Sophie is found floating in a cello case following a ship's sinking. Fellow survivor Charles raises her under the hateful glare of child protection officer. When in danger of being separated, they escape to France where Sophie roams the rooftops following clues in hopes of finding her mother. Fab!

As swamp scouts, raccoon brothers Bingo & J'miah serve the Sugar Man. When Sonny Boy threatens to turn the swamp into a theme park & hogs threaten to eat the canebrake, & Chap tries to find a way to save the swamp & his home, the brothers must wake up the Sugar Man who can be irritable or wrathful.

After the loss of her unborn sister, Minn is sent to live with her sour grandmother for the summer. She finds her life turned around when she learns about graves from an historical shipwreck eroding into the sea, she meets a mysterious boy, & she believes she'll never see mom again. Wonderful book!

Yared has only himself, Uncle Moti, & bionic lioness Besa to rely upon. When he participates in an underground augmented reality game, he's forced to use his real name. After a giant robotic monster attacks his world, he's forced to go on the run to find help & save his uncle & world. Fun & fab!

Kotoko blames herself for the death of her brother. When she decides to eat at the Chibineko Kitchen restaurant, the chef prepares her brother's favourite meal, the world falls silent, a mist appears, & she experiences something that renews her. Fabulous!!

Catharina Bach has a hard time speaking to her famous dad. Only her mom knows how music infuses her life. Hannah has lost her mother & struggles to play Bach's Concerto for Two Violins; she can't talk to dad about her mom. The two girls reach across time to help one another find courage. Fab book!

Knox & siblings move to the States with mom to get away from the coronavirus in Hong Kong. Unfortunately, the situation there gets worse, Mom loses her job & Dad's pay in HK gets cut. Knox & his siblings come up with a plan to bring Dad home to the States while also combatting racism. Great book!

Felix's life is in a mess right now. Mom depressed and finding it hard to keep a job & the 2 of them no longer having a place to live except the van. Felix can't even tell his friends what's happening. Can his love for remembering facts & trivia save them? Fabulous book!

A collection of 5 graphic comic horror tales. Anything can happen when you live near or in the woods. The artwork by Emily Carroll is stunning and powerful! Enjoy!

Sadly, a great Canadian children's writer has passed away, Norma Charles. A wonderful writer and a wonderful person. She spoke at one of our #SCBWICanadaWest events years ago. bookcentre.ca/blogs/indust... @scbwicanadawest.bsky.social

When a mysterious free library appears overnight, Evan takes 2. One book seems to hold a clue to the fatal fire that destroyed the only & never replaced town library, a fire no one wants to talk about. And steadfast under the free library is an orange cat named Mortimer with his own secrets. Fab!

While mom has returned to Turkey to retrieve documents for immigration services, Silas goes along on a work call for dad, she discovers a kind older man who has a connection to her past. As their friendship grows, both their lives & those of others are transformed in amazing and unexpected ways.

Lina finally joins her family in America--but things are not as described in her parents' letters. Lina gets laughed at while learning English & refuses to talk. When a fav book is banned, Lina must learn to speak for herself so that she & others can finally be seen. Beautiful! Fab book!

Shad is a loner, spending time with Teta, his grandmother, creating amazing food dishes-until he's attacked by some kind of shadowy creature. A mysterious mentor sends him to a school for alchemists where he discovers evil necromancers have a secret agenda for taking over the school & the world.

Genie & big brother Ernie are sent to their grandparents' place in the rural woods for the summer. Grandpop is odd & Grandma gives them chores. As Genie discovers more oddities about Grandpop, he also learns how complex the past can be and how it can impact the present in unexpected ways. Beautiful!

After washing up on shore, Hans grows up to be a graverobber's apprentice, which he hates doing. Countess Angela tries to outwit the evil duke forcing her into marriage. When they come together, Hans & Angela must discover Hans' true ID & save her parents & the kingdom. Lots of Shakespearan fun!

After several different foster homes, Nova is alone, waiting for her sister to return so they can watch the launch of space shuttle Challenger together. This story of a non-verbal autistic child is powerful, & deeply touching. Highly rec'd! @nicwritesbooks.bsky.social @randomhousekids.bsky.social

Leo & new kid Tia suspect something strange is going on when Mr. Bob starts taking left over lunches from the garbage & taking them down into the basement. In the 2nd book, the friends find them face to face with real werewolves at Halloween. Lots of fun! GNs Dom Pelletier

In these first two books of a GN series for young readers, Juniper Mae is an inventor with no friends. In one book, she must get the city's power back from invading bug-bots. In the other book, she & Albie must stop a monster from the past. Great! @sohsilly.bsky.social @flyingeyebooks.bsky.social

Squire is brainy & bookish; Knight is brawny, egotistical, & somewhat inept. In the first book, they arrive in a village cursed by a destructive dragon. In the second, they are taking Cade to Wizard school but find themselves going in circles & attacked by beasts. Fab! @01firstsecond.bsky.social

I love Steve in his picture books; and I love him too in these early graphic novels. In Pretty Exceptional Horse, he finds something that he thinks makes him look more than ordinary. In A Rare Egg, he finds a Thingamabob that must be a very special egg. Funny! @kidscanpress.bsky.social

Freddy & Peter are perfect twin socks. But when a dog chases Freddy into a washing machine's spin cycle, he ends up in the sock-verse. In his desperation to find Peter, Freddy begins a search to find a mysterious being who may be able to send him home. Fab! @andrewsmcmeelkids.bsky.social

Once again, @kaaauthor.bsky.social writes a powerfully touching story of friendship, courage, adversity, and grief. When Ruby sees a familiar person from her past in Africa, she shares her life story with Ivan & Bob. An amazing addition to the series! @kaaauthor.bsky.social

Nizhoni can see monsters. When one attacks her & then kidnaps her dad, she, her brother, & her best friend Davery run away, their only clue to search for the Navajo's Spider Woman, then race to the house of the Sun for weapons to defeat the monsters. Great story! @rebeccaroanhorse.bsky.social

Davis & Emily's teacher wants everyone to share spooky, chilling stories. Each student tells an eerie tale until it's finally Emily's and then Davis' turns. The stories they tell will reveal the deepest secrets of the school itself. Fab book! @grickle.bsky.social @01firstsecond.bsky.social

In Sachiko Kashiwaba's The Village Beyond the Mist, Lina is sent by her father to a mysterious town far away that holds incredible secrets. She must earn her keep in this magical town by working with a different amazing beings in a variety of shops. The inspiration for Miyazaki's Spirited Away

Love these amazing books by Sachiko Kashiwaba. In Temple Alley Summer, Kazu is the only one who knows Akari is a ghost while his classmates believe they've always known her. In The House of the Lost on the Cape, Hiyori, taken in by an elder following an earthquake & tsunami, must help fight demons.

Looking forward to it!!

When aging Captain Amazing botches a takedown, he decides to hold auditions to look for a sidekick. Amazing's hamster-Fluffy-is already fighting crime & discovers others are too. They apply together as sidekicks & find themselves in an epic battle against Dr. Havoc. Love it! @dansantat.bsky.social

When dad gets a new job at a museum, Ophelia discovers a boy locked in a room, claiming he was trapped by the Snow Queen whom he must kill in 3 days. Agreeing to help him escape despite her doubts, she finds herself part of a magical quest in the midst of grief. Fab! Powerful! Highlhy rec'd!

Orphaned twins Elliot & Liza sell trash to survive. Upon discovering ravens carrying quest messages in exchange for cash, they jump at the chance. When Liza is poisoned on a quest, Elliot will do anything to save her, including working for an uncaring king. Fab! Highly rec'd! @jocabako.bsky.social

When his parents are killed by a hunter, he sets off on a quest (with a mysterious moonstone bequeathed to him by his mother) to find a treasure that can turn him human. But he must avoid the evil humans & wolves trying to stop him. Highly rec'd! by Chen Jiatong and translated from the original

Little Nobody has no name, no memory & no one can see it & wants only to be seen; it becomes interested in kids putting on a play & tries to communicate. When it meets the Boojum, it's told it can survive only if it burns down the school. Another delightful and recommended story in the series!

Weighed down by the cursed Stone Heart, Yama separates herself from Haru & continues toward the Beacon. Haru ends up searching for the Oracle deep underground. Evil Blight grows stronger, releasing a Stone Golem to capture Haru. Fab! Gorgeous! Highly rec'd! By Joe Latham @andrewsmcmeel.bsky.social

2 journalists plan to interview the Dark King of magic at a haunted house. A gathering storm, exits washed out, tortured spirits-what could go wrong? As people start dying, Skulduggery & Valkyrie have hours to solve the murders piling up. Great! Fun! @dereklandy.bsky.social

Little Lobo & friends love the Guadalupian Library's Libro Love book festival held each year. So many things to do, from making puppets & zines to the Ride into Books attraction to searching for their most sought after books. A delightful celebration of books & libraries! Rec'd! By Raul the Third

When his ma dies from cholera, a young boy leaves his home behind, searching noisy towns & woodlands for what he can't find. He agrees to work for food at an encampment until he's ready to leave again. But then he sees the boot... Highly rec'd! By Nancy Vo

When town mute Polk gets hurt & speaks, Carrie & Zora finds themselves in another mystery, this one reaching back about 50 yrs to an enslaved girl. The more they discover, the more they learn that Polk & their town is in danger from past horrors. Fabulous novel! Highly rec'd!

This amazing book has been on my TBR pile for a long time. Finally read it this Halloween. What a delightful story! Loved it! Highly rec'd! @neilhimself.neilgaiman.com

To get rid of the Eye, Cal agrees to help the Hollow Man escape the emperor's secret island prison. As Cal & friends prepare for their gaff, Cal has strange dreams & wonders just how dangerous it is for the Eye to get what it wants. Great! Rec'd! By Kevin Sands.

Just finished reading these delightful GNs in which outsider Gwen looks forward to Halloween when she meets up with real 'monster' friends from the Hallowlands. She's still figuring out her witch powers. Nothing can go too wrong, can it? Fun! Great illios!

Brain-eating hamsters are enough reason for Teddy to want to leave his new home, but more strange things are in town--a giant dog & something slimy & smelling of cheese. When Duggy acts weird & cousin Milton goes missing, Teddy has to overcome his anxiety to help. Fun! Rec'd!

Whether a ghostly berry picker haunting the barrens or a ghostly TB haunting a boy who recently lost his mother, ghosts frequent the Newfoundland dark. A wonderful collection of creepy tales for kids from different parts of the island, all inspired from true stories.

Guess what came in the mail? An ARC of PATTY DREAMS Pre-order your copy today. Release date: January 7, 2025 Written by: Nadia L. Hohn Illustrated by: Sahle Robinson Published by: Owlkids Publishing @Sahlerobinson @Owlkids #book11 #PattyDreams #pattywars #40thanniversaryofpattywars

Jasmine's family visit Kyoto as their last stop in Japan. As Jasmine appreciates the rock gardens, fox statues & Nishiki Food Market, she learns what's been bothering her sister & dreads missing Obaachan again when they leave. She must find a new way to stay connected. Fab! @debbimichiko.bsky.social

In the sequel to No Place For Monsters, Levi, Kat, siblings, friends, teachers have all been trapped inside a school during a freak snowstorm, with creepy snowmen hunting them, dangerous traps awaiting them, & something even more terrifying on its way. Fab book! Highly rec'd! By Kory Merritt

Chihiro wants to follow in idol Tatsuo's footsteps to be one of the 1st girls at samurai academy. On a quest to kill a Yamauba, she hires Tatsuo for help-only to find her idol, greatness & honour aren't what she'd expected. Fab! Rec'd! Text by @maggietokudahall.bsky.social Illios by Faith Schaffer

A mule, milk cow & miniature horse realize the sun is late in rising & the farmer late in waking, so they seek wisdom from Barn Owl about what to do. A fabulously delightful book by author Philip C. Stead & illustrator Erin E. Stead abt dreaming, bravery & breakfast! Highly rec'd!

Longing to be worshipped a god but considered an outcast despite his skills, Monkey King embarks on a quest as a monster hunter to defeat a threatening evil. On his journey, he questions the 3 worlds of being, who he is & what it really means to be a monster. Love it! Fun! Highly rec'd! @MapleLam

Rover & Speck are now exploring a watery world, but what they thought was an island is really an angry hungry blubber beast. When they escape to a real island, they meet the spikey-spikes & agree to help them find their friend Ted--in the belly of the beast! Fun! Highly recommended!