MIDDLE GRADE NOVELS
My Deal With the Universe
ISBN-13: 9781443157568
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* 2020 Diamond Willow Award (Finalist) *
* 2020 Red Cedar Book Award (Finalist) *
* 2020 Rocky Mountain Book Award (Finalist) *
* A Resource Links ‘Best Book of 2018’ *
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Maybe “normal” isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
All twelve year-old Daisy Fisher wants is to be normal — or at least to not stick out like a sore thumb. But growing up in a house known as the “Jungle” makes that pretty much impossible. When your parents are hippies and your house is overrun with vines and weeds, it’s not so easy to fit in. And it definitely doesn’t help when the neighbours declare your family public enemy number one. Or when your best (and possibly only) friend leaves for summer camp and forgets you exist. Or when your twin brother’s cancer might be growing back.
Will this be the summer Daisy changes things for the better? She can’t help where she lives, but if she could find a new friend, cultivate some courage, and figure out a way to keep her brother healthy, maybe life will finally be normal. Or will it?
An extraordinary new novel from acclaimed author Deborah Kerbel.
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"My Deal with the Universe is a tender story about learning to love what makes you different, featuring the coolest house I've ever read about."
-Vikki VanSickle, author of The Winnowing
"Remarkable...I actually found myself missing the characters once I was done.
Highly recommended."
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"Lightness and sparkle...Deborah Kerbel makes it clear that normal is different for everyone..."
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"Excellent...Deborah Kerbel has created a perfect storm of wildly clashing values and gentle personal growth at the centre of this story and has managed it with grace and honesty."
-Resource Links Library Journal
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"Absolutely perfect...a touching story about owning your differences and appreciating the colourfulness of the world we all share."
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“What a great book…I felt all kinds of emotions right along with Daisy. This is a book I’d definitely read again.”
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Feathered
ISBN-13: 9781771383417
Published by Kids Can Press
* A 'Must-Read' Book for Kids (CBC Books-The Next Chapter, Summer 2016) *
* ‘Best Books for Kids and Teens’ (Can. Children's Book Centre, Fall 2016) *
* A Resource Links ‘Best Book of 2016’ *
* 2017 TD Summer Reading Club Selection *
* 2017 Vine Award (Finalist) *
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For eleven-year-old Finch, there couldn't be a better time to fly away from her life. But when a girl named Pinky moves in next door, Finch feels a flicker of hope that her life might just be turning around. And when something terrible happens and it seems Finch may be the only one who can help her new friend, she comes to understand that flying is not the answer. Sometimes right where you are is the best place to be.
"Set in 1980 during Terry Fox’s marathon, Finch’s story still rings true today."
-Kirkus Reviews
"Traces of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird and David Almond’s Skellig run through the delicate narrative, which stands firmly on its own."
-Booklist
"Excellent...more than a regular coming-of-age story."
-Resource Links Library Journal
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"Powerful, compelling, raw, and you will not be able to stop reading it. Right up there with The Thing About Jellyfish and Reign Rain."
"Brilliant, demonstrating much depth of spirit and story. "
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"Engaging and moving in equal measures..."
-Canadian Children's Book News
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"Discussions that are sure to follow sharing this story in a middle years classroom will run deep, and are much needed. "
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Bye-Bye, Evil Eye
ISBN-13: 9781770863941
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*2016 Manitoba Young Reader's Choice Award Finalist *
* 'Most Anticipated Book' for Spring 2014 - '49th Shelf' & 'Quill and Quire' *
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year-old Dani Price has the kind of life every girl wants. She's pretty, rich, and popular. But after spending three weeks vacationing in Greece with her best friend Kat, she becomes the innocent victim of a powerful curse. As bad luck spirals into danger, Dani becomes desperate to save herself from the Evil Eye. With Kat's help, she must discover how to lift the curse before she loses everything. But first she needs to figure out who to trust. And just how much she's willing to give up.
"Funny...fresh...readable and engaging."
-CM Magazine
"Hilarious! Reality and fancy all wrapped up in a delightful tale."
-CanLit for Little Canadians
"'Gone Girl' for tweens."
-Manitoba Young Readers' Choice Awards