The Swallow's Flight by Hilary McKay

Erik and Hans are German boys. Ruby and Kate are English girls. They grow up in worlds that would never meet, until war tumbles their lives together.

Then one September afternoon there are choices to be made.

How is courage lost, and found?
Who is really the enemy?
And what does friendship truly mean, in the middle of a war?
Meanwhile Rupert and Clarry work secretly for peace – and a brighter future for them all . . .  

Happy #BookBirthday

Happy Thursday, everyone! This week we have EIGHT books from our lists publishing.

Noah's Gold by Frank Cottrell-Boyce and Steven Lenton

Being the smallest doesn't stop you having the biggest ideas.

Eleven-year old Noah sneaks along on his big sister's geography field trip. Everything goes wrong! Six kids are marooned on an uninhabited island. Their teacher has vanished. They're hungry. Their phones don't work and Noah has broken the internet. There's no way of contacting home . . . Disaster!

Until Noah discovers a treasure map and the gang goes in search of gold.  

Your Body by Harriet Evans and Lirios Bou

What’s in your body? Have you ever been shown?
That you have a skeleton,
made up of… BONES!

Tug the tab to reveal all that hides in your insides. From nose to toes, there’s plenty to discover with the magically dissolving windows in this bright board book.

The Yearbook by Holly Bourne

Most likely to...be forgotten
Working on the school newspaper, Paige is used to dealing with fake stories. How popular girl Grace is a such an amazing person (lie). How Laura steals people's boyfriends (lie). How her own family are so perfect (lie).

Now Grace and friends have picked their "best" high-school moments for Paige to put in the all-important Yearbook. And they're not just fake. They're poison.

But Paige has had enough of all the lies in her life. And with the help of Elijah - the only boy who could ever understand her - she's going to reveal the truth.

Weekly Roundup

Happy Sunday, all! Welcome to this week's roundup of everything we did this week!

Blog tour: Things to do Before the End of the World by Emily Barr

One minute you're walking in the park, hiding from a party. Then you discover that the next nine months will probably be your last. Everyone's last. You realise that you happen to be alive at the time when your species becomes extinct.
You have to decide whether to go with it meekly like you usually do, or to do something brave, to live your last months with all the energy and bravery you can muster, to rage against the dying of the light.

Olivia struggles to live her real life as fully as she wants to. She plans out conversations and events in her head but actually doing them and interacting with other people is hard. When the news breaks that humans have done such damage to the earth that there's only nine months of safe air left everybody makes bucket lists and starts living their best lives - everyone, that is, but Olivia who is still struggling to figure out who she wants to be.

Then out of the blue comes contact from a long-lost cousin Olivia didn't even know exsisted. Natasha is everything Olivia wants to be and more. And as the girls meet up for their last summer on earth Olivia finds Natasha's ease and self-confidence having a effect on her. But what if Natasha isn't everything she first appears to be . . . ?  

The Exploding Life of Scarlett Fife by Maz Evans

Scarlett Fife has BIG FEELINGS. And when she has BIG FEELINGS, they explode out of her like an over-squeezed stress ball.

Scarlett’s in big trouble after a BIG FEELINGS episode leads to a runaway hamster getting into the vicar’s trousers at her aunty’s engagement party. If she loses her temper ONE MORE TIME, she’s going to miss out on her trip to Mega Awesome Sicky Fun World, the best theme park on the planet.

But feelings are like slime in a party bag. No matter how much someone tells you to keep it in, it’ll always find its way out. And very soon, Scarlett notices that every time she pushes her feelings down, something explodes. Like … really, properly explodes.

It might be her teacher’s slimy green smoothie. A huge pot of purple paint. Or a massive pile of elephant poo at the zoo. And let’s hope Scarlett doesn’t get mad at Aunty’s wedding – that wedding cake is HUGE …  

Sea by Britta Teckentrup

Discover a world beneath the waves that is teeming with life, from tiny graceful seahorses to darting tropical fish and from electric eels to humpback whales. A colourful array of sea creatures is brought to life by award-winning illustrator Britta Teckentrup in this delightful peep-through picture book.

If You Were There by Francisco Garcia

A powerful, evocative and deeply personal journey into the world of missing people

When Francisco Garcia was just seven years old, his father, Christobal, left his family. Unemployed, addicted to drink and drugs, and adrift in life, Christobal decided he would rather disappear altogether than carry on dealing with the problems in front of him. So that’s what he did, leaving his young wife and child in the dead of night. He has been missing ever since.

Twenty years on, Francisco is ready to take up the search for answers. Why did this happen and how could it be possible? Where might his father have gone? And is there any reason to hope for a happy reunion? During his journey, which takes him all across Britain and back to his father’s homeland of Spain, Francisco tells the stories of those he meets along the way: the police investigators; the charity employees and volunteers; the once missing and those perilously at risk around us; the families, friends and all those left behind.

If You Were There is the moving and affecting story of one man’s search for his lost family, an urgent document of where we are now and a powerful, timeless reminder of our responsibility to others.

Happy #BookBirthday!

 Happy Thursday, all! This is a middling busy week, with FOUR books from our various lists publishing.

We Were Wolves by Jason Cockcroft

Boy lives in a caravan on his own in the woods. His dad, John, is in prison and promises to get out soon. All the boy needs to do is survive alone for a little while longer.

But dark forces are circling - like the dangerous man in the Range Rover, who is looking for his stolen money. And then there are the ancient forces that have lain asleep in the woods for an age...

Sometimes: A Book of Feelings by Stephanie Stansbie and Elisa Paganelli

Your body’s full of feelings:
like the tide, they ebb and flow. Sometimes they lift you high
and sometimes they bring you low.

This heart-warming introduction to feelings follows a brother and sister as they navigate the highs and lows of their day. From fear to bravery, anger to peace, this gentle story in pictures offers a simple guide to life.

Supernatural Tarot Deck and Guidebook by Minerva Siegal and Matthew Skiff

The long-running television series Supernatural is now an illustrated tarot deck! Featuring original artwork inspired by classic tarot iconography, the 78-card deck includes all your favorite characters from Sam and Dean to Bobby Singer to Castiel to Crowley. The deck also comes with a helpful guidebook explaining the meaning of each card as well as a few simple spreads for easy readings. It’s the perfect gift for Supernatural fans and tarot enthusiasts alike!

 

(Please note this review is image heavy.)

Weekly #Roundup

Happy Sunday, all! Here is your regular roundup of our activity this week, just in case you missed anything!

An Alphabet of Animals by Harriet Evans and Linda Tordoff

Which animals are hiding behind the alphabet in this stylish lift-the-flap book? Uncover a colourful collection of creatures from snappy alligator to happy zebra as your little one learns their ABC!

Meet Cute Diary by Emery Lee (mild spoilers)

Noah Ramirez thinks he’s an expert on romance. He has to be for his popular blog, the Meet Cute Diary, a collection of trans happily ever afters. There’s just one problem—all the stories are fake. What started as the fantasies of a trans boy afraid to step out of the closet has grown into a beacon of hope for trans readers across the globe.

When a troll exposes the blog as fiction, Noah’s world unravels. The only way to save the Diary is to convince everyone that the stories are true, but he doesn’t have any proof. Then Drew walks into Noah’s life, and the pieces fall into place: Drew is willing to fake-date Noah to save the Diary. But when Noah’s feelings grow beyond their staged romance, he realizes that dating in real life isn’t quite the same as finding love on the page.

In this charming novel by Emery Lee, Noah will have to choose between following his own rules for love or discovering that the most romantic endings are the ones that go off script.

Happy #BookBirthday!

Happy Thursday! This is a slightly busier week on the blog, with FIVE books from our various lists publishing.

Wolfstongue by Sam Thompson

Deep in the forest, foxes live in an underground city built by the wolves they enslaved. Using the power of speech, they keep the wolves under their harsh rule. Wolves Isengrim, Hersent and their pups use secret passages to move between the animal and human worlds. When Isengrim is injured, a young boy named Silas comes to his aid. Silas finds speech difficult, but as his friendship with the wolves grows, he must fight to protect his new friends, and find his own voice.

Inspired by the author’s own son’s difficulty with speech and his love of wolves, Wolfstongue is a beautifully written, thoughtful fantasy adventure that has the feel of a future classic in making.

The Crocodile who came for Dinner by Steve Smallman and Joelle Dreidemy

Hotpot and Wolf have found an egg. A CROCODILE egg! Is the crocodile a fearsome, ferocious beast? No! He’s snuggly, cuddly and looking for some friends.

GROW by Isabel Otter and Pau Morgan

The seeds are ready to GROW!

Explore the magic of seeds that grow and use clever peek-through holes to reveal the journey from seed to plant.


Made from 100% recycled board.

The Astonishing Future of Alex Nobody by Kate Gilby Smith

Have you ever thought what it might be like if you were famous in the future? A brilliant middle-grade adventure for fans of Ross Welford - a story about friendship, courage and embracing our talents even when they make us stand out.

On the day Alex was born, crowds surrounded the hospital. On her first day of school, people spied from the gates. And recently, strangers came to watch her perform in her school play ... as the llama.

But why? Alex has always been a nobody.

Then a mysterious boy named Jasper starts at school and he alone seems to know the answer. But before he can tell Alex, he disappears ... into the year 2100. Can Alex brave traveling into the future to discover what's happened to him and to unravel the secret of her own astonishing destiny ... before time runs out?

Isadora Moon meets the tooth fairy! By Harriet Muncaster

 

Isadora has a wobbly tooth! Vampires frame their fangs, but fairies leave teeth for the tooth fairy. Isadora isn't sure what to do until one night she meets a magical mouse called Mignonette.

With Mignonette's help, Isadora will make a new tradition. One that is totally unique, just like her!

Weekly roundup

Happy Sunday, everyone! We've had a busy week here on the blog, so here's your regular roundup in case you missed anything.

Flossie McFluff by Eoin O'Brien and Audrey Dowling

In a deep leafy wood, by a slow-moving stream,
Where butterflies flutter through golden sunbeams,
Lives a beautiful fairy called Flossie McFluff.
She’s tiny and shiny, but Flossie is tough.


She has magical powers; she knows magic words;
And she cares for the trees and the bees and the birds.
Wee Flossie lives high in an ancient oak tree,
And lives for adventure, as we shall soon see …

Three stories in rhyme about a little fairy who looks after the forest.

In the first tale, she gives some litter louts a scare, then she helps a lonely banshee find some friends, and finally helps her leprechaun friend Paddy Potts find his missing gold.

Rogue: Untouched by Alisa Kwitney

 

Rogue’s frightening new mutant powers keep her at arms-length from the world, but two strangers offer a chance to change her life forever, in this exhilarating Marvel Super Hero adventure

Young Rogue’s life is a mess: she lives alone in an abandoned cabin, works a terrible diner job and hides from everyone. The powers she has started to develop are terrifying her. When your first kiss almost kills the guy, it’s hard to trust anyone – even yourself. Then two people arrive in town who could change her life, and she finally gets a choice: follow a mysterious billionaire who says she’s scouting for gifted interns, or the handsome card shark with eerie red eyes. Except they’re not the only ones watching her… Rogue will have to trust in herself and accept the powers she’s trying to suppress to decide her own fate – before someone else does.

The End of Men by Christina Sweeney-Baird

Only men are affected by the virus; only women have the power to save us all.

The year is 2025, and a mysterious virus has broken out in Scotland--a lethal illness that seems to affect only men. When Dr. Amanda MacLean reports this phenomenon, she is dismissed as hysterical. By the time her warning is heeded, it is too late. The virus becomes a global pandemic--and a political one. The victims are all men. The world becomes alien--a women's world.

What follows is the immersive account of the women who have been left to deal with the virus's consequences, told through first-person narratives. Dr. MacLean; Catherine, a social historian determined to document the human stories behind the "male plague;" intelligence analyst Dawn, tasked with helping the government forge a new society; and Elizabeth, one of many scientists desperately working to develop a vaccine. Through these women and others, we see the uncountable ways the absence of men has changed society, from the personal--the loss of husbands and sons--to the political--the changes in the workforce, fertility and the meaning of family.

In The End of Men, Christina Sweeney-Baird creates an unforgettable tale of loss, resilience and hope.

This can never not be real by Sera Milano

 

FIVE TEENAGERS
WITH NOTHING IN COMMON,
THROWN TOGETHER
BY AN ACT OF TERRORISM,
CAN'T SURVIVE THE NIGHT
WITHOUT EACH OTHER.

In the unremarkable town of Amberside, the unthinkable has happened: Terrorists have attacked a local festival. No one knows why, and no one knows who the attackers are, but that doesn’t matter. What matters first is survival. And what matters after that is survival, too.

In this brilliantly written account of hope, humour and humanity, five ordinary teenagers are caught up in a truly extraordinary situation. It’s a heart-pounding and gripping account of the fight for survival, told from multiple perspectives, as the attackers prowl the festival grounds.

Happy #Bookbirthday!

Happy Thursday! This week we have only ONE book from our lists publishing, but it's a good one.

Scattered: Zommunist Bk 3 by Camille Picott

America, 1985. Anton can’t forgive his brother’s stupidity. Furious his elder sibling left on a mission without rescuing their captured family friends, the hot-headed teenager impetuously sets off to run his own dangerous extraction. But his reckless infiltration into the Soviet’s prison camp only results in his own apprehension.

Nonna never forgot war’s cold caress. A gritty WWII survivor, she’ll do whatever it takes to prepare the boy in her care from an imminent mutant zombie attack. But when she learns the youngster’s secret, she’s terrified his life is already forfeit.

Brutally tortured for the location of their remaining stronghold, Anton can barely hold on one second longer when he’s unexpectedly rescued by a desperate defector. And with the regrets from her past only fueling her protective instincts, Nonna vows to sacrifice everything to shelter her young charge.

Can they survive the conflict’s ugly reality and save the lives of those they love?

Scattered is the redemptive third tale in the Zommunist Invasion zombie apocalypse series. If you like startling bravery, gruesome battles with the undead, and deeply drawn characters, then you’ll be gripped by Camille Picott’s edge-of-your-seat story.

The Super Secret Diary of Holly Hopkinson by Charlie P Brooks and Katy Riddell

 

 These are the memoirs of ME, Holly Hopkinson, aged almost ten, except without any of the rubbish adults usually put in, thank you very much.

My dad just lost his job, which means me and the rest of my family have to leave London and move to the middle of nowhere, which is a TOTAL DISASTER! There’s no Wi-Fi, the local kids are FERAL and there’s animal poo EVERYWHERE.

But then for my birthday, my eccentric aunt gave me a magic pocket watch, which I can use to hypnotise and CONTROL people. I actually wanted a new phone, but I won’t complain because this new power is REALLY FUN and has led to the MOST unexpected things – including a visit to the QUEEN.

Maybe the countryside isn’t so bad after all…

Blog Tour: Borrowed Treasure by Jessica Tastet

 

Congratulations to author, Jessica Tastet on the release of her latest novel, Borrowed Treasure! Read on for more info and a chance to win a digital copy of the book!

The Wild by Owen Laukkanen

FROM THIS MOMENT ON, YOU'RE A BEAR CUB. YOU'LL LEARN RESPONSIBILITY AND RESPECT. HOW TO SURVIVE. IT'S EASIER IF YOU JUST ACCEPT IT.

Dawn isn't a bad person--she's just made some bad choices: wrong guy, wrong friends, wrong everything. But she wasn't expecting her parents to pay a boatload of money to ship her off to OUT OF THE WILD, a wilderness boot camp with a bunch of other messed up kids to learn important "life lessons." It's true that Dawn and the other cubs will learn a lot--but it's not what any of them expect. Because what happens in the woods isn't what their parents planned. Sometimes plans go very wrong. And this is one of those times. Suddenly Dawn is more scared than she's ever been in her life. And you will be too.

Weekly #Roundup

 Happy Sunday! We've had a good week here on the blog. Here's the roundup in case you missed anything!

Her Last Holiday by CL Taylor

You come to the retreat to be healed. You don’t expect to die.

Two years ago, Fran’s sister Jenna disappeared on a wellness retreat in Gozo that went terribly wrong.

Tom Wade, the now infamous man behind Soul Shrink Retreats, has just been released from prison after serving his sentence for the deaths of two people. But he has never let on what happened to the third victim: Jenna.

Determined to find out the truth, Fran books herself onto his upcoming retreat – the first since his release – and finds herself face to face with the man who might hold the key to her sister’s disappearance. The only question is, will she escape the retreat alive? Or does someone out there want Jenna’s secrets to stay hidden?

The master of suspense is back. Prepare yourself for the latest heart-in-mouth rollercoaster ride from the Sunday Times bestseller.

Turtle Rescue by Jonny Marx and Xuan Le

Join Flora and Fauna, the world’s GREATEST explorers, as they hang up their ice picks, put down their rucksacks and enjoy a well-deserved holiday. When the sea turtles stop showing up to lay their eggs in the golden sands, however, Flora and Fauna are called into action. They must sail to the reef to investigate, but it looks like an ENORMOUS storm is brewing…With flaps and paper effects throughout, who knows what WILD creatures they’ll find along the way.

The Wild Girls by Phoebe Morgan

It’s been years since Grace, Felicity, Alice and Hannah were together – The Wild Girls, as they were once called, are no longer so wild. Alice has settled with a new baby and partner. Hannah is now a teacher. Grace has gone to ground. Only Felicity seems to have the same spark she once had.

And now Felicity has invited them all on the weekend of a lifetime – a mini-break in Botswana to celebrate her birthday, a chance to put that night two years ago behind them, when things went so very wrong between them, and their bomb-proof friendship was shattered for ever.

But on arriving at the luxury safari lodge, a feeling of unease settles on Grace, Hannah and Alice. Felicity isn’t there to meet them. There’s no sign of the party she promised. The awful phone signal means that they are on their own, in the wild…

It’s a weekend with a difference. But who is hunting who?

The Age of Dinosaurs by Steve Brusatte

Even though the dinosaurs roamed the earth millions of years ago, we’re still piecing together new information about these ancient animals.

Did you know that, on average, a new species of dinosaur is discovered every single week? Or that many dinosaurs had feathers? Or that there are even modern-day dinosaurs walking around right now?

New York Times bestselling author and acclaimed paleontologist Steve Brusatte writes about all the new discoveries he and his colleagues have made that help us better understand—and marvel at—these remarkable reptiles.

This exciting nonfiction book for ages 7 to 12 includes a glossary, pronunciation guide, and index, as well as photos throughout. A strong choice for the classroom and for independent reading, and a great source for reports using information direct from an expert in the field.

Fright Night by Maren Stoffels

Sofia isn't so sure about Fright Night. When she suggested it to her friends, she was only thinking of it as an excuse to get closer to Dylan. Now that it's happening, she's worried that spending the night in a deserted forest is a bad idea.

But it's totally safe--there's even a safe word if things get too intense. And they do. Sofia and her friends are forced to face their greatest fears, and suddenly? It's too late to turn back.

Happy #BookBirthday!

 Happy Thursday, all! This week was quieter than most, with only FIVE books from our lists publishing.

The Last Girl/The Mary Shelley Club by Goldy Moldavsky

New girl Rachel Chavez is eager to make a fresh start at Manchester Prep. But as one of the few scholarship kids, Rachel struggles to fit in, and when she gets caught up in a prank gone awry, she ends up with more enemies than friends.

To her surprise, however, the prank attracts the attention of the Mary Shelley Club, a secret club of students with one objective: come up with the scariest prank to orchestrate real fear. But as the pranks escalate, the competition turns cutthroat and takes on a life of its own.

When the tables are turned and someone targets the club itself, Rachel must track down the real-life monster in their midst . . . even if it means finally confronting the dark secrets from her past.

The Prison Healer by Lynnette Noni

Seventeen-year-old Kiva Meridan has spent the last ten years fighting for survival in the notorious death prison, Zalindov, working as the prison healer.

When the Rebel Queen is captured, Kiva is charged with keeping the terminally ill woman alive long enough for her to undergo the Trial by Ordeal: a series of elemental challenges against the torments of air, fire, water, and earth, assigned to only the most dangerous of criminals.

Then a coded message from Kiva’s family arrives, containing a single order: “Don’t let her die. We are coming.” Aware that the Trials will kill the sickly queen, Kiva risks her own life to volunteer in her place. If she succeeds, both she and the queen will be granted their freedom.

But no one has ever survived.

With an incurable plague sweeping Zalindov, a mysterious new inmate fighting for Kiva’s heart, and a prison rebellion brewing, Kiva can’t escape the terrible feeling that her trials have only just begun.

Cardboard Cowboys by Brian Conaghan

 

Even though I found him living in a house made of cardboard, Bruce is a massive legend. FACT. So this mine and Bruce's story. You don't have to believe it happened, but it did. All of it.

Nobody at school can see past Lenny's size to the person within. So when lessons get too tough, Lenny always goes to his bench to think. At least there no one can see him. Then one day, midway through lobbing his empty can of Irn-Bru into the canal he's stopped by Bruce. Bruce lives in a cardboard home hidden away by the banks, and he doesn't approve of kids messing up his front lawn …

But a bumpy start soon gives way to an unexpected friendship – and an epic road trip – that will change both of them for life ... 

Weekly roundup!

Happy Sunday, it's still Sunday just about! We had two blog tours this week, that was really fun but it did mean we had slightly fewer reviews instead.

The Mystery of the Golden Pyramid by Adela Norean and Aaron Cushley

 

A talking dog. A jewelled casket. A quest for stolen treasure . . . Join Sophie on a magical Egyptian adventure. Lift the flaps and peep through the die-cuts to help her save King Nebra and solve the mystery of the golden pyramid.

A lift-the-flap, action-packed adventure story!

Mirabelle Breaks the Rules by Harriet Muncaster

Mirabelle's mum is a witch, her dad is a fairy, and she is a bit of both. When Mirabelle goes off to witch school she promises not to cause any mischief . . . But then potions class goes a bit wrong and flying practise is a disaster. Soon enough, Mirabelle finds herself getting up to some seriously mischievous behaviour. Hopefully, with the help of her best friend, Carlotta, she can put everything right before home time.

The Loop and The Block Blog Tour

Welcome to the blog tour! The Loop was one of last year's major releases, and I know many of you have been waiting very eagerly for the next part of this futuristic trilogy.  As we're discussing two books, you'll find the covers and descriptions after the jump.

Happy #BookBirthday!

Happy Thursday, everyone! We've been busier this week, with SEVEN books from our lists publishing this week. Follow the links to read the full reviews!

The Summer Job by Lizzy Dent

Have you ever imagined running away from your life?

Well Birdy Finch didn't just imagine it. She did it. Which might've been an error. And the life she's run into? Her best friend, Heather's.

The only problem is, she hasn't told Heather. Actually there are a few other problems...

Can Birdy carry off a summer at a luxury Scottish hotel pretending to be her best friend (who incidentally is a world-class wine expert)?

And can she stop herself from falling for the first man she's ever actually liked (but who thinks she's someone else)?

A snort-out-loud romcom for fans of The Flatshare.

Am Folctha, a Choinín Beag! by Jorg Muhle

It's bath time for Coinin beag.

Can you help to get him all fluffy and clean?

Little ones will love being asked to help in this fun, interactive story.

Blog Tour: Gifted by Andy Lewter

 

“I knew I was in mortal danger. But I was finally able to breathe again—with him by my
side. Then dangerous eyes bore into mine, and darkness overtook me . . .”

The last thing Abigail Everett thought would happen over spring break was having her
world shift into an entirely new perspective. Unfortunately for her, that’s exactly what happened.

Between struggling to master her newly-formed abilities, coming face-to-face with dark, deceiving mind tricks by those that seek her leadership, and learning of a mythical world that she never deemed possible, Abigail risks everything with the future of mankind and the safety of its’ people in her hands.

Weekly roundup

 Happy Sunday, all! This was a bit of a busier week on the blog.

The Gilded Girl by Alyssa Colman

In 1906 New York City, Miss Posterity’s Academy for Practical Magic is the best kindling school―and wealthy twelve-year-old Emma Harris is accustomed to the best. But when her father dies, leaving her penniless, Emma is reduced to working off her debts to Miss Posterity alongside Izzy, a headstrong servant girl who refuses to let her magic be snuffed out, even if society dictates she must. Emma and Izzy reluctantly form a pact: If Izzy teaches Emma how to survive as a servant, Emma will reveal to Izzy what she knows about magic. Along the way, they encounter shy libraries, quizzes that literally pop, and talking cats (that is, house dragons). But when another student’s kindling goes horribly wrong, Emma, Izzy, and their unexpected new friends embark on a journey to keep magic in the right hands . . . or else there’s a risk it will be snuffed out forever.

Heartfelt, fast-paced, and utterly absorbing, The Gilded Girl is Alyssa Colman’s sparkling debut novel about determination, spirit, and the magic of friendship.

The Sky Blues by Robbie Couch

Sky Baker may be openly gay, but in his small, insular town, making sure he was invisible has always been easier than being himself. Determined not to let anything ruin his senior year, Sky decides to make a splash at his high school’s annual beach bum party by asking his crush, Ali, to prom—and he has thirty days to do it.

What better way to start living loud and proud than by pulling off the gayest promposal Rock Ledge, Michigan, has ever seen?

Then, Sky’s plans are leaked by an anonymous hacker in a deeply homophobic e-blast that quickly goes viral. He’s fully prepared to drop out and skip town altogether—until his classmates give him a reason to fight back by turning his thirty-day promposal countdown into a school-wide hunt to expose the e-blast perpetrator.

But what happens at the end of the thirty days? Will Sky get to keep his hard-won visibility? Or will his small-town blues stop him from being his true self?

Happy #BookBirthday!

Happy Thursday, all! Welcome to the first #BookBirthday post for April. This week, we have six books from our various lists publishing.

Blog Tour: Damien Love

 Welcome to the Damien Love blog tour! We're celebrating the release of the second title in his Monstrous Devices series, and Damien has kindly provided all kinds of wonderful goodies for us, including a fascinating excerpt. You can find more about Damien's books here and here on Goodreads. More goodies below the jump...

Zoe Rosenthal is not Lawful Good by Nancy Werlin

Planning is Zoe Rosenthal’s superpower. She has faith in a properly organized to-do list and avoids unnecessary risks. Her mental checklist goes something like this: 1) Meet soulmate: DONE! 2) Make commitment: DONE! 3) Marriage: TO COME! (after college). She isn’t sure which college yet, but it will have a strong political science department, since her perfect boyfriend, Simon, plans to “save the country,” as his sister puts it, “and the planet and everything.” Zoe will follow along, the perfect serious, supportive girlfriend. It’s good to have her love life resolved, checked off, done. 

But speaking of unnecessary risks, Zoe’s on a plane to Atlanta, sneaking off to Dragon Con for the second season premiere of Bleeders. The show is subject to her boyfriend’s lofty scorn, but Zoe is nothing like these colorful hordes “wearing their inside on their outside.” Once her flirtation with fandom is over, she will get back to the important business of planning a future with Simon. The trouble is, right now, Bleeders—and her fellow “Bloodygits”—may just mean the world to her. 

Will a single night of nerdery be enough?

The Flipside of Perfect by Liz Reinhardt

 

AJ is a buttoned-up, responsible student attending a high-achieving high school in Michigan. She lives with her mother, stepfather, and two younger half sisters.

Della spends every summer with her father in Florida. A free-spirited wild child, she spends as much time as possible on the beach with her friends and older siblings.

But there’s a catch: AJ and Della are the same person. Adelaide Beloise Jepsen to be exact, and she does everything she can to keep her school and summer lives separate.

When her middle sister crashes her carefree summer getaway, Adelaide’s plans fall apart. In order to help her sister, save her unexpected friendship with a guy who might just be perfect for her, and discover the truth about her own past, Adelaide will have to reconcile the two sides of herself…and face the fact that it’s perfectly okay not to be perfect all the time.

Prom Theory by Ann LaBar

 

Iris Oxtabee has managed to navigate the tricky world of unspoken social interactions by reading everything from neuroscience journals to Wikipedia articles. Science has helped her fit the puzzle pieces into an understandable whole, and she’s sure there’s nothing it can’t explain. Love, for example, is just chemistry.

Her best friend Seth, however, believes love is one of life’s beautiful and chaotic mysteries, without need for explanation. Iris isn’t one to back down from a challenge; she’s determined to prove love is really nothing more than hormones and external stimuli. After all, science has allowed humanity to understand more complex mysteries than that, and Iris excels at science.

The perfect way to test her theory? Get the popular and newly-single Theo Grant, who doesn’t even know Iris exists, to ask her to prom. With prom just two weeks away, Iris doesn’t have any time to waste, so she turns her keen empirical talents and laser-focus attention to testing her theory.

But will proving herself correct cause her friendship with Seth—and the tantalizing possibility for something more—to become the failed experiment?

Weekly Roundup

 Happy Sunday, all! Welcome to this week's roundup post here on the blog. A pretty standard week, no blog tours, but we have not one, not two, but THREE coming up in the next couple of weeks!

The Incredible Record Smashers by Jenny Pearson

A record-smashing, feel-good adventure packed with heart, humour and Guinness World Records from Costa Award-shortlisted Jenny Pearson, and Kid Normal illustrator Erica Salcedo.

Lucy is a fixer of broken things. But there's one thing she can't fix and that's her unhappy mum. Until she comes up with an INCREDIBLE plan. Along with her best friend, Sandesh, Lucy is going to SMASH a world record. Because she's convinced that starry Paul Castellini - Record Smashers TV host and singing legend - is the answer to her mum's problems. But breaking a world RECORD when watermelons, kumquats, two baddies and a 30 cm shatter-resistant school ruler are involved isn't quite as easy as Lucy thought. Can she learn that sometimes happiness doesn't come with a plan?

The Outrage by William Hussey

 

Welcome to England, where the Protectorate enforces the Public Good. Here, there are rules for everything - what to eat, what to wear, what to do, what to say, what to read, what to think, who to obey, who to hate, who to love. Your safety is assured, so long as you follow the rules.

Gabriel is a natural born rule-breaker. And his biggest crime of all? Being gay.

Gabriel knows his sexuality must be kept secret from all but his closest friends, not only to protect himself, but to protect his boyfriend. Because Eric isn't just the boy who has stolen Gabriel's heart. He's the son of the chief inspector at Degenerate Investigations ­­­- the man who poses the single biggest threat to Gabriel's life.

And the Protectorate are experts at exposing secrets.