New Releases by Gail Giles

A 2015 Schneider Family Book Award Winner With gentle humor and unflinching realism, Gail Giles tells the gritty, ultimately hopeful story of two special ed teenagers entering the adult world. We understand stuff. We just learn it slow. And most of what we understand is that people what ain’t Speddies think we too stupid to get out our own way. And that makes me mad. Quincy and Biddy are both graduates of their high school’s special ed program, but they couldn’t be more different: suspicious Quincy faces the world with her fists up, while gentle Biddy is frightened to step outside her front door. When they’re thrown together as roommates in their first "real world" apartment, it initially seems to be an uneasy fit. But as Biddy’s past resurfaces and Quincy faces a harrowing experience that no one should have to go through alone, the two of them realize that they might have more in common than they thought — and more important, that they might be able to help each other move forward. Hard-hitting and compassionate, Girls Like Us is a story about growing up in a world that can be cruel, and finding the strength — and the support — to carry on.

Pod does card tricks to prove he's in control. Flaco is rich and loyal beyond words to his abuelo. Manny is desperate to get out of his Bar Mitzvah. Together, what these middle-school misfits want most is for their fledgling band to get noticed. When their made-up song conjures a strange man in Pod's ancient barn, fame follows so fast it's scary. As strange things spew from Pod's guitar, the boys in the band wonder how much of their success comes from talent and how much comes from a dark power they don't understand. What will they risk for stardom? A gangster look-alike named Fred convinces them they've made a deal with the devil-their souls swapped for a chance at fame. But once they nail a spot in the Battleband competition, each of the boys has his own reasons for wanting to win. Pod struggles to control his world since his mother disappeared. Flaco's abuelo is elderly and ill, and Manny longs for acceptance by the school's jocks. As rising Battleband stars, they ascend from seeming invisibility to sudden popularity. The stakes rise when Fred, acting as their agent, snags a chance for their band, Fly, to open for a famous group called Seventh Circle. Complicating their struggles are conflicts with one another, their vacillating relationships at school, and family problems. But when Fred threatens the people they love and his Big Boss wants them to sing a disturbing song about suicide, the boys know they can't let their band be used as an instrument of destruction. With the help of their school librarian, they find problems with Fred's "contract." But will it be enough to save them? In this first book of the Battleband Saga (www.battlebandsaga.com), acclaimed children's novelists Gail Giles and Deb Vanasse team up in an adventure of music, magic, and myth that puts a fresh spin on a timeless tale for young readers. A colorful cast, complex emotions, lively wording, rich allusions, evocative imagery, and multiple layers of meaning add appeal for all ages. "Brilliant and strikingly new!" says Terry Trueman, Printz Honor Author of Stuck in Neutral. "You'll be hard-pressed to find three greater kids to root for in this fight against the devil." Hunchback Assignments author Arthur Slade says, "Turn this book up to eleven! It puts the buzz in Beelzebub and the power in power chords." Kirkus Reviews calls No Returns "the first movement in an ambitious song cycle of a tale."

Sunnys Schwester Jazz ist bei einem Hausbrand um Leben gekommen. Sunny ist darüber eher erleichtert. Denn immer war ihre Schwester die Bevorzugte in der Familie. Doch dann kommt ein Brief in Jazz' Handschrift. Es taucht eine Frau auf, die wie Jazz aussieht, aber nicht ihre Schwester ist. Ab 14.

Die 17-jährige Schülerin Cass wird von einem Jugendlichen entführt und in einer Kiste lebendig begraben, weil sie, wie er meint, seinen Bruder in den Selbstmord getrieben hat. Hat sie eine Chance, ihn durch Gespräche zur Aufgabe zu bewegen? Ab 15.

Mark said he heard the dark song when he creeped houses. The song the predator's heart sings when it hears the heart of the prey. I heard it now. Mark said it had always been in me. Lurking. Waiting for me to hear. Ames is not the person she was a few months ago. Her father lost his job, and her family is crumbling apart. Now, all she has is Marc. Marc, who loves her more than anything. Marc, who owns a gun collection. And he'll stop at nothing--even using his guns--to get what he wants. Ames feels her parents have betrayed her with their lies and self-absorption, but is she prepared to make the ultimate betrayal against them? In this controversial novel about a good-girl-gone-wrong, Gail Giles returns to the fast-paced, chilling writing that attracted so many fans to What Happened to Cass McBride?.

Kip ist 9 Jahre alt, als er versehentlich den 7-jährigen Nachbarsjungen anzündet. Als er nach jahrelanger Therapie aus der Klinik entlassen wird, hat er sich selbst immer noch nicht wirklich vergeben. Schon bald stellt sich heraus, dass es für ihn schwer wird, ein normales Leben zu führen. Ab 14.

Een tienerjongen zint op wraak op het mooiste en slimste meisje van school, nadat zijn broer zelfmoord heeft gepleegd na een afwijzing van haar.

When he was nine, Kip set another child on fire. Now, after years in a juvenile ward, he is ready for a fresh start. But the ghosts of his past soon demand justice, and he must reveal his painful secret. How can Kip tell anyone that he really is--or was--a murderer?

From the acclaimed author of the ALA Best Book for Young Adults "Shattering Glass" comes another gripping page-turner that will propel readers from one shocking revelation to the next--right to the astonishing ending.

Cass McBride isn't sure that David Kirby killed himself because of her stupidnote. The idea of that geek wanting to go out with her was too weird, anyway.Still, she wishes she hadn't written it. It's causing her a huge headache, which acouple of Dad's Xanax and a good night's sleep will cure. But, instead of wakingup refreshed, Cass instantly knows that something is very wrong. The impenetrabledark, the smell of the earth, the rough wood against her fingers. . . . This is nodream. This is her worst nightmare. In a novel of mounting terror, where a teenaged girl's thoughtless act tripsthe switch on a series of horrific events, Gail Giles displays her talent for probingthe adolescent mind's darkest and most disquieting corners.

Niemand op school kan de nieuwkomer Rob weerstaan. Hij laat zijn gezag gelden in het vriendenclubje om hem heen en probeert de nerd Simon populair te maken. Waarom laat Simon zo met zich sollen; is hij echt een 'loser'? Vanaf ca. 15 jaar.

From the acclaimed author of "Shattering Glass." When Sunny Reynolds's sister, Jazz, dies in a fire, the family falls apart. Soon, "Jazz" comes home, and everything returns to normal. But Sunny knows this girl is not her sister. Who is she? And what does she want?

When Rob, the charismatic leader of the senior class, turns the school nerd into Prince Charming, his actions lead to unexpected violence.

Malila draws pictures to accompany her grandmother's stories about Thai festivals, traditions, and customs.