New Releases by Han Nolan

High school senior Scottie O''Doul searches for the truth behind the deadly car crash that claimed the lives of her twin sister and the high school football coach.

A National Book Award–winning author’s “moving” novel about “the emotional costs of mental illness, especially on teens forced to parent their own parents” (Booklist, starred review). His mother has died. His father is going crazy. For fifteen-year-old Jason, the only relief as he tries to hold things together is the group of imaginary friends who offer guidance as he tries not to draw attention to his father’s deteriorating condition—or to himself. But between the traumas of his childhood and the squalor and stress he’s dealing with right now, Jason’s attempts to remain invisible may not be enough. To find a solution to this very real problem, he just might have to reach out to some very real people . . . In this compelling story by the author of Dancing on the Edge, Han Nolan “balances weighty subject matter with humor, offering an intelligent portrayal of a boy’s slow release of burdens too heavy to carry alone” (Publishers Weekly).

The National Book Award-winning novel of a young girl’s coming of age, from the author of Send Me Down a Miracle. Twelve-year-old Miracle McCloy never liked the story of her remarkable birth, but her grandmother Gigi has always loved telling it. An expert in occult magic, Gigi insists that when Miracle was saved from her dead mother’s womb, it was an omen of greatness to come. But how can Miracle become a prodigy like her father when sometimes she feels like she doesn’t even exist? When her father suddenly vanishes without a trace, Miracle’s life starts feeling less miraculous by the day. The only time she feels whole is when she’s dancing—an activity her grandmother strictly forbids. But shortly after her thirteenth birthday, a life-threatening incident puts her whole world in a harsh new light. And though she does not emerge unscathed, Miracle might finally see the truth about her past, her family, and herself. “Extraordinary . . . Nolan does a masterful job of drawing readers into the girl’s mind and of making them care deeply about her chances for the future.” —School Library Journal (starred review) “Elaborately drawn characters that will surprise readers at every turn . . . Compelling.” —Booklist (starred review)

Married, pregnant, and living at a "fat camp" in Maine, sixteen-year-old Eleanor has many questions about her future, especially whether the marriage will last and if she should keep the baby.

After Grandma Mary dies, sixteen-year-old JP’s safe, secure world quickly unravels. He finds himself living in complete chaos when his mother wins a farmhouse in an essay contest and insists on sharing her good fortune with other neighborhood outcasts. Suddenly there are no rules, and the house is filled with poets, musicians, a reformed drug addict, an abused teen, and too many others who seem to have replaced JP and his father in his mother’s life. JP longs for his family to be restored to what it once was. But then somehow, amid the madness, his idea of family is redefined in ways he never expected.

It''s 1963 and fourteen-year-old Esther Young is looking for excitement. Cursed with a lack of talent in a family filled with artistic types, Esther vows to get some attention by initiating a summer romance with a black teen accused of murdering a white man in Alabama. King-Roy Johnson shows up on Esther''s doorstep that summer, an angry young man who feels betrayed by the nonviolent teachings of Martin Luther King Jr. Sent north by his mother to escape a lynch mob, he meets a follower of Malcolm X''s who uses radical teachings about black revolution to fuel King-Roy''s anger and frustration. But with each other''s help, both Esther and King-Roy learn the true nature of integrity and find the power to stand up for what is right and true. National Book Award-winning author Han Nolan brings readers a bold new voice--by turns funny and poignant, innocent and worldly--in this powerful coming-of-age story set during the turbulent struggle for civil rights.

The National Book Award–winning author “will hold readers rapt . . . for her exploration of the role of religion and faith in coming of age” (Publishers Weekly, starred review). Archibald Caswell could never please his domineering granddaddy Silas. Now with Granddaddy gone, Archie finds himself lost, confused, and wondering what his grandfather could have possibly meant by his dying words: “Young man, you are a saint!” Clare Simpson knows exactly what Silas meant. She convinces Archie to dedicate his life to God, give up his possessions, steal his granddaddy’s truck, and head north to the Cloisters in New York, where she and Archie secretly live after museum hours. For Clare the journey is a return to the only place where she has felt happy and loved. For Archie, the pilgrimage leads him to a closer relationship with God—and a burning desire for home. Includes a reader’s guide and an interview with the author. “Nolan returns to familiar terrain, where mysticism intersects madness, in this absorbing look at what happens when religion moves to center stage in two teenagers’ lives.” —Booklist “Nolan (Dancing on the Edge) poses thought-provoking questions about religious fervor, faith and reason in this mysterious tale of two lost teens.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) “Nolan demonstrates again that she is a masterful storyteller . . . Highly recommended.” —VOYA (5Q—highest rating) “This powerfully written novel is outstanding . . . scary, gripping, and gratifying.” —School Library Journal

Leshaya is a survivor. Rescued from the brink of death, this child of a heroin addict has seen it all: revolving foster homes, physical abuse, an unwanted pregnancy. Now, as her tumultuous childhood is coming to an end, she is determined to make a life for herself by doing the only thing that makes her feel whole . . . singing. Han Nolan pulls no punches in this hard-hitting story of a girl at the bottom who dreams of nothing but the top. The ebook includes a sample chapter from PREGNANT PAUSE.

A sleepy, God-fearing community in Alabama erupts in chaos when a flamboyant artist from New York City returns to her hometown for an artistic experiment. “A fresh voice and an enigmatic subject combine to make kids engage in an activity they probably don’t do much-contemplate.” —Booklist

A neo-Nazi teen is transported back in time to World War II Poland, where she is now a Jewish girl in a Nazi ghetto.