Archives de catégorie : Children’s Books

FOUR LETTER WORD de Gretchen McNeil

In this pulse pounding thriller, Izzy and her family welcome an exchange student into their home. But after a series of mishaps and coincidences, and with a serial killer on the loose, Izzy begins to suspect the young man is not who he seems.

FOUR LETTER WORD
by Gretchen McNeil
Disney Hyperion, March 2024
(via Kaplan/DeFiore Rights)

For most of her life, Izzy has been looking forward to fulfilling her mother’s dream of studying abroad in Italy. Going into her senior year, Izzy is counting down the days until she can leave her humdrum life behind, until Alberto, a handsome and mysterious Italian exchange student shows up for his stay with her family. Now life in her hometown doesn’t seem so drab, as Izzy, and everyone else, is immediately charmed by Alberto and his irresistible accent.

But something about Alberto isn’t quite…right. As an avid true crime fan, Izzy has been following a serial killer case in San Francisco and the murderer, whose description bears a passing resemblance to the Italian exchange student living in her house, seems to have made his way north. As Izzy pays closer attention to Alberto—his actions, his temper—she finds more and more holes in his story that he has trouble explaining away.

When a local girl is murdered, Izzy thinks Alberto might not be who he seems. Worse, a series of “accidents” seem to target Izzy herself. In a race against the clock, Izzy must convince anyone that Alberto could be a notorious killer before another girl ends up dead.

Gretchen McNeil is the author of #NoEscape, I’m Not Your Manic Pixie Dream Girl, Possess, 3:59, Relic, and Ten which was adapted as the Lifetime original movie Ten: Murder Island in 2017, as well as Get Even and Get Dirty, adapted as the series Get Even which is streaming worldwide on BBC iPlayer and Netflix.

LIE UNTIL IT’S TRUE de Jessie Weaver

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder meets Knives Out in this haunting YA thriller. To redeem herself, true crime TikToker Amanda Pruitt spends the summer in Colorado investigating a murder that seems open and shut. But when two crimes—one past, one present—intertwine, Amanda becomes the main suspect.

LIE UNTIL IT’S TRUE
by Jessie Weaver
Disney Hyperion, May 2024
(via Kaplan/DeFiore Rights)

Amanda Pruitt needs redemption. She is the one, after all, who turned her sister in for murder and anonymously broadcasted her trial to millions on TikTok. And she was wrong. Her sister is innocent, making Amanda the villain—not the hero—all along.

So when her childhood best friend’s mom is arrested for murdering an eccentric billionaire and refuses to give a statement, Amanda decides to help solve the crime. This could be her second chance. If she can use her TikTok to get the public on her friend’s side, the police will have to reopen the investigation.

The plan? Stay the summer with her aunt who is the concierge at the Summit, a historic (read: haunted) hotel in the mountains that also happens to be the scene of the crime. Investigate the billionaire’s murder. Win back her estranged bestie Vincent.

Not the plan? See a ghost. Fall for Vincent. Black out and lose 15 minutes of her life. Wake up to find the dead body of a frenemy.

Amanda and Vincent must work together to find the killer, or Amanda risks going down for a murder she isn’t quite sure she didn’t commit. Set in a possibly haunted hotel and including TikTok interstitials, this is the perfect follow up to Live Your Best Lie.

Before writing about flawed, funny teens with big hearts, Jessie Weaver spent ten years teaching them English. She completed the Stanford University online novel writing program in 2019. Though she’s an East Coast girl at heart, she currently lives in Colorado with her husband and two daughters.

ALI CROSS: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL de James Patterson

Don’t miss a minute of this action-packed thrill ride—#1 New York Times bestseller ALI CROSS in fullcolor!

ALI CROSS: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL
by James Patterson
JIMMY Patterson, July 2024
(via Kaplan/DeFiore Rights)

Ali Cross has always dreamed of following in the footsteps of his father, famous detective Alex Cross, who never gives up on a case. Ali’s chance to prove himself arrives sooner than he might think when his best friend, Gabe, goes missing.

But the more Ali digs, the more he realizes maybe he didn’t know his friend as well as he thought. At the same time, his house is hit in a string of burglaries. With his father on trial for a crime he didn’t commit, Ali is on his own to piece together the clues. Will Ali be able to trust his instincts and find his friend—or is he in over his head?

This action-packed, page-turning, full-color graphic novel is a blockbuster addition to any shelf.

James Patterson is the world’s bestselling author. The creator of Max Einstein and Middle School, he founded JIMMY Patterson to publish books that young readers will love. He lives in Florida with his family.

MINERVA KEEN’S DETECTIVE CLUB de James Patterson et Keir Graff

James Patterson has just created the most spine-tingling, creepycrawling, giggle-producing kid’s detective club ever.That’s ever.

MINERVA KEEN’S DETECTIVE CLUB
Minerva Keen #1
by James Patterson and Keir Graff
‎ JIMMY Patterson, May 2023
(via Kaplan/DeFiore Rights)

Living in the luxurious Arcanum building—with its interior balconies perfect for playing tag, an elevator like an iron birdcage, and quirky neighbors behind every apartment door—has always been fun and games for twelve-year-old Minerva Keen…until her neighbors start getting poisoned. Anyone could be next, and everyone is a suspect, including Minerva herself.

To clear her name and help the police crack the case, Minerva starts her own detective club. So what if it has only two other members, one being Minerva’s accident-prone daredevil brother and the other being the biggest and quietest kid in school, who happens to be afraid of his own shadow? Minerva knows that with her brainpower, the club’s sleuthing skills, and case files full of suspects, they can unmask the poisoner…hopefully before it’s too late.

This page-turning new mystery series is packed with thrills, chills, laughs, and unforgettable characters and will leave kids eager to join the best club around.

Keir Graff is thrilled to collaborate with James Patterson on the Minerva Keen series. His funny and fantastical middle-grade adventure novels include The Tiny Mansion, The Phantom Tower (a Chicago Tribune Best Children’s Book), and The Matchstick Castle (an official Illinois Reads selection). He lives in Chicago.

MAX IN THE HOUSE OF SPIES d’Adam Gidwitz

MAX IN THE HOUSE OF SPIES by Adam Gidwitz is a fast-paced historical novel, with a dash of magic, about a young German Jewish boy named Max who is sent to England alone by his parents for his own safety as World War II is about to start, only for him to return to Germany as a British spy with two mythical creatures helping him along the way.

MAX IN THE HOUSE OF SPIES
by Adam Gidwitz
Dutton Books for Young Readers, February 2024
(via The Gernert Company)

Max Bretzfeld doesn’t want to move to London.

Leaving home is hard and Max is alone for the first time in his life. But not for long. Max is surprised to discover that he’s been joined by two unexpected traveling companions, one on each shoulder, a kobold and a dybbuk named Berg and Stein.

Germany is becoming more and more dangerous for Jewish families, but Max is determined to find a way back home, and back to his parents. He has a plan to return to Berlin. It merely involves accomplishing the impossible: becoming a British spy.

Thought-provoking historical fiction with a dash of magic, Max in the House of Spies is a World War II story as only acclaimed storyteller Adam Gidwitz can tell it—fast-paced, hilarious, and filled with heart.

Bestselling author Adam Gidwitz was a teacher for eight years. He told countless stories to his students, who then demanded he write his first book, A Tale Dark & Grimm. Adam has since written two companion novels, In a Glass Grimmly and The Grimm Conclusion. He is also the author of The Inquisitor’s Tale, which won the Newbery Honor, and The Unicorn Rescue Society series. Adam still tells creepy, funny fairy tales live to kids on his podcast Grimm, Grimmer, Grimmest—and at schools around the world. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife, daughter, and dog, Lucy Goosey.