New Releases by Mary Casanova

Trinity Baird’s hope for independence is tenuous, especially when her family has the final say—and the power to lock her away In her third Rainy Lake historical drama, Mary Casanova takes us back to pristine and rugged northern Minnesota. It’s 1922, women have won the right to vote, and Trinity Baird is of age. But at 21, and after nearly two years at Oak Hills Asylum, she returns to her family’s island summer home with her self-confidence in tatters and her mind seared by haunting memories. Her parents are oblivious to what they have put her through and instead watch their daughter for the least sign of defiance. Trinity struggles to be the “respectable” young woman her parents (especially her mother) demand, so that she can return to her independent life studying art and painting in Paris. She never wants to go back to Oak Hills, where they “treat” hysterical, i.e., unconventional, young women. With enough talent and ambition to be accepted into the Sorbonne, Trinity had hoped she would be well on her way as an artist by now. On the island, she returns to what sustains her: painting. While her love for this beautiful place is deep and abiding, the few months ahead present a near-impossible task: recover the strong sense of self she’s nearly lost during her time away, while holding off her powerful family’s efforts to coerce her into submission. When her parents arrive on Baird Island, her father brings along a promising young architect to help with plans to build new guest cabins. Trinity suspects her parents are trying to introduce yet another marriage prospect. Or might she have found an ally? Informed by historical figures, by the burgeoning growth of women’s rights in the early twentieth century, and the complicated issue of mental illness and how “difficult” women were silenced, Waterfall offers a compelling story of an inspired, ambitious, and soulful young woman’s fight to find her way.

Lyrical words and elegant woodcuts capture the quiet beauty of the forest as day fades to night and autumn gives way to the North Woods winter While we are tucked in, snug in warm blankets as we listen to bedtime stories, the woods around us whisper another tale. As the golden leaves waft through the lengthening shadows, the loon sings one last lullaby, the whirring hummingbird takes one last sip, the industrious beaver saws one last branch for her lodge. Here, in enchanting words and woodcuts, is the magic of night falling and winter approaching in the North Woods. Hush Hush, Forest peers through twilight’s window at the raccoon preening, the doe and fawn bedding down, the last bat of the season flitting away. The owl surveys, the rabbit scurries, the bear hunkers, readying her den. Marking the rhythm between the falling leaf and the falling snowflake, picturing the rituals of creatures big and small as they prepare for the long winter’s sleep, this charming book captures a time of surpassing wonder for readers of all ages—and bids everyone in the hushed forest a peaceful good night.

When Kit arrives in Kentucky to visit her aunt and brother she finds trouble brewing and locals blaming the CCC workers, leaving Kit to find the real culprit before things get worse.

After a series of odd mishaps befall a young Broadway actress, Rebecca decides to find out if someone is trying to keep the starlet off the stage.

Walking on thin ice: on Rainy Lake, in the northern reaches of Minnesota, it’s more than a saying. And for Owen Jensen, nineteen and suddenly responsible for keeping his mother and five brothers alive, the ice is thin indeed. Ice-Out returns to the frigid and often brutal Prohibition-era borderland of Mary Casanova’s beloved novel Frozen, and to the characters who made it a favorite among readers of all ages. Owen, smitten with Frozen’s Sadie Rose, is struggling to make something of himself at a time when no one seems to hold the moral high ground. Bootlegging is rife, corruption is rampant, and lumber barons run roughshod over the people and the land. As hard as things seem when his father dies, stranding his impoverished family, they get considerably tougher—and more complicated—when Owen gets caught up in the suspicious deaths of a sheriff and deputy on the border. Inspired by real events in early 1920s Minnesota, and by Mary Casanova’s own family history, Ice-Out is at once a story of young romance against terrible odds and true grit on the border between license and responsibility, rich and poor, and right and wrong in early twentieth-century America.

Wake up, little one, a soft voice beckons, the world around you is already stirring. As Wake Up, Island gently rouses the sleepy child, it summons a world of nature coming to life on a summer island in the magical North Woods. Sunlit fingers touch the shores, pine trees stretch their limbs, and lichen warms on ancient rock. Doe and fawn rise from their grass bed and pearls of dew bead a spider’s finely woven web. Mallards skim the water’s surface. Ravens perch and gargle greetings, chickadees call dee, dee, dee, and a heron swoops—minnows flee! The moose and her calf wade, munching on plants. The red squirrel chatters. The black bear lazily scratches her back against a tree. Conjuring the morning life around a cabin fragrant with berry pancakes, this timeless book wakens the child in every reader to the wonders of nature that greet every new day in the charmed world of a northern woodland island.

Ten-year-old Grace is crushed to learn that her grandparents'' bakery might close after thirty years and wonders how her own business, which they inspired, can survive if theirs cannot, but she and her friends use their talents and newly-acquired business skills to try to save the day.

Libby wants a horse more than anything in the world. Since she is unable to have one of her own, she’s been doing stable chores for her neighbors, the Porters, for the past three years in exchange for riding lessons from Jolene Porter. Libby forms a special bond with the Porters’ prize Appaloosa, Thunder, but this arrangement comes crashing to an end when Jolene abruptly disappears. With Jolene gone, Mr. Porter refuses to let Libby visit Thunder any longer. Making matters worse, she soon discovers that he’s taking out his anger on his animals. With the help of Griff, a new boy in town, Libby devises a daring plan to steal Thunder. But how long can they stay on the run and keep Thunder safe, when Mr. Porter holds all the power?

Things have not been easy for thirteen-year-old Alex lately. Recent events have taken their toll on her family, and when drinking at a party lands her in the hospital, things only get worse. Her mother decides to send her away to spend the summer working with her father, an esteemed eagle researcher, on the wild and remote shores of Rainy Lake in Minnesota. The bugs, the outhouse, the isolation—it’s a whole different world from her home in California. The hardest part of Alex’s exile is dealing with her father who is sure that he knows it all. When he chooses not to save a pair of baby eagles whose nest is in peril, Alex sneaks off to help them anyway. Her rescue effort, however, goes wrong, and one of the eaglets falls out of the nest, breaking a wing. Alex is alone with the helpless eagle, stranded and completely exposed to the elements. Facing hunger, injury, and a bear, she quickly realizes that it will take resources she never knew she had just to keep herself and the bird alive.

Six years ago, twelve-year-old Marius lost his mother during the birth of his brother, Jean-Pierre, and her dying wish was that he watch over his brother. But because Jean-Pierre was born on Christmas Eve, villagers believe he is marked with the curse of the loup garou—the werewolf. Protecting Jean-Pierre has been a never-ending struggle as townsfolk constantly eye the boy with dread and suspicion. To make matters worse, his country is swept up in a hysterical campaign to find and destroy enemies of the Church, and now the villagers have made Jean-Pierre their target. Marius must defy the ruling institutions of the time to save his brother’s life—and his own. Winner of a 2001 Minnesota Book Award, Curse of a Winter Moon is a harrowing story of one boy’s fierce devotion to his family as he battles against prejudice and fear.

I hitched up my pony to my little red sleigh. My dog pranced and danced. "I want to play!" "You bet," I said, "just me and you in a one-dog sleigh." Harness bells jing-jing-jingle under branches frosted white, but is there enough room for everyone when squirrel, owl, lynx, and other forest animals ask to play? On the ten-year anniversary of One-Dog Canoe, the author-illustrator team of Mary Casanova and Ard Hoyt have created a winter version of their popular picture book. Filled with lyrical text, bouncy rhythm, and whimsical illustrations, this is one heart-warming and adventurous sleigh ride you won''t want to miss. Bundle up and climb aboard!

Twelve-year-old Seth wants to prove to his stepfather, the game warden, that he is responsible enough to use his shotgun on his own. Without permission, he takes matters into his own hands and shoots his first rabbit. He is worried about what his father will say when he finds out—and Seth himself is unsure of how he feels about it—but before he can confess, Seth’s life is turned upside down. In the woods near his house, he sees poachers slaughter a moose cow and injure her calf. Rather than tell his stepfather about the incident, Seth tries to save the calf, but the poachers know who he is and threaten his family. Can he rescue the moose and bring the poachers to justice? He has to try.

In this sequel to Mary Casanova’s exciting Moose Tracks, twelve-year-old Seth is back for a new adventure. A debate is brewing in his northern Minnesota town over the growing wolf packs and the programs that are in place for their protection. Although he fears them, Seth can’t help but want to see the wolves thrive. Seth’s feelings put him at odds with those who want to hunt wolves again—including his best friend Matt, whose family believes that the wolf population poses a serious threat to their livestock. Torn between his love of animals and his best friend, Seth is unsure of what to do. When Matt commits a horrible act of violence, Seth angrily abandons him in the woods, unaware that a blizzard is on the way. Now Seth must try to rescue his friend—but will he be able to save their friendship?

When Violet the cat is adopted she has trouble sharing her new kingdom with the family dogs until they save her from some home invaders.

Unable to speak or remember the events surrounding her mother''s mysterious death eleven years earlier, sixteen-year-old Sadie Rose, the foster child of a corrupt senator in 1920s northern Minnesota, struggles to regain her voice, memory, and identity.

Description will be available on launch date

This absorbing novel about the Norwegian resistance during WWII is as informative as it is riveting. An action-driven story of heroism and perserverance, this book captivates, while shedding light on a region often overlooked in WWII fiction.

Little Otter is ready for some action! Rustling leaves call to him. Sweet, spicy air beckons. The moon is as huge and golden as Owl’s eyes. So Little Otter sets off for some fun. But with wolves on the prowl, Little Otter’s adventures are a series of dizzying close calls. When he finally returns to his den, Little Otter’s family is all played out and ready for bed!

The pair behind "One-Dog Canoe" team up once again for this rollicking Wild West adventure that celebrates the power of books. Full color.

Sometimes—the more the merrier.

Chrissa Maxwell moves to a new school in the middle of the year, and the girls in her fourth-grade class are decidedly unfriendly. On the advice of her grandmother, Chrissa tries first to be nice, and then to ignore the mean girls. But they just won''t quit, and when the teasing turns into serious bullying, Chrissa must find the courage to stand strong and speak out.

After a day out on his own, Little Otter realizes that he still needs his family no matter how big he grows.

Kito, Chester, and Schmitty accompany their owners to Mexico for a quiet, relaxing vacation. However, the little village theyre staying in is excitedly awaiting the hatching of the sea turtle eggs. Soon, the Dog Watch Trio is called to action when a few nests are disturbed and eggs are stolen. Illustrations.

Chester would give up his comfy home to be a traveling stunt dog, but Kito doesn''t think the traveling stunt dog show is on the up and up.

Kito and the Dog Watch team of Pembrook, Minnesota must track down a burglar.

A stray dog moves into George''s formerly peaceful home, dazzling the man and woman of the house with lively tricks and antics that just leave George exhausted.

Mary Casanova and YOU gives readers the behind the scenes stories of Mary Casanova''s research and writing in her own words offering much information to help extend and enrich the reading experience and an intimate look at a writer and her work.

This seventh book in the Author and YOU series features the life and work of Mary Casanova, award-winning picture book author, and author of middle grade fiction. This title discusses her life and work and the researching, writing and illustrating of each of her books, books that often present challenges in nature and focus on relationships between people and the environment. Her most recent books, middle grade novels, include Jess--a book promoted by the American Girl publishers as their "Girl of the Year (2006)." The back story of each of Casanova''s books will provide ideas for lesson plans and connections for the teacher to make for and with young readers. Mary Casanova and YOU gives readers the behind the scenes stories of Casanova''s research and writing in her own words. She offers much information to help extend and enrich the reading experience and an intimate look at a writer and her work.

Something is lurking in the woods near Pembrook and scaring everyone so Dog Watch investigates.

The dogs of Pembrook, Minnesota, investigate when one of the town''s dogs mysteriously disappears.