jackets. Retrieving the key is too big a job for one crime fighter, and only one person wants the key returned as much as Jeremy does: Becca Mills.
Lockers are being robbed, the teachers are looking for the culprit, and the only person Jeremy can turn to is the girl who most wants to see him in the principal’s office. Will Jeremy be able to trust Becca enough to get the key back in the right hands? Or could he end up in detention until the end of high school instead?
Jeremy Wilderson is not a thief. In fact, he is his middle school’s one and only retrieval specialist. Confiscated cell phones, stolen lunch money—he’ll discretely retrieve it before the last bell rings. Business is good, and if it weren’t for the meddling of preteen private investigator Becca Mills, he’d be happier than a gym teacher on dodgeball day.
But a new job shatters his comfortable lifestyle. Now, thanks to Jeremy, the master key to the schools’ lockers is in the hands of an aspiring crime kingpin who doesn’t exactly have Jeremy’s strong moral character. Soon not even combination locks can protect the students’ textbooks and jackets. Retrieving the key is too big a job for one crime fighter, and only one person wants the key returned as much as Jeremy does: Becca Mills.
Lockers are being robbed, the teachers are looking for the culprit, and the only person Jeremy can turn to is the girl who most wants to see him in the principal’s office. Will Jeremy be able to trust Becca enough to get the key back in the right hands? Or could he end up in detention until the end of high school instead?
Publication Date: 04/18/17
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis: Fans of CJ Omololu's The Third Twin will flock to the romantic thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong, now available in paperback.
The only thing Winter Crane likes about Reeve's End is that soon she'll leave it. Like her best friend did. Like her sister did. Like most of the teens born in town have done. There's nothing for them there but abandoned mines and empty futures. They're better off taking a chance elsewhere.
What Winter will miss is the woods. Her only refuge. At least it was. Until the day she found Lennon left for dead, bleeding in a tree.
But now Lennon is gone too. And he has Winter questioning what she once thought was true. What if nobody left at all? What if they're all missing?
"A compelling thriller that keeps the reader hooked until the end." -VOYA, Starred
The only thing Winter Crane likes about Reeve's End is that soon she'll leave it. Like her best friend did. Like her sister did. Like most of the teens born in town have done. There's nothing for them there but abandoned mines and empty futures. They're better off taking a chance elsewhere.
What Winter will miss is the woods. Her only refuge. At least it was. Until the day she found Lennon left for dead, bleeding in a tree.
But now Lennon is gone too. And he has Winter questioning what she once thought was true. What if nobody left at all? What if they're all missing?
"A compelling thriller that keeps the reader hooked until the end." -VOYA, Starred
Publication Date: 04/18/17
Age Level: Mature Young Adult
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis: B.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree. Bronze Children's Books Award 2017 Readers' Favorites. Shortlisted for the Cinnamon Press Novella Award."A compelling story about friendship, its strength, and the unusual ways it develops."Rebecca P. McCray, The Journey of the Marked
Being different isn't easy but it can be exciting!
How well do you know your friends? Are they left-handed or right-handed? Are they left-brained or right-brained? And what difference does it make? Shocked at discovering how left-handers are persecuted, Jamie ties her hand behind her back for a public protest in school. This does not go down well with the teachers. Her best friend Ryan joins in but just when their campaign is working, Ryan's mother drops a bombshell. She's whisking him off from Wales UK to live back in America. There he faces bullying at its most deadly, and Jamie has to live from one email to the next, waiting to know whether her friend is hanging in there.
A modern classic of friendship and teen life, with all its pitfalls and challenges.
"As a parent and a teacher, I felt this book in my gut. It hits so close to home on more levels than I can count." Anita Kovacevic, teacher and children's author, contributor to the international Inner Giant Anti-Bullying Project.
Being different isn't easy but it can be exciting!
How well do you know your friends? Are they left-handed or right-handed? Are they left-brained or right-brained? And what difference does it make? Shocked at discovering how left-handers are persecuted, Jamie ties her hand behind her back for a public protest in school. This does not go down well with the teachers. Her best friend Ryan joins in but just when their campaign is working, Ryan's mother drops a bombshell. She's whisking him off from Wales UK to live back in America. There he faces bullying at its most deadly, and Jamie has to live from one email to the next, waiting to know whether her friend is hanging in there.
A modern classic of friendship and teen life, with all its pitfalls and challenges.
"As a parent and a teacher, I felt this book in my gut. It hits so close to home on more levels than I can count." Anita Kovacevic, teacher and children's author, contributor to the international Inner Giant Anti-Bullying Project.
Publication Date: 04/07/17
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis:
From New York Times bestselling author Cinda Williams Chima, this is a thrilling story of the unfathomable costs of war, the allure of dark magic, and two principled and conflicted characters drawn together despite everything they stand to lose.
Alyssa ana’Raisa, the reluctant princess heir to the Gray Wolf throne of the Fells, feels more comfortable striking with a sword than maneuvering at court. After a brush with death, Lyss goes on the offensive, meaning to end the war that has raged her whole life. If her gamble doesn’t pay off, she could lose her queendom before she even ascends to the throne.
Across enemy lines in Arden, young rising star Captain Halston Matelon is being sent on ever more dangerous assignments. Between the terrifying rumors of witches and wolfish warriors to the north and his cruel king at home, Hal is caught in an impossible game of life and death.
Lyss and Hal’s intricately linked fates become inseparable when they fall under the shadow of a new enemy—a force that threatens to extinguish the last rays of hope in the Shattered Realms.
Publication Date: 04/04/17
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis: The Boldsthe hyena family successfully impersonating as humanshave become legendary in the animal kingdom. Soon their house is full of visitors hoping to learn how to pass as humans too. There's a crocodile who can't quite tame her appetite, a poodle who wants to be a famous singer, and runaway racehorses hiding from their owner. With so many houseguests, the Bolds have their hands (ahem, paws) full. Can they teach these outcast critters to survive in the human world?
Publication Date: 04/01/17
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis: After breaking ties with the deadly Pirate King, Dean Seaborne thought he had left his life of spying and pirating behind. But when the merciless thief Captain Skinner threatens Dean's allies, Dean agrees to one last job. Along with his trusted friends Ronan and Waverly, he agrees to help rob a sea-based resort for the richest of nobles. They'll pose as a band of traveling performers and then lead Skinner to the loot. But the moment Dean reaches the resort, the plan changes. The getaway is actually a gateway—to the undersea kingdom of Atlantis. And a civil war is brewing in the depths, with Dean soon to be caught in the middle of it. As his enemies multiply, above and below the waves, Dean finds himself in over his head like never before.
Publication Date: 04/01/17
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis: A 2017 National Book Award for Young People's Literature Finalist
When Nina Faye was fourteen, her mother told her there was no such thing as unconditional love. Nina believed her. Now she'll do anything for the boy she loves, to prove she's worthy of him. But when he breaks up with her, Nina is lost. What is she if not a girlfriend? What is she made of? Broken-hearted, Nina tries to figure out what the conditions of love are.
"Finally, finally, a book that is fully girl, with all of the gore and grace of growing up female exposed." Carrie Mesrobian, author of the William C. Morris finalist, Sex & Violence
When Nina Faye was fourteen, her mother told her there was no such thing as unconditional love. Nina believed her. Now she'll do anything for the boy she loves, to prove she's worthy of him. But when he breaks up with her, Nina is lost. What is she if not a girlfriend? What is she made of? Broken-hearted, Nina tries to figure out what the conditions of love are.
"Finally, finally, a book that is fully girl, with all of the gore and grace of growing up female exposed." Carrie Mesrobian, author of the William C. Morris finalist, Sex & Violence
Publication Date: 04/01/17
Age Level: Mature Young Adult
Genre: Fiction