New Releases by Susin Nielsen

A laugh-out-loud novel about the consequences of being pushed to the edge—and plummeting right over it Frances Partridge, fifty-five, is a beloved children’s author. Geraint Blevins, forty-one, is an auto mechanic and devoted family man. Parker Poplawski, twenty-three, is just starting her career as a wardrobe assistant on a hit TV show. What do these people have in common? Nothing, that’s what. Until each of them reaches a breaking point and snaps in spectacular fashion. They meet in a court-mandated anger management class: three very different people, forced to spend a lot of time together, who slowly end up bonding and helping one another in unexpected ways, whether it’s to move on or to exact revenge. Lighthearted, timely, and funny, Snap is Nielsen at the top of her storytelling game, delivering flawed but relatable characters whose heartaches, foibles, and choices will make you cringe as you laugh out loud.

Leonard''s loneliness comes to an end when he meets a new cat and they spend their days exploring the city together.

Le nouveau roman de Susin Nielsen pour les 11 ans et plus, qui met en scène les premiers émois amoureux du jeune Wilbur lors d’un échange scolaire, fait souffler un vent de fraîcheur tout en abordant des thèmes intimistes et universels (le premier amour, l’homoparentalité ou encore le harcèlement scolaire).

A funny and heartfelt story about learning how to rise above your most embarrassing moment while staying true to yourself--with the help of old friends, new friends, and some cheesy poetry. At the start of ninth grade, Wilbur Nuñez-Knopf is hoping for a fresh start. But he just can''t live down a deeply humiliating moment from two years ago that''s followed him to high school. His good friend Alex has stuck by him, but Alex has started dating Fabrizio and he doesn''t have much time to hang out. Luckily, Wil can still confide in his elderly neighbor, Sal. But he longs to have a special someone of his own. When the school band does an exchange with students from Paris, a girl named Charlie captures Wilbur''s heart. But his feelings aren''t reciprocated. So Alex, Fabrizio, and Sal join forces to build Wil''s confidence in the hope that he can impress Charlie when they go to Paris. Maybe, just maybe, Wilbur will find a new defining moment in the City of Love.

What''s a pampered cat to do now that she has to compete for attention with an ill-mannered puppy? Award-winning author Susin Nielsen delights in this laugh-a-minute twist on the classic sibling rivalry story. Princess Puffybottom has the perfect life -- her subjects serve her delicious meals, clean up her "delicate matters" and wait on her hand and foot. Life is good . . . until Darryl arrives. Princess Puffybottom thinks he''s disgusting, horrid and a true animal. Though she tries everything in her power to banish him (including hypnosis, trickery and even sabotage), it looks like this puppy is here to stay. Can Princess P. and Darryl find a way to co-exist? A hilarious picture book from acclaimed author Susin Nielsen, with adorable illustrations by Olivia Chin Mueller, Princess Puffybottom . . . and Darryl is perfect for not only warring siblings, but also anyone who loves cute pets (and some toilet humor).

For fans of Wendelin van Draanen and Cynthia Lord, a touching and funny middle-grade story about family, friendship, and growing up when you''re one step away from homelessness. Twelve-and-three-quarter-year-old Felix Knutsson has a knack for trivia. His favorite game show is Who What Where When; he even named his gerbil after the host. Felix''s mom, Astrid, is loving but can''t seem to hold on to a job. So when they get evicted from their latest shabby apartment, they have to move into a van. Astrid swears him to secrecy; he can''t tell anyone about their living arrangement, not even Dylan and Winnie, his best friends at his new school. If he does, she warns him, he''ll be taken away from her and put in foster care. As their circumstances go from bad to worse, Felix gets a chance to audition for a junior edition of Who What Where When, and he''s determined to earn a spot on the show. Winning the cash prize could make everything okay again. But things don''t turn out the way he expects. . . . Susin Nielsen deftly combines humor, heartbreak, and hope in this moving story about people who slip through the cracks in society, and about the power of friendship and community to make all the difference.

Depuis la tragédie qui a anéanti sa famille, Pétula, seize ans, a développé de nombreuses phobies ; et prétend qu''une prudence et une hygiène extrêmes lui permettront de parer à la moindre Catastrophe. Mais est-ce bien réaliste? ... Au lycée, contrainte et forcée, elle fait partie d''un atelier d''art-thérapie. Les adolescents "à problèmes" qui y assistent se supportent tout juste : Jusqu''à ce que Jacob, "l''homme bionique", fasse son apparition. Appareillé depuis qu''il a perdu son avant-bras, le jeune homme, grand cinéphile, est aussi moqueur qu''attentif aux autres. A ses côtés, Pétula se sent enfin revivre. Mais il se pourrait qu''il cache lui aussi un secret trop lourd à porter ...

Award-winning author Susin Nielsen has written a laugh-out-loud and heartrending novel for fans of Robyn Schneider’s Extraordinary Means and Cammie McGovern’s Say What You Will. Beware: Life ahead. Sixteen-year-old Petula de Wilde is anything but wild. A former crafting fiend with a happy life, Petula shut herself off from the world after a family tragedy. She sees danger in all the ordinary things, like crossing the street, a bug bite, or a germy handshake. She knows: life is out to get you. The worst part of her week is her comically lame mandatory art therapy class with a small group of fellow misfits. Then a new boy, Jacob, appears at school and in her therapy group. He seems so normal and confident, though he has a prosthetic arm; and soon he teams up with Petula on a hilarious project, gradually inspiring her to let go of some of her fears. But as the two grow closer, a hidden truth behind why he’s in the group threatens to derail them, unless Petula takes a huge risk. . . Praise: Bank Street Best Children’s Books of the Year “Nielsen writes with sensitivity, empathy, and humor.” —Kirkus Reviews, Starred “Nielsen excels at depicting troubled, clever teenagers in familiar environments.” —School Library Journal, Starred “[An] empathic and deeply moving story, balanced by sharply funny narration and dialogue.” —Publishers Weekly, Starred “A poignant exploration into the nuances of healing.” —Quill and Quire, Starred

Meet Stewart. Heâe(tm)s geeky, gifted and sees things a bit differently to most people. His mum has died and he misses her all the more now he and Dad have moved in with Ashley and her mum. Meet Ashley. Sheâe(tm)s popular, cool and sees things very differently to her new family. Her dad has come out and moved out âe" but not far enough. And now she has to live with a freakazoid step-brother. Stewart canâe(tm)t quite fit in at his new school, and Ashley canâe(tm)t quite get used to her totally awkward home, which is now filled with some rather questionable decor. And things are about to get a whole lot more mixed up when these two very different people attract the attention of school hunk Jared. . .

Thirteen-year-old wrestling fanatic Henry used to have a normal life. Now, his therapist wants him to keep a journal so he can express his feelings about what happened. Henry has moved with his dad to a new city, where nobody knows their name. He lives off a diet of pizza, whilst hiding from the comically overbearing neighbours and avoiding being an obvious target for bullies at his new school. But then he meets Farley and Alberta, social misfits who refuse to let him be alone. And bit by bit, the past begins to come out. Heartbreaking, surprising and laugh-out-loud funny, The Reluctant Journal of Henry K Larsen is about the things that remain after your life has fallen to pieces.

Roman où l''on découvre les petites et grandes mésaventures d''Ambroise Bukowski, un jeune garçon atypique ayant pris le parti de l''autodérision pour survivre au rejet qu''il essuie régulièrement en raison de sa différence, voire son intelligence. Orphelin de père depuis sa naissance et ayant plusieurs fois déménagé pour suivre sa mère chargée de cours universitaire de ville en ville, Ambroise est bien décidé à changer la donne cette fois-ci et à se refaire une réputation. Or, en trafiquant un peu la réalité (il prétend être très riche et aller à l''école publique par choix), il s''attire de nouveau les moqueries des élèves, dont celles d''un groupe de garçons qui lui font avaler une arachide à son insu alors qu''il a "prétendu" y être dangereusement allergique. Accusant ces voyous d''avoir voulu tuer son fils (puisque son allergie est réelle), Irène retire Ambroise de l''école pour qu''il poursuive sa scolarité par correspondance depuis leur petit appartement situé au sous-sol de la maison d''un gentil couple grecque. Tout semble vouloir s''améliorer, malgré la solitude qui lui pèse, jusqu''à l''arrivée de Cosmo, le fils du propriétaire. Ce dernier, qui vient de terminer une peine de prison, effraie sans le vouloir ses locataires, ce qui n''est pas sans ranimer les inquiétudes d''Irène qui interdit à Ambroise de le fréquenter. Or, il s''avère que ce grand gaillard aime, comme Ambriose, le Scrabble... [SDM] [SDM].

Ambrose, allergique aux cacahuètes, passe pour un loser absolu. Lui et sa mère ultra-protectrice, Irène, déménagent sans arrêt. Le jour où l''adolescent est empoisonné au collège, Irène décide de le déscolariser. Cloîtré chez lui, Ambrose s''ennuie à mourir, jusqu''au jour où il rencontre Cosmo, le fils des voisins, un jeune homme un peu mal parti dans la vie. Par hasard, ils se découvrent une passion commune pour le Scrabble. Si l''arrivée de Cosmo dans leur petit cocon est vue d''un très mauvais oeil par Irène, Ambrose n''en démord pas : son intrigant voisin deviendra, qu''il le veuille ou non, la figure paternelle que l''adolescent aurait tant voulu avoir.

When thirteen-year-old Henry and his family move to the city to leave behind a secret tragedy, Henry finds a journal is his best friend.

Os pais de Violet se divorciaram há dois anos e, desde então, sua mãe só se envolve em relacionamentos complicados. Como as escolhas da mãe afetam sua vida e de sua irmã caçula, Violet resolve assumir o controle da situação e decide que o padrasto perfeito seria George Clooney. Em meio às aventuras de encontrar Clooney, Violet tem de lidar com os conflitos familiares - incluindo a nova esposa do pai e suas meias-irmãs -, os problemas com as colegas da escola e ainda definir se vale a pena assumir sua paixão por Jean-Paul, o garoto que estuda em sua sala no sétimo ano. Nesta divertida e emocionante história, Violet vai aprender a lidar com suas frustrações e com os desafios da adolescência.

Violet''s TV-director dad has traded a job in Vancouver for one in Los Angeles, their run-down house for a sleek ranch-style home complete with a pool, and, worst of all, Violet''s mother for a trophy wife, a blonde actress named Jennica. Violet''s younger sister reacts by bed-wetting, and her mother ping-pongs from one loser to another, searching for love. As for Violet, she gets angry in ways that are by turns infuriating, shocking, and hilarious. When her mother takes up with the unfortunately named Dudley Wiener, Violet and her friend Phoebe decide that they need to take control. If Violet''s mom can''t pick a decent man herself, they will help her snag George Clooney. In Dear George Clooney, Please Marry My Mom, Susin Nielsen has created a truly original protagonist in Violet and a brilliant new novel that will delight readers into rooting for her, even when she''s at her worst.

For Melanie Brody, junior high isn''t all it''s cracked up to be. Can Melanie change her attitude before she gives up altogether?

Having just moved into a family shelter with her mother, seven-year-old Lily is filled with anxiety when faced with a show-and-tell presentation at her new school, but her incredible imagination and creativity save the day.

Snake had high hopes for grade nine but it isn''t turning out like he planned.

Battered old stuffy meets grieving grandma.

Fergus is Hank''s invisible dog, his best friend, and all he needs in the world, isn''t he?

Everyone likes Wheels at Degrassihe plays in a rock band with his buddies Joey and Snake and thinks about being a musician full-time, like his birth father. But Wheels''s life slams to a halt when his parents are killed in a car accident. He fights with his best friend, hangs around downtown with rough street kids, and gets into serious trouble with the law. Still his friends refuse to desert him, and Wheels learns he can count on the people around him when he really needs them. Based on the groundbreaking Degrassi Junior High television series, this book offers a sensitive and engaging look at the challenges of teenage life.