Deborah Hopkinson

When he was 7 years old, Vane Weston became known as “the Miracle Child” for surviving the Category 5 tornado that killed his parents. That was 10 years ago. And though Vane has found friends and a new home with loving adoptive parents, he is still haunted by unanswered questions and recurring dreams about his past. Just how did he survive? And why does he see the face of the same girl, night after night?

Speaking of girls, Vane seems to have bad luck in that department. He’s not bad looking, but every date ends in a disaster. So Vane is delighted when things go well on a blind date with a visiting Canadian called Hannah. Until, that is, the girl from his dreams suddenly appears in real life.

From that moment, Vane’s world turns upside-down. Instinctively, Vane knows that the stranger, who calls herself Audra, holds the key to unlocking memories of his parents and his life before the storm. But Vane is not at all prepared for what Audra tells him about who he really is, or for the challenges that lie ahead if he is to keep his new family safe—nor is Audra prepared for the forbidden attraction she feels for someone she knows is promised to another.

Told in alternating voices, Let the Sky Fall brings readers into a world of fantasy close enough to touch but impossible to see. Messenger has created an intriguing paranormal romance filled with suspense, adventure and realistic, likable characters. By the end, fans will be eager for the second book in the series.

When he was 7 years old, Vane Weston became known as “the Miracle Child” for surviving the Category 5 tornado that killed his parents. That was 10 years ago. And though Vane has found friends and a new home with loving adoptive parents, he is…

Good news for fans of Hattie Inez Brooks, the likeable, intrepid heroine of the Newbery Honor book Hattie Big Sky: Thanks to many requests from readers, award-winning author Kirby Larson has penned a sequel to Hattie’s story, which takes her from Montana into an unexpected—and newsworthy—direction.

As the story opens, Hattie is working as a chambermaid in Great Falls, Montana, and has just finished paying off her Uncle Chester’s IOU. Her ties to homesteading are over. It’s 1919, and Hattie is free to follow her heart’s desire. The most sensible move would take her to Seattle, where her friends Karl and Perilee now live and where her true love, Charlie, has just landed a job with the Boeing Airplane Company. But before she settles down Hattie has a dream she must pursue: She wants to be a big-city newspaper reporter—in San Francisco. And while there, she hopes to solve the mystery of her Uncle Chester’s past and discover the truth about a woman named Ruby Danvers.

Hattie is bold enough to apply for a job at the San Francisco Chronicle, even if it’s just on the night cleaning staff. And as she seeks to work her way up to a real writing job, she also shares with Charlie and her Seattle friends postcards that capture the wonders of her new home.

With its engaging heroine, a text graced by reproductions of actual historical San Francisco postcards and an insightful look at women in early 20th century journalism, Hattie Ever After is sure to please Hattie’s fans—and to make her many new ones. Larson has combined impeccable research, lyrical writing and a fascinating time period to give her young heroine a most satisfying “ever after” indeed.

Good news for fans of Hattie Inez Brooks, the likeable, intrepid heroine of the Newbery Honor book Hattie Big Sky: Thanks to many requests from readers, award-winning author Kirby Larson has penned a sequel to Hattie’s story, which takes her from Montana into an unexpected—and…

“It’s like he came out of nowhere.”

So begins Maria Padian’s engaging novel about the impact a young Somali refugee and his family have on high school senior and avid soccer player Tom Bouchard. Saeed, the new player in Tom’s small Maine town, may not yet be fluent in English, but he is a master of the language of soccer. And thanks to Saeed’s skills, for the first time the school’s team is winning. That is, until Saeed’s eligibility to play for the team is questioned.

As Tom learns, real life is not nearly as clear-cut as the final score of a soccer game. He finds himself negotiating new and unfamiliar territory—not only in his relationships with Saeed and Samira, Saeed’s sister, but with Myla, the progressive, outspoken young college student who volunteers her time with the Somali community. At the same time, Tom is torn by old loyalties, especially to his girlfriend, Charisse, and his troubled best friend, Donnie. But the more he gets to know Saeed, Samira and Myla, the more he finds himself growing apart from his old friends and family members—and their attitudes. 

Negotiating this new cultural landscape is not easy for Tom or his new Somali friends. Maria Padian’s third novel for young adults includes well-drawn characters and a compelling story with sports themes that will be especially appealing to male readers. Most of all, the author is not afraid to show us that there are no easy solutions—and that even simple actions, no matter how well-intentioned, can have serious cultural consequences.

“It’s like he came out of nowhere.”

So begins Maria Padian’s engaging novel about the impact a young Somali refugee and his family have on high school senior and avid soccer player Tom Bouchard. Saeed, the new player in Tom’s small Maine town, may not yet…

Seventeen-year-old Chelsea Price is facing yet another boring summer in Massachusetts with her dad when she stumbles upon an old shoebox hidden in the back of a closet. Inside is a letter that changes her life.

Chelsea had always been told that her mother died when she was 3. “Of a brief illness,” her father said. Her discovery casts doubt on everything she knows about the world, for it now seems possible that Catherine Eversole Price, Chelsea’s mother, might still be alive. And Chelsea is determined to find her.

Chelsea’s journey takes her to a forbidding black concrete building at the corner of Houston and Bowery in Manhattan. This is the Underground, the place to hear cutting-edge underground music, a club famous for launching careers. It also has played an integral role in Chelsea’s family history.

Chelsea finds that Catherine’s presence haunts not just the room that once belonged to her, but also the dark, brooding club owner named Hence. Chelsea and the reader are drawn into the past as alternating chapters slowly reveal the passionate love at the heart of Catherine’s life. It is up to Chelsea, with the help of an aspiring young musician named Cooper, to unravel the clues to her mother’s fate.

Author April Lindner, a professor of English, gives readers an original, fresh retelling of Wuthering Heights with Catherine. Teen readers are likely to enjoy Catherine and Hence’s romance so much they’ll be eager to read about Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw, those enduring characters that inspired this modern mystery.

Seventeen-year-old Chelsea Price is facing yet another boring summer in Massachusetts with her dad when she stumbles upon an old shoebox hidden in the back of a closet. Inside is a letter that changes her life.

Chelsea had always been told that her mother died when…

Acclaimed author Gary Paulsen has often written about dogs, and is known as an enthusiastic fan of canines. He clearly passed this love on to his son, Jim, co-author of Road Trip, the quirky, fast-paced story of a father and son on a quest to rescue a young border collie.

As Gary Paulsen explains in his author’s note, he and Jim hadn’t actually set out purposefully to write a book together. Instead the project grew naturally and organically, with each sharing chapters over email. Notes the Newbery award-winning author: “Maybe it’s because we both love dogs that we could work together like this. . . . Jim and I lost track when we tried to count how many dogs we’ve owned over the years. But we’ve never lost sight of how much they added to our lives.”

Road Trip begins, appropriately, at the beginning of summer vacation. Fourteen-year-old Ben isn’t surprised at the sudden summons to hop in the truck and travel light. He’s used to tagging along with his dad’s spur-of-the moment adventures. And so is Atticus, the current (and sole) family Border collie. Atticus, who sometimes seems to know more than his humans, provides some of the book’s funniest passages. Atticus is not entirely keen on the quest to get another dog. “Getting a dog is a terrible idea,” he states. “Dogs are not my favorite thing. Dogs are messy and needy.”

Like all good road trips, this story contains adventure, danger, surprises, unexpected twists and turns, and a bevy of eccentric characters. And why not? From On the Road to Little Miss Sunshine, road trips are in our collective blood. Young readers could not begin with better guides than Gary and Jim Paulsen.

Acclaimed author Gary Paulsen has often written about dogs, and is known as an enthusiastic fan of canines. He clearly passed this love on to his son, Jim, co-author of Road Trip, the quirky, fast-paced story of a father and son on a quest to…

In Gingersnap, Newbery Honor winner Patricia Reilly Giff returns to the Brooklyn of her childhood to tell the heartwarming story of a young girl during World War II.

Since her parents’ death in a car accident, Jayna has been under the care of her brother, Rob. But Rob is called up for duty, leaving Jayna with Celine, their landlady.

When a telegram arrives, the news is terrifying: Rob is missing in action. Unable to face a loveless future as a burden to Celine, Jayna decides to take matters into her own hands. With her pet turtle in a cat carrier, Jayna boards a bus from upstate New York to Brooklyn. She is following clues in her mother’s old recipe book, which tell of a bakery called Gingersnap. Could a grandmother she has never known live there?

Evoking the sights, sounds and tastes of neighborhoods from a time gone by, Gingersnap was a labor of love for Giff, whose inspirations included memories of her grandfather.

Readers are often introduced to WWII through stories of combat. Gingersnap offers an evocative picture of life on the home front.

In Gingersnap, Newbery Honor winner Patricia Reilly Giff returns to the Brooklyn of her childhood to tell the heartwarming story of a young girl during World War II.

Since her parents’ death in a car accident, Jayna has been under the care of her brother, Rob.…

Newbery-winning novelist Karen Cushman introduces her first male leading character in Will Sparrow’s Road, an engaging historical fiction adventure set in 1599, in Elizabethan England.

By all accounts, including his own, young Will Sparrow is a liar, a thief and a runaway. Will lives the only way he can—by his wits. It’s no wonder his motto has become: “I care for no one but myself . . . and nothing but my belly.”

Will’s father has sold him to an innkeeper in exchange for ale. But when the innkeeper threatens to sell Will off as a chimney sweep as a penalty for stealing a cold rabbit pie, Will knows the time has come to make his own way in the world. Along the way, he meets up with a troupe of “oddities and prodigies” who travel from fair to fair.

Cushman deftly weaves in Will’s adventures with fascinating details about Renaissance fairs of the time, which served as temporary markets for the sale of livestock, food and goods: “saddles and baskets and woolen cloth . . . candlesticks of pewter and brass, heaps of apple tarts, creamy cheeses, and plums.” Some young readers will recognize elements of the “Saturday markets” we have in cities and towns today, which combine farmers’ markets with hand-made goods and entertainment.

But readers will be less familiar with the odd members of Thomas Tidball’s band, which include a learned pig named Duchess, a wild cat-girl, a little man named Lancelot Fitzgeoffrey—and, eventually, Will himself. In this harsh world, where nothing is quite as it seems, Will must learn to sort friend from foe, and hope that, in the end, he can find a place to call home. Cushman’s lively account of his journey makes it a pleasure to follow along.

Newbery-winning novelist Karen Cushman introduces her first male leading character in Will Sparrow’s Road, an engaging historical fiction adventure set in 1599, in Elizabethan England.

By all accounts, including his own, young Will Sparrow is a liar, a thief and a runaway. Will lives the…

Venom is book one in Fiona Paul’s intriguing new series, Secrets of the Eternal Rose, set in Venice at the end of the Renaissance. As the book opens, Cassandra Caravello is attending the funeral of Liviana, one of her oldest friends. Death is no stranger to Cass. Since her parents died, she has been living on tiny San Domenico Island with her aunt, Agnese. Agnese keeps Cass close to home, rarely allowing her to travel to the Rialto, Venice’s commercial center. Cass chafes against the restrictions and the thought of a boring, predictable future with Luca, her fiancé. Luca is studying abroad, and Cass hasn’t even seen him for three years. Writing in her journal and wandering the graveyard at night are about as exciting as her life gets.

But Cass gets more adventure than even she can imagine. On the night of Liviana’s funeral, she makes a gruesome discovery: Liviana’s body has been stolen, replaced by the mutilated corpse of a young girl. While the culprits are nowhere to be found, Cass does meet the mysterious, attractive Falco, a young art student who challenges her to solve the mystery with him.

Soon Cassandra finds herself leading a double life—dutiful young contessa by day, fearless investigator by night. With Falco by her side, Cass goes beyond what is expected for a girl of her station, exploring the dark streets and secrets of Venice in search of the killer. But what about Falco himself? Cass is attracted by his bold impudence and his infectious charm—yet even Falco is keeping secrets from her. And when her fiancé returns, Cass must face a difficult choice.

Venom is a heady combination of romance and intrigue (with some luscious descriptions of Venetian gowns thrown in for good measure). By the end, teen readers will be craving Cassandra’s journey to continue in the next volume of what promises to be a popular YA series set in an unusual and fascinating setting.

Venom is book one in Fiona Paul’s intriguing new series, Secrets of the Eternal Rose, set in Venice at the end of the Renaissance. As the book opens, Cassandra Caravello is attending the funeral of Liviana, one of her oldest friends. Death is no stranger…

Colorado anthropologist Jeannie Mobley shines a light on her native state in Katerina’s Wish, her debut novel about an immigrant Bohemian family in a Southern Colorado mining town at the turn of the 20th century. Katerina and her two younger sisters already know the drudgery of daily life as they help their mother with seemingly endless loads of laundry to supplement Papa’s wages in the mines. At the rate they are able to save, Katerina despairs that the family’s dream of having a farm of their own—a dream that brought them so far from home—will ever be a reality.

Katerina, who is almost 14, decides to take matters into her own hands. Her sisters may believe that wishes are granted by a magic fish in a nearby pool, but Katerina knows better. An entrepreneur at heart, she finds a way to grow cucumbers, raise chickens and circumvent the high prices of the only store in town to save money.

Then comes the day of the explosion in the mine. During tense days of waiting for news of the trapped miners, Katerina proves to her mother that she is growing up. It is not only Papa who is missing, but their best friends, Old Jan’s sons, Karel and Mark.

Just as Aaron Hawkins does in his delightful historical novel, The Year Money Grew on Trees, Mobley provides engaging details of Katerina’s creative exploits into gardening and running her own business. It’s also fascinating to see the relationship among the different immigrant groups in the town, and how Katerina finds a way to bring them all together.

Young readers, accustomed to heading out to the store or mall to get new “store bought” clothes at the start of the school year, might be surprised to learn just how hard Katerina and her sisters must work to buy cloth to make a dress. No lecture required: just hand them this thoroughly engaging story.

Colorado anthropologist Jeannie Mobley shines a light on her native state in Katerina’s Wish, her debut novel about an immigrant Bohemian family in a Southern Colorado mining town at the turn of the 20th century. Katerina and her two younger sisters already know the drudgery…

There is a long history of prejudice against people with dwarfism, and while today we know it is usually caused by a genetic disorder, author Katherine Marsh details the cruel treatment of Renaissance dwarf jesters in her fascinating new novel. To imagine the world of Jepp, Who Defied the Stars, Marsh drew inspiration from a portrait of a court dwarf to Philip IV of Spain, “Don Sebastián de Morra” by Diego Velázquez—a painting that suggests sympathy for the poorly treated little people of the day.

Jepp leaves home for court, thinking that a whole new world will open for him; what he finds instead is a version of slavery. Punished for helping another dwarf try to escape, Jepp is sent to Uraniborg Castle to serve Lord Tycho, a character based on the real Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe.

Although a brilliant seeker of truth about the stars, Tycho is an eccentric, often cruel master. Jepp’s place at dinner is under the table, and he sleeps in the stable with Tycho’s pet moose. At first given menial tasks like filling inkpots and cleaning Tycho’s celestial globe, Jepp begins to learn from the scholars around him and eventually reveals his secret command of Latin. “Fate has cast me here, but I wish to learn and better myself,” he tells his master.

With an engaging hero and unusual setting, Jepp is compelling historical fiction about the treatment of those who are different and the challenges they face to be viewed as equals.

There is a long history of prejudice against people with dwarfism, and while today we know it is usually caused by a genetic disorder, author Katherine Marsh details the cruel treatment of Renaissance dwarf jesters in her fascinating new novel. To imagine the world of…

In Jessica Warman’s taut, haunting thriller, nothing is quite as it seems. The story revolves around Rachel and Alice, who are not just identical twins but rare Monoamniotic-Monochorionic twins who shared the same amniotic sac. This resulted in a special connection between the sisters, who can sense when something is wrong with each other, even from afar. Their bond goes even deeper—sometimes, especially when one twin experiences physical trauma or threat, the other twin feels the same physical symptoms.

As Beautiful Lies opens, Rachel reports to her aunt and uncle that her sister Alice has disappeared from a night out at the fair with friends. But the report does not generate the response she wants, as Alice has been disappearing often, defying her guardians’ authority and acting out. No one believes that the missing twin is really in danger—except her sister.

Alice’s problems seem to go deeper than just normal teen rebellion. She is the twin who remembers the terrifying accident that killed the sisters’ parents, and she may also have inherited her grandmother’s madness. Rachel and Alice have an incredible connection, but there are some burdens Alice can never share.

Beautiful Lies is a fast-paced young adult thriller with twists and turns that take the reader by surprise and where nothing is quite as it seems—even kindly neighbors and loving boyfriends. What remains true throughout is Rachel and Alice’s love for one another, and the sisters’ commitment to do whatever it takes to help one another survive.

Warman is a natural storyteller, and this haunting, dramatic novel is sure to appeal to mature young adults. Even so, Beautiful Lies might not be a book to read when one is alone in a lonely, dark house. Then again, for some teens, it might be just the perfect choice.

In Jessica Warman’s taut, haunting thriller, nothing is quite as it seems. The story revolves around Rachel and Alice, who are not just identical twins but rare Monoamniotic-Monochorionic twins who shared the same amniotic sac. This resulted in a special connection between the sisters, who…

Margi Preus, who won a Newbery honor for Heart of a Samurai, returns with another riveting work of historical fiction. Shadow on the Mountain tells the story of the Nazi occupation of Norway through the experiences of a boy named Espen and his younger sister, Ingrid.

The story begins in 1940, when 14-year-old Espen begins taking tentative steps to help the resistance. Espen has no doubts whatsoever where his allegiance lies, but he finds that some of his friends and classmates think differently. Why is his best friend Kjell riding in a car with soldiers? And how far will his soccer teammate Aksel go to please the occupying soldiers?

Shadow on the Mountain covers nearly five years in Espen’s life, as he takes on increasingly dangerous assignments. Preus captures the tension, fear and determination of Espen and Ingrid, and recounts the changes that take place as normal life disappears.

This fine novel, which includes an author’s note, a timeline, a bibliography and even a recipe for invisible ink, is based on extensive research. Preus had the opportunity to interview Erling Storrusten, who was a teenager in the town of Lillehammer during the Occupation, and many of the incidents are based on his experiences. The result is an authentic coming-of-age story, perfect for readers fascinated by the diary of Anne Frank or Lois Lowry’s classic, Number the Stars.

Margi Preus, who won a Newbery honor for Heart of a Samurai, returns with another riveting work of historical fiction. Shadow on the Mountain tells the story of the Nazi occupation of Norway through the experiences of a boy named Espen and his younger…

Emily and Jackson are back.

Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, Newbery Medal-winning author of Shiloh and more than 100 other titles, introduced Emily Wiggins and her scrappy companion, Jackson, in Emily’s Fortune. In their first rip-roaring Western adventure, the two young orphans escaped the clutches of Emily’s evil uncle to make their way to kind Aunt Hilda in Redbud.

Emily and Jackson Hiding Out finds the friends eagerly embracing life on the farm with Aunt Hilda. But their troubles aren’t quite over. One day, while Aunt Hilda is in town, Emily and Jackson find a pathetic widow woman begging on the road. Ever mindful of Aunt Hilda’s edict to practice kindness, they offer to make her lunch. But when the widow woman is washing up, Jackson catches sight of something that makes his eyes grow wide. “What in shootin’ shivers did he see?”

A tiger tattoo! The widow is no other than Emily’s evil Uncle Victor—who has hatched a nefarious kidnapping plot. There’s a bold rescue attempt and a nerve-racking finale before the bad guy is rounded up and order is restored once again.

Naylor’s latest will capture young readers with cliff-hanging chapter endings, humorous illustrations and a fun, old West design. The future looks bright for Emily and Jackson, but, then again, you never know: “Who in rushin’ rapids knows what might happen next?”

Emily and Jackson are back.

Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, Newbery Medal-winning author of Shiloh and more than 100 other titles, introduced Emily Wiggins and her scrappy companion, Jackson, in Emily’s Fortune. In their first rip-roaring Western adventure, the two young orphans escaped the clutches of Emily’s…

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