Children’s / Teenage fiction: Family and home stories

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Book SynopsisTo save a country, a girl and her grandfather must learn what it means to be a hero The greatest hero in the history of Varina was baptized in a cave. Every schoolchild knows the story. His parents were on their way to the city when a storm drove them to take shelter in the mountainside, along with a priest, a bandit, and a scholar. When the storm did not abate, they asked the priest to give their child a name, and he christened the boy Restaur Vax. The boy would grow to be a warrior, a scholar, and a man of god, and his name would lead an oppressed people to independence for the first time. Alas, that liberty would not survive. Generations later, Vax’s oldest living descendant is in London, teaching the language of Varina to his inquisitive young granddaughter. When his homeland is torn apart once more by war, calls come for this man to take up the mantle of the Vax name—and become a hero for a new age. Trade Review“Dickinson’s spine-tingling, heart-stopping new work provides a glimpse of the elusive, unsettling and highly personal truths that often lurk behind terse political headlines.” —Publishers Weekly “Beautifully told.” —TES “Riveting.” —The Guardian

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Book Synopsis#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ? A ?stunning? (America Ferrera) YA novel about a teenager coming to terms with losing her sister and finding herself amid the pressures, expectations, and stereotypes of growing up in a Mexican American home. ?Alive and crackling?a gritty tale wrapped in a page-turner. ??The New York Times Perfect Mexican daughters do not go away to college. And they do not move out of their parents? house after high school graduation. Perfect Mexican daughters never abandon their family. But Julia is not your perfect Mexican daughter. That was Olga?s role. Then a tragic accident on the busiest street in Chicago leaves Olga dead and Julia left behind to reassemble the shattered pieces of her family. And no one seems to acknowledge that Julia is broken, too. Instead, her mother seems to channel her grief into pointing out every possible way Julia has failed. But it?s not long before Julia discovers that Olga might not have been as perfect as everyone thought. With the help of her best friend Lorena, and her first love, first everything boyfriend Connor, Julia is determined to find out. Was Olga really what she seemed? Or was there more to her sister?s story? And either way, how can Julia even attempt to live up to a seemingly impossible ideal?

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Book SynopsisA summer by the seashore turns into a fantastical adventure for Tess & Max in this magical tale filled with excitement, acrobatics, hypnosis, and wonder.Tess and Max are back in England for another summer with their Aunt Evie--this time by the seashore in South Devon. And they're incredibly excited about the travelling carnival that's come to town. There are rides, games, acrobats, The House of Mirrors--and even a psychic, with a beautiful wagon all her own.In a visit to the psychic's wagon, while Tess is being hypnotized, the wagon seems to move. Before Tess can shake herself out of the hypnosis, before Max can do anything, they seem to be travelling--along with the rest of the carnival--too quickly for the two of them to jump out. But where are they going and what awaits them? Will they be caught in a world different from their own? And do the Baranova twins, acrobats who miss their sister almost as much as Tess and Max miss their family, hold the keys to the mystery? Internationally bestselling author Amy Ephron returns with a companion novel to The Castle in the Mist and creates a magical tale filled with adventure, mystery, fantasy, family, and fun.Praise for Carnival Magic:Full of wonder and real-life enchantment, Amy Ephron's Carnival Magic is a charming adventure that will make a believer out of anyone! —Rachel Vail, author of Well, That Was Awkward and the Friendship Ring seriesTess is a thoroughly modern heroine: She's athletic, impulsive, and fearless . . . The siblings are authentic children [and] the fantastic elements are the stuff of daydreams. Perfect for classroom read-alouds. —Kirkus ReviewsThe short chapters filled with mystery and action will have readers eagerly continuing to discover the secrets that await them. . . . Fans of the first book will be eager for this fun middle-grade fantasy with a classic sensibility. —BooklistThe setting is contemporary—yet the language and tone feel distinctly nostalgic. This novel, which works as a stand alone, will captivate readers who enjoy their whimsy with a dash of risk. —School Library Journal[Carnival Magic is] a softer otherworldly take on childhood mystery, reminiscent of classics like A Secret Garden . . . [it] is in itself an escape. Tess especially follows in that lineage of strong, intelligent female characters – a sort of Lucy Pevensie/Hermione Granger hybrid who is a leader, who believes in magic. —Teen VogueAmy Ephron has always been a magical storyteller. . . . In Carnival Magic, the companion book to Ephron’s successful The Castle in the Mist . . . Tess and Max are teaching children and their parents about the power of thoughtful decision-making, loyalty, and self-confidence. Life lessons and carnival rides . . . the perfect beach read for all ages. —Parade“Ephron renders this magical world with such assertive beauty that readers of all ages, who are fortunate enough to believe in the power of magic, will enjoy immersing themselves in the roller-coaster fun of these stories, and come to trust, even if for a short time, that in this ‘alternate universe’ it is possible for us to come together and ‘touch the sky.’” —Jewish Journal

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Book SynopsisA Reese''s Book Club YA Pick and New York Times BestsellerFrom the critically acclaimed author of Luck of the Titanic, Under a Painted Sky, and Outrun the Moon comes a powerful novel about identity, betrayal, and the meaning of family.By day, seventeen-year-old Jo Kuan works as a lady''s maid for the cruel daughter of one of the wealthiest men in Atlanta. But by night, Jo moonlights as the pseudonymous author of a newspaper advice column for the genteel Southern lady, "Dear Miss Sweetie." When her column becomes wildly popular, she uses the power of the pen to address some of society''s ills, but she''s not prepared for the backlash that follows when her column challenges fixed ideas about race and gender. While her opponents clamor to uncover the secret identity of Miss Sweetie, a mysterious letter sets Jo off on a search for her own past and the parents who abandoned her as a baby. But when her efforts put her in the crosshairs of Atlanta''s most notorious criminal, Jo must decide whether she, a girl used to living in the shadows, is ready to step into the light. With prose that is witty, insightful, and at times heartbreaking, Stacey Lee masterfully crafts an extraordinary social drama set in the New South."This vividly rendered historic novel will keep readers riveted as witty, observant Jo deals with the dangers of questioning power." --The Washington Post"Holds a mirror to our present issues while giving us a detailed and vibrant picture of life in the past." --The New York Times"A joyful read . . . The Downstairs Girl, for all its serious and timely content, is a jolly good time." --NPR

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Book SynopsisShow Dad how much you care with this little message of love from The Very Hungry Caterpillar!Celebrate Dad''s special day by saying "I Love You"--with a little help from The Very Hungry Caterpillar. This bright and colorful book is the ideal way to tell the person you call "Dad" how much you appreciate him. It''s the perfect gift for Father''s Day, Dad''s birthday, or any day that you want to show Dad just how much you care.

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