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The Mission House
by Carys DaviesThe Sunday Times (London) Novel of the Year &“Luminous…a writer to watch—and to savor.&” —Oprah Daily From the award-winning author of West and The Redemption of Galen Pike, a &“sublime&” (The Toronto Star) and propulsive novel that follows an Englishman seeking refuge in a remote hill town in India who gets caught in the crossfire of local tensions.In this &“jewel of a novel&” (The Observer), Hilary Byrd flees his demons and the dark undercurrents of contemporary life in England for a former British hill station in south India. Charmed by the foreignness of his new surroundings and by the familiarity of everything the British have left behind, he finds solace in life&’s simple pleasures, travelling by rickshaw around the small town with his driver Jamshed and staying in a mission house beside the local presbytery where, after a chance meeting, the Padre and his adoptive daughter Priscilla take Hilary under their wing. The Padre is concerned for Priscilla&’s future, and as Hilary&’s friendship with the young woman grows, he begins to wonder whether his purpose lies in this new relationship. But religious tensions are brewing and the mission house may not be the safe haven it seems. A &“skillful drama of well-meant misunderstandings and cultural divisions&” (The Wall Street Journal), The Mission House boldly and imaginatively explores postcolonial ideas in a world fractured between faith and nonbelief, young and old, imperial past and nationalistic present. Tenderly subversive and meticulously crafted, it is a deeply human story of the wonders and terrors of connection in a modern world.
The Little Book of Big Ethical Questions
by Susan LiautaudPerfect for your next dinner party discussion, The Little Book of Big Ethical Questions presents some of today&’s most thought-provoking ethical questions in a welcoming, easy-to-discuss Q&A format, with guidance from a renowned ethicist.Often a single question can spark a meaningful exchange—like &“Would you apply for a job you know your friend is applying for?&” Or &“Should voting be mandatory?&” Or what about police using facial recognition technology? Questions like these spur us to consider: What would I have done? Is there one correct answer? And ultimately: How can ethics help us navigate these situations to find the best outcome for ourselves and others? An ethicist who advises leaders and organizations worldwide, Susan Liautaud asks intriguing questions that encourage lively discussion across a range of subjects, from family and friends to health and technology to politics, work, and consumer choices. She then walks through the ways you might approach each situation to find the best answer for you. Grab the book, gather a few friends, and dive in!
Credible Threat
by J.A. JanceAli Reynolds and her team at High Noon Enterprises must race against the clock to save an archbishop who faces mysterious death threats in this &“masterly study of the effects of grief, rage, and the power of forgiveness&” (Publishers Weekly) by New York Times bestselling author J.A. Jance.Years after her son&’s fatal overdose, grieving mother Rachel Higgins learns that his addiction may have grown out of damage suffered at the hands of a pedophile priest while he was in high school. Looking for vengeance, she targets the Catholic Church&’s most visible local figure, Archbishop Francis Gillespie. When the archbishop begins receiving anonymous threats, local police dismiss them, saying they&’re not credible. So he turns to his friends, Ali Reynolds and her husband, B. Simpson. With B. out of the country on a cybersecurity emergency, it&’s up to Ali to track down the source of the threats. When a shooter assassinates the archbishop&’s driver and leaves the priest himself severely injured, Ali forms an uneasy alliance with a Phoenix homicide cop in hopes of preventing another attack. But Ali doesn&’t realize that the killer has become not only more unhinged but also more determined to take out his or her target. Credible Threat is another &“terrific entry in a series distinguished by its consistent quality, [and] sensitive treatment of a difficult subject makes this an extraordinary literary experience&” (The Providence Journal).
Hammer
by Joe Mungo ReedAn art auction house employee helps a Russian oligarch sell his prized collection, ensnaring himself in a dangerous romance and an even more treacherous political plot.It&’s 2013, and much of the world still reels from the global economic collapse. Yet in the auction rooms of London, artworks are selling for record-breaking prices. Seeking a place in this gilded world is Martin, a junior specialist at a prestigious auction house. Martin spends his days catering to the whims of obscenely wealthy clients and his nights drinking in grubby pubs with his demoralized roommate. However, a chance meeting with Marina, an old university friend, presents Martin with a chance to change everything. Pursuing distraction from her failing marriage and from a career she doesn&’t quite believe in, Marina draws Martin into her circle and that of her husband, Oleg, an art-collecting oligarch. Shaken by the death of his mother and chafing against his diminishing influence in his homeland, Oleg appears primed to change his own life—and perhaps to relinquish his priceless art collection long coveted by London&’s auction houses. Martin is determined to secure the sale and transform his career. But his ambitions are threatened by factors he hasn&’t reckoned with: a dangerous attraction between himself and Marina, and half-baked political plans through which Oleg aims to redeem himself and Russia but which instead imperil the safety of the oligarch and all those around him. Hammer is a riveting, ambitious novel—at once a sharp art world exposé, a tense geopolitical thriller, and a brooding romance—that incisively explores the intersection of wealth, power, and desire.
The Winners
by Fredrik BackmanReturn to the close-knit, resilient community of Beartown with this &“engrossing page-turner&” (Woman&’s World) about first loves, second chances, and last goodbyes—from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Anxious People and A Man Called Ove.Over the course of two weeks, everything in Beartown will change. Two years have passed since the events that no one wants to think about. Everyone has tried to move on, but there&’s something about this place that prevents it. The destruction caused by a ferocious late-summer storm reignites the old rivalry between Beartown and the neighboring town of Hed, a rivalry which has always been fought through their ice hockey teams. Maya Andersson and Benji Ovich, two young people who left in search of a better life, come home and joyfully reunite with their closest childhood friends. There is a new sense of optimism and purpose in the town, embodied in the impressive new ice rink that has been built down by the lake. Maya&’s parents, meanwhile, are caught up in an investigation of the hockey club&’s murky finances, and Amat—once the star of the Beartown team—has lost his way after an injury and a failed attempt to get drafted into the NHL. Simmering tensions between the two towns turn into acts of intimidation and then violence. All the while, a fourteen-year-old boy grows increasingly alienated from this hockey-obsessed community and is determined to take revenge on the people he holds responsible for his beloved sister&’s death. He has a pistol and a plan that will leave Beartown with a loss that is almost more that it can stand. Discover what it means to forgive with this &“hell of a conclusion to an outstanding series&” (Booklist, starred review).
Magic Lessons
by Alice HoffmanIn an unforgettable novel that traces a centuries-old curse to its source, beloved author Alice Hoffman unveils the story of Maria Owens, accused of witchcraft in Salem, and matriarch of a line of the amazing Owens women and men featured in Practical Magic and The Rules of Magic.Where does the story of the Owens bloodline begin?
With Maria Owens, in the 1600s, when she’s abandoned in a snowy field in rural England as a baby. Under the care of Hannah Owens, Maria learns about the “Unnamed Arts.” Hannah recognizes that Maria has a gift and she teaches the girl all she knows. It is here that she learns her first important lesson: Always love someone who will love you back.
When Maria is abandoned by the man who has declared his love for her, she follows him to Salem, Massachusetts. Here she invokes the curse that will haunt her family. And it’s here that she learns the rules of magic and the lesson that she will carry with her for the rest of her life. Love is the only thing that matters. Magic Lessons is a celebration of life and love and a showcase of Alice Hoffman’s masterful storytelling.
A New York Times Bestseller
The Body
by Stephen KingSet in the fictional town of Castle Rock, Maine #1 New York Times bestselling author Stephen King&’s timeless novella &“The Body&”—originally published in his 1982 short story collection Different Seasons, and adapted into the 1986 film classic Stand by Me—is now available as a stand-alone publication.It&’s 1960 in the fictional town of Castle Rock, Maine. Ray Brower, a boy from a nearby town, has disappeared, and twelve-year-old Gordie Lachance and his three friends set out on a quest to find his body along the railroad tracks. During the course of their journey, Gordie, Chris Chambers, Teddy Duchamp, and Vern Tessio come to terms with death and the harsh truths of growing up in a small factory town that doesn&’t offer much in the way of a future. A timeless exploration of the loneliness and isolation of young adulthood, Stephen King&’s The Body is an iconic, unforgettable, coming-of-age story.
White Ivy
by Susie YangA young woman’s crush on a privileged former classmate becomes a story of love, lies, and dark obsession, offering stark insights into the immigrant experience, as it hurtles to its electrifying ending.
Ivy Lin is a thief and a liar—but you’d never know it by looking at her.
Raised outside of Boston, Ivy’s immigrant grandmother relies on Ivy’s mild appearance for cover as she teaches her granddaughter how to pilfer items from yard sales and second-hand shops. Thieving allows Ivy to accumulate the trappings of a suburban teen—and, most importantly, to attract the attention of Gideon Speyer, the golden boy of a wealthy political family. But when Ivy’s mother discovers her trespasses, punishment is swift and Ivy is sent to China, and her dream instantly evaporates.
Years later, Ivy has grown into a poised yet restless young woman, haunted by her conflicting feelings about her upbringing and her family. Back in Boston, when Ivy bumps into Sylvia Speyer, Gideon’s sister, a reconnection with Gideon seems not only inevitable—it feels like fate.
Slowly, Ivy sinks her claws into Gideon and the entire Speyer clan by attending fancy dinners, and weekend getaways to the cape. But just as Ivy is about to have everything she’s ever wanted, a ghost from her past resurfaces, threatening the nearly perfect life she’s worked so hard to build.
Filled with surprising twists and a nuanced exploration of class and race, White Ivy is a glimpse into the dark side of a woman who yearns for success at any cost.
A New York Times Bestseller
Little Wet-Paint Girl
by Ouanessa YounsiBorn to a French-Canadian mother and Algerian father, Ouanessa Younsi is a bold and unique voice in modern Francophone poetry. In this intensely personal recitation on identity and ethnicity, Younsi takes the reader on a surreal odyssey through a liminal world of belonging and unbelonging, absence and presence, mind and body. Her visionary work, first published in French and translated here by Rebecca Thompson, is unsettling, riveting and guaranteed to leave readers contemplating the existential mysteries of “self.”
Lac/Athabasca
by Len FalkensteinStories are carried like cargo on trains from the Rocky Mountains to the East Coast in this cautionary tale of what happens when we’re haunted by the hunger for the ever-greater development and exploitation of natural resources. A nineteenth-century fur trader and his Métis guide are harrowingly pursued by an unseen monster on the Athabasca River. Two freshwater biologists in present-day Fort McMurray investigate pollution downstream from the oil sands, until one becomes obsessed with his discovery of a centuries-old skeleton. A young man comes to work in the Alberta oil sands, but is driven home after discovering the body of a missing co-worker. The residents of a small town unite in grief after an entirely preventable disaster. Stories intersect and echo, connecting the dots between voraciousness and victimhood, beasts without and beasts within, and ravaged landscapes and ruined souls.
Einstein's Gift
by Vern ThiessenEinstein’s Gift follows the life and work of Nobel laureate Dr. Fritz Haber, a man who risked everything for a country that never accepted him. Haber, a chemist who worked hard to enhance life, discovered too late that when his knowledge was put in the hands of the wrong people, millions would die and that his efforts to serve humanity were futile against political will, nationalism, and war. This updated edition of Vern Thiessen’s compelling play about the collision of power and pride still resonates with verve and vigour.
This Is War
by Hannah MoscovitchMaster Corporal Tanya Young, Captain Stephen Hughes, Private Jonny Henderson, and Sergeant Chris Anders have lived through an atrocity while holding one of the most volatile regions in Afghanistan. As each of them is interviewed by an unseen broadcasting organization, they recount their version of events leading up to the horrific incident with painful, relenting replies. What begins to form is a picture of the effects of guilt and the psychological toll of violence in a war where the enemy is sometimes indiscernible.
Currently Between Husbands
by Cathrine MahoneyTrust me, there is life and love (and plenty of laughter) after divorce, even when your ex is one of Australia&’s highest profile sport stars. Actually, I Don&’t Like Cricket Or Blow Jobs! (And to be honest, I suck at both.) Yes, that was what I originally wanted to call this book. But then I realised that some women like cricket. Also, reading this in front of your inquisitive seven-year-old could lead to some awkward conversations. So, in stepped Currently Between Husbands to save the day and any blushes. Having a relationship in the spotlight is hard enough, but in Currently Between Husbands, Cathrine Mahoney details the unique experience of breaking up with one of Australia's highest profile sport stars. Even for a self-confessed over-sharer, the breakdown of her marriage to rugby league player Andrew Johns was more public than she was used to. In her first book, the writer, podcaster and publicist provides a self-deprecating and hilarious look at her life – from fashion mistakes and early crushes as a kid growing up in Wales, to her years working with some of the world's biggest stars at Sony Music, to navigating life and love as a &‘solo&’ mum, and coming to terms with hitting the big 4-0. Currently Between Husbands is the equivalent of having a chat with your bestie over a drink or two, with all the inappropriate confessions, front bottom revelations and teary moments that entails.&‘Desperately funny, fearless and full of heart.&’ Meg Mason, author of Sorrow and Bliss&‘Strap in. You&’re in for a fabulous ride. And you&’ll be wishing (like I was before I knew her) that she was your friend. It&’s a bloody good book, and I didn&’t want it to end.&’ Amanda Keller OAM, radio and TV host&‘My all-time favourite movie is Bridget Jones&’ Diary – to anoint a real-life version is a big deal – but Cathrine Mahoney is it Bridget to a tee. I&’d pay to read a post it note she wrote, let alone a book. Cathrine&’s ability to be funny, clever, relatable, self-deprecating and just so loveable is unlike anyone I&’ve ever met.&’ Erin Molan, TV presenter, radio host and writer
Then There Was Her
by Sophie CachiaSocial media and business entrepreneur Sophie Cachia reveals never-before-shared details of her marriage breakdown, and how delving into her feminine intuition and falling in love with a woman turned her whole world upside down. I was running late, again. The sweat from under my milk-filled udders ran down my stomach and onto the post-natal recovery shorts I&’d squeezed on under my leather skirt. Only eight weeks earlier, I&’d birthed my second baby, and this was one of my first work appearances. I raced into the hotel, took the lift to the wrong floor, fumbled my bag and finally landed at the entrance. I went around the circle of unfamiliar faces, smiling, shaking hands, introducing myself… Then there was her. As our hands touched, time froze. My whole world changed forever… Sophie Cachia had her white picket fence life. By the age of 25, she was a mother and happily married, and had also built a very successful business by documenting her every move online. But Sophie and her comfortable existence were thrown a curveball when she met a woman who prompted her to ask herself the questions: What more can I do? What more can I learn? What more can I be? In Then There Was Her, Sophie describes how challenging the set social narrative for a young woman led her down a path of awareness, empowerment and acceptance as she navigated identity, sensuality and the true meaning of authenticity as a mother and a woman. A deeply honest and inspirational memoir of a strong female who made peace with her decisions all in the unrelenting glare of the public eye, Then There Was Her encourages readers to stop fearing the unknown in life and to instead be excited about what may just come your way.
Now in November
by Josephine JohnsonA lost gem of twentieth-century literature, Josephine Johnson&’s 1934 Pulitzer Prize–winning &“exquisite…heartbreakingly real&” (The New York Times Book Review) novel follows a year in the life of a family struggling to survive the Dust Bowl.Published when Josephine Johnson was only twenty-four years old, Now in November made Johnson the youngest ever winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1935. It is a beautifully told account of one farming family&’s challenges to scrape by and earn a living from mortgaged land over the course of a single year, narrated by one of three sisters—the introspective and thoughtful Margaret. As the household is ravaged by Depression-era hardship and the environmental blights of the Dust Bowl, the family&’s unique vulnerabilities are pushed to a breaking point. In a style typical of Johnson&’s body of work, Now in November is strikingly ahead of its time, grappling with questions of mental health, worker&’s rights, as well as gender, race, and class and is ready to be rediscovered by a new generation of readers.
Bury Me Deep
by Christopher PikeFrom the New York Times bestselling author of The Midnight Club—soon to be an original Netflix series!Jean is on her way to Hawaii for a week of fun in the sun. But the vacation gets off to a gruesome start. The boy sitting next to her on the plane suddenly chokes and dies. Jean tries to push the incident out of her mind when she arrives on the island, but it&’s impossible. Part of the reason is because Mike keeps coming back to her in her dreams. Horrible dreams filled with cold blood. Two of Jean&’s friends are waiting for her in Hawaii—Mandy and Michele. They have already made friends with two young men who teach scuba diving at the hotel—Dave and Johnny. Jean and Johnny quickly become friends. But there are problems in paradise. Dave and Johnny have recently lost a partner in the ocean. No one knows how he died. No one can find his body. But then Jean finds Mike&’s body. It isn't where it's supposed to be, and it seems as if it's still got some life in it.
The Polter-Ghost Problem
by Betsy UhrigThree best friends discover a haunted orphanage and get swept up in ghoulish shenanigans in this &“laugh-out-loud, high-action read&” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) for fans of Best Nerds Forever and the Fear Street series.One haunted orphanage + two types of ghosts + three freaked-out friends = plenty of trouble. Best friends Aldo, Pen, and Jasper are braced for a boring summer. And equally dull summer journal writing assignments. That is, until they see a slightly transparent boy with a bad haircut appear by the soccer field and then disappear into the woods beyond. The boys follow him and discover the long-abandoned Grauche Orphanage for Orphans, a house in the woods that is most definitely haunted. But the ghosts are not the problem. They have been trapped at the orphanage by a cranky poltergeist who erupts into violent tantrums if they put even a spectral toe across the property line. The ghosts ask the boys to help free them—but who is the angry poltergeist and what does it want? To solve the mystery, the trio must investigate the orphanage&’s dark past, evade Aldo&’s ghastly older brother, borrow a skeptical librarian, and duck lots of flying furniture, all while failing to agree on almost anything. Can they defeat the evil entity and rescue the ghosts before their parents catch on and ground them for eternity?
Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun
by Tolá OkogwuBlack Panther meets X-Men in this &“fast-paced, action-packed, and empowering&” (A. F. Steadman, New York Times bestselling author of Skandar and the Unicorn Thief) middle grade adventure about a British Nigerian girl who learns that her Afro hair has psychokinetic powers—perfect for fans of Amari and the Night Brothers, The Marvellers, and Rick Riordan!Onyeka has a lot of hair—the kind that makes strangers stop in the street and her peers whisper behind her back. At least she has Cheyenne, her best friend, who couldn&’t care less what other people think. Still, Onyeka has always felt insecure about her vibrant curls…until the day Cheyenne almost drowns and Onyeka&’s hair takes on a life of its own, inexplicably pulling Cheyenne from the water. At home, Onyeka&’s mother tells her the shocking truth: Onyeka&’s psychokinetic powers make her a Solari, one of a secret group of people with superpowers unique to Nigeria. Her mother quickly whisks her off to the Academy of the Sun, a school in Nigeria where Solari are trained. But Onyeka and her new friends at the academy soon have to put their powers to the test as they find themselves embroiled in a momentous battle between truth and lies…
Hidden Powers
by Jeannine AtkinsFrom the acclaimed author of Finding Wonders and Grasping Mysteries comes a gorgeously written biography in verse about the pioneering Jewish woman physicist whose scientific prowess changed the course of World War II. At the turn of the 20th century, Lise Meitner dreamed of becoming a scientist. In her time, girls were not supposed to want careers, much less ones in science. But Lise was smart—and determined. She earned a PhD in physics, then became the first woman physics professor at the University of Berlin. The work was thrilling, but Nazi Germany was a dangerous place for a Jewish woman. When the risks grew too great, Lise escaped to Sweden, where she continued the experiments that she and her laboratory partner had worked on for years. Her efforts led to the discovery of nuclear fission and altered the course of history. Only Lise&’s partner, a man, received the Nobel Prize for their findings, but this moving and accessible biography shows how Lise&’s legacy endures.
Postcards from Summer
by Cynthia PlattThe Notebook meets Love & Gelato in this heart-wrenching novel about a teen girl who travels to her late mother&’s majestic summertime home to learn of the romance—and the tragedy—that changed her life forever.Seventeen-year-old Lexi has always wanted to know more about the mother who passed away when she was only a child. But her dad will barely talk about her. He says he&’d rather live in the present with Lexi, her stepmom, and her half-brother. Lexi loves her family, too, but is it so wrong to want to learn about the mom she never got to know? When Lexi&’s grandma dies and secretly leaves her a worn blue chest that belonged to Lexi&’s mother, Lexi is ecstatic to find a treasure trove of keepsakes. Her mom held onto letters, pamphlets, flyers, and news articles all from the same beautiful summertime getaway: Mackinac Island—plus a cryptic postcard that hints at a forbidden romance. If Lexi wants answers, this island is where she needs to go. Without telling her dad, Lexi goes to the gorgeous Mackinac Island in Lake Huron, reachable only by ferry. Cars are forbidden and bikes are the number one mode of transportation along the quaint cobblestone streets, and the magical hotel that rests alongside cozy cafés and bookshops. While following her mother&’s footsteps, Lexi befriends an elderly former Broadway star and a charming young hotel worker while quickly falling in love with her surroundings. But though the island may be beautiful, it&’s hiding unfortunate secrets—some with her mother at the center. Could some questions be best left buried beneath the blue waters?
Double the Danger and Zero Zucchini
by Betsy UhrigA young boy attempts to transform his aunt&’s boring children&’s book into an exciting one in this funny, fast-paced adventure perfect for fans of the Book Scavenger series!Books aren&’t supposed to be dangerous. Are they? Alex Harmon prefers running over sitting still reading. But when his aunt offers to pay him to point out the boring parts in her children&’s book, he figures it&’s an easy way to make ten bucks. The problem is that her book is about a grumpy frog and a prize-winning zucchini. It doesn&’t have only a few boring pages…the whole thing is a lost cause. Alex gives his aunt some ideas to help her out—like adding danger and suspense. But books can&’t just be interesting. They also have to be believable. Soon Alex recruits his friends to help him act out scenes so he can describe all the important details. He&’s even getting plot twists from a mysterious stranger (who might also be a ghost). Too late, Alex discovers that being a real-life stunt double for a fictional character can land you in terrible trouble—even if your friends are laughing their heads off!
A Dark and Hollow Star
by Ashley Shuttleworth&“Beautifully written and deliciously complex…I couldn&’t get enough.&” —Nicki Pau Preto, author of the Crown of Feathers series The Cruel Prince meets City of Bones in this thrilling urban fantasy set in the magical underworld of Toronto that follows a queer cast of characters racing to stop a serial killer whose crimes could expose the hidden world of faeries to humans.Choose your player. The &“ironborn&” half-fae outcast of her royal fae family. A tempestuous Fury, exiled to earth from the Immortal Realm and hellbent on revenge. A dutiful fae prince, determined to earn his place on the throne. The prince&’s brooding guardian, burdened with a terrible secret. For centuries, the Eight Courts of Folk have lived among us, concealed by magic and bound by law to do no harm to humans. This arrangement has long kept peace in the Courts—until a series of gruesome and ritualistic murders rocks the city of Toronto and threatens to expose faeries to the human world. Four queer teens, each who hold a key piece of the truth behind these murders, must form a tenuous alliance in their effort to track down the mysterious killer behind these crimes. If they fail, they risk the destruction of the faerie and human worlds alike. If that&’s not bad enough, there&’s a war brewing between the Mortal and Immortal Realms, and one of these teens is destined to tip the scales. The only question is: which way? Wish them luck. They&’re going to need it.
Between You, Me, and the Honeybees
by Amelia Diane CoombsPerfect for fans of Jenn Bennett and Sarah Dessen, this swoon-worthy novel follows a teen girl during her California summer of beekeeping, secrets, and stolen kisses.Josie Hazeldine has just graduated from high school, and she&’s ready for a summer full of sunshine, beekeeping, and…lying to her mom. Josie&’s mom couldn&’t be more proud of her daughter going to college, something she never got to do. But Josie wants to stay in her California hometown and take over the family business, Hazeldine Honey. So that college acceptance her mom is thrilled about? Yeah, Josie turned it down. But she&’s going to come clean—just not yet. The neighbor&’s artsy, adorable grandson who&’s in town for the summer makes Josie&’s web of lies even more tangled. He&’s into Josie and the feeling is very mutual, but he&’s a Blumstein—the sworn enemy of the Hazeldines and their number one competition in the annual Honey Show at the end of July. As their secret fling goes on, Josie knows she&’s getting in way too deep to leave him behind when summer&’s over. Can Josie keep the boy she can&’t stop thinking about without the secrets she&’s juggling crashing down around her?
Roll with It
by Jamie SumnerIn the tradition of Wonder and Out of My Mind, this big-hearted middle grade debut tells the story of an irrepressible girl with cerebral palsy whose life takes an unexpected turn when she moves to a new town.
Ellie’s a girl who tells it like it is. That surprises some people, who see a kid in a wheelchair and think she’s going to be all sunshine and cuddles.
The thing is, Ellie has big dreams: She might be eating Stouffer’s for dinner, but one day she’s going to be a professional baker. If she’s not writing fan letters to her favorite celebrity chefs, she’s practicing recipes on her well-meaning, if overworked, mother. But when Ellie and her mom move so they can help take care of her ailing grandpa, Ellie has to start all over again in a new town at a new school.
Except she’s not just the new kid—she’s the new kid in the wheelchair who lives in the trailer park on the wrong side of town. It all feels like one challenge too many, until Ellie starts to make her first-ever friends. Now she just has to convince her mom that this town might just be the best thing that ever happened to them!
Don't Ask Me Where I'm From
by Jennifer De LeonFirst-generation American LatinX Liliana Cruz does what it takes to fit in at her new nearly all-white school. But when family secrets spill out and racism at school ramps up, she must decide what she believes in and take a stand.Liliana Cruz is a hitting a wall—or rather, walls.
There’s the wall her mom has put up ever since Liliana’s dad left—again. There's the wall that delineates Liliana’s diverse inner-city Boston neighborhood from Westburg, the wealthy—and white—suburban high school she’s just been accepted into. And there’s the wall Liliana creates within herself, because to survive at Westburg, she can’t just lighten up, she has to whiten up. So what if she changes her name? So what if she changes the way she talks? So what if she’s seeing her neighborhood in a different way? But then light is shed on some hard truths: It isn’t that her father doesn’t want to come home—he can’t…and her whole family is in jeopardy. And when racial tensions at school reach a fever pitch, the walls that divide feel insurmountable. But a wall isn’t always a barrier. It can be a foundation for something better. And Liliana must choose: Use this foundation as a platform to speak her truth, or risk crumbling under its weight.