Category: Karen Rivers

Amazing new YA books!

10/11/2018

ANYTHING BUT OKAY
by Sarah Darer Littman
Scholastic Press, 10/9/18

Stella and Farida have been best friends forever, but lately things have been tense. It all started when Stella's brother came home from his latest tour with the US Marines in Afghanistan paranoid and angry. But Stella won't talk about it, and Farida can tell she's keeping something from her. Desperate to help Rob, Stella thinks she just needs to get him out of the house. She definitely didn't expect going to the movies to end with Rob in handcuffs for assaulting one of her classmates after his anger spiraled out of control. When a video of the fight goes viral, everyone has an opinion of Stella and her "violent vet" brother. The entire school takes sides, the media labels Rob a terrorist sympathizer, and even Farida is dragged into the mess despite not being there. As the story continues trending, Stella will have to decide just how far she's willing to go for the truth, even if it means admitting her own failures.

HOME AND AWAY
by Candice Montgomery
Page Street, 10/16/18

Tasia Quirk is young, Black, and fabulous. She's a senior, she's got great friends, and a supportive and wealthy family. She even plays football as the only girl on her private high school's team. But when she catches her mamma trying to stuff a mysterious box in the closet, her identity is suddenly called into question. Now Tasia’s determined to unravel the lies that have overtaken her life. Along the way, she discovers what family and forgiveness really mean, and that her answers don’t come without a fee. An artsy bisexual boy from the Valley could help her find them—but only if she stops fighting who she is, beyond the color of her skin.

YOU ARE THE EVERYTHING
by Karen Rivers
Algonquin YR, 10/30/18

Can you want something—or someone—so badly that it changes your destiny? Elyse Schmidt never would have thought so, until it happened to her. When Elyse and her not-so-secret crush, Josh Harris, are the sole survivors of a plane crash, tragedy binds them together. It’s as if their love story is meant to be. Everything is perfect, as perfect as it can be when you’ve literally fallen out of the sky and landed hard on the side of a mountain—until suddenly it isn’t. When the pieces of Elyse’s life stop fitting together, what’s left? You Are the Everything is a story about the fates we yearn for, the fates we choose, and the fates that are chosen for us.

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Shaking off the Winter Blues... with New Books!

3/6/2018

BACKYARD FAIRIES
by Phoebe Wahl
Knopf/PRH, 3/6

Fairies are real, and they're all around us! Award-winning author-illustrator Phoebe Wahl offers a fanciful and beautifully illustrated peek into the hidden world of fairies, sprites, and other magical creatures. A girl searches for fairies in her backyard and the woods beyond, following little clues and traces of magic. Fairies and other magical creatures can be found on every page, hidden among the flowers, trees and pebbles. But although readers can see them, the girl keeps searching, just one step behind... In the end, it is clear (both to the girl and readers) that there is magic all around, even when it's hidden in plain sight.

A POSSIBILITY OF WHALES
by Karen Rivers
Algonquin Young Readers, 3/13

A ROUND OF ROBINS
by Katie Hesterman,
illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier
Nancy Paulsen Books/PRH, 3/27

Sixteen fresh and funny poems welcome a new batch of robins to the world! Mama's a skillful architect, constructing a sturdy nest, while Dad's a champion turf defender. And those hatchlings! Such fluffs of plump perfection! Katie Hesterman's vibrant verse celebrates this awesome circle of bird life, as we follow a pair of robin parents from nest-building and egg-laying, to raising their hungry hatchlings, and finally sending off their flying fledglings. Sergio Ruzzier's brilliant, candy-colored art pays tribute to all these stages of a robin's life cycle, reminding us that while robins may be common, they are also extraordinary!

GwC #3: LIGHTS, MUSIC, CODE!
by Jo Whittemore
Penguin Workshop/PRH, 3/13

Twelve-year-old Natalia Rose Baleine Gallagher loves possibilities: the possibility that she'll see whales on the beach near her new home, that the boy she just met will be her new best friend, that the photographers chasing her actor father won't force Nat and her dad to move again. Most of all, Nat dreams of the possibility that her faraway mother misses and loves Nat--and is waiting for Nat to find her. The thing is, Nat doesn't even know who her mother is. She left Nat as a baby, and Nat's dad refuses to talk about it. Nat knows she shouldn't need a mom, but she still feels like something is missing. In this heartfelt story about family, friendship, and growing up, Nat's questions lead her on a journey of self-discovery that will change her life forever.

Perfect for fans of The Babysitters Club and anyone interested in computer science, this series is published in partnership with the organization Girls Who Code! Maya and her friends from coding club have an exciting new project: they're coding lights and music for the winter dance! But when Maya's old troublemaking friend Maddie moves to town, Maya starts spending a lot of time with her, and less time with her coding friends. Maddie just gets her in a way that her other friends don't. Will Maya get swayed by Maddie's wayward ways, or will she stay true to her "permanent group" from coding club? And will she come through on her part for the light and music coding project? Maybe coding--like friendship--is about being there for your friends when they need you the most.

New YA from Karen Rivers

1/15/2018

Review Quotes:
"Keeps readers on the edge of their seats." --VOYA, starred review
"[A] gripping novel." --Publishers Weekly
"Emotionally dark and keenly observant." --Kirkus Reviews
"The descriptive prose is lovely and insightful... a portrait of a dangerously close friendship." --Booklist

ALL THAT WAS
by Karen Rivers
FSG, 1/16/18

Two best friends. The boy who loves them both. What happens when there is only one girl left?

Piper and Sloane are best friends. They grew up together, dress alike, and never do anything without each other. To Sloane, Piper has always been extraordinary: fierce and pretty and powerful. The only thing that makes Sloane special is that Piper chose her for a sisterhood that was supposed to last forever. That is, until Piper caught Sloane kissing Piper's boyfriend, Soup--and the next day, Piper is found dead, washed ashore on a beach.

As Sloane and Soup relive their deep, sometimes painful histories with Piper and face a future without her, they are racked by questions: Who is to blame for Piper's death? How do you make amends for hurting someone you love if that person is no longer around? And how can you ever move on and love again? Told from alternating perspectives in Karen Rivers's signature lyrical prose, All That Was is a story about the complexity of friendships, forgiveness, and growing up.

March New Releases - SO. MUCH. GOODNESS!

3/6/2017

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OVER AND UNDER THE POND
by Kate Messner
illus. Christopher Silas Neal
Chronicle Books, 3/7/17

In this gorgeous companion to the acclaimed Over and Under the Snow and Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt, Kate Messner and Christopher Silas Neal bring to life a secret underwater world. In this book, readers will discover the plants and animals that make up the rich, interconnected ecosystem of a mountain pond. Over the pond, the water is a mirror, reflecting the sky. But under the pond is a hidden world of minnows darting, beavers diving, tadpoles growing. These and many other secrets are waiting to be discovered...over and under the pond.

IVY by Katherine Coville
RH/Knopf, 3/7/17

Ivy's grandmother is a healer--to mostly four-legged patients of the forest. Although the woodland creatures love her, the residents of Broomsweep grumble about Grandmother's unkempt garden. When a kingdom-wide contest is announced to proclaim the tidiest town in the land, the people of Broomsweep are determined to win. That is, if they can get Ivy's grandmother to clean up her ways. Ivy is determined to lend a hand, but the task proves more challenging when a series of unexpected refugees descends on Grandmother's cottage. Before the week is over, an injured griffin, a dragon with a cold, and a tiny flock of temperamental pixies will cause a most untidy uproar in Broomsweep . . . and brighten Ivy's days in ways she never could have dreamed.

TALES FOR THE PERFECT CHILD
by Florence Parry Heide
Illus. Sergio Ruzzier
S+S/Atheneum, 3/7/17

Sergio Ruzzier brings his mischievous touch to a timeless favorite by Florence Parry Heide, beloved author of The Shrinking of Treehorn. This delightful new edition includes one never-before-published story. Ruby is reliable (kinda). Arthur is careful (sorta). Harry eats his carrots (though it depends on what you mean by "eat"). And just like all perfect children, Gloria helps her mother (well, that might be an exaggeration). As the eight deliciously wicked tales featured in this hilarious chapter book prove, it's perfectly nice to be a perfect child--but where's the fun in that?

LOVE, ISH by Karen Rivers
Algonquin Young Readers, 3/14/17

"My name is Mischa “Ish” Love, and I am twelve years old. I know quite a lot about Mars. Mars is where I belong. Do you know how sometimes you just know a thing? My mom says that falling in love is like that, that the first time she saw Dad, she just knew. That’s how I feel about Mars: I just know. I’m smart and interesting and focused, and I’m working on getting along better with people. I’ll learn some jokes. A sense of humor is going to be important. It always is. That’s what my dad always says. Maybe jokes will be the things that will help us all to survive. Not just me, because there’s no “me” in “team,” right? This is about all of us. Together. What makes me a survivor? Mars is going to make me a survivor. You’ll see...."

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Amazing new YA books!

ANYTHING BUT OKAY
by Sarah Darer Littman
Scholastic Press, 10/9/18

HOME AND AWAY
by Candice Montgomery
Page Street, 10/16/18

YOU ARE THE EVERYTHING
by Karen Rivers
Algonquin YR, 10/30/18

Shaking off the Winter Blues... with New Books!

BACKYARD FAIRIES
by Phoebe Wahl
Knopf/PRH, 3/6

A POSSIBILITY OF WHALES
by Karen Rivers
Algonquin Young Readers, 3/13

A ROUND OF ROBINS
by Katie Hesterman,
illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier
Nancy Paulsen Books/PRH, 3/27

GwC #3: LIGHTS, MUSIC, CODE!
by Jo Whittemore
Penguin Workshop/PRH, 3/13

New YA from Karen Rivers

ALL THAT WAS
by Karen Rivers
FSG, 1/16/18

March New Releases - SO. MUCH. GOODNESS!

OVER AND UNDER THE POND
by Kate Messner
illus. Christopher Silas Neal
Chronicle Books, 3/7/17

IVY by Katherine Coville
RH/Knopf, 3/7/17

TALES FOR THE PERFECT CHILD
by Florence Parry Heide
Illus. Sergio Ruzzier
S+S/Atheneum, 3/7/17

LOVE, ISH by Karen Rivers
Algonquin Young Readers, 3/14/17

Jenn is an...

Oh the Places I'll Be

Categories

Archives

Amazing new YA books!

ANYTHING BUT OKAYby Sarah Darer LittmanScholastic Press, 10/9/18

HOME AND AWAYby Candice MontgomeryPage Street, 10/16/18

YOU ARE THE EVERYTHING by Karen RiversAlgonquin YR, 10/30/18

Shaking off the Winter Blues... with New Books!

BACKYARD FAIRIES by Phoebe WahlKnopf/PRH, 3/6

A POSSIBILITY OF WHALESby Karen RiversAlgonquin Young Readers, 3/13

A ROUND OF ROBINSby Katie Hesterman, illustrated by Sergio RuzzierNancy Paulsen Books/PRH, 3/27

GwC #3: LIGHTS, MUSIC, CODE! by Jo WhittemorePenguin Workshop/PRH, 3/13

New YA from Karen Rivers

ALL THAT WAS by Karen Rivers​FSG, 1/16/18

March New Releases - SO. MUCH. GOODNESS!

OVER AND UNDER THE PONDby Kate Messnerillus. Christopher Silas NealChronicle Books, 3/7/17

IVY by Katherine CovilleRH/Knopf, 3/7/17

TALES FOR THE PERFECT CHILDby Florence Parry HeideIllus. Sergio RuzzierS+S/Atheneum, 3/7/17

LOVE, ISH by Karen RiversAlgonquin Young Readers, 3/14/17

Jenn is an...

Oh the Places I'll Be

Categories

Archives

ANYTHING BUT OKAY
by Sarah Darer Littman
Scholastic Press, 10/9/18

HOME AND AWAY
by Candice Montgomery
Page Street, 10/16/18

YOU ARE THE EVERYTHING
by Karen Rivers
Algonquin YR, 10/30/18

BACKYARD FAIRIES
by Phoebe Wahl
Knopf/PRH, 3/6

A POSSIBILITY OF WHALES
by Karen Rivers
Algonquin Young Readers, 3/13

A ROUND OF ROBINS
by Katie Hesterman,
illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier
Nancy Paulsen Books/PRH, 3/27

GwC #3: LIGHTS, MUSIC, CODE!
by Jo Whittemore
Penguin Workshop/PRH, 3/13

ALL THAT WAS
by Karen Rivers
FSG, 1/16/18

OVER AND UNDER THE POND
by Kate Messner
illus. Christopher Silas Neal
Chronicle Books, 3/7/17

IVY by Katherine Coville
RH/Knopf, 3/7/17

TALES FOR THE PERFECT CHILD
by Florence Parry Heide
Illus. Sergio Ruzzier
S+S/Atheneum, 3/7/17

LOVE, ISH by Karen Rivers
Algonquin Young Readers, 3/14/17