New Release Books by Susan Hill Long

For fans of Kate DiCamillo and Sharon Creech comes this “both raw and warm in its compassionate telling” (Publishers Weekly) middle grade novel about a young girl, her pet bearded dragon, and the friends who make her summer one to remember. Georgia Weathers’s worry machine has been on full blast since her mom, Blythe, took off in Lyle Lenczycki’s blue sedan. Earlier that same day, Blythe gave Georgia a bearded dragon named Freddy. Georgia is convinced that if she loves Freddy enough, Blythe will come home. Georgia isn’t the only one with family predicaments. Her friend Maria Garcia’s parents have merrily moved out of the house and into a camper in the yard. Roland Park is the new boy in town. As a kid in the foster care system staying with the Farley family, he’s sure his stay is temporary. When the three friends discover an abandoned glass house in the forest, it becomes their secret hideout: a place all their own, free of parents and problems. But glass can be broken. When everything around them feels out of their control, the question becomes what can they hold on to? And what do they have to let go? It turns out, there are some things—and lizards—they can count on.

“Entertaining and emotionally resonant.” —Kirkus Reviews “Long nails the voice of a kid trying as hard as she can to tackle adult problems on her own when the well-meaning adults in her life fall short.” —Publishers Weekly Josie Bloom is put to the test when she’s confronted by mysterious wads of money, a washed-up baseball player, and a whole lot of squirrels in this hilarious and heartwarming novel in the spirit of Kate DiCamillo’s Raymie Nightingale. Josie Bloom discovers the first wad of money stuffed inside a packet of bologna, and the second hidden between the trash can and the bin liner. That money comes in handy when she finds the PAST DUE notice from the heating company. Seems like Grandpa has been spending more time feeding squirrels than paying the bills. But when a bill arrives that’s too big to handle, Josie’s going to need a plan to get more money—while keeping Grandpa’s odd behavior a secret. Hilarious and heartwarming, Josie Bloom and the Emergency of Life celebrates the lengths family and friends will go to when it looks like the squirrels are winning.

The twisty-turny journey of a girl searching for her heart’s desire—glimpsed in a magic mirror. Perfect for fans of Rump or Catherine, Called Birdy A foundling girl with a crooked leg and a crutch doesn’t expect life to be easy. Indeed, Maggie’s dearest wish is to simply not feel so alone. So when she spies a man behind bars in a magic mirror said to show one’s truest desire, she feels sure he is the father she’s always longed for—and she sets off on a quest to find him. Along the way, Maggie meets both kindly pilgrims and dastardly highwaymen. She discovers she bears a striking resemblance to the princess Petranilla. Their connection is so remarkable that Petra believes Maggie must be her lost sister who fell from the castle wall and was swept downriver as a baby. What a turn of fate! From reviled foundling to beloved royal! But being the lost princess turns out to be more curse than blessing given the schemes of the current king... And if Maggie’s a princess, then who is the man she spied in the magic mirror? This is a grand middle grade adventure story full of mistaken identities, lost loves, found families, and a tantalizing tinge of magic. "I love this book—an uproarious, thoughtful, touching, absurd, ans altogether splendid adventure." —Karen Cushman, Newbery Medal-winning author of The Midwife's Apprentice and Catherine, Called Birdy

Twenty-four die-cut flaps reveal fun surprises in this holiday-adventure board book starring Thomas and his fellow locomotives on the island of Sodor.

A lesson in making the best of a situation. When Ruby mixes her friends’ advice into her cake, the results are surprising! This is a Level One I Can Read! book, which means it’s perfect for children learning to sound out words and sentences. It aligns with guided reading level G and will be of interest to children Pre-K to 2nd grade.

In a small Missouri town during the 1920s, Clem is torn between family responsibility and the life he wishes to lead when he must begin working in the local lead mine on his thirteenth birthday, to help pay for his sisters medical care.

A lesson in the importance of spending time with God. Ruby’s plans for a perfect day with friends ends up more special than she could have imagined! This is a Level One I Can Read! book, which means it’s perfect for children learning to sound out words and sentences. It aligns with guided reading level H and will be of interest to children Pre-K to 2nd grade.

Lars the polar bear and his friend Henry the hippo play hide-and-seek in the jungle, where the gatefold flaps reveal surprises big and small.

Lars and Robby discover an old shipwreck. Can they protect their new hideout from the three neighborhood bullies? Full color.

Flying lessons for Pieps the snow goose are not going well. Then Caruso, another strange, flightless bird, shows up with some sage advice. Full color.

Vintage bouquets filled with doves, ribbons, and messages proclaiming "With fond greetings!," "May true friends be around you!," more.

A little polar bear searches all over for his mother so he can tell her he loves her.

"For twelve years, in so many ways we had been as one, everything had been shared, there had been no secrets. Yet the past still held secrets, the past threw its shadows, and the shadows sometimes separated us." Since Manderly burned, tormented Maxim de Winter and his demure second wife have fled the ghosts of a dark, unspoken yesterday. And now they have come home to England -- to bury what was and to start anew. But the sensual warmth of a golden autumn cannot mask the chill of a lingering evil. For October's gentle breeze whispers that Rebecca -- beautiful, mysterious, malevolent Rebecca -- is haunting their lives once more.

Miss Cuttle is leading her school of fish through the Coral Reef in a game of I Spy. Gatefold flaps reveal each and every one of Rainbow Fish's friends surprise answers. Full color.

When a new villain called Electro declares that he will shut off all of the city's power, it is up to Spider-Man to stop him.

While picnicking with his family, Stuart decides to take a boat ride to the other side of the lake, but once there, Stuart sees there is just so much to do and worries that he won't have enough time before he must return. Simultaneous.