Archives par étiquette : Penguin Books for Young Readers

LOST TIME de Tas Mukanik

Jurassic World meets How to Train Your Dragon in this gorgeously drawn, adventure-packed middle-grade graphic novel about a girl who gets trapped 65 million years in the past and must learn to survive with only her wits…and the pterosaur she befriends.

LOST TIME
by Tas Mukanik
Razorbill/ Penguin BYR, October 2023

Twelve-year-old Evie didn’t mean to get lost—especially in the Cretaceous period! Now she’s alone, without her parents or anyone else to turn to for help. That is until she rescues a baby pterosaur and raises it on her own. As the baby grows into a giraffe-sized flying reptile, which Evie names Ada, the two manage to to find a way to survive in the prehistoric wilderness.
But Evie will have to risk everything when she makes a discovery that may just be her only chance of returning home. Putting Ada’s flying skills to the ultimate test, the duo must embark on a journey halfway across the world—battling all nature throws at them, from fearsome dinosaurs to raging storms. Will Evie manage to overcome all the odds and find a way back to her family… or is she truly lost in time?

Tas Mukanik is a queer artist best known for her YA and adult self-published works, such as The Sanity Circus and Paint the Town Red. She has a keen interest in drawing fun characters with big expressions, as well as a fascination with birds, nature, and prehistoric life. Lost Time is her debut middle-grade graphic novel. Originally from Alberta, she now lives in Montreal, where she and her partner jointly run Windy & Wallflower, an online business. You can see more of her work at windywallflower.com.

THE NIGHT FOX d’Ashley Wilda

This luminous, haunting debut, alternating between now and then, reality and magic, tells the story of a girl confronting heartbreak while at a mysterious recovery program in the wilderness.

THE NIGHT FOX
by Ashley Wilda
Rocky Pond Books/Penguin BYR, October 2023

When seventeen-year-old Eli arrives at Raeth, a remote mountain retreat for teens with mental health issues, her mind is made up—she is not interested in participating, and she doesn’t need to “heal.” Still reeling from a breakup that left both her heart and faith shattered, she is determined to fake being “fine” so that the program’s warden will clear her to return home.
But the retreat itself has other ideas. The valley’s magical surroundings transform each time she ventures out, playing with her mind and dredging up her grief-laden memories. Despite the warning signs, Eli explores more of the area than she had ever planned, even venturing into the dangerous night realm.
This spellbinding novel mixes prose and poetry into an exquisite and evocative portrait of love, grief, depression, and the slow path toward healing.

Ashley Wilda has an MFA in Creative Writing for Children and Young Adults from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. In addition to writing, she loves painting, making ceramics, playing music, rock climbing, and hiking with her husband, Ethan, and rescue pup, Phoenix.

FORTY WORDS FOR LOVE d’Aisha Saeed

In this luminous young adult novel by New York Times bestselling author Aisha Saeed, two teen protagonists grow from friends to something more in the aftermath of a tragedy in their magical town.

FORTY WORDS FOR LOVE
by Aisha Saeed
Kokila/Penguin BYR, August 2023

Moonlight Bay is a magical place—or it was once. After a tragic death mars the town, the pink and lavender waters in the bay turn gray, and the forest that was a refuge for newcomers becomes a scourge to the townspeople. Almost overnight, the entire town seems devoid of life and energy. The tourists have stopped coming. And the people in the town are struggling.
This includes the two teens at the heart of our story: Yasmine and Rafay. Yasmine is a child of the town, and her parents are trying and failing to make ends meet. Rafay is an immigrant, a child of Willow Forest. The forest of Moonlight Bay was where people from Rafay’s community relocated when their home was destroyed. Except Moonlight Bay is no longer a welcoming refuge, and tensions between the townspeople and his people are growing
Yasmine and Rafay have been friends since Rafay first arrived, nearly ten years ago. As they’ve gotten older, their friendship has blossomed. Not that they would ever act on these feelings. The forest elders have long warned that falling in love with « outsiders » will lead to devastating consequences for anyone from Willow Forest. But is this actually true? Can Yasmine and Rafay find a way to be together despite it all?

Aisha Saeed (aishasaeed.com) is the author of the New York Times bestseller Amal Unbound, Written in the Stars, Yes No Maybe So (with Becky Albertalli), and Diana and the Island of No Return, and is a Pakistani American writer, teacher, and attorney. She has been featured on MTV, the Huffington Post, NBC and the BBC. As one of the founding members of the We Need Diverse Books Campaign, she is helping change the conversation about representation in literature. Aisha lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband and sons.

PAWS #2: MINDY MAKES SOME SPACE de Nathan Fairbairn & Michele Assarasakorn

Are you a fan of Raina Telgemeier or Shannon Hale? Then you won’t want to miss the second book in this graphic novel series that’s the Baby-Sitters Club for pets! Your favorite dog-walkers are back with even more cute animals—and even more friendship and family drama—in this funny and heartwarming story perfect for fans of Real Friends, Roller Girl, and Allergic!

PAWS #2: MINDY MAKES SOME SPACE
by Nathan Fairbairn
illustrated by Michele Assarasakorn
Razorbill/ Penguin Young Readers, November 2022

Best friends Mindy Park, Gabby Jordan, and Priya Gupta are back in business! After a few ups and downs, their dog-walking business is booming and the girls are closer than ever. It’s a dream come true!
But for Mindy, things at home are beginning to feel like a bit of a nightmare. Her mom just started dating someone, which has Mindy feeling like the odd one out. For as long as she can remember, it’s been just the two of them and she doesn’t want that to change. (So what if her mom’s boyfriend has a cute pet cat, and all of Mindy’s friends seem to think he’s pretty cool?)
And things only get worse when a new student named Hazel arrives in class and seems totally into joining PAWS. Sharing her mom feels bad enough, so there’s no way Mindy’s is going to share her best friends and her business, too! But when Mindy’s stubbornness starts to hurt everyone around her, will she be able to overcome her fears and learn that change doesn’t have to be a cat-tastrophe?

“Reminiscent of Ann M. Martin’s The Baby-Sitters Club, this series starter will be a surefire hit with Raina Telgemeier fans and any reader seeking a solid friendship story. Laugh-out-loud funny and full of heart.” —School Library Journal, starred review ★

“The story is refreshingly inclusive in its depiction of its distinctive characters and their families, offering a reflection of the world that many readers will find familiar. With expressive faces and body language, the artwork poignantly emphasizes the ups and downs of the girls’ experiences. This truly heartwarming story about friendship (and lots and lots of dogs) is a great choice for fans of Raina Telgemeier and Shannon Hale.” —Booklist

« What’s a bigger, tougher balance of fun and responsibility than animals? Friends, maybe. And I was really rooting for the three girls from PAWS as they struggled to navigate both. I liked this book a lot! » —Dana Simpson, New York Times bestselling creator of the Phoebe and Her Unicorn series

Nathan Fairbairn is a New York Times bestselling and Eisner-nominated creator who has worked as a colorist for such iconic characters as Spider-Man, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Scott Pilgrim. He’s also co-creator, writer, and colorist of the graphic novel Lake of Fire. He started writing PAWS, his middle-grade debut, as a way to share his passion for comics and storytelling with his daughter. Nathan lives with his family in Vancouver.
Michele Assarasakorn (also known as MSASSYK) is colorist who worked on comic series such as Eisner-nominated Isola, Gotham Academy, and the Magnificent Ms. Marvel. Originally from Bangkok, Thailand, Michele now calls Vancouver home but also likes to travel the world working remotely as an artist.

FLORA’S WISH de Fiona Halliday

A picture book about friendship and loss, in which a shy little mouse learns about bravery after her dandelion friend fades and departs, leaving behind only wishes.

FLORA’S WISH
by Fiona Halliday
Dial/ Penguin Young Readers, August 2023

Flora the field mouse was a boldly whiskered liontamer! Although it wasn’t very hard to be bold and brave with her best friend Lion (a dandelion) by her side. But as the seasons change, Lion’s whiskers go from a bright yellow to shimmering silver, until one day, he scatters in the wind completely. Can Flora still be brave without Lion by her side?

Fiona Halliday loves all things finned, furred, feathered and fantastical. She studied English Literature at Edinburgh University and received a MA in Photojournalism from the University of Westminster, London. She has been a freelance journalist and photographer, an ESL teacher, and an organist. Originally from Scotland, she now lives in Austria.