After escaping a Soviet prison camp, Lina is pursued by a powerful witch and her shadow wolves in a riveting debut that imbues frozen wilderness with fairy-tale magic. All that twelve-year-old Lina knows of the world is the Stalinist labor camp where she was born, a place of hunger, cruelty, and deprivation. After a daring … Continue reading NEVERTELL, by Katharine Orton, Walker Books US/Candlewick Press
self-discovery
THE MAGIC MISFITS: THE SECOND STORY, by Neil Patrick Harris, Hachette Book Group, Inc.
Growing up in an orphanage, Leila was bullied for being different. But she turned her hardship into skill by becoming an escape artist—a valuable trait when belonging to a group of magical best friends. When a famous psychic comes to town, however, Leila and her pals won't be able to escape the big mystery heading … Continue reading THE MAGIC MISFITS: THE SECOND STORY, by Neil Patrick Harris, Hachette Book Group, Inc.
KNIFE, A NEW HARRY HOLE NOVEL, by Joe Nesbo, Random House, Penguin Randum House
Brilliant, audaciously rogue police officer, Harry Hole from The Snowman and The Thirst, is back and in the throes of a new, unanticipated rage--once again hunting the murderer who has haunted his entire career. Harry Hole is not in a good place. Rakel--the only woman he's ever loved--has ended it with him, permanently. He's been … Continue reading KNIFE, A NEW HARRY HOLE NOVEL, by Joe Nesbo, Random House, Penguin Randum House
HAPPINESS IS GREEN, by Donna Mulvenna, Stormbird Press
Donna only daydreams of pulling up stakes and starting a new life, until an impetuous decision catapults her on a soul-changing journey in the Amazon rainforest. Tested mentally, physically and spiritually it is hard for her to feel lost in the wilderness when pure joy pounds in her heart. Written with stirring poignancy, laugh-out-loud humour … Continue reading HAPPINESS IS GREEN, by Donna Mulvenna, Stormbird Press
A GIRL CALLED ECHO, RED RIVER RESISTANCE, VOL. 2, by Katherena Vermette, Scott B. Henderson, Donovan Yaciuk, Highwater Press/Portage and Main Press
Echo Desjardins is adjusting to her new home, finding friends, and learning about Métis history. She just can’t stop slipping back and forth in time. One ordinary afternoon in class, Echo finds herself transported to the banks of the Red River in the summer of 1869. All is not well in the territory as Canadian … Continue reading A GIRL CALLED ECHO, RED RIVER RESISTANCE, VOL. 2, by Katherena Vermette, Scott B. Henderson, Donovan Yaciuk, Highwater Press/Portage and Main Press
THE CHARMED LIFE OF ALEX MOORE, by Molly Flatt, Macmillan Publishing/Publishers Group Canada
The Charmed Life of Alex Moore, genre cross-over, bizarre and unique
24 HOURS IN NOWHERE, by Dusti Bowling, Sterling Publishing
Welcome to Nowhere, Arizona, the least livable town in the United States. For Gus, a bright 13-year-old with dreams of getting out and going to college, life there is made even worse by Bo Taylor, Nowhere’s biggest, baddest bully. When Bo tries to force Gus to eat a dangerously spiny cactus, Rossi Scott, one of … Continue reading 24 HOURS IN NOWHERE, by Dusti Bowling, Sterling Publishing
THE STONE GIRL’S STORY, by Sarah Beth Durst, Clarion Books
DESCRIPTION: Exploring the power of stories and storytelling, Sarah Beth Durst presents the mesmerizing adventure of a girl made of living stone who braves unforeseen dangers and magical consequences on a crucial quest to save her family. Mayka and her stone family were brought to life by the stories etched into their bodies. Now time … Continue reading THE STONE GIRL’S STORY, by Sarah Beth Durst, Clarion Books
SMACK DAB IN THE MIDDLE OF MAYBE, by Jo Watson Hackl, Random House
A Mississippi ghost town and an art mystery combine in this gorgeously written debut just right for fans of Three Times Lucky and A Snicker of Magic! How far would you go to find something that might not even exist? All her life, Cricket's mama has told her stories about a secret room painted by … Continue reading SMACK DAB IN THE MIDDLE OF MAYBE, by Jo Watson Hackl, Random House
AN OCEAN OF MINUTES, by Thea Lim, Viking
“Amidst the breathtaking world Thea Lim has created in AN OCEAN OF MINUTES is a profound meditation on the inhumanity of class and the limits of love. It takes immense talent to render cruelty both accurately and with honest beauty – Lim has pulled it off. This is a story about the malleability of time, … Continue reading AN OCEAN OF MINUTES, by Thea Lim, Viking