December 3, 2021

The Crosswood

Fourteen-year-old Blue Jasper takes his younger siblings, twins Indigo and Violet, out for a hike to give their mother a break. One moment the twins are scampering in the trees right ahead of him, and the next moment they are gone. As Blue frantically searches for them, a strange woman appears in the forest claiming to be the Faerie Queen Olea of Nearwood and the twins’ real mother. Now because of a magical pact, Blue's mother's life will be in danger if he can't find the twins before the next sunset. Blue must find his way into the magical forest known as the Crosswood and through the dangerous Faerie lands beyond it. Will he be able to find the twins in time? And will they be able to find their way out again? This is the first book in the Faerie Woods series.

December 3, 2021

The Wherewood

Fourteen-year-old Blue (a human) should be upset that his new friends Salix (a Nixie) and Finola (a Faerie) have tricked him into going on another adventure into the Faerieland. But he's actually quite excited. Especially since their quest to find the way back to Salix's homeland takes them through the Wherewood, a magical region where lost things go. They encounter confused pets, misplaced homework assignments and mountains of odd socks. But when a misstep leads Blue into the forsaken Witherwood, he comes face to face with an old enemy. And Olea, the cursed former queen of Nearwood, will not let Blue go so easily this time. This is the second book in the Faerie Woods series, following The Crosswood.

December 3, 2021

Crushing: An Illustrated Misadventure in Love and Loneliness

She’s lonely and searching for connection. He’s lonely and afraid to reach out. Life in the big city means being surrounded by connections—making them, missing them and longing for them. But is finding someone else really the answer to their problems?

Crushing, the stunning debut graphic novel from Sophie Burrows, is a story told in silence; a story without words but bursting with meaning; a story about loneliness and love.

Achingly beautiful, quietly defiant and full of subtle wit and wisdom, Crushing is a unique meditation on the human condition in the twenty-first century, and a timely examination of young adult life in an age of isolation.

December 3, 2021

Alex Wheatle

Alex Wheatle, one of Britain’s brightest literary talents, holds the Member of the British Empire and has been called “a major voice in British children’s literature.” His 17 books, frequently on school reading lists, have won numerous awards and been translated into French, Italian and German.
December 3, 2021

Guardians of Porthaven

On his fifteenth birthday, Malcolm Gravenhurst is preparing to take on the mantle of Guardian, like many Gravenhursts before him. The Guardians are tasked with defending the city of Porthaven, and his family is the only one to possess the superpowers necessary to battle the frequent alien invasions of robotic klek. But power has brought the Gravenhursts more than just responsibility―it has also brought them fame and wealth. When Malcolm meets some teens living and working in secret, he learns that underneath their heroic facade, the Gravenhurst family is hiding some very dark secrets. With the threat of annihilation on the horizon, soon Malcolm must choose between family loyalty and doing the right thing.

December 3, 2021

White Privilege: Deal with It in All Fairness

For some kids, ways they can help eliminate racial injustice might be hard to see. After all, they are taught that people in society are all equal under the law. So why then does racial conflict still exist? And what can they as individuals do about it right now? One way is for white children to understand the unearned advantages they were born with based solely on the colour of their skin. This concept is called white privilege and this book will help children of all races understand it, see how it affects them and find ways to speak out and take real action against it.

White Privilege: Deal with It in All Fairness provides scenarios, quizzes and Q&As that develop readers’ understanding of the subject using situations that are realistic and that easily relate to their everyday lives. The topic is approached from three points of view: those who are “privileged,” those who identify as “racialized” and those who want to be allies.

November 19, 2021

Sunny Days Inside and Other Stories

When the “grownup virus” hits, kids who live in the same apartment building must cope with strange new rules and extended time at home with parents and siblings.

And they survive brilliantly, each in their own way. Twin boys throw themselves into an independent research assignment on prehistoric people and embrace their own devolution. A budding track star is encouraged to run laps on his balcony by a neighbor who has a secret crush on him. A classroom troublemaker reaches out to a teacher when his own father begins to exhibit signs of mental illness. A young entrepreneur saves himself and his hairdresser mother from financial collapse by renting out the family dog. And a girl finds a way to communicate with her hearing-impaired neighbor so that they can spy on the rest of the building.

The stories follow the course of the pandemic, from the early measures through lockdown, as the kids in the building observe the stresses on the adults around them and use their own quirky kid ingenuity to come up with ways to make their lives better. Funny, poignant and wise, this book will long outlive even the pandemic.

November 19, 2021

Notable Native People: 50 Indigenous Leaders, Dreamers and Changemakers from Past and Present

An accessible and educational illustrated book profiling 50 notable American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian people, from NBA star Kyrie Irving of the Standing Rock Lakota to Wilma Mankiller, the first female principal chief of the Cherokee Nation.

Celebrate the lives, stories and contributions of Indigenous artists, activists, scientists, athletes and other changemakers in this beautifully illustrated collection. From luminaries of the past, like nineteenth-century sculptor Edmonia Lewis—the first Black and Native American female artist to achieve international fame—to contemporary figures like linguist jessie little doe baird, who revived the Wampanoag language, Notable Native People highlights the vital impact Indigenous dreamers and leaders have made on the world.

This powerful and informative collection also offers accessible primers on important Indigenous issues, from the legacy of colonialism and cultural appropriation to food sovereignty, land and water rights, and more. An indispensable read for people of all backgrounds seeking to learn about Native American heritage, histories and cultures, Notable Native People will educate and inspire readers of all ages.

November 19, 2021

Bernard Beckett

Bernard Beckett is the author of eight young adult novels, numerous plays and four films. He has won the Esther Glen Award and Young Adult Fiction Category of the New Zealand Post Book Awards for Malcolm and Juliet, and the New Zealand Post Book Awards for Children and Young Adults for both Malcolm and Juliet and Genesis. The latter also won the Prix Sorcières in the Adolescent Novels category.
November 19, 2021

Am I at Risk