Arrow Of Lightning

Now settled in the Valley Where First Light Paints the Cliffs with her family and friends, Lozen turns her attention and her far-seeing abilities to protecting her community of refugees from the two remaining maniacal overlords of Haven, a ruthless assassin, and predatory genetically-modified monsters.

Away

Love shines through in the sticky notes shared between a mother and daughter in this picture book about making time for family in the midst of our busy lives.Between work and school, homework and housework, a mother and daughter don’t always get to spend as much time together as they’d like. Add to that a little girl’s fears about leaving home for the first time, and the need to stay close through handwritten notes becomes even more important. As the camp departure date gets closer, Mom does her best to soothe her daughter’s nerves. A visit from her grandmother helps to calm her fears and convince her that she’ll have a good time, even away from her mother and beloved cat. Camp ends up being a wonderful adventure but nothing is sweeter than a back-at-home reunion. Qin Leng’s watercolor illustrations are the perfect complement to Emil Sher’s simple text. This nuanced story about a parent and child’s unconventional way of connecting is full of humor and affection. Young readers will enjoy spotting Lester the cat as he paws his way into the story.

Because Of The Sun

From the backyards of suburban Florida to the parched desert of New Mexico, Because of the Sun explores the complexity of family, the saving grace of friendship, and the healing that can begin when the truth is brought to light.

Binny Bewitched

In one greedy moment, Binny Cornwallis snatches some bills left behind at an ATM. After all it’s her mother’s birthday, and just think of what she could do with some cash in her never-quite-enough-money household. But of course she has to hide the money she can’t explain it. And in her tiny house, every hiding place is in danger of discovery. After a few tries, Binny does hide it. And she hides it so well she can’t find it again, even after she decides she wants to give it back.Now, Binny must team up with her best enemy Gareth, a ruthlessly honest boy who sets out to play detective and figure out who might have taken the money. Meanwhile the next-door neighbor is doing odd things like presenting Binny with a little doll that looks just like herwith her hand in her pocket, just as Binny’s was when she pocketed the cash. There’s plenty more going on in the Cornwallis house, as Binny’s older sister Clem has a secret of her own, and little brother James is having a kung fu clash with his best friend. Mayhem, love, and laughter run riot in this new hilarious Binny adventure.

A Cage Went In Search Of A Bird

Two lonely souls find each other in this unusual tale of friendship and belonging from award-winning comic writer Cary Fagan. In her North American debut, illustrator Banafsheh Erfanian brings ornate artistry to the cage and birds that inhabit this surprisingly human story. A long-empty birdcage takes a chance and leaves behind its attic home to find a bird to keep. Out in the world, the cage encounters many birds and offers shelter to each of them. One by one, they refuse, explaining why they belong elsewhere. The cage feels lonelier than ever until the cage in search of a bird finds a bird in search of a cage.Based on an aphorism by Franz Kafka, Fagan’s original story will make readers laugh at its absurdity and ponder its meaning long after they finish reading.

Almost Autumn

It’s October 1942, in Oslo, Norway. Fifteen-year-old Ilse Stern is waiting to meet boy-next-door Hermann Rod for their first date. She was beginning to think he’d never ask her; she’s had a crush on him for as long as she can remember. But Hermann won’t be able to make it tonight. What Ilse doesn’t know is that Hermann is secretly working in the Resistance, helping Norwegian Jews flee the country to escape the Nazis. The work is exhausting and unpredictable, full of late nights and code words and lies to Hermann’s parents, to his boss… to Ilse.And as life under German occupation becomes even more difficult, particularly for Jewish families like the Sterns, the choices made become more important by the hour. In this internationally acclaimed debut, Marianne Kaurin recreates the atmosphere of secrecy and uncertainty in World War II Norway in a moving story of sorrow, chance, and first love.