Identity

Vango

A breathless adventure from international award winner Timothée de Fombelle charts a desperate search for identity across the vast expanses of Europe. In a world between wars, a young man on the cusp of taking priestly vows is suddenly made a fugitive. Fleeing the accusations of police who blame him for a murder, as well as more sinister forces with darker intentions, Vango attempts to trace the secrets of his shrouded past and prove his innocence before all is lost. As he crisscrosses the continent via train, boat, and even the Graf Zeppelin airship, his adventures take him from Parisian rooftops to Mediterranean islands to Scottish forests. A mysterious, unforgettable, and romantic protagonist, Vango tells a thrilling story sure to captivate lovers of daring escapades and subversive heroes.

See the review at WOW Review, Volume VIII, Issue 1.

Hatch, Little Egg

The little bird is hatching! Everyone is rushing to see the main event. This is not to be missed — everyone’s buzzing about it! With cameras in tow, various animals hop into cars, motorcycles, wagon trailers — anything that will get them there in time to see the event unfold. Finally, with the crowd gathered ‘round, a crack appears in the eggshell and out comes . . . well, it’s not quite what they expected.

Being Henry David

Seventeen-year-old “Hank” has found himself at Penn Station in New York City with no memory of anything—who he is, where he came from, why he’s running away. His only possession is a worn copy of Walden by Henry David Thoreau. And so he becomes Henry David—or “Hank”—and takes first to the streets, and then to the only destination he can think of—Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts.

Cal Armistead’s remarkable debut novel is about a teen in search of himself. Hank begins to piece together recollections from his past. The only way Hank can discover his present is to face up to the realities of his grievous memories. He must come to terms with the tragedy of his past, to stop running, and to find his way home.

Odette’s Secrets

Odette is a young Jewish girl living in Paris during a dangerous time. The Nazis have invaded the city, and every day brings new threats. After Odette’s father enlists in the French army and her mother joins the Resistance, Odette is sent to the countryside until it is safe to return. On the surface, she leads the life of a regular girl going to school, doing chores, and even attending Catholic Mass with other children. But inside, she is burning with secrets about the life she left behind and her true identity.

All Different Now: Juneteenth, the First Day of Freedom

Through the eyes of one little girl, All Different Now tells the story of the first Juneteenth, the day freedom finally came to the last of the slaves in the South. Since then, the observance of June 19 as African American Emancipation Day has spread across the United States and beyond.

When Mr. Dog Bites

All seventeen-year-old Dylan Mint wants is to keep his Tourette’s in check and live as a normal teen, but during a routine hospital visit he overhears that he is going to die, and in an attempt to claim the life he has always wanted he makes a list of “Cool Things To Do Before I Cack It” and sets out to have some fun.

See the review at WOW Review, Volume VII, Issue 2

Love Monster

Everybody loves cute, fluffy thing, You know, the kittens and bunnies and puppies. But nobody loves a slightly hairy, I-suppose-a-bit-googley-eyed monster.Love Monster is a slightly hairy monster trying to fit in with the cuddly residents of Cutesville. But as it turns out, it’s hard to fit in with the cute and the fluffy when you’re a googly-eyed monster. And so, Love Monster sets out to find someone who will love him just the way he is. His journey is not easy—he looks high, low, and even middle-ish. But as he soon finds out, in the blink of a googly eye, love can find you when you least expect it.

Oh Dear, Geoffrey!

Geoffrey is a very tall, very clumsy giraffe. He tries to make friends with the animals down on the ground, but he just trips, slips, and falls . . . usually flat on his face.Poor old Geoffrey tries everything to fit in, but it’s only when he realizes that his height can be an advantage that he stretches out his long neck and finds a host of friends in the trees. Soon he discovers he can find friends just by being himself.

Pepita Talks Twice / Pepita Habla Dos Veces

Pepita, a little girl who can converse in Spanish and English, decides not to “speak twice” until unanticipated problems cause her to think twice about her decision.