New Releases by Janet Taylor Lisle

Thirteen-year-old Joelle has always wondered about her life before being adopted by the woman she calls Aunt Louise and her husband Vernon, and she makes some surprising discoveries while researching a 17th century Indian tribe.

An ALA Notable Book A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2017 “Striking, enigmatic, and haunting all around.” —Booklist (starred review) “A suspenseful, realistic, finely crafted story exploring friendship, trust, and how we judge others.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) Newbery Honor winner Janet Taylor Lisle’s novel about a pivotal summer in two girls’ lives explores the convictions we form, the judgments we make, and the values we hold. The pond is called Quicksand Pond. It’s a shadowy, hidden place, full of chirping, shrieking, croaking life. It’s where, legend has it, people disappear. It’s where scrappy Terri Carr lives with her no-good family. And it’s where twelve-year-old Jessie Kettel is reluctantly spending her summer vacation. Jessie meets Terri on a raft out in the water, and the two become fast friends. On Quicksand Pond, Jessie and Terri can be lost to the outside world—lost until they want to be found. But a tragedy that occurred many decades ago has had lingering effects on this sleepy town, and especially on Terri Carr. And the more Jessie learns, the more she begins to question her new friendship—and herself.

The War At Home Fear permeates the Rhode Island coastal town where Robert, his mother, and sister are living out the war with his paternal grandparents: Fear of Nazi submarines offshore. Fear of Abel Hoffman, a German artist living reclusively outside of town. And for Robert, a more personal fear, of his hot-tempered, controlling grandfather. As Robert watches the townspeople's hostility toward Hoffman build, he worries about his sensitive cousin Elliot's friendship with the artist. And he wonders more and more about the family secret everyone seems to be keeping from him—a secret involving Robert's father, a bomber pilot in Europe. Will Elliot's ability to detach himself from the turmoil around him be enough to sustain him when prejudice and suspicions erupt into violence? And can Robert find his own way to deal with the shocking truth about his family's past?

DIVDIVWinner of Italy’s 2006 Premio Andersen Award: A young writer’s fantasy world becomes dangerously entangled with reality/divDIV Eleven-year-old Archie and his six-year-old brother, Oggie, are constantly going back and forth between their mother’s home and the apartment that their father shares with his girlfriend. To distract Oggie from the turbulence of endlessly bouncing from “Saturn” to “Jupiter” and back again, Archie invents a fantastic story about the Mysterious Mole People. When Oggie’s wallet is stolen by kids from a local gang, Archie tries to retrieve it and becomes increasingly ensnared in the gang’s dangerous activities. Even worse, he soon finds that his fictitious mole story is merging with the darkness of real life in a very frightening way./div/divDIV/div

DIVDIVTwo grieving sisters resolve to break a spell cast by evil fairies/divDIV After the death of their mother, Olivia and Nellie are shipped off to their great-aunt’s house for the summer. Nine-year-old Olivia is not excited about the trip—she has to keep one eye on kind but eccentric Aunt Minty and the other on her younger sister, Nellie, who’s been behaving oddly. But the summer takes an interesting turn when Olivia discovers an old fairy tale: the story of a group of children who, at a garden tea party, are turned into flowers. The garden sounds an awful lot like the one at Aunt Minty’s house—could the flower children be real? If Olivia and Nellie can only locate the old tea set from the story, they might be able to break the spell./divDIV/div/div

An ancient oak tree has seen glory and tragedy—but nothing quite as spectacular as the showdown that's brewing For nearly a thousand years, the Dimpole Oak has towered over this small East Coast town, witnessing the passage of history: duels and revolution, lovers' trysts and traitors' hangings, victory parades and midnight conspiracies. The farmer who owns the land beneath the tree likes to tell stories of the murders and witch trials that took place in its shade. Local children play on the oak's great roots and dig for buried treasure. The townsfolk plan a Dimpole Oak Day to celebrate their landmark. Meanwhile, far away in India, a swami has a holy vision of the oak, and begins a journey to find it. Back in Dimpole, two boys take inspiration from the blackguards and pirates of the old farmer's tales, and challenge a local bully to a confrontation under the oak. As all these plots and plans converge, the mighty oak stands ready to witness another grand event. This ebook features a personal history by Janet Taylor Lisle including rare images and never-before-seen documents from the author's own collection.

In "this enchanting story about friendship," two fourth grade girls discover a magical world hidden in one's backyard ( Publishers Weekly). No fourth grader trusts Sara-Kate Connolly. Her boots are dirty, her clothes are weird, and she's so maladjusted that the school had to hold her back a grade. But Hillary is her next-door neighbor, and can't say no when the unusual loner invites her over to play. In Sara-Kate's overgrown backyard, Hillary will find proof of a world of magic—the kind that can only blossom between true friends. Among the rusted car parts and wild plants, a miniature village has sprung up. It has tiny houses made from string, sticks, and maple leaves; a well with a bottlecap for a bucket; and even a little playground with a Popsicle-stick Ferris wheel. But there's absolutely no sign of who built this miniature world. To Sara-Kate, the answer is clear—only elves could be responsible for something so enchanted. As she and Hillary watch for their elusive new friends, they learn that friendship, like magic, springs up where you least expect it. This ebook features a personal history by Janet Taylor Lisle including rare images and never-before-seen documents from the author's own collection.

When their best friend changes drastically, the Investigators suspect extraterrestrial trouble Georgina and Poco should not be climbing an apple tree in the dark. But Poco, who talks to animals, has recently developed a serious crush on a robin, and she gets worried when the bird doesn't return to his nest one night. Poco convinces her friend to come with her to check on the nest, and while they're peering through the tree branches, they see strange glowing objects in the sky. The array of lights can only mean one thing: aliens. The next morning, Poco's robin returns and, more importantly, so does Angela. Angela had been the girls' best friend before moving to Mexico a year ago, but she comes back totally changed. Before, she was short, chatty, and imaginative. Now she is tall, sullen, and cold. When Georgina reminds her of their former club, the Investigators of the Unknown, Angela shrugs her off. Paco and Georgina realize that the aliens have claimed their first victim, and they will have to move fast to save their friend. This ebook features a personal history by Janet Taylor Lisle including rare images and never-before-seen documents from the author's own collection.

War is coming, and it will take two very unusual friends to avert a showdown in the town of Forest Upper Forest is the kingdom of an ancient clan of squirrels. For years they have lived and died in the trees, building an elaborate civilization high above the earth. Since man came to Forest, the trees have been thinned, but there are still enough thick groves where the squirrels can run from branch to branch, going days without touching the ground. To avoid people, their natural enemies, the squirrels make their homes higher than any human can climb—or so they think. But they haven't met Amber Padgett. Swift, bright, and fearless, Amber has never fit in among humans. When she pokes her head into Upper Forest, she begins an unlikely friendship with a squirrel named Woodbine. As this mismatched pair grows close, the worlds of Upper and Lower Forest collide. But Amber's father, and other people in town, think the squirrels are pests and try to get rid of them. Which will triumph: friendship or war? This ebook features a personal history by Janet Taylor Lisle including rare images and never-before-seen documents from the author's own collection.

While searching for her fairy godmother, a young girl uncovers a world of magic It starts with chocolates. Dreaming of a box of chocolates that never empties, Angela writes a letter to her fairy godmother asking for one. To her surprise, the fairy writes back! A letter appears on her mantelpiece from "Pilaria of the Kingdom of the Faeries," written on ancient parchment with purple ink, and covered in a gold dust that vanishes as soon as it flies into the air. Is this really a letter from the land of magic? And if so, what does it mean? Angela and her two best friends begin investigating the mystery, searching Angela's house for clues. But out of the blue, more letters appear on Angela's mantelpiece. Pilaria is lonesome, and as curious about the girls' world as they are about her kingdom. What they learn from their correspondence with this enchanting godmother will change everything they know—about magic and reality—forever. This ebook features a personal history by Janet Taylor Lisle including rare images and never-before-seen documents from the author's own collection.

Poco is horrified when Angela's cat disappears while under her watch. Is magic involved? Together, Angela, Poco, and Georgina have investigated some peculiar happenings. They are just on the verge of a major magical breakthrough when Angela's father moves to Mexico, taking Angela and breaking up the trio of friends. As consolation, Angela gives Poco her cat, Juliette, to care for and talk to while she's gone. Talking to animals is Poco's special skill, but no words can stop Juliette from running into the street in front of a car. Though she survives the accident, Juliette vanishes, and it will take a miracle to find her. With the help of Walter Kew, a secretive boy in her class, and his Ouija board, Poco scans the neighborhood. When all mystical signs point to Miss Bone, the strange old spinster who's been taking care of Angela's house, Poco is quick to face her fears. She'll do anything for Angela—and for Juliette. This ebook features a personal history by Janet Taylor Lisle including rare images and never-before-seen documents from the author's own collection.

In search of the truth about his heritage, Walter only finds more mystery Walter Kew has grown up without a past. Orphaned since birth and raised by his grandparents, he knows nothing about his parents, who died in an accident. Obsessively curious about the mother he never knew, he turns to the occult, using Ouija boards, crystal balls, and spells to reach out to the other world. But he's never had any luck—until now. Walking home from school, Walter hears what he thinks is his mother's voice—faint, but very real. Although he can't quite understand her words, he's convinced she's trying to tell him something. With his friends Georgina and Poco, he looks for clues. Their quest takes them to a statue of the Little Match Girl in the park, where infant Walter was once photographed with his mother. As the three investigators chase the mystery, Walter will learn more about his past—and his present—than he ever thought possible. This ebook features a personal history by Janet Taylor Lisle including rare images and never-before-seen documents from the author's own collection.

When three kittens are carelessly thrown off the back of a truck, none of the highway cats know what to make of them. They seem to have some sort of appeal?an energy, even?that Khalia Koo, Jolly Roger and the rest of the mangy, feral cats don?t understand. But there are bigger issues to figure out when the bulldozers start coming, threatening to demolish the cats? homes as well as other historical landmarks. Can three little kittens be the answer to save the town? Illustrated with striking silhouettes, here is a spirited and original environmental story from Newbery Honor winner Janet Taylor Lisle about finding help?and hope?in the smallest, most unlikely of places.

It is spring 1929, and Prohibition is in full swing. So when Ruben and Jeddy find a dead body washed up on the shore of their small coastal Rhode Island town, they are sure it has something to do with smuggling liquor. Soon the boys, along with Jeddy’s strongwilled sister, Marina, are drawn in, suspected by rival bootlegging gangs of taking something crucial off the dead man. Then Ruben meets the daring captain of the Black Duck, the most elusive smuggling craft of them all, and it isn’t long before he’s caught in a war between two of the most dangerous prohibition gangs. "Riveting mystery and nonstop adventure." --School Library Journal

Who doesn't like frogs? So they're green and well, slimy. Frogs have charisma, charm, and even a few stories to tell. With the help of eight of today's most fanciful writers, frogs finally have their day. From New York Times best-selling author Brian Jacques's tale of a menacing frogbeast, to Janet Taylor Lisle's story of the frog-people of Quicksand Pond, to Jane Yolen's Pied Piper take on our froggy green friends, these hilarious fables and touching fairy tales are for every reader who has ever rooted for the underfrog. "Release #your# inner frog with this kickin' collection." (Kirkus Reviews)

No one agrees on the truth about the mysterious violin teacher, Renee Fitch, until she herself tells the definitive story of her life and brings together all the differing views people have of her.

Cats Cats Cats It's no wonder the people of Applesap prefer the shiny, clean, new Super Queen to Jiggs' Drug Store. In addition to gloomy old Mr. Jiggs himself, Jiggs' has a roof that leaks, four battered chrome stools, fierce old Miss Toonie behind the counter, and cats -- a beat-up, cringing crowd of cats rescued from the streets of Applesap by Miss Toonie. Fortunately, Jiggs' also has Melba Morris. Melba may be shy, but she's not going to let Jiggs' go out of business and the cats end up in the pound. It's not until Melba discovers the surprising secret about what Mr. Jiggs and the cats are up to late at night, though, that she comes up with a plan that just might save the day!

An old fisherman leads Eric down a whirlpool to an ancient and beautiful world in the core of the Earth.