Archives de catégorie : Middle Grade

TISH de Edwina Wyatt, illustré par Odette Barberousse

A lovable imaginary friend is looking for his place in the world, and finds it through his companionship with three different children who need him. TISH is a story of friendship, goodbyes and longing, and a tale of having the confidence to believe.

TISH
by Edwina Wyatt
illustrated by Odette Barberousse
Berbay Books Australia, May 2021
Ages: 7-9

“Where did you come from?” The beast wanted to explain that Nowhere was a place halfway between Curiosity and Courage. But he couldn’t. For that, he would need a map; the heart is a vast place where one can easily get lost.
This is the exquisite tale of an imaginary friend, desperate to be loved and the children whose beliefs make him real – at least for now. CBCA Honour Award-winning author Edwina Wyatt has created a heart-warming story of friendship, longing and courage. Once you know Tish, you won’t ever forget him.

Edwina Wyatt is an Australian children’s author. She grew up in Sydney and worked as a lawyer and a high school teacher before becoming a writer of books for young readers. Her debut junior fiction novel The Secrets of Magnolia Moon (Walker Books) was awarded the CBCA Honour Book of the Year for Younger Readers, and shortlisted for the Readings’ Children’s Book Prize. She has received three CBCA Notables for her picture books. Edwina lives in the Victorian High Country with her husband, two children, and too many animals.
Odette Barberousse est une autrice/illustratrice jeunesse française. D’aussi loin qu’elle s’en souvienne, elle a toujours adoré dessiner mais il lui aura fallu vingt ans et quelques détours pour réaliser que c’est tout ce qu’elle voulait faire de sa vie… C’est en devenant maman qu’elle s’est découvert une passion pour la littérature jeunesse. Son premier album, Elénor, paru chez MonsieurEd en 2020, a été entièrement réalisé à la main, aux crayons de couleur et crayons de plomb. Odette Barberousse vit en Bretagne.

ARCHIBALD FINCH AND THE LOST WITCHES de Michel Guyon et Zina Kostich

“Harry Potter meets Da Vinci Code”… that’s how reviewers and critics have described this middle-grade magical tale, the first book in a spellbinding series.

ARCHIBALD FINCH AND THE LOST WITCHES (Book 1)
by Michel Guyon
illustrated by Zina Kostich
Andrews McMeel, September 2021

From myths and legends 500 years old, comes a fantastic adventure, even though Archibald was not looking for one… Exploring his grandma’s creepy manor, he just stumbled upon an ancient terrestrial globe, which turns out to be much more than an old relic. When he unlocks the storm trapped inside, Archibald gets whisked into the unknown, a mysterious land where a battle born in the Middle Ages is still unfolding. In the world of Lemurea, mostly forest, home to small wonders and great scares, it’s light versus darkness, magic versus fire… witches versus dragons. But not any kind of witches, an army of young girls, lost in time. And not your usual dragons, but the most intriguing creatures, half human, half beast. Through this unforgettable journey, Archibald will learn the true meaning of courage, friendship and tolerance. Meanwhile, left behind, his sister Hailee sets out on a quest across London to find out what happened to him, uncovering a dark secret and going through her own coming of age odyssey. Two stories, two plot threads, running parallel but tightly intertwined. Two worlds, on a perilous collision course…

Michel Guyon was born in France, in a small medieval town perched on a rock, surrounded by high walls, with the remains of an ancient fortress at its heart. That’s where the author had his first brush with ancient myths, puzzling legends, and dark tales of the Middle Ages. While his childhood fed his fertile imagination, his travels as an investigative journalist for newspapers and magazines, from Bosnia to Afghanistan, were crucial in shaping his view of the world. He also published several books for children and young adults—not to mention his communication work for the European Space Agency, where he was tasked to make space exploration less opaque to the public. A fervent advocate of learning via entertainment, he always strives to shed light on important subject matters—in this case, Women’s rights, wars, and the future of our planet. That logic was key to the making of Archibald Finch, a magic potion mixing science with science fiction, fantasy with actual events, and fictional heroes with historic characters. Giving life to the most fantastic beasts and the most captivating story was indeed an opportunity to dig deep into the roots of witch-hunting, and explore one of the darkest episodes of Human History—of course with the right dose of humor. Today, Michel spends his life between Los Angeles and New York, where he also works as a photographer, mainly for the Movie industry.

THE SECRET GARDEN: A Graphic Novel de Mariah Marsden et Hanna Luechtefeld

Green-growing secrets and powerful magic await you at Misselthwaite Manor, now reimagined in this bewitching graphic novel adaptation of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s beloved tale. From Mariah Marsden, author of the critically acclaimed Anne of Green Gables: A Graphic Novel, comes the second installment in this series of retold children’s classics.

THE SECRET GARDEN: A Graphic Novel
adapted by Mariah Marsden
illustrated by Hanna Luechtefeld
Andrews McMeel, June 2021

Ten-year-old Mary Lennox arrives at a secluded estate on the Yorkshire moors with a scowl and a chip on her shoulder. First, there’s Martha Sowerby: the too-cheery maid with bothersome questions who seems out of place in the dreary manor. Then there’s the elusive Uncle Craven, Mary’s only remaining family—whom she’s not permitted to see. And finally, there are the mysteries that seem to haunt the run-down place: rumors of a lost garden with a tragic past, and a midnight wail that echoes across the moors at night. As Mary begins to explore this new world alongside her ragtag companions—a cocky robin redbreast, a sour-faced gardener, and a boy who can talk to animals—she learns that even the loneliest of hearts can grow roots in rocky soil. Given new life as a graphic novel in illustrator Hanna Luechtefeld’s whimsical style, THE SECRET GARDEN is more enchanting and relevant than ever before. At the back of the book, readers can learn about the life of Frances Hodgson Burnett and the history of British colonialism that contextualizes the original novel.

Mariah Marsden grew up hunting for faeries amidst the old hills of the Missouri Ozarks. A former children’s librarian and co-author of Anne of Green Gables: A Graphic Novel, she earned her MFA in Creative Writing & Media Arts from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and is now a PhD candidate in English at The Ohio State University. She writes about the dreams and difficulties of girlhood, the folklore of her region, and the complexities of rural life. She’s still on the lookout for faeries.

Hanna Luechtefeld spent the early part of their childhood in New Hampshire, the later part in Missouri, and all of it in the woods. Long afternoons filled with outdoor adventure gave them a flair for the creative and a love of storytelling. They graduated from the University of Central Missouri in 2019 with degrees in graphic design and illustration and a passion for zines and DIY comics. Today, Hanna lives in Kansas City, where they help run a local art gallery and music venue. When not preparing for a zine fest, you can find them outside: mountain biking, roller blading, or hiking. Someday, they hope to have a backyard “secret garden” of their own.

THE LEOPARD BEHIND THE MOON de Mayonn Paasewe-Valchev

No one knows what lies beyond the village door, but Ezomo is determined to find out. From debut author Mayonn Paasewe-Valchev, this is a remarkable coming-of-age story about friendship, family, and the power of storytelling for fans of Erin Entrada Kelly, Tae Keller, and Tracey Baptiste..

THE LEOPARD BEHIND THE MOON
by Mayonn Paasewe-Valchev
HarperCollins, September 2021 – MG

There are three important laws in Ezomo’s village: Don’t go to The Valley, don’t go out at night, and never, ever, ever open the door that protects them all. But when Ezomo encounters the leopard believed to have killed his father, he and his two friends embark on a journey that leads them past the boundaries set by their elders. Ezomo’s mother immediately falls deathly ill, and Ezomo doesn’t believe that it’s a coincidence. Eventhough he wasn’t able to save his father, Ezomo hopes he can save her. He receives a hint that the cure can be found behind the village door, in the Valley. With his friends by his side, Ezomo discovers the true history of his village, and that cautionary tales exist for a reason.
This voice-driven debut balances a gripping adventure with themes of friendship, identity, and grief. Layered throughout with rich details, this will be an extraordinary addition to the bookshelves of readers who love Grace Lin and Kelly Barnhill.

Mayonn Paasewe-Valchev is a writer and a reader. Born in Liberia, she was exposed to a culture of oral storytelling at a young age. She lived in the Netherlands for several years where she learned to stuff her klompen (wooden shoes) with carrots and developed a love for reading stories—especially tales written by Roald Dahl and Astrid Lindgren. She lives in Georgia with her family.

Meet debut author Maryonn Paasewe Valchev in this video

THE ANTI-BOOK de Raphael Simon

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Secret Series comes a darkly funny middle-grade novel about a boy who wants the world to disappear. This fantastical quest for comfort and belonging is perfect for fans of classics like The Phantom Tollbooth and Coraline.

THE ANTI-BOOK
by Raphael Simon
Dial Books, April 2021

Mickey is angry all the time: at his divorced parents, at his sister, and at his two new stepmoms, both named Charlie. And so he can’t resist the ad inside his pack of gum: « Do you ever wish everyone would go away? Buy The Anti-Book! Satisfaction guaranteed. » He orders the book, but when it arrives, it’s blank—except for one line of instruction: To erase it, write it. He fills the pages with all the things and people he dislikes . . . Next thing he knows, he’s wandering an anti-world, one in which everything and everyone familiar is gone. Or are they? His sister soon reappears—but she’s only four inches tall. A tiny talking house with wings looks strangely familiar, as does the mysterious half-invisible boy who seems to think that he and Mickey are best buds. The boy persuades Mickey to go find the Bubble Gum King—the king, who resides at the top of a mountain, is the only one who might be able help Mickey fix the mess he’s made.
Full of humor and surprise, and slyly meaningful, this is a Wizard of Oz for today’s generation—a fantastical quest for comfort and belonging that will resonate with many, many readers.

Raphael Simon is an author who lives in Pasadena, CA, with his husband and twin daughters. He is definitely not the alter ego of infamously anonymous author Pseudonymous Bosch, writer of the New York Times bestselling Secret Series and the Bad Books.