New Releases by Pat Schmatz

Fifteen-year-old bender Kivali has had a rough time in a gender-rigid culture. Abandoned as a baby and raised by Sheila, an ardent nonconformist, Kivali has always been surrounded by uncertainty. Where did she come from? Is it true what Sheila says, that she was deposited on Earth by the mysterious saurians? Now she''s in CropCamp, with all of its schedules and regs, and the first real friends she''s ever had. Strange occurrences and complicated relationships raise questions Kivali has never before had to consider. But she has a gift, the power to enter a trancelike state to harness the knowings inside her. She has Lizard Radio. Will it be enough to save her?

Thirteen-year-old Travis has a secret: he can''t read. But a shrewd teacher and a sassy girl are about to change everything in this witty and deeply moving novel. Travis is missing his old home in the country, and he’s missing his old hound, Rosco. Now there’s just the cramped place he shares with his well-meaning but alcoholic grandpa, a new school, and the dreaded routine of passing when he’s called on to read out loud. But that’s before Travis meets Mr. McQueen, who doesn’t take “pass” for an answer--a rare teacher whose savvy persistence has Travis slowly unlocking a book on the natural world. And it’s before Travis is noticed by Velveeta, a girl whose wry banter and colorful scarves belie some hard secrets of her own. With sympathy, humor, and disarming honesty, Pat Schmatz brings to life a cast of utterly believable characters--and captures the moments of trust and connection that make all the difference.

When Maxie''s best friend from elementary school returns years later after a horrible act of violence against him, Maxie feels guilty about how she treated him and conflicted over whether or not she wants to befriend him again.

Eighth-grader Orithian "Rith" Haley discovers another world via the staircase in his house and begins to explore questions about God and the father he never knew, which forever changes his life--and the lives of those around him.

"But it''s my birthday. That isn''t fair! Why should I get punished for my birthday? If I''m going to be punished, it should be on your birthday!"That''s Jackie Riley''s response when she receives a gift of piano lessons on her twelfth birthday. Her father and brother have moved to Wyoming and forgotten all about Jackie. The house is empty and her mother cries more than any mother should. How could piano lessons do anything but make it all worse?But when Jackie starts her lessons with Mrs. Estronsky, some unexpected doors begin to open. One October night, something comes flying through one of those open doors and leaves Jackie reeling in the middle of a whole new world -- a world much bigger than the one she knew before."Trust your own experience, Jackie," says Mrs. Estronsky. "It''s the only truth that you''ll ever know."Jackie tries out this new idea by interacting differently with her family and friends. Nothing changes -- and everything changes -- all at the same time.