New Releases by Carol Lynch Williams

"Evie Messenger, who can see and talk to ghosts, tries to solve the mystery of a teenage ghost who is following her"--

For as long as she can remember, Sarah’s family life has revolved around her twin sister, Annie—the pretty one, the social one, the girl who can do anything. The person everyone seems to wish Sarah—with her crippling shyness—could simply become. When Annie suddenly chops off her hair, quits beauty pageants, and gains weight, the focus changes—Annie is still the star of the family, but for all the wrong reasons. Sarah knows something has happened, but she too is caught in her own spiral after her boyfriend breaks up with her and starts hanging out with one of Annie’s old friends. Annie is intent on keeping her painful secret safe. But when she and Sarah start spending time together again for the first time in years, walls start to break on both sides … and words that had been left unsaid could change everything.

In trying to reunite with her mother who left 10 years ago to find fame in Hollywood, 14-year-old Winston discovers the many meanings of family and finds friendship in an unexpected place in this coming-of-age novel from the acclaimed author of "Waiting."

For the teens at The Haven, the outside world, just beyond the towering stone wall that surrounds the premises, is a dangerous unknown. It has always been this way, ever since the hospital was established in the year 2020. But The Haven is more than just a hospital; it is their home. It is all they know. Everything is strictly monitored: education, exercise, food, and rest. The rules must be followed to keep the children healthy, to help control the Disease that has cast them as Terminals, the Disease that claims limbs and lungs—and memories. But Shiloh is different; she remembers everything. Gideon is different, too. He dreams of a cure, of rebellion against the status quo. What if everything they've been told is a lie? What if The Haven is not the safe place it claims to be? And what will happen if Shiloh starts asking dangerous questions? Powerful and emotional, The Haven takes us inside a treacherous world in which nothing is as it seems. "Imagine Anna Quindlen or Sue Miller turning her attention to writing a young adult novel, and you have an idea of what Carol Lynch Williams has done for early teen readers." (Audrey Couloumbis, author of the Newbery Honor Book Getting Near to Baby)

In this next adventure, George and Gracie travel back in time to Hershey, Pennsylvania—1907. Their mission: to return an antique rug and rescue their parents. When the time machine lands them smack dab in the middle of a barn, George turns into . . . something pretty weird. And Gracie drives a car into a fence. They meet Milton Hershey, the chocolate king, who invites them to be his chocolate tasters. But when George and Gracie discover a plot to steal Mr. Hershey’s perfect—and secret—chocolate recipe, they put themselves in danger to stop the thieves. Meanwhile, the evil villain, Crowe, is two steps from catching them and their time machine—and he's closing in!

After her brother’s death, a teen struggles to rediscover love and find redemption in this “stunningly powerful free-verse story” (VOYA). Growing up, London and Zach were as close as could be. And then Zach dies, and the family is gutted. London’s father is distant. Her mother won’t speak. The days are filled with what-ifs and whispers: Was it London’s fault? Alone and adrift, London finds herself torn between her brother’s best friend and the handsome new boy in town as she struggles to find herself—and ultimately redemption—in this authentic and affecting novel from award-winning novelist Carol Lynch Williams.

Living with their mother who earns money as a prostitute, two sisters take care of each other and when the older one attempts suicide, the younger one tries to uncover the reason.

"Imagine Anna Quindlen or Sue Miller turning her attention to writing a young adult novel, and you have an idea what [Williams] has done for early teen readers..." --Audrey Couloumbis, author of the Newbery Honor Book Getting Close to Baby Thirteen-year-old Lacey wakes to a beautiful summer morning excited to begin her new job at the library, just as her mother is supposed to start work at the grocery store. Lacey hopes that her mother's ghosts have finally been laid to rest; after all, she seems so much better these days, and they really do need the money. But as the hours tick by and memories come flooding back, a day full of hope spins terrifyingly out of control.... "No one can get inside the head and heart of a 13-year-old girl better than Carol Lynch Williams, and I mean no one," said James S. Jacobs, Professor of Children's Literature at Brigham Young University, of her breakout novel, The Chosen One. Now this award-winning YA author brings us an equally gripping story of a girl who loves her mother, but must face the truth of what life with that mother means for both of them.

Thirteen-year-old Kyra has grown up in an isolated community without questioning the fact that her father has three wives and she has twenty brothers and sisters. That is, without questioning them much - if you don't count her secret visits to the Mobile Library on Wheels to read forbidden books, or her meetings with Joshua, the boy she hopes to choose for herself instead of having a man chosen for her. But when the Prophet decrees that she must marry her sixty-year-old uncle - who already has six wives - Kyra must make a desperate choice in the face of violence and her own fears of losing her family forever.

Now that Laura is 12 years old, she realizes that everything about her mother is totally embarrassing. Like the way she yodels at the top of her lungs while she works (okay, she calls it singing). And plays really old music so loud the neighbors can hear (can’t she listen to normal music?). And walks around in clay-covered pajamas (yes, she is a sculptor, but still . . . ). But things are about to get much, much worse. Laura has noticed that her mother is getting a little bit, well, fat. Then one night over dinner (at a restaurant, since she almost burned down the house trying to cook), her mother announces that she’s going to have a baby. Now all the neighbors, including the gorgeous boy Laura has a crush on, will know her parents have been doing it. Maybe even in the house! There must be some way Laura can change her mother before her own life is completely, utterly ruined!

Directions for twenty-four games that can be played on a checkerboard.

Fourteen-year-old Carolina has been through a terrible loss. As she struggles to speak openly to her new boyfriend and to relate to her distant, sad mother, the reader slowly realizes the nature of their shared tragedy. Through letters to her sister and by using her father's camera, Carolina tries to see the past clearly and find a path to an uncharted future. Though she feels she cannot bear any more pain, her strong character sees her through the wrenching changes in her life. Carolina's clear vision and sense of humor help her to find her way and connect to her boyfriend, her mother, and a life with new purpose and hope. "Williams's story of family, friendship, and romance is heartfelt and sympathetic. . . . Illustrates the complexities of relationships, especially how appearance and reality can differ." -- "Booklist "This is a finely crafted novel in which Williams's spare, lyrical prose depicts an adolescent blossoming into a thoughtful, caring young woman." -- "School Library Journal

Fifteen-year-old Sage is enthusiastic about submitting her historical romance novel to the school creative writing contest, but her would-be boyfriend George thinks that it is awful and tries to stop her.

Sixth grade is over and Elyse Donaldson is ready for a perfect summer. She's going to read her favorite books and write her first novel. She's even determined to get along with her older sister, Jordyn. But her plans quickly unravel. Granny's Alzheimer's is getting worse. So she moves in with Elyse, Jordyn, and their mom, and the girls watch over her while their mother is at work. Sometimes she's fine, but sometimes she slides into the past and doesn't even recognize Elyse. It's frightening to realize that her beloved grandmother is slowly slipping away. Then Elyse gets involved in a neighborhood newspaper, and her mom starts dating for the first time since her father died. Elyse doesn't think she can stand any more changes, any more loss, but she's a lot stronger than she knows. This is the summer she'll learn to stand up for herself and to help the grandmother who has always helped her. "From the Hardcover edition.

Caity and her sister Kara get along well, considering their home life. By sticking together and keeping out of their mother's way, they eat, go to school, and protect each other from their mother's terrifying and seemingly random verbal and physical attacks. Some friends help and make a difference. But when their mother storms off with a suitcase and doesn't return, the girls realize they can't cope on their own for long. Yet, as Caity comes to realize, there is a lot they can do to take control of their future.

Set in the 1970's, Marciea's mother attracts a black family to their church and she is able to share with the father the revelation that all men can receive the Priesthood regardless of race or color.

Eleven-year-old Leah ultimately comes to terms with her younger sister's death. A warm, funny, family story that deals with overcoming grief and finding inner strength. To 11-year-old Leah Orton, Adeline Street was the best place on earth to live. But since her sister Kelly's death, the old neighborhood only reminds her of better times. Recent additions to Adeline Street, like the new church and its stern preacher, seem like intrusions. So do many of Leah's confusing new emotions, like her changed feelings for her best friend, Tom, and her sudden understanding of her friend Vickie's frightening secret. Yet as Leah reaches out, she is surprised to find comfort and some good laughs in unexpected places.

During the Utah statehood celebrations in 1896, Esther, after being rejected for the lead role in her father's play, finds herself helping the girl who is chosen for the lead to rise to the occasion.

While living in Nauvoo, Illinois, in the mid-nineteenth century and enjoying the friendship of the Mormon prophet Joseph Smith, Anna struggles to make her family see the importance of her gift for drawing.

Eleven-year-old Leah has a summer of outrageous adventures in her small Florida community, some involving her free-thinking grandfather but all shared with her younger sister Kelly, until an unexpected loss changes their lives.