New Releases by Vicki Grant

Nina Fforde believed her parents had the perfect marriage--until her elegant mother showed up at her father''s funeral in gleeful red lipstick. In the days following, Petra''s behaviour only becomes more inappropriate. She clears the family home of any vestige of her husband, Malcolm. She smokes, she drinks, she laughs lustily during stolen phone calls. It''s her life, the sixty-nine-year-old matron warns her daughters, and she''s finally going to live it. Nina''s twin sister Libby puts Petra''s transformation down to a form of ?bereavement mania,'' induced by the freak accident that took Malcolm''s life. She''s just temporarily unhinged; she''ll be back to her lovely old self in no time. Nina''s older sister, Clary, is more suspicious. Even before Malcolm''s death, she''d seen evidence their parents'' marriage wasn''t as blissful as publicized. Nina is caught in the middle. She''s going through a transformation herself. Her father''s sudden death makes her re-evaluate her own life. She hasn''t lived up to her early promise. Now in her mid-thirties, Nina and her schleppy boyfriend are working as live-in help for a retired professor. In a moment of clarity, Nina moves in with Petra. Her front-row seat gives her an uncomfortably intimate view of her mother''s life. The nude sunbathing and show tunes in the shower are upsetting, but it''s Petra''s covert involvement with a much younger man that raises the question: Was Petra complicit in Malcolm''s death? The police file is still open and a young, keen-eyed detective is keeping a close watch on the Fforde family. Wanting both to protect her mother and do right by her father, Nina begins her own investigation--hoping to get to the truth first. What she finds will change everything she thought she knew about her parents, and shake the very foundations of their family.

A whoopee cushion turns deadly in this new middle-grade mystery from acclaimed author Vicki Grant. The best Halloween costumes. The funniest pranks. An endless supply of chocolate fudge that looks exactly like dog poo. Most kids would love it if their parents owned a joke shop. But twelve-year-old Manya isn''t like most kids. She’s an aspiring scientist. The cheap laughs at Pranks-A-Million don’t interest her – but the science behind the pranks does. After all, even edible snot and stink bombs rely on chemical reactions. Manya and her best friend, Isaac, are thrilled when their parents agree to sign them up for Serious Science. The after-school class is everything they’ve ever dreamed of: the science is fascinating, their teacher is supersmart, and none of the experiments he gives them is designed to stink, explode, or embarrass anyone. Things are looking up until one day Manya comes back from Serious Science to find two police officers in the store. A trick cigar bought at Pranks-A-Million burned off a customer’s eyebrows. Later, one of their Toe Jam Donuts makes someone sick. Just a couple of pranks gone wrong? Maybe. But when a whoopee cushion kills an innocent person, the joke is over. The cops swoop in and arrest Manya’s parents for murder. It''s up to Manya now to prove their innocence. Suddenly, the science behind all those embarrassing pranks becomes very important indeed.

Letters from beyond the grave and a green velvet dress reveal a secret about Yardley''s beloved grandmother; for fans of The Parker Inheritance and The List of Things That Will Not Change and ages 10 and up. It''s always hard to lose a friend, but for Yardley O''Hanlon it''s devastating. Her best friend is her wild and wonderful grandmother Gidge. They''re two fashionable peas in a quirky little pod. They spend all their time together sewing and crafting and creating beautiful things — until Gidge dies, and Yardley loses her for good. Or does she? Yardley isn''t convinced. Gidge was a big believer in reincarnation. She promised she''d never leave Yardley, and Gidge always kept her promises. So when a stylish older woman walks into the Over Easy Vintage Emporium where Yardley is helping out, Yardley is sure it''s her grandmother, back from the dead. But her happiness doesn''t last long, as the woman runs away in terror and no one else believes she was Gidge reincarnated. It''s only with the help of a beautiful green velvet dress, a series of letters from "the other side" and an irritating twelve-year-old buttinsky named Harris that Yardley discovers there''s more to the mystery woman — and Gidge — than she ever imagined.

The perfect after-school job turns deadly for teens working as "simulated patients" at the local med school. Everyone has something to hide and no one is safe in this contemporary YA thriller that exposes the dark reality of #MeToo in the world of medicine, for fans of Karen McManus and Holly Jackson. It seemed like a cool part-time program -- being a "simulated" patient for med school students to practice on. But now vivacious, charismatic Viv lies in a very real coma. Cellphone footage just leads to more questions. What really happened? Other kids suspect it was not an intentional overdose -- but each has a reason why they can''t tell the truth. Through intertwining and conflicting narratives, a twisted story unfolds of trust betrayed as we sift through the seemingly innocent events leading up to the tragic night. Perhaps simulated patients aren''t the only people pretending to be something they''re not . . .

After a big fight with his wife, Rupert''s grandfather packs up and moves into Gentle Breezes Nudist Community for Active Seniors. Thirteen-year-old Rupert is sent in to talk some sense into his grandfather, known to everyone as Gump. While he''s there, Rupert accidentally lets Gump''s dog, Wayne, escape. Gump is frantic. Wayne is blind and tends to panic. Rupert and his grandfather set out to search the woods, and soon they are lost too. Aside from an apron, Gump is butt naked, and without his phone, Rupert feels naked too. The only way they are going to get out of this mess is by working together. This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for middle-grade readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read!

Quid Pro Quo is a high-stakes, fast-moving legal thriller about real people, and funny ones at that. Cyril MacIntyre''s mother is an ex-street kid who dragged her son to all her law-school classes, then proceeded to get kidnapped. That aside, Cyril''s life isn’t too different from that of other thirteen-year-olds. He has all the usual adolescent issues to deal with: parent problems, self-esteem problems, skin and hair problems, and girl problems. But he has legal problems too. And he''s got to solve them if he wants to save his mother''s life. Quid Pro Quo won the Arthur Ellis Award and the cbc Young Canada Reads 2009 award. It has been nominated for numerous awards, including the Edgar Allan Poe and the Ann Connor Brimer. This 2018 edition has been updated with a new cover.

Inspired by the real psychology study popularized by the New York Times and its "Modern Love" column, this contemporary YA is perfect for fans of Eleanor and Park. Two random strangers. Two secrets. Thirty-six questions to make them fall in love. Hildy and Paul each have their own reasons for joining the university psychology study that asks the simple question: Can love be engineered? The study consists of 36 questions, ranging from "What is your most terrible memory?" to "When did you last sing to yourself?" By the time Hildy and Paul have made it to the end of the questionnaire, they''ve laughed and cried and lied and thrown things and run away and come back and driven each other almost crazy. They''ve also each discovered the painful secret the other was trying so hard to hide. But have they fallen in love? Told in the language of modern romance -- texting, Q&A, IM -- and punctuated by Paul''s sketches, this clever high-concept YA is full of humor and heart. As soon as you''ve finished reading, you''ll be searching for your own stranger to ask the 36 questions. Maybe you''ll even fall in love. Rights have sold in 19 territories!

Embarrassed by your brother? Estranged from your uncle? Then you might need some help from Almost Family Surrogate Agency. Cam Redden and his dad are rent-a-relatives, available for hire to anyone looking to upgrade. Cam’s job is all about being whoever other people want him to be. Then two new clients come along. Albertina is an old lady with a big mouth, a bigger wig and a serious mission. Raylene is a beautiful girl with a nose ring, a wonky eye and a painful secret. Now to get to the bottom of the tragic mysteries that fuel them both, Cam may finally have to be himself.

In this YA novel, Dot enlists the aid of a local boy in her search for clues about the parents who abandoned her as a newborn.

In early June, 1964, the Benevolent Home for Necessitous Girls burns to the ground and its vulnerable residents are thrust out into the world. The orphans, who know no other home, find their lives changed in an instant. Arrangements are made for the youngest residents, but the seven oldest girls are sent on their way with little more than a clue or two to their past and the hope of learning about the families they have never known. On their own for the first time in their lives, they are about to experience the world in ways they never imagined. Bestselling authors Kelley Armstrong, Vicki Grant, Marthe Jocelyn, Kathy Kacer, Norah McClintock, Teresa Toten and Eric Walters teamed up to create this series of linked YA novels. Readers can discover all seven Secrets in any order in this thrilling collection. This collection includes the seven following titles: The Unquiet Past Small Bones A Big Dose of Lucky Stones on a Grave My Life Before Me Shattered Glass Innocent

Mick decides that his long-term relationship with Jade is finally over. After ending it, he realizes the hardest part will be saying goodbye to her little brother, Gavin, who suffers from severe migraines. Mick''s friends suspect that Jade''s constant calls for help are just too convenient to be real. What are the chances Gavin would relapse every time Mick is out with someone new? Mick admits they''re not very good—but he''s seen the boy. A four-year-old can''t fake an illness like that. Turns out both Mick and his friends are right. This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for teen readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read!

Dan Hogg is thrilled when his uncle offers him some work at a food fair, because he wants money to hire a professional trainer to help him with his scrawny physique. Dan''s excitement vanishes when he learns that the job is dressing up in a hotdog costume and handing out samples. Every dark cloud has its silver lining, Dan discovers, when he, or rather Frank Lee Better, his mascot persona, gains the attention of a pretty girl named Brooke. The attention is great until Dan finds himself under attack from Cupcake Katie and a mysterious guy with a strange interest in Brooke. It''s not until he''s huddling in a bathroom in nothing but his tight white underwear that Dan begins to suspect Brooke''s attention might be too good to be true. This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for middle-grade readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read!

Paddy loves his family, all except for his annoying stepfather Anthony. When they have a discussion about his future, Paddy overreacts and threatens to join the army. Unable to back down, he finds he is alienating everyone around him. And when he takes the physical exam and learns his blood type, his world starts to crumble and he starts to question everything he thought he knew.

Ria is rich, slim, pretty, and popular. If you only knew her at school, you''d think she led a charmed life—and until recently you''d have been right. But her situation has taken a sudden, unfortunate change. Her parents'' seemingly perfect marriage has broken up, and before she''s had a chance to absorb the blow, her beloved father disappears in a plane crash. What''s worse, rumors begin to surface that he may have perpetrated a multimillion-dollar investment scam and everybody—Ria''s mother, her best friends, even her boyfriend—believes them. Ria sees no choice but to take her little brother and run. She vows to keep the memory of her father alive. Soon, though, she begins to wonder: is her memory playing tricks on her—or is he? Also available in Spanish or French. The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.

Key Selling Points New, enhanced features (dyslexia-friendly font, cream paper, larger trim size) to increase reading accessibility for dyslexic and other striving readers. Vicki Grant is the author of many books including In the Buff, Hold the Pickles and Pigboy in the Orca Currents line.

Cyril MacIntyre, son of firebrand lawyer Andy MacIntyre, smells something fishy about one of his mother''s cases. And it''s not just that there are sea lice in the coffee. When Cyril starts investigating the death of a millionaire inventor, he gives a whole new meaning to the term "legal aid." Long on smarts and short on—well, just plain short, Cyril tangles with deranged criminals, indulges in a little bit of B & E and confronts the scariest person in the world—his mother.

When Chris finds a wallet on the street he tries to return it to its owner. In trouble at home and at school, Chris is struggling to do the right thing. However, as circumstances slowly start unraveling and his whole life appears headed down the drain, Chris realizes that the person who owns the wallet looks a lot like him and has a life he would do almost anything for. What if he switched identities? What if he became someone else? This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for teen readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read! Available in Spanish as Identificación.

Key Selling Points New, enhanced features (dyslexia-friendly font, cream paper, larger trim size) to increase reading accessibility for dyslexic and other striving readers.

Frances works the night shift at a local convenience store, dividing her time between restocking shelves and working on her art. Her routine is broken one night when Devin comes into the store. He claims to be the son of a famous local artist and offers her advice on her drawings. Although he seems to know way too much about her, Frances decides, against the advice of her boyfriend, that he is odd but harmless. By the time she realizes the danger she is in, Devin is completely obsessed with her and convinced that if he can''t have her, no one will. Frances will be forced to use all her strength to escape from Devin. Available in Spanish as Un trabajo sin futuro.

Telly Mercer is shy and quiet, used to living in the shadow of her older sister, Bess. Then she finds herself on the set of a puppet show, staying out of the way of her overstressed aunt Kathleen. One evening she makes a surprising discovery that launches her on an adventure with an unpredictable and angry puppet.