New Releases by Valerie Sherrard

Taking on odd jobs cleaning messes nobody else wants to touch, Nick, Khenan, and their helper Florrie are raking in cash this summer -- until they dig up a buried secret that shocks the whole town, stirring up a much bigger mess than any of them could've expected.

Ethan Granger has no idea what his father does for work, just that it’s lucrative enough to make his family rich, and it often requires him to go out of town. But when Ethan catches his dad in a lie, it raises unsettling questions he can’t ignore. Before long, Ethan’s investigation into this seemingly small fib uncovers a whole clandestine — and potentially criminal — operation. Hiring a private eye, sneaking into his dad’s office, tailing him on his “business trips” — Ethan uses every deceitful trick his father taught him against those closest to him, but just how far will he go to expose the lies? And what if the truth throws his whole world off balance?

Am I pregnant? This question shatters the peace of seventeen-year-old Brooke Palinder’s life one Monday morning when she realizes her period is late. Although shaken, she’s determined to hide her feelings and go about her daily routine as though nothing is wrong. Brooke’s boyfriend Ryan handles the news poorly, and she can’t bring herself to confide in anyone else, not even her best friend. In an effort to distract herself, Brooke throws herself into a school project about Neptune, which leads her to some startling discoveries and a surprising sense of connection to the distant planet. But by Saturday, she knows she must face the answer to the question that began her week. Standing on Neptune is a novel in verse from the celebrated author of Counting Back from Nine, The Glory Wind, and Birdspell.

When eleven-year-old Pascale Chardon finds herself on a lifeboat drifting toward an uncharted island with no memory of how she got there, all she wants is to get back to her family. The islanders, however, have a different objective. For many decades, the islanders have been anticipating the arrival of someone foretold only as the Long Awaited. The Long Awaited is said to have knowledge of the island’s future and will tell the islanders of their fate seventeen days after their arrival. At first Pascale is sure she’s not the Long Awaited, but when strange happenings occur, she finds it impossible to be certain of anything. Could she be the Long Awaited after all? A Bend in the Breeze, award-winning author Valerie Sherrard’s 30th novel, is a delightful tale about the importance of love and compassion.

Corbin Hayes has felt alone for as long as he can remember. His mom’s illness means lost jobs, constant moves, new schools and friendships that never get to grow. There’s a gap in his life that’s been waiting to be filled. ​ So, when a classmate offers Corbin the talking bird she can no longer keep, he’s stoked. ​ But when things begin to spiral out of control, Corbin can no longer get his mom – or himself – through the dark period. At his lowest moment, he’s forced to do the one thing he fears the most.

Derek didn’t mean to become popular. His accidental photo bomb — the one that made him internet-famous — took him from invisibility to middle-school fame overnight. And you know what? He’s not sure if he likes it. But his best friend Steve does, and schemes to find other ways to help Derek to remain the talk of the school. But what goes up must come down, and Derek’s reluctant rise is followed by a regrettable crash. Funny, emotionally rich, and inspiring, The Rise and Fall of Derek Cowell is the latest book by award-winning, bestselling author Valerie Sherrard.

In the haze of a food-induced stupor, Zoey Dalton and her best friends Bean and Jenna make a pledge to begin performing random acts of kindness--anonymously. Their previous track record for altruism is pretty much a flat line, so anything they do to

"There are rules for what I've done. Specific punishments for crimes against friendship." Laren Olivier knows the rules, but her attraction to a friend's ex-boyfriend is strong. She tells herself that if she and Scott can keep their new romance a secret, no one will get hurt. But Laren is not the only one with something to hide. Thus begins a year-long journey through secrets, lies, exposures and betrayals. Somehow, Laren must find a way to reconcile who she is with what she's done. And when tragedy strikes, she finds herself struggling with a discovery so shocking it rocks the very foundation of her world. A novel in free verse by award-winning author Valerie Sherrard. Reviews: "Counting Back from Nine is a powerful young adult novel. It's not just another story of a high school romance that fails; it's about the tensions (and joys) of family relationships, the impact of losing a parent at a formative point in one's emotional development, and the social fall-out resulting when a girl knowingly breaks the unspoken rules of high school female friendships and finds herself "un-friended". "Anyone who has read Valerie Sherrard's other works knows that she is expert at capturing the nuances of adolescent conversation. In Counting Back from Nine, the voices of Laren and her mother are strong and distinct. "The novel is written in free verse, and not only does the poetry capture the rhythms of speech more effectively, but the visual impact of the free verse adds another powerful dimension. And, somehow, the nastiness of which teen-age girls are especially capable, is even meaner when rendered in poetry... While the novel certainly isn't "chick lit", this is a book which will be read and enjoyed primarily by a female audience. Guys just aren't going to pick up a book with a cover featuring photo vignettes of a younger and older girl, surrounded by abstract bubbles. It's a shame, because Counting Back from Nine is an excellent novel." Highly Recommended. -- CM Magazine "The language is stark but poetic, and the free verse format perfectly suits the story. Sherrard's characters are written with compassion, and a keen understanding of how teenagers think and feel. Laren's voice feels authentic and emotionally true, and readers will empathize with her feelings of isolation and grief. "Counting Back from Nine is poignant and emotionally resonant, and teens will be wholly engaged from the first page to the last." Recommended -- Canadian Children Booknews

When Shana helps bring Carrie's molester, Joe, to justice, she uncovers evidence that may prove his innocence.

Short-listed for the 2012 SYRCA Snow Willow Award Lexie Malton is an average Vancouver teen with fairly typical issues. Her stepmother is far from her favourite person, she has a sister with special needs, and life outside the home is the usual mix of school, friends, and social events. But Lexie has a secret. Her ex-boyfriend, Devlin Mather, is now a heroin addict living on the street, and only Lexie knows that shes the one who put him there. Guilt makes her give in to Devlins demands for money time and time again, even though she knows how dangerous his drug use is. Lexie finally gathers the strength to stop enabling Devlin. But when he seeks treatment for his addiction, Lexie finds herself drawn back to him, never guessing what a dark and deadly path she has just chosen. Devlin relapses, and his desperation leads to an act that will change both of their lives forever.

"I knew one thing -- I wasn't going to be rotting in that place for the rest of my life. I was getting out of there. That place turned people into the living dead. In that neighbourhood, it was hard to hear anything that didn't carry the sound of defeat." Sixteen-year-old Porter Delaney has his future figured out, but his nice, neat plans are shaken when a man he believes may be his father suddenly appears in his Toronto neighbourhood. Porter knows that he wants nothing to do with the deadbeat dad who abandoned him and his sister twelve years earlier, but curiosity causes him to re-examine the past. Unfortunately, actual memories are scarce and confusing, and much of what he knows is based on things his mother told him. As Porter looks for answers, it begins to seem that all he's ever going to find are more questions.

Will Skye and her family survive the Great Miramichi Fire? For Skye Haverill and her family, it begins as an ordinary day. But in the annals of Canadian history, October 7, 1825, is the date of one of our greatest national disasters. The Haverill family has been turned upside down in the last year. Following the death of their mother, Skye and her brother, Tavish, have adjusted to living with a single parent. And when they’re asked to make another adjustment – when their father remarries and his new wife becomes pregnant – Skye finds that some changes are too much to handle. But family struggles quickly become irrelevant when the Haverills and their community are caught up in the Miramichi Fire, the largest land fire in North American history. As the family and the town struggle through the fire and the devastating aftermath, all must find a way to rebuild homes and relationships.

Commended for the 2008 Best Books for Kids and Teens, short-listed for the 2008 Snow Willow Award and Ann Connor Brimer Award "No one pays much attention to you if you don’t have much to say, so there was no way I could have predicted what would happen when I stopped talking altogether." When his teacher announces that it’s time for the yearly class speeches, Griffin Maxwell starts to sweat. His past experience with the dreaded speech was humiliating, to say the least, and he just knows there’s no way he can go through that again. So Griffin’s best friend, Bryan, comes up with a solution – one that’s so simple it just has to work. But neither boy can begin to predict the bizarre chain of events that will be set in place when Griffin goes along with the idea. From squaring off with the school bully to reading a teacher’s private letters, Griffin Maxwell will have to face things he never imagined, and all without saying a word!

An unexpected delivery from the florist points to a secret admirer for Shelby Belgarden, but when an ominous phone call and a disturbing email follow, the teenaged sleuth and her family realize that the dangerous obsession of a stalker lies behind them. While the messages become increasingly sinister, the police are unable to uncover the culprits identity, and Shelby finds her world has turned into a nightmare of fear and betrayal. When an arrest is made, it seems that life can return to normal for the Belgarden family, but the stalker proves more cunning than anyone could have imagined. Just when it seems she is safe again, Shelby finds herself at the mercy of a twisted but brilliant mind. Time is running out, and with no one to help her, Shelby must outwit her captor before he can carry out his deadly plan.

Commended for the 2007 Canadian Children's Book Centre, short-listed for the 2008 Red Maple Award "You know how it is when you get a feeling that something big is going to happen? Well, it wasn't like that for me. In fact, that Thursday started out like any other day." With these words, Sarah Gilmore begins the remarkable story of what happened when she and her mother, Maggie, suddenly found themselves recipients of an unusual inheritance. A home of their own sounds too good to be true to the Gilmores, who have been struggling to manage on Maggie's income as a waitress - but the conditions that come with the house are strange indeed. Then Sarah receives a message that she should look for a mysterious bequest in an old chest and her imagination runs to thoughts of jewels and wealth. She is disappointed when the chest seems to yield nothing of value - until she learns the truth about her legacy.

With school over, Greg visiting relatives, and Betts on vacation with her family, it’s looking like it will be a quiet summer for Shelby Belgarden. Until, that is, she finds out that Betts and her family have returned home suddenly, and Betts’s mom faces criminal charges in the theft of a computer program from her workplace. To save Mrs. Thompson’s job and reputation - and to keep her out of prison - Shelby infiltrates the company in order to dig up clues. But with no clues to be found, can Shelby find the answers that will keep Betts’s family together?

Short-listed for the 2005 Snow Willow Award and for the 2006 Manitoba Young Readers’ Choice Award Cole Fennety doesn’t know it, but he is about to have the strangest summer of his life. His little sister, Jessie, is driving him crazy, his mother is too wrapped up in the world of daytime soaps to intervene, and his best friend, Wayne, is out of control. Worst of all, his boss, Sam Kerrigan, is the meanest man in town. But beneath Sam’s crusty exterior lies a kind heart – as well as a terrible secret that forces Cole to face questions to which there are no easy answers.

2005 White Pine Award — Shortlisted 2004 IODE Violet Downey National Book Award — Shortlisted 2004 Canadian Children’s Book Centre Our Choice Selection There’s one other thing I should mention right off, which is that I’m fourteen years old and dying. (I guess that was two things, but the significance of one is sort of tied to the other, don’t you think?) Kate Benchworth is far from typical. Having been diagnosed with a brain tumour that could end her life at any time, she views the world with refreshing honesty and rare insight. As her family and members of her community struggle to accept what lies ahead, Kate refuses to give in to self-pity. Determined to live each moment to the fullest, she falls in love with a boy locked up in the local jail and befriends the town recluse. Valerie Sherrard’s new novel is a moving tale about a young woman experiencing the best days of her life, all the while aware that the time she has left is rapidly disappearing.

When Shelby Belgarden’s peaceful hometown of Little River is shaken by a series of robberies, suspicion falls on Amber Chapman, a new girl in town who has alienated others with her standoffish attitude. Shelby’s own dislike of the newcomer is fed by jealousy as she begins to suspect a relationship growing between Amber and Greg Taylor. But as evidence against Amber mounts, leading to her eventual arrest, new clues cause Shelby to question her own judgement. Shelby races against time to free her, and soon realizes that in order to do so, she must uncover a dark secret known only to the thief.

Short-listed for the 2003 Red Maple Award and Arthur Ellis Award for best Juvenile Book, commended for the 2003 Canadian Children’s Book Centre Our Choice Selection Shelby Belgarden isn’t exactly thrilled when people start thinking Greg is her boyfriend. After all, she’s more interested in the athletic Nick Jarvis. But one day Greg suddenly becomes more interesting to Shelby – though for all the wrong reasons: Shelby begins to suspect that Greg is responsible for the series of arsons that have occurred in her small New Brunswick town in recent weeks. After finding out that Greg and his father had moved to this town after their old home burnt down – with Greg’s mother inside – Shelby finds Greg’s gasoline-soaked mitten near the scene of the latest arson. Shelby launches her own investigation into the crimes. As she does, she becomes aware that whoever is responsible may have been a victim of sexual abuse.