Best Selling Books by Liz Kessler

“A stirring story that will give any reader a boost of bravery in the face of adversity.” —Booklist A young girl learns of her grandmother and great-aunt’s involvement in the Dutch Resistance during World War II in this “intense story, gorgeously told” (School Library Journal, starred review) of family, history, resilience, and hope from acclaimed author Liz Kessler. Thirteen-year-old Liv’s beloved ninety-two-year-old grandmother, Bubbe, is moving into a home where she can be cared for as her dementia worsens. As Liv helps her father empty Bubbe’s house, she finds an old chest which opens up a whole world that Liv never knew about: the hidden world of Bubbe’s childhood. Through the letters and other mementos, Liv learns that her bubbe, given name Mila, had a sister, Hannie, that no one in Liv’s family ever knew about. In 1942, Mila and Hannie are sent away from their parents to a non-Jewish family so they will survive the war. Twelve-year-old Mila believes that they will soon be reunited with their parents and go back to their normal lives, but fourteen-year-old Hannie knows better, and soon gets involved in the Resistance. Hannie takes on more and more dangerous assignments until a betrayal forces her to decide between running away with her sister or fully committing to mission. Tragedy strikes, and Mila goes to England on her own to restart her life from scratch, vowing never to talk about her childhood again. In the present day, Liv reads how Mila builds something new from the shattered pieces of her childhood while giving beloved Bubbe all the support she can. Both Liv and Mila grapple with loyalty, family, and love as they discover what it means to be brave and go above and beyond to offer someone else a life of dignity, happiness, and freedom.

The enchanting first tale in the New York Times best-selling series is now available in a beautiful twentieth-anniversary edition poised to captivate a new generation. For as long as she can remember, twelve-year-old Emily Windsnap has lived on a boat. And, oddly enough, for just as long, her mother has anxiously kept Emily away from the water. But when Mom finally agrees to let her take swimming lessons, Emily makes a startling discovery--about her own identity, the mysterious father she''s never met, and the thrilling possibilities and perils shimmering deep below the water''s surface. In a lovely twentieth-anniversary edition of the spellbinding fantasy about family secrets, loyal friendship, and the convention-defying power of love, New York Times best-selling author Liz Kessler lures us into a glorious undersea world where mermaids study shipwrecks at school and Neptune rules with an iron trident. This deluxe unjacketed hardcover features a ribbon bookmark, decorative stained edges, an author''s note, facts about mermaids, and a personality quiz to reveal what kind of sea creature the reader might be.

When Emily provokes Neptune''s wrath by finding a diamond ring buried under rocks in the ocean, he puts her under a curse that forces her to choose between being a mermaid or a human.

While on vacation, Emily Windsnap finds herself swept up in an ancient prophecy as the "New York Times"-bestselling series continues. Illustrations.

Emily Windsnap must travel through time in order to save the people of her hometowns — both human andmerfolk — in the exciting ninth book of the New York Times best-selling series. When Emily makes a wish on a magic stone, she gets a glimpse of what the future holds — and it’s a disaster! She tries to make things right, but each trip through time takes Emily to a future where things turn out badly for either the humans of Brightport or the merpeople of Shiprock. Plastic pollutes the ocean, garbage overflows the landfills, and the two towns are no longer getting along. Emily realizes she can''t save her hometown and the ocean alone, but with help from her best friends, Shona and Mandy, she’ll have to find a way to get humans and merpeople to work together. Will Emily be able to create a better future for everyone, including herself? This new adventure gives readers a glimpse at what Emily and her friends could be like as grown-ups, with a fresh story that explores how uniting communities can make a future that’s bright for everyone.

The author of the best-selling Emily Windsnap series spins a gripping tale about a girl who stumbles into the future--and must change its course to save a friendship. Jenni Green’s family vacation has finally arrived! Even though she has to deal with her annoying little brother, her slightly overbearing dad, and her very pregnant mom, she gets to spend a week with her bestest friend in the world, Autumn. But twelve-year-old Jenni’s world turns upside down when she takes an old elevator to visit Autumn and discovers that everything has changed: not only is her friend in a different condo, but tragedy has struck Autumn’s family, Jenni’s mother has had her baby, and everyone is a year older. When Jenni realizes that the elevator caused her to skip a whole year, she tries to go back, but soon finds that fixing things won’t be as easy as pressing a button. How can she alter the past and keep her family and Autumn’s from falling apart? With honesty and insight, Liz Kessler explores how the bonds of family and friendship can endure through time.

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Emily Windsnap series, Liz Kessler, comes a “brutally honest and totally believable” (Booklist, starred review) story of three young friends whose fates are intertwined during the devastation of the Holocaust—based on a true story. Three friends. One memory. Vienna. 1936. Three young friends—Leo, Elsa, and Max—spend a perfect day together, unaware that around them Europe is descending into a growing darkness and that they will soon be cruelly ripped apart from one another. With their lives taking them across Europe—to Germany, England, Prague, and Poland—will they ever find their way back to one another? Will they want to? Inspired by a true story, When the World Was Ours is an extraordinary novel that is as powerful as it is heartbreaking and that shows how the bonds of love, family, and friendship allow glimmers of hope to flourish, even in the most hopeless of times.

The NEW YORK TIMES best-selling series -- now making a big splash as a boxed collection of all three enchanting mermaid adventures. What if you dove into a pool and came up a mermaid? For twelve-year-old Emily Windsnap -- girl on land, finned creature in the water -- it''s a discovery that spurs not only breathtaking escapades and brushes with high suspense, but also issues of friendship and family that resonate with middle-grade fans everywhere. Now a beguiling boxed set allows readers to dive into all three Emily Windsnap tales: THE TAIL OF EMILY WINDSNAP EMILY WINDSNAP AND THE MONSTER FROM THE DEEP EMILY WINDSNAP AND THE CASTLE IN THE MIST

From New York Times best-selling author Liz Kessler comes the magical tale of a (sometimes invisible) teen—and her truly super friends. Jessica Jenkins has always been a perfectly ordinary girl—until one day part of her arm vanishes in the middle of geography class! Jessica’s friends Izzy and Tom are determined to help her develop her newfound invisibility, though Jessica is more concerned with discovering where the ability came from. When it becomes apparent that there may be other kids developing strange powers of their own, Jessica marshals them into a slapdash band of “slightly superheroes.” But when an unscrupulous adult discovers the origin of their powers and kidnaps one of the team, the rest must put their heads—and all of their skills—together to avert disaster.

"First published in Great Britain by Hodder and Stoughton"--Title page verso.

"High-action adventure, a plucky protagonist, and whimsical illustrations enliven this sea fantasy, which will be most thoroughly appreciated by series followers." — Booklist Picture an island set in a glittering blue sea, sparkling with white sand and palm trees, a secret place where humans and merfolk live together. To Emily Windsnap — half mermaid, half human — her new home is perfect. That is, until Emily ruins everything by waking a legendary sea monster known as the kraken from its hundred-year sleep. . . . An enchanting tale with a fabulous monster, engaging characters, and plenty of mermaid magic, this second fantasy about Emily Windsnap is filled with charm and warmth.

Continues the undersea adventures of the intrepid young half-mermaid, who plunges into a scheme to reunite with her father.

Rushing to the sleepy seaside village of Porthaven to help her grandmother when her granddad mysteriously vanishes, Mia discovers a diary on an empty fishing boat and begins exchanging notes with a local girl who makes excuses for not meeting Mia in person, adding to an already mystifying situation.

When Neptune tells Emily and her merman father and human mother to return to Brightport to try to make merpeople and humans work more closely together, Emily faces problems with old enemies, her new, half-merfolk friend Aaron, and a mystery related to a group of legendary lost sirens.

Discovering Sea Park is not what it seems after rescuing a pair of dolphins caught in nets, best mer-friends Emily, Shona and Aaron must show the boat''s crew that sea animals should be playing free, not in a tank.

"First published in Great Britain in 2015 by Orion Children''s Books"--Title page verso.

Can Philippa and her fairy godsister keep the link between worlds from closing forever? A thrilling third tale about a magical friendship. (Ages 8-12) Philippa is excited to spend her vacation with her friend Robyn, but she has no idea just how much excitement awaits. When a magic spell carved on a mysterious circle of rocks transports Philippa to fairy godmother headquarters, she learns that her own mother is in danger. To protect her mom from a serious accident, Philippa must pretend to be a fairy, while Daisy, her fairy godsister, returns to Earth as Philippa! And that’s just the beginning of their adventure. After passing a harrowing test of their loyalty to each other, Philippa and Daisy undergo a fantastic journey to rescue a lost fairy who has devoted her powers to maintaining the portal of the stone circle. With time running out, and the worlds of humans and fairies at risk of being severed, Daisy finds herself facing an extraordinary choice that has the power to change her life forever.

Emily Windsnap ends up surrounded by pirates — and on a life-changing adventure — in the eighth installment of the New York Times best-selling series. Traveling home by cruise ship should be a relaxing break after Emily’s latest adventure, but things take a turn when the ship is overtaken by a pirate king and his crew. After the pirates collect everyone’s riches, they steal something even more valuable: Aaron. The pirate king’s eldest son takes Aaron captive, forcing him to help guide the pirates to the mythical Trident’s Treasure. So Emily dives into action and joins the younger son’s crew in hopes of saving Aaron. But while experiencing life on the waves, Emily is surprised to find herself not only enjoying the pirate life, but actually bonding with the crew — especially Sam, the pirate king’s son. Between helping Sam unravel riddles to beat his brother to the treasure and making sure that her friends are safe, Emily realizes that she needs to be true to herself. Will she cast aside her mermaid life to join her new friends, or will she find a way to follow her own path?

When Philippa learns that the new girl at school, Daisy, is her reluctant fairy godmother, Philippa tries to use her customary three wishes constructively, in a charming story of friendship, luck, and how we decide what we really want. Reprint.