Most Popular Books by Leslie Connor

Addie is waiting for normal. But Addie''s mother has an all-or-nothing approach to life: a food fiesta or an empty pantry, her way or no way. All-or-nothing never adds up to normal, and it can''t bring Addie all to home, where she wants to be with her half sisters. But Addie never stops hoping that one day, maybe, she''ll find normal.

From the critically acclaimed author of Waiting for Normal and All Rise for the Honorable Perry T. Cook, Leslie Connor, comes a deeply poignant and beautifully crafted story about self-reliance, redemption, and hope. Mason Buttle is the biggest, sweatiest kid in his grade, and everyone knows he can barely read or write. Mason’s learning disabilities are compounded by grief. Fifteen months ago, Mason’s best friend, Benny Kilmartin, turned up dead in the Buttle family’s orchard. An investigation drags on, and Mason, honest as the day is long, can’t understand why Lieutenant Baird won’t believe the story Mason has told about that day. Both Mason and his new friend, tiny Calvin Chumsky, are relentlessly bullied by the other boys in their neighborhood, so they create an underground haven for themselves. When Calvin goes missing, Mason finds himself in trouble again. He’s desperate to figure out what happened to Calvin and, eventually, Benny. But will anyone believe him? National Book Award Finalist * ALA Schneider Family Book Award * 2019 ALSC Notable Children’s Book * Publishers Weekly Best Books of 2018 * 2019-2020 Nebraska Golden Sower Award * Amazon Best Books of 2018 * Kirkus Best of Children''s 2018 * New York Public Library Best Books 2018 * Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Books 2018 * 2018 Nerdy Book Club Middle Grade Winner * South Carolina Junior Book Award Nominee * 2020 Colorado Children''s Book Award Nominee * Bank Street Best Children''s Book of the Year 2019 (9-12) * 2020 Grand Canyon Reader Award Nominee * 2020-2021 Missouri Association of School Librarians Mark Twain Readers Award Preliminary Nominee * 2020-2021 Indiana Young Hoosier Book Award Nominee * 2021 Connecitcut Nutmeg Book Award Middle Grade Nominee *

A unique masterpiece about loss, love, and the world’s best bad dog, from award winner Leslie Connor, author of the National Book Award finalist The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle. This novel sings about loss and love and finding joy in new friendships and a loving family, along with the world’s best bad dog. An uplifting middle grade novel about recovery featuring strong female characters, an adorable dog, and the girl who comes to love him. It’s a life-altering New Year for thirteen-year-old Lydia when she uproots to a Connecticut farm to live with her aunt following her mother’s death. Aunt Brat and her jovial wife, Eileen, and their ancient live-in landlord, Elloroy, are welcoming—and a little quirky. Lydia’s struggle for a sense of belonging in her new family is highlighted when the women adopt a big yellow dog just days after the girl’s arrival. Wasn’t one rescue enough? Lydia is not a dog person—and this one is trouble! He is mistrustful and slinky. He pees in the house, escapes into the woods, and barks at things unseen. His new owners begin to guess about his unknown past. Meanwhile, Lydia doesn’t want to be difficult—and she does not mean to keep secrets—but there are things she’s not telling... Like why the box of “paper stuff” she keeps under her bed is so important... And why that hole in the wall behind a poster in her room is getting bigger... And why something she took from the big yellow dog just might be the key to unraveling his mysterious past—but at what cost? * Junior Library Guild Selection *

A big-hearted, beautiful, and funny novel told from multiple viewpoints about neurodiversity, friendship, and community from the award-winning author of The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle, Leslie Connor. Eleven-year-old Aurora Petrequin’s best friend has never spoken a word to her. In fact, Frenchie Livernois doesn’t talk. Aurora is bouncy, loud and impulsive—“a big old blurter.” Making friends has never come easily. When Frenchie, who is autistic, silently chose Aurora as his person back in third grade, she chose him back. They make a good team, sharing their love of the natural world in coastal Maine. In the woods, Aurora and Frenchie encounter a piebald deer, a rare creature with a coat like a patchwork quilt. Whenever it appears, Aurora feels compelled to follow. At school, Aurora looks out for Frenchie, who has been her classmate until this year. One morning, Frenchie doesn’t make it to his classroom. Aurora feels she’s to blame. The entire town begins to search, and everyone wonders: how is it possible that nobody has seen Frenchie? At the heart of this story is the friendship between hyper-talkative Aurora and nonvocal Frenchie. Conflict arises when Aurora is better able to expand her social abilities and finds new friends. When Frenchie goes missing, Aurora must figure out how to use her voice to help find him, and lift him up when he is found. Featuring a compelling mystery and a memorable voice, this is a natural next-read after Leslie Connor’s The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle. * Kids’ Indie Next Pick * New England Book Award Finalists 2022 * “Leslie Connor brilliantly depicts a genuine and meaningful friendship between a dynamic girl and her nonvocal friend. By showing the ways Aurora and Frenchie communicate, Connor gives us a blueprint for seeing autistic children in a new light. I loved, loved, loved this book!” —Cammie McGovern, author of Frankie and Amelia and Chester and Gus

The journey begins for a young immigrant named Miss Bridie. It is a journey of hope and uncertainty, a journey that will take her to a new land, a new home, and--if she has chosen wisely--a good life. With elegant woodcuts, Caldecott medalist Mary Azarian brings to life Leslie Connor’s spare story of a life rich with blessings, yet not without challenges. Here is a lyrical tribute to the millions of immigrants who left their homes to begin anew in America--and an enchanting look at how one woman carves out a life with the help of a common shovel.

Fans of Sarah Dessen will love this heartbreaking story about family, loss, and the joys and disappointments of first love. Bettina Vasilis can hardly believe it when star basketball player Brady Cullen convinces her strict father to let them date. That summer, Bettina falls in love with Brady and the freedom that comes along with him. But when school starts up again, Brady unexpectedly changes for the worse. Unable to give up on her first love just yet, she finds herself trapped in an abusive relationship. Then she meets "Cowboy," a smoldering older guy and the last guy her father would approve. Yet he is everything Brady is not—gentle, caring, and interested in getting to know the real Bettina. When tragedy strikes, Bettina must tell her family the truth—and kiss goodbye the things she thought she knew about herself and the men in her life.

Junior Library Guild Selection * Kids’ Indie Next List Pick From Leslie Connor, award-winning author of Waiting for Normal and Crunch, comes a soaring and heartfelt story about love, forgiveness, and how innocence makes us all rise up. All Rise for the Honorable Perry T. Cook is a powerful story, perfect for fans of Wonder and When You Reach Me. Eleven-year-old Perry was born and raised by his mom at the Blue River Co-ed Correctional Facility in tiny Surprise, Nebraska. His mom is a resident on Cell Block C, and so far Warden Daugherty has made it possible for them to be together. That is, until a new district attorney discovers the truth—and Perry is removed from the facility and forced into a foster home. When Perry moves to the “outside” world, he feels trapped. Desperate to be reunited with his mom, Perry goes on a quest for answers about her past crime. As he gets closer to the truth, he will discover that love makes people resilient no matter where they come from . . . but can he find a way to tell everyone what home truly means?

A teenaged murder victim speaks from her afterlife.

Mason Buttle es el chico más grande y sudoroso de su clase, y todos saben que apenas es capaz de leer y escribir. Estos problemas, sin embargo, no son nada comparados con la aflicción que siente por la muerte de su mejor amigo. Mason, que es el niño más honesto del mundo, no entiende por qué el teniente Baird no se cree la historia que le ha contado sobre lo que ocurrió ese día . Menos mal que su nuevo amigo, el diminuto Calvin Chumsky, un divertido y filosófico compañero de juegos, saca lo mejor de él. Juntos crean una guarida subterránea para escapar del incesante acoso de los chicos del vecindario. Un día, de forma inesperada, Calvin desaparece, y Mason ve cómo sus problemas aumentan. ¿Ahora quién confiará en él?

Die Welt wäre mit Mason Buttles Augen betrachtet sehr viel menschlicher. Leslie Connors liebenswerte Geschichte über Freundschaft, Familie und Zugehörigkeit Mason Buttle ist grundehrlich und liebenswert, er hat ein Herz aus Gold. Dafür würde er niemals einen Buchstabierwettbewerb gewinnen, denn er kann kaum lesen und schreiben. Die anderen Kinder lachen ihn aus und hänseln ihn. Aber Mason hat Calvin. Calvin ist ungewöhnlich klein und dünn, dafür aber besonders schlau. Gemeinsam bauen die beiden Jungs ein Geheimversteck, eine Art unterirdische Höhle. So können sie sich vor den Angriffen der anderen verstecken. Als Calvin vermisst wird, gerät Mason in Schwierigkeiten. Es ist nicht lange her, dass Masons bester Freund Benny im Obstgarten der Buttles verunglückt ist. Noch immer sind viele Fragen offen. Und der verwirrte Mason muss endlich Antworten finden.

"Com personagens memoráveis e uma história de perseverança e redenção, Todos de pé para Perry Cook é belo e inspirador." — School library journal "Inovador e tocante. Bem-escrito, cativante, maravilhoso." — Kirkus Reviews Perry T. Cook tem 11 anos e mora numa prisão. Mas não deveria; ele não cometeu crime algum Perry Cook, aos 11 anos, só conheceu uma casa: o Instituto Penal Misto Blue River. Mas apesar de ter nascido e sido criado em uma penitenciária, ele não deseja viver em nenhum outro lugar; lá ele tem a mãe, a benevolente diretora e um grupo de prisioneiros divertidos e bondosos que lhe ensinam lições valiosas todos os dias. Quando, porém, o novo promotor descobre a permanência irregular de Perry em Blue River, ele resolve libertar o menino, mesmo contra a vontade dele. Em sua jornada para se reunir com a mãe, Perry vai mergulhar não só em uma investigação sobre o crime que a levou à prisão mas também em uma jornada emocionante e divertida, perfeita para fãs de Extraordinário e O menino do pijama listrado.

Familie, Abenteuer und eine ganz besondere Freundschaft – nach "Die ganze Wahrheit (wie Mason Buttle sie erzählt)" eine neues Feelgood-Buch von Leslie Connor Aurora mag Edelsteine – und Oscar, ihren besten Freund. Oscar mag Vögel – und Aurora, auch wenn er ihr das nicht sagen kann. Denn Oscar spricht nicht, jedenfalls nicht mit Worten. Im Gegensatz zu Aurora, die kein Blatt vor den Mund nimmt. Doch eines Tages verschwindet Oscar spurlos. Nicht nur Aurora begibt sich sofort auf die Suche nach ihm: Vom Betreuungslehrer bis zur Flohmarktverkäuferin, von der patenten Softball-Trainerin bis zum grummeligen Farmer – alle stehen zusammen und machen sich auf, den Jungen wohlbehalten wiederzufinden. Am Ende kann Oscar mit vereinten Kräften aufgespürt werden – und als Leser:in wünscht man sich, auch an einem Ort wie diesem zu leben und eine Familie und Freund:innen wie Aurora und Oscar zu haben!

After the death of her mother, Lydia moves in with her aunts and learns to find a new family of inspiring women and loving dogs.

A 11 ans, Perry vit depuis sa naissance au pénitencier de Blue River, aux côtés de sa mère, Jessica, qui y est incarcérée pour homicide involontaire. Il n''en sort que pour se rendre au collège, où il n''a qu''une seule amie, Zoé. A Blue River, tout le monde aime Perry : les détenus qu''il considère comme ses amis, les gardiens et Mme Daugherty, la directrice au grand coeur. Jessica attend sa remise de peine qui devrait arriver sous peu. Mais un jour tout bascule : le procureur général du Comté se met en tête de sortir Perry de prison. Il offre son foyer comme famille d''accueil et met en suspens la demande de liberté conditionnelle de Jessica. Pour Perry, c''est une tragédie : on l''arrache à sa mère et il est contraint d''aller vivre dans la maison de celui qui est responsable de tout ce gâchis. En parallèle, Perry travaille sur un projet scolaire qui l''amène à interviewer les détenus de Blue River. Il cherche aussi à en savoir plus sur les raisons de l''incarcération de sa mère qui ont toujours été très floues. Perry a été habitué à ne pas poser de questions (une des règles de la prison). Mais cette fois, il n''hésite plus à mettre les pieds dans le plat. Aidé de Zoé, il mène son enquête et découvre l''innocence de sa mère qui a cherché à protéger le vrai coupable, le père biologique de Perry. Lors du procès qui étudie la mise en liberté conditionnelle de Jessica, Perry va plaider sa cause avec ces nouveaux éléments. Et sa mère obtient sa remise de peine. Jessica et Perry vont enfin pouvoir quitter la prison ensemble et emménagent dans un petit appartement.