The Wait is Over! New books available in paperback in February

So many great new titles this month if you’ve been “waiting for the paperback edition”. Time to add these to your bookstore shopping list!

 Middle Grade:

Northward to the Moon by Polly Horvath

The companion to My One Hundred Adventures finds Jane’s family in a bit of a pickle as her step-dad has been fired from his job, but she still manages to see the bright side. The family hits the road for a new adventure that turns out to be filled with fun, a little romance, and shows us once again that families are indeed complicated and challenging but can be wonderful too. 

The Reinvention of Bessica Lefter by Kristin Tracy

Bessica Lefter is about to start middle school, tough enough on it’s own, right? Then she has a falling out with her best friend over an “unfortunate haircut”, and she’s on her own.  Add to that HOMEWORK, lots of homework, possible bullies, an unreciprocated crush and she’s not sure where to start to make new friends, when she really just wants her old best friend back. Bessica is a character kids will really want to root for.

Tall Story by Candy Gourlay

Andi is a small girl, her brother is a very tall boy–incredibly tall due to a condition called Gigantism. This touching story hits all the right notes about sibling relationships, emotions, immigrant families, wishes and dreams, secrets, and even sports, with a happy ending that will leave you wanting to share this story with everyone you know.

Young Adult:

Exposed by Kimberly Marcus

Liz and Kate are best friends, until that night. Then Kate starts to avoid Liz and Liz doesn’t know why. As details emerge Liz’s world is turned upside down and she begins to doubt everything she believed in.  Told in verse, both sides of the story unfold, and Marcus masterfully shows us each friends’ perspective of that night and we see that sometimes there are no easy answers. 

The Fire Opal by Regina McBride

Historical fantasy, Celtic lore, a quest, and strong female protagonist make The Fire Opal a can’t miss for teens. Set in 16th-century Ireland, our heroine Maeve must go on a quest to recover the souls of her mother and younger sister, made all the more difficult by the appearance of a handsome, but devious villain, intent on marrying her. How can you resist this story?

Orchards by Holly Thompson

Written in spare verse this novel about the aftermath of a bullying incident that resulted in a suicide, told from the perspective of one of the teens involved in the incident is a must read for all high school students, teachers and parents. Kana Goldberg is sent to spend the summer with her maternal grandmother in Japan, to get her away from the “scene of the crime” and to reflect and reassess her own behavior. Eventually what Kana may have perceived as a punishment becomes a life-affirming experience that helps her to make amends and give back.

So Shelly by Ty Roth

A contemporary novel with the main characters named Keats, Shelly and Byron, I think you know where this is going already right? Ty Roth marvelously weaves the stories of the real Romantic poets Keats, Byron and the Shelleys into this novel, at times risque, tragic and ultimately healing for these characters. Definitely for the older teen reader, and a wonderfully intense read for adults as well.

Thanks for reading, and please share your thoughts in our comments section.