New Releases by Nancy Springer

The art of storytelling and the power of a mother’s love imbue this feminist fantasy novel—a contemporary riff on the tale of the frog prince Once upon a time there was a middle-aged woman whose husband dumped her the month after their twentieth anniversary . . . Divorced, overweight Buffy Murphy is not a happy camper. One April afternoon, she walks into the woods . . . and meets a talking bullfrog. He asks her to kiss him so he can transform back into his princely self. This being modern-day Pennsylvania, Buffy figures she’s better off with a talking amphibian than a cheating husband, so she takes him home. The fun really starts when her rebellious teenage daughter, Emily, kisses him. Suddenly, Emily and her handsome prince have vanished into the land of Fair Peril, an enchanted realm that can only be accessed through a portal in the local mall. Aided by a gay librarian named LeeVon and hindered by her fairy-godmother-in-law, Fay, Buffy shuttles back and forth between the real world and Fair Peril. Does Emily really want to be rescued, or does she just need someone to love her? It’s up to Buffy to figure out the key to reclaiming her daughter—and maybe herself, as well.

Winner of the Edgar Award: When Tuff’s brother is killed, he loses the best friend he ever had—but he may be about to find the father he never knew Tuff was there when Dillon died. Riding behind his older brother on the back of his dirt bike, Tuff saw it all—except who shot him. Now Tuff has no one. When his mother, too drunk to know which way is up, hears the news that her son has died, her response is, “Well, one less to worry about.” Tuff has never been close to his half siblings either. Dillon was all he had, and now he’s is gone. Tuff is no crybaby. He’s used to fending for himself. With a picture of Dillon in his pocket, he leaves home—but not before his mother reveals the identity of the boys’ father. What started out as a search for justice soon becomes much more. Dillon and Tuff had dreamed of finding their father their whole lives. With Dillon gone, can their dreams of family happiness be realized?

When a strange and wild boy walks into her life, Tess is forced to confront a past she had long ago forgotten Fourteen-year-old Tess can’t remember the first ten years of her life—and if they were anything like her life now, she’d prefer that they stay forgotten. Since her mother’s death, she and her disabled stepfather have lived without a phone, electricity, or even much food on the table. At school, her classmates think she’s weird, but she’s bigger and stronger than all of them. And at least she has music to keep her company. When a mysterious stranger named Kamo shows up looking for his dad, he is convinced that Tess and her stepfather may have the answers he’s been searching for. The more time she spends with Kamo, the more she realizes how much they have in common. Then she hears a song on the radio called “Secret Star”—a song so mesmerizing that every time she hears it, Tess’s past comes bubbling up, and she knows she won’t be able to keep it hidden for much longer . . .

Perfect Trisha and troublemaker Donni couldn’t be more different—but neither of them knows what to do when their parents get a divorce After Donni and Trisha’s parents split up, Donni goes to live with their dad and Trisha goes with their mom. Donni is nothing like her older sister, Trisha the Perfect, who gets good grades and never does anything wrong. All Donni is interested in is art. Since the divorce, she’s been in trouble practically every day. But after she smears paint on another girl’s shirt and an adult asks her about the divorce, all hell breaks loose. Since Donni is always in trouble, no one seems to notice that Trisha is also having a hard time with things at home. With no one to confide in, Trisha pours her heart out about everything—her parents, her sister, her hopes for the future—in her journal. What she wants more than anything is for Donni to talk to her about how she’s feeling. But after Donni does something terrible, maybe unforgivable, the two sisters might never be friends again.

Dusie is having a bad day of mythological proportions Dusie wakes up one morning to a hissing sound. As she catches her reflection in the mirror, she finds that her hair has turned into snakes. That’s right—snakes. But her mom seems totally unfazed. That’s because underneath the turban, Dusie’s mom has a crown of vipers. She is an immortal gorgon—a kind of goddess—and had hoped Dusie wouldn’t inherit the family curse since her father was a mortal, but it looks like Dusie is stuck with it too. Middle school is tough enough without being cursed, and Dusie—or Dusssie, as the snakes call her—is about to learn that being half gorgon comes with its own set of challenges. She tries to keep her snakes hidden, but when a boy at school nearly blows her cover, Dusie is desperate to figure out a way to control her newfound powers. Growing up, with or without snakes for hair, isn’t kid stuff.

Winner of the Edgar Award: A search to find her parents becomes a quest that shakes Jamie Bridger’s identity to its core Raised by her grandparents, fourteen-year-old Jamie Bridger has never known who her parents are. When she presses for details, her grandmother protests that she doesn’t remember things that happened years ago, and her grandfather reacts by flying into a rage. But who could forget the birth of their only grandchild? And how could a mother give up her baby for good? Shouldn’t Jamie’s parents have tried to get in contact with her? Jamie is determined to find answers, and she’ll go to any lengths to get them, even if it means traveling all the way to New York to find a man who shares her name—a man she believes to be her father. But as she starts to put together the pieces of her past, Jamie learns that the truth is more shocking than anything she could have anticipated.

Gray’s life changes forever when she meets a boy as wild as an untamed stallion When Chav walks into Gray’s class at school for the first time dressed all in black, with wild hair and fierce eyes, Gray knows that her life is about to change. What she doesn’t yet know is that her mysterious new classmate is as fascinated by her as she is by him. Gray and Chav are drawn to each other by their shared love of horses. But Chav’s home life is more complicated than Gray could ever have imagined. Chav is a Gypsy and doesn’t trust gadjo, or non-Gypsy people. He and his siblings have run away from a painful past and he will do anything to defend his family. But when his brother and sister suddenly get sick, Chav needs help—Gray’s help. And earning Chav’s trust turns out to be harder than breaking a wild horse.

When Harper and her dad move to a new house, a creepy stepmom is the least of her worries Harper is not too happy to be moving in with her soon-to-be stepmother, Gus. The eccentric woman’s home, which the neighbors call the Spook House, has a yard full of weird metal sculptures. Gus is nothing like Harper’s dad’s other girlfriends, and Harper would take her former trailer home over the Spook House any day. Luckily, a girl named Rawnie lives right across the street. Harper and Rawnie have lots in common, including the same favorite band: Neon Shadow. When the girls start hearing mysterious rock music coming from Gus’s yard, they get suspicious. Then something terrible happens at a Neon Shadow concert, and Harper and Rawnie have no doubt that there are dark forces at work . . . and that Gus is involved. With their favorite singer in danger, they just might be the only two who can save him.

The gruesome murder of a popular high school student turns two small-town neighbors against each other Aaron Gingrich is a well-liked high school senior who always seems to have a smile on his face. He and Jeremy Davis have been inseparable since elementary school. But one day Jeremy senses that something is wrong at Aaron’s house—and then Aaron is found brutally murdered. Reeling from the loss of his friend, Jeremy has no one to turn to. His small town is suddenly abuzz with grisly rumors, and Jeremy was the last person to see Aaron alive. Subjected to polygraph tests, ostracized by the whole community, and treated like a criminal, Jeremy knows he needs to go to the police. Meanwhile the killer still walks free—closer than anyone can imagine. And no one but Jeremy suspects the truth.

As evil threatens a magical land, two brothers must find the strength and courage to stop it, in the second volume of this classic fantasy adventure series. In the Kingdom of Isle, where the Sun Kings reign with the power of the Book of the Suns, Hal and Alan are given a mission. They must use the ancient strength of wisdom to destroy the evil that plagues the kingdom. The two blood brothers venture throughout the land fighting the many forms that this evil takes so they can arrive at their destiny.

In Nancy Springer’s enthralling fourth volume of the Book of Isle, two young princes set out to destroy their own father and the pervasive evil that poisons the kingdom An epic saga set in an ageless island stronghold of magic and mystery, Nancy Springer’s Book of Isle series is considered by many to be among the most accomplished offerings in all of fantasy literature, as lyrical and inventive as the classic works of J. R. R. Tolkien. In this unforgettable novel, a violent rift in a royal house threatens to tear an entire kingdom asunder. The next in line to rule the troubled realm of Melior, Prince Tirell gave his heart to the gentle and beautiful peasant girl Mylitta. But she died at the cruel whim of Tirell’s father, the king, who insists on a more politically expedient match for his rebellious son. Since the murder of his love, Tirell’s heart has hardened, and now, with the aid of his younger brother, Frain, the healer, he seeks an army that will help him defeat the evil, unrepentant monarch. All hope for victory in the war to come awaits the brothers somewhere deep in the mysteries of the Vale, where a beautiful goddess also dwells. But a sinister presence is spreading its malevolence throughout the land—and Melior can never again be truly whole until the kingdom is rid of the terrible scourge of the Black Beast.

A headstrong young prince, enslaved far from home, must rescue his imperiled kingdom and those he loves from an ancient dark sorcery in Nancy Springer’s magnificent third entry in the Book of Isle The life of young Prince Trevyn of Isle changes forever on the day a mysterious boy named Gwern is welcomed without question into the family’s castle. Stubborn and resentful of the unwanted intrusion, the errant teenage prince abandons his home and soon finds himself both in love and in jeopardy. Enraptured by the village girl Meg, he incurs the wrath of Wael, a powerful warlock, by saving the lady of his heart and her people from certain destruction. But young Trevyn’s trials have only just begun. Lured across the seas by his vengeful foe, he is captured and enslaved, and must somehow find his way to freedom. For the unprotected Isle is now at Wael’s mercy, and love will surely die if the boy-prince cannot return to the realm as its champion. A classic epic fantasy in the grand tradition of J. R. R. Tolkien, set in an ancient island sanctuary of gods and ghosts and magic, Nancy Springer’s captivating Book of Isle saga is brimming with adventure, romance, evil, mythic quests, legendary history, and ingeniously imagined locales.

The girl named Saffron knows family and clan the way she knows earth and sky, as absolutes. Of course, after a separation of four years, she looks forward to seeing her grandmother again, and makes a gift for her, a clay spindle. When Grandmother does not know who she is or what her gift is for, Saffron’s world is shattered. What good is a circle of clay now? How can anything ever make sense again?

The daughter of the High King has a regal name, but she is small and plain, so everyone just calls her Wren. As a mere girl, she is not her father’s heir; her cousin Korbye is. But Wren’s infallible sooth-sense tells her that Korbyn would make no good king. Nor is sooth-sense her only fate. Wren is the Kingmaker. When an ancient and dangerous ring of power finds its way to her, how should she use it?

Jocelyn is a complete pest, She's constantly playing practical jokes and has no problems beating up boys. Not quite the person you want around you when you're trying to enjoy your summer art class on a college campus. When Jocelyn decides to take out her inner aggressions on the cafeteria's vending machines, it's not just the students who decide it's time to do something about the biggest bully on campus. After all, even a vending machine has feelings. Jocelyn is about to learn a very dangerous lesson. Sometimes the least healthy item in a vending machine isn't the weeks-old chocolate, but the machine itself. A short story.

Jessie is tired of dealing with her drunk mother and life in a rough part of town, and when a creepy woman approaches her one morning and advises her to pay attention to Shakespeare's As You Like It in her English class she shrugs off the recommendation. After all, what relevance does Shakespeare have with her life? A chance encounter with an unusual toad, however, is about to completely alter Jessie's perceptions of what matters in the world, and might just provide her with an unexpected happily-ever-after. A short story.

Middle-schooler Avery Holsopple is already struggling with the fact that he's the shortest guy in school. To make matters worse, his older sister Valerie has insisted on having a Victorian-style wedding, which means Avery is about to find himself dressed up in the worst color he can imagine for a boy: pink. Of course, Mom insists the color is mauve but Avery's eyes know the truth. Desperate to get out of his duties he hatches a plan with Mark, Valerie's fianc?, and ensures that this wedding is one that nobody is ever going to forget.

Iris is an imaginative little girl with the ability to make just about anything seem to come to life when she plays with it. After Iris' death at a young age, her mother feels that there isn't much left to celebrate when it comes to the holiday season. Little does she know that Iris has one last gift to give her mother this year, and it's going to make it one Christmas to truly remember. An uplifting holiday short story.

Derek relishes being the bully of his Catholic school, and when Julian arrives with his purple hair, he seems like an easy target. When Julian starts asserting that God might actually be a woman, Derek is immediately enraged and becomes determined to get Julian to recant his thought, no matter the price. It soon becomes apparent that perhaps Julian has some strength Derek isn't quite prepared for, and that the boy with the purple hair knows something more than he's telling. A short story.

Kerri Ellen lives each day with the haunting memory of the day her sister Kimmi disappeared on her way to work. Every night, she lights a candle in the hopes that her lost sister will somehow, miraculously, find her way home. When fellow college student Burke''s little sister goes missing, Kerri teams up with her sorority sisters to help comb the area to try to find her. As she makes her way through the woods and eventually back to Burke''s house, all she can hope for is an outcome that''s better than the one she''s anticipating for her own sibling. When the investigation takes an odd turn, Kerri soon realizes there are some mysteries in life where finding the solution doesn''t necessarily mean closure. A short story.

Ostracized for speaking her mind and standing up against a man she doesn''t wish to marry, a young girl is cast out of her village and forced to fend for herself in the mountains. When she ventures too closely to a lake and nearly drowns, she is rescued by a man from Athens who introduces himself as Herodotus. What transpires after the rescue is an education for the young girl, providing names for the things that surround her. When an encounter with a fish leads her to discover her own true name, she soon discovers the gift she can take back to her village to be accepted once again. A short story.

For picture framer Veronica Phillips, the most dangerous thing that happens to her on a typical day is a sheet of glass breaking or getting cut by an errant wire. When a key comes out of the back of a picture she''s redoing, Ronnie soon finds herself mixed up in dark warehouses, dead bodies and harsh scrutiny by the local police for getting mixed up in the crime. Can Ronnie prove her innocence in the murder case, or will she end up being framed? A short story.

Little Veronica likes hanging out at Mrs. Life's porch. She can see the whole town from the steps, and Mrs. Life is fascinating in the way that she keeps track of all sorts of numbers and information in her little spiral-bound notebooks. So it's surprising to Veronica when the always-nice Mrs. Life has an argument with Mr. Quickel, the school health teacher and wrestling coach, about the cost of mowing her lawn. Soon, Mrs. Life has started to insinuate things about Mr. Quickel, his marriage and what he might or might not have done with a boy who ran off from the town to live life as an openly gay man. Soon, the entire town is turning on Mr. Quickel with rumors and threats and destroying his sanity. Before too long, Veronica starts to see what Mrs. Life's real motivation is, and what dark secrets she keeps in one of her spiral-bound notebooks. A short story.

When Cindy stops by the local cat shelter where she volunteers, she discovers her coworker Samantha unconscious on the floor. Even more horrifying, to Cindy, is that a mother cat and her kittens have mysteriously disappeared out into the snow. While Cindy leaves the attack to the police to investigate while she seeks out the missing cats, a second assault finishes Samantha off. Soon, Cindy''s mixed up in a litter of death, missing cats and the police casting an eye in her direction as a possible suspect. Can Cindy find the missing cats and help pinpoint the murderer, or is she going to end up a victim of her own cat-astrophe? A short story.

When 15-year-old Rig, a loner, discovers that his popular older sister is being stalked while away at college, he sets out to save her, with unexpected help from his divorced parents.

Don't miss Enola Holmes: The Case of the Missing Marquess! Now a Netflix original movie starring Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill, and Helena Bonham Carter! Enola Holmes--younger sister to Sherlock Holmes--is back on another case! (Cover may vary) Enola Holmes's landlady, Mrs. Tupper, is the closest thing Enola has to family these days, besides her occasional run-ins with her brother Sherlock. Even though Mrs. Tupper is nearly deaf and can barely cook, she's an endearing presence as Enola longs for her absent mother. So imagine her horror when Enola comes home to find Mrs. Tupper kidnapped! Who would take her, and why? And what does Florence Nightingale have to do with it? From the master of mystery Nancy Springer, here's another absorbing adventure for our award-winning, unstoppable heroine, Enola Holmes. Praise for Enola Holmes: The Case of the Missing Marquess: An Edgar Award Nominee! "Empowered, capable, and smart . . . [with] an impactful message that you can do anything if you set your mind to it."--Millie Bobby Brown, Stranger Things * "Enola shows herself to be an intelligent, rational, resourceful, and brave protagonist. Readers will look forward to hearing this heroine's unique voice again." --Publishers Weekly, starred review * "This is a terrific package. Springer not only provides two fine mysteries, breathtaking adventure, and key-eyed description, but she also offers a worthy heroine." --Booklist, starred review

"The ... final mystery for Enola and Sherlock"--P. [4] of cover.

Enola Holmes is hiding from the world’s most famous detective—her own brother, Sherlock Holmes. But when she discovers a hidden cache of bold, brilliant charcoal drawings, she can’t help but venture out to find who drew them: young Lady Cecily, who has disappeared from her bedroom without a trace. Braving midnight streets where murderers roam, Enola must unravel the clues—a leaning ladder, a shifty-eyed sales clerk, political pamphlets—but in order to save Lady Cecily from a powerful villain, Enola risks revealing more than she should . . . In her follow-up to The Case of the Missing Marquess, which received four starred reviews, two-time Edgar Award winner Nancy Springer brings us back to the danger and intrigue of Victorian London as she continues the adventures of one of the wittiest and most exciting new heroines in today’s literature.

Don't miss Enola Holmes: The Case of the Missing Marquess! Now a Netflix original movie starring Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill, and Helena Bonham Carter! Enola Holmes--younger sister to Sherlock Holmes--is back on another case! (Cover may vary) Everyone knows Dr. Watson is Sherlock Holmes's right-hand man, so when he goes missing, it's a shock. Even Sherlock hasn't the slightest clue as to where he could be. Enola is intrigued but wary; she's still hiding from her older brothers, and getting involved could prove to be disastrous. But Enola can't help but investigate, especially when she learns that a bizarre bouquet--with flowers all symbolizing death--has been delivered to the Watson residence. Enola knows she must act quickly, but can she find Dr. Watson in time? Praise for Enola Holmes: The Case of the Missing Marquess: An Edgar Award Nominee! "Empowered, capable, and smart . . . [with] an impactful message that you can do anything if you set your mind to it."--Millie Bobby Brown, Stranger Things * "Enola shows herself to be an intelligent, rational, resourceful, and brave protagonist. Readers will look forward to hearing this heroine's unique voice again." --Publishers Weekly, starred review * "This is a terrific package. Springer not only provides two fine mysteries, breathtaking adventure, and key-eyed description, but she also offers a worthy heroine." --Booklist, starred review

While fourteen-year-old Enola Holmes endeavors to save her friend Lady Cecily Alistair from an unwelcome arranged marriage, she meets with some assistance from her older brother, Sherlock, and interference by the eldest, Mycroft.