**“Immersive and captivating. Thrilling in every sense of the word.” –KAREN M. MCMANUS, #1 New York Times bestselling author of One of Us is Lying and One of Us is Next
From #1 *New York Times *bestselling author Marieke Nijkamp comes a shocking new thriller about a group of friends who go to a cabin to play a murder mystery game…only to have the game turned against them. **
FIVE friends go to a cabin.
FOUR of them are hiding secrets.
THREE years of history bind them.
TWO are doomed from the start.
ONE person wants to end this.
NO ONE IS SAFE.
For five friends, this was supposed to be one last getaway before going their separate ways—a chance to say goodbye to each other, and to the game they’ve been playing for the past three years. But they’re all dealing with their own demons, and they’re all hiding secrets.
Finn doesn’t trust anyone since he was attacked a few months ago. Popular girl Liva saw it happen and did nothing to stop it. Maddy was in an accident that destroyed her sports career. Carter is drowning under the weight of his family’s expectations. Ever wants to keep the game going for as long as they can, at all costs.
When the lines between game and reality start to blend with deadly consequences, it’s a race against time before it’s game over—forever.
Are you ready to play?
Perfect for readers who love:
• teenage mystery books or YA horror
• LGBT stories about intersectional groups of friends
• Karen McManus, Gretchen McNeil, or Natasha Preston
Praise for Even If We Break:
“The darkly twisted ode to self-discovery briskly whisks an intersectionally inclusive group through a reasonably stormy, emotionally charged scenario that considers the sometimes-steep price of growing up and growing apart.”**—Publishers Weekly***
“An engaging read, providing readers with some solid suspense, and twists to sink their teeth into.”—Booklist ***
“A fast-paced thriller that will leave you both gushing over the geekiness and gasping over the game.”—Rachel Strolle, Glenside Public Library District
More Teen Thrillers by Marieke Nijkamp:
This Is Where It Ends
Before I Let Go
With pictures from the illustrator behind Last Week Tonight’s A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo, this delightfully punny story about ocean life, conservation, and cooperation is perfect for sparking conversations in the classroom and at home.
Walt is a proud lobstah whose greatest dream is winning the annual Swell Gahdens contest. But year after year that honor always goes to his chowdah-head neighbor Milton. One day, when heaps of gahbage show up in their yahds, the rival lobstahs must join forces to save their beloved gahdens from the trash floating down from above.
Our oceans are beautiful, colorful, diverse ecosystems that are home to over a million species of underwater creatures. Unfortunately, humans are putting our friends under the sea at risk by polluting Earth’s oceans daily. Lobstah Gahden will help kids understand the importance of conservation, and additional backmatter about sea life and pollution will give readers practical ways they can help preserve our oceans.
Story Thieves meets Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library in this wacky, hilarious, and fast-paced middle-grade series starter, with the perfect combination of magic, imagination, and adventure.
Javi Santiago is trying his best not to fail sixth grade. So, when the annual “invite any three people to dinner” homework assignment rolls around, Javi enlists his best friend, Wiki, and his sister, Brady, to help him knock it out of the park.
But the dinner party is a lot more than they bargained for. The family’s mysterious antique table actually brings the historical guests to the meal…and Blackbeard the Pirate is turning out to be the worst guest of all time.
Before they can say “avast, ye maties,” Blackbeard escapes, determined to summon his bloodthirsty pirate crew. And as Javi, Wiki, and Brady try to figure out how to get Blackbeard back into his own time, they might have to invite some even zanier figures to set things right again…
An adorable rhyming Halloween book with educational nonfiction elements woven in, perfect for classrooms and libraries!
Trick or treat, smell my feet, give me lots of BUGS to eat! Follow along as a young bat takes flight on Halloween night and eats lots of delicious bugs along the way! Includes educational backmatter with lots of fun facts about bats and their favorite insects.
From the New York Times and USA Today bestselling How to Catch series comes an all-new, hilarious school adventure!**
The class pets escaped from their cages and are running loose in your school! Lizards, hamsters, rabbits, and birds are on the loose… and a bearded dragon is leading the hilarious escape. Join the fun and find out if YOU have what it takes to catch these riotous pets on their wild field trip! Featuring an approachable school theme that kids will relate to plus cute animal characters and clever rhymes, this silly story will inspire repeat reads again and again.
Perfect for young readers and educators alike and a delight for fans of the bestselling series, this fun-filled picture book blends STEAM concepts with hilarity and chaos to encourage reading, learning, and imagination. Great for children ages 4-10, this book makes a delightful first day of school gift, appreciation gift for teachers, holiday stocking stuffer, graduation gift, or for read-aloud fun anytime of year!
All the class pets are on the loose, and each critter must be found!
We need your help setting traps before the school bell sounds!
Also in the How to Catch Series:
How to Catch a Unicorn
How to Catch a Dinosaur
How to Catch a Mermaid
How to Catch a Monster
How to Catch a Snowman
and more!
Three characters with their own agendas converge in a town filled with mediums, where most residents make their living speaking to the dead…and there’s no such thing as resting in peace.
Russ Griffin has always wanted to be a fantastic medium. Growing up in the town of St. Hilaire, where most residents make their living by speaking to the dead, means there’s a lot of competition, and he’s always held his own. But Russ knows the town he loves is corrupt, and he’s determined to save it before the sinister ruling body, The Guild, ruins all he’s ever wanted.
Willow Rogers is St. Hilaire royalty. An orphan, raised by The Guild, she’s powerful and mysterious. But she has secrets that might change everyone’s fate. She’s done with St. Hilaire, done with helping spirits move on. She wants to end the cycle for good and rid the town of ghosts, even if that means destroying the only home she’s ever known.
Asher Mullen lost his sister, and his parents can’t get over her death. They sought answers in St. Hilaire and were turned away. Now they want revenge. Asher is tasked with infiltrating the town, and he does that by getting to know Russ. The only problem is, he might be falling for him, which will make betraying him that much harder.
Russ, Willow, and Asher all have their own agendas for St. Hilaire, but one thing’s for certain, no one will be resting in peace.
This captivating book explores the real connection and communication that runs underground between trees in the forest. The well-researched details about trees’ own social network will help readers see that the natural world’s survival depends on staying connected and helping others—just like us!
Parents, teachers, and gift givers will find:
a beautiful story about our forests with scientifically accurate information
educational backmatter about this underground web of communication
a nature book that supports social emotional learning
The fascinating mycorrhizal fungi network runs underground through the roots of trees in the forest allowing for connection and communication. Readers will discover that trees have their own social network to help each other survive and thrive.
This captivating book explores the real connection and communication that runs underground between trees in the forest. The well-researched details about trees’ own social network will help readers see that the natural world’s survival depends on staying connected and helping others—just like us!
Parents, teachers, and gift givers will find:
a beautiful story about our forests with scientifically accurate information
educational backmatter about this underground web of communication
a nature book that supports social emotional learning
The fascinating mycorrhizal fungi network runs underground through the roots of trees in the forest allowing for connection and communication. Readers will discover that trees have their own social network to help each other survive and thrive.
Learn how to welcome new neighbors into your community, particularly when they might be far from home, in this uplifting and diverse picture book that champions human connection and inclusivity. After all, the world is everyone’s home and we’re one big family!
*
When we see someone new in our neighborhood, how can we help them feel safe and loved and important?
How can we tell them, you’re not alone?
There are so many ways!*
From the creators of Miry’s List, the nonprofit that has helped thousands of refugees, Our World is a Family is an all-ages picture book exploring the complicated topic of human migration in a gentle, loving, and affirming way. It lightly touches on the reason people might leave their homes, like climate change or lack of safety, and inspires children to welcome their new neighbors into their communities with love.
Learning is fun while discovering one of the most beautiful ecosystems in the world! Begin to appreciate the adorable baby animals in and around the coral reef like pufferfish that puff, gruntfish that grunt, and seahorses that flutter. Explore the world around you, and inspire a bond with nature through curiosity and wonder!
Parents, teachers and gift givers will find:
a book filled with baby animals from the coral reef.
educational backmatter about this habitat and the animals that live there.
a nature book to explore new and beautiful habitats!
The creative art will inspire many projects at home and at school! Kids will explore the coral reef habitat and learn about baby animals like octopus, clownfish, and more creatures around the ocean habitat in this bestselling book for young explorers!
From the award-winning author of Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna, Alda P. Dobbs, comes a compelling new novel about building a new life in America. Strong and determined, Petra Luna returns in a story about the immigrant experience that continues to be relevant today.**
Petra Luna is in America, having escaped the Mexican Revolution and the terror of the Federales. Now that they are safe, Petra and her family can begin again, in this country that promises so much. Still, twelve-year-old Petra knows that her abuelita, little sister, and baby brother depend on her to survive. She leads her family from a smallpox-stricken refugee camp on the Texas border to the buzzing city of San Antonio, where they work hard to build a new life. And for the first time ever, Petra has a chance to learn to read and write.
Yet Petra also sees in America attitudes she thought she’d left behind on the other side of the Río Grande—people who look down on her mestizo skin and bare feet, who think someone like her doesn’t deserve more from life. Petra wants more. Isn’t that what the revolution is about? Her strength and courage will be tested like never before as she fights for herself, her family, and her dreams.
Petra’s first story, Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna, was a New York Public Library Book of the Year and a Texas Bluebonnet Master List Selection.
How do we give young people the tools they need to actively dismantle racism and create a better world for everyone? From the author of the groundbreaking NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER, Me and White Supremacy, Layla Saad’s young readers’ edition is a timely, crucial, and empowering guide for today’s youth on how to be antiracist change makers.
Layla Saad meticulously updated the content for young readers to include:
definitions and history of various topics covered
sections to help readers process complex topics
no time limit—unlike the adult edition, this is not a 28-day challenge so readers can use this content for however long it takes to do the work
content that is approachable and applicable for those with and without white privilege
Me and White Supremacy has reached so many adults in their journeys to become better ancestors. This edition aims to teach readers how to explore and understand racism and white supremacy and how young readers can do their part to help change the world. Covering topics such as white privilege, white fragility, racist stereotypes, cultural appropriation, and more, Layla Saad has developed a brilliant introduction and deep dive that is sure to become a standard in antiracist education.
“This young readers’ edition empowers young people to have courageous conversations about race, power, and privilege with themselves first and then with others.” -Elisabet Velasquez, author of When We Make It
**The Hate U Give meets Internment in this pulse-pounding thriller about an impenetrable dome around Baltimore that is keeping the residents in and information from going out during a city-wide protest.
**
Jamal Lawson just wanted to be a part of something. As an aspiring journalist, he packs up his camera and heads to Baltimore to document a rally protesting police brutality after another Black man is murdered.
But before it even really begins, the city implements a new safety protocol…the Dome. The Dome surrounds the city, forcing those within to subscribe to a total militarized shutdown. No one can get in, and no one can get out.
Alone in a strange place, Jamal doesn’t know where to turn…until he meets hacker Marco, who knows more than he lets on, and Catherine, an AWOL basic-training-graduate, whose parents helped build the initial plans for the Dome.
As unrest inside of Baltimore grows throughout the days-long lockdown, Marco, Catherine, and Jamal take the fight directly to the chief of police. But the city is corrupt from the inside out, and it’s going to take everything they have to survive.
Mysterious disappearances. An urban legend rumored to be responsible. And one group of friends determined to save their city at any cost. Stranger Things meets Jordan Peele in this utterly original debut from an incredible new voice.
For over a year, the Bronx has been plagued by sudden disappearances that no one can explain. Sixteen-year-old Raquel does her best to ignore it. After all, the police only look for the white kids. But when her crush Charlize’s cousin goes missing, Raquel starts to pay attention—especially when her own mom comes down with a mysterious illness that seems linked to the disappearances.
Raquel and Charlize team up to investigate, but they soon discover that everything is tied to a terrifying urban legend called the Echo Game. The game is rumored to trap people in a sinister world underneath the city, and the rules are based on a particularly dark chapter in New York’s past. And if the friends want to save their home and everyone they love, they will have to play the game and destroy the evil at its heart—or die trying.
About Too Many Bubbles:
Help children master the skill of mindfulness in this new series focused on social-emotional growth!
Izzy the Mouse wakes up one day with a grumpy thought bubble hanging over her head. But instead of going away on its own, it multiplies. Soon, the thought bubbles are getting in the way of every part of Izzy’s life.
Something has to be done, though Izzy doesn’t know what. When she sees a bear blowing bubbles and realizes that a deep breath helps them float away, she tries a deep breathing exercise—and it helps her get rid of her grumpy thoughts for good.
About Brave Like Me:
Teach children to embrace their inner roar and become their bravest selves with the new Books of Great Character series that focuses on social-emotional growth!
Wyatt is a lion, which everyone knows means one things: he’s incredibly brave, like all lions. He performs daring acts of bravery all the time! But none of the other animals realize that Wyatt actually does have a fear; he’s scared of the stage.
When his friend’s hat is blown away by a gust of wind, Wyatt bravely offers to go save it. And when the hat blows onto a stage mid-performance, Wyatt must decide if he is capable of facing his fears for a good cause.
**In this illustrated, modern take on *The Phantom Tollbooth meets Harold and the Purple Crayon, author Stephanie Watson beautifully explores grief and creativity through an unforgettable fantasy world. *
Ever since she first learned to hold a crayon, Zora Webb has been unstoppable. Zora draws hamsters wearing pajamas and balloons and Lake Superior and pancakes and hundreds of horses. Her drawings fill sketchbooks and cover the walls of the happy home she shares with Frankie and their mother.
But when Zora’s mom is diagnosed with leukemia, everything changes. After months of illness, she dies, and with her goes Zora’s love of creation. Desperate to escape the pain, Zora scribbles out her artwork. Her dark, furious scribbles lift off the page and yank Zora and Frankie into Pencilvania, a magical world that’s home to everything Zora has ever drawn. And one drawing—a scribbled-out horse named Viscardi—is determined to finish the destruction Zora started.
Viscardi kidnaps Frankie, promising to scribble her and all of Pencilvania out at sunrise. Zora sets out to rescue her sister, venturing deep into Pencilvania—a place crawling with memories, dangers, and new friends. If she is to save Frankie, Zora will have to face the darkness that both surrounds her and is inside of her.
Nikki Grimes, Coretta Scott King Award winning author, and acclaimed illustrator Elizabeth Zunon’s latest children’s masterpiece is a whimsical adventure and rollicking celebration of playtime fun.
*“Time to get to work, little one,” I tell you.
“What work?” you ask.
Like always,
you pretend not to understand.
“Your job is called Play,” I say.*
Mom needs to wake up her child whose job is to play. From dancing in puddles to jumping in leaves, and swinging high enough to almost reach the sun, there’s so much to do in a fun-filled day.
For those seeking children’s books about diversity, this loving depiction of everyday shenanigans is sure to become a story time favorite. Playtime for Restless Rascals is an African American children’s book that celebrates imagination, playful moments, and the love between parents and child.
From award-winning author Julie Berry comes a middle-grade fantasy adventure full of humor, heart, and magic. Check out this discussion guide designed to accompany the book.
More about the book:
Be careful what you wish for …
Maeve Merritt chafes at the rigid rules at her London boarding school for “Upright Young Ladies.” When punishment forces her to sort through the trash, she finds a sardine tin that houses a foul-tempered djinni with no intention of submitting to a schoolgirl as his master.
Soon an orphan boy from the charitable home next door, a mysterious tall man in ginger whiskers, a disgruntled school worker, and a take-no-prisoners business tycoon are in hot pursuit of Maeve and her magical discovery. It’ll take all of her quick thinking and sass to set matters right. Maeve Merritt is one feisty heroine you won’t soon forget.
First published as an Audible Original in 2018
A Common Core aligned educator guide inspired by Patricia Forde’s The Last Lie.
In the powerful conclusion to the award-winning List duology, Letta must return from exile to fight for the people of Ark, even if it may cost her everything. The Last Lie is a dystopian adventure for tweens and teens and an important commentary on censorship, language, and the pursuit of freedom.