New Releases by K. L. Going

From award-winning author K. L. Going comes a happily-ever-after story of a girl who discovers the true secret to all good writing--through an unlikely friendship, some well-intentioned matchmaking, and little bit of science. Jane Brannen wants nothing more than to become a famous author like Jane Austen--she just needs to figure out the key to literary success! Her chance to uncover the secret arrives when bestselling author J. E. Fairfax visits her tiny town of Whickett Harbor. Unfortunately, a hurricane rolls in and Jane gets stuck with the author''s snobbish son, Devon, instead. But when the skies clear, Jane realizes the wind has blown in something worse than annoying boys: Her mother, Susan, and Susan''s new fiancé, Erik, have flown all the way from Hollywood to file for custody and bring Jane back to California. Now she needs to find a mate for her marine biologist father and figure out what''s truly important about Whickett Harbor, so she can prove to her mother that this is where she''s meant to stay.

From the award winning author of Fat Kid Rules the World and The Liberation of Gabriel King comes a lyrical gem that asks all the hard questions and hits all the right notes--perfect for fans of Cynthia Rylant and Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine Tia lives with her mom in a high-risk neighborhood in New Orleans and loves singing gospel in the Rainbow Choir with Keisha, her boisterous and assertive best friend. Tia''s dream is to change the world with her voice; and by all accounts, she might be talented enough. But when a shooting happens in her neighborhood and she learns the truth about the crime that sent her father to prison years ago, Tia finds she can''t sing anymore. The loss prompts her to start asking the people in her community hard questions--questions everyone has always been too afraid to ask. "Skillfully tackles topics of race, class, and violence in a moving testament to family and friendship, love and loss, and the power of forgiveness."—Publishers Weekly

When the going gets tough, Dog . . . takes a nap Dog can Sit. He can Stay. He can even Dance. But when he''s in charge, can he keep the cats in line? All one, two, three, four, five of them? Illustrated by Caldecott winner, Dan Santat, and packed full of slapstick silliness and utterly earnest charm, Dog will quickly wiggle his way into preschoolers'' hearts.

Alexis Coston is perfect: 4.0, flawless resume, put together 24 hours a day. On the other side of Fayetteville is Lina Dorsay, the beautiful mystery who no one understands. They know nothing about each other and rarely exchange words, despite attending Fayetteville Prep together. Until one typical spring day when Lina opened the car door in her driveway to find Alexis pale and about to pass out. This was the moment that changed everything she knew about Alexis. The two girls who never thought anyone could understand their worlds came together to give each other exactly what they needed, and never knew they wanted. All book profits pay for service projects featured in the book and the printing of more books.

Liam Geller is Mr. Popularity. Everybody loves him. He excels at sports; he knows exactly what clothes to wear; he always ends up with the most beautiful girls in school. But he''s got an uncanny ability to screw up in the very ways that tick off his father the most. When Liam finally gets kicked out of the house, his father''s brother takes him in. What could a teenage chick magnet possibly have in common with his gay, glam rocker, DJ uncle who lives in a trailer in upstate New York? A lot more than you''d think. And when Liam attempts to make himself over as a nerd in a desperate attempt to impress his father, it''s his "aunt" Pete and the guys in his band who convince Liam there''s much more to him than his father will ever see.

Graduation from high school? A senior thesis? A betrayal by someone you love? A loss of innocence? The death of a parent? Losing the family you always wished you had? Facing a harsh reality? What''s the line that separates childhood from the "real world"? And what happens when it''s nothing you imagined it would be? Do you want to be a published author? The editors at HarperCollins invite you to submit a short story about a character who has to face the "real world" for the first time. The story must involve a single, life-changing event. First prize is the opportunity to be published alongside your favorite authors in the paperback edition of the No Such Thing as the Real World collection. All stories must be between 5,000 and 10,000 words long, and all contributing authors must be between fourteen and nineteen years old.

Evie reluctantly moves with her widowed father to Beaumont, New York, where he has bought an apple orchard, dismissing rumors that the town is cursed and the trees haven''t borne fruit in decades. Evie doesn''t believe in things like curses and fairy tales anymore--if fairy tales were real, her mom would still be alive. But odd things happen in Beaumont. Evie meets a boy who claims to be dead and receives a mysterious seed as an eleventh-birthday gift. Once planted, the seed grows into a tree overnight, but only Evie and the dead boy can see it--or go where it leads.

When Iggy Corso gets kicked out of high school, there''s no one for him to tell. His mother has gone off, his father is stoned on the couch, and the phone''s been disconnected, so even the social worker can''t get through. Leaving his public housing behind, Iggy ventures into the world to make something of his life. It''s not easy when you''re sixteen, have no skills, and your only friend is mixed up with the dealer who got your mom hooked. But Iggy is . . . Iggy, and he has the kind of wisdom that lets him see what no one else can. Includes an author''s note.

Is there any greater thrill than staring down your opponent across the poker table, waiting for the card that will make or break your hand? Acclaimed YA novelist Pete Hautman would know—he’s been a poker fanatic for thirty years. And with poker now an international TV phenomenon, the time seems right for an anthology about this most exciting game. From a contest that pits a hapless teen against his girlfriend’s redneck family, to a midnight game with the Devil, to an Internet poker scheme gone horribly wrong, the stories here brilliantly reveal how poker can both irrevocably affect and eerily imitate teenage life.

Gabriel King is afraid of everything: spiders, the rope swing over the lake, andmost of all, going to fifth grade. Frita Wilson, his best friend, decides Gabriel needs some liberating from his fears, so they make a list and plan to tackle each one. But one of the reasons Frita is so determined to help Gabe is that she needs his help too. Hollowell, Georgia in 1976 isn''t exactly the most integrated place, and Frita''s the only black student in school in a town with an active Ku Klux Klan.

A Michael L. Printz Honor Book Troy Billings is seventeen, 296 pounds, friendless, utterly miserable, and about to step off a New York subway platform in front of an oncoming train. Until he meets Curt MacCrae, an emaciated, semi-homeless, high school dropout guitar genius, the stuff of which Lower East Side punk rock legends are made. Never mind that Troy’s dad thinks Curt’s a drug addict and Troy’s brother thinks Troy’s the biggest (literally) loser in Manhattan. Soon, Curt’s recruited Troy as his new drummer—even though Troy can’t play the drums. Together, Curt and Troy will change the world of punk, and Troy’s own life, forever. "Troy''s voice is candid, irreverent, realistic and humorous. [A] wonderful, engrossing tale."—SLJ An ALA BBYA A BCCB Blue Ribbon Book A Booklist Editors'' Choice An SLJ Best Book of the Year A Miami Herald Best Book of the Year