Sharon Cameron - ARTIFICE - Published by Scholastic Press (November 7, 2023) - ISBN-13 : 978-1338813951 - Hardback - Age: 11+
A dramatic story of duplicity and resistance, betrayal and loyalty, set against the backdrop of World War II, by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Light in Hidden Places.
Isa de Smit was raised in the vibrant, glittering world of her parents' small art gallery in Amsterdam, a hub of beauty, creativity, and expression, until the Nazi occupation wiped the color from her city's palette. The "degenerate" art of the Gallery de Smit is confiscated, the artists in hiding or deported, her best friend, Truus, fled to join the shadowy Dutch resistance. And masterpiece by masterpiece, the Nazis are buying and stealing her country’s heritage, feeding the Third Reich's ravenous appetite for culture and art.
So when the unpaid taxes threaten her beloved but empty gallery, Isa decides to make the Nazis pay. She sells them a fake--a Rembrandt copy drawn by her talented father--a sale that sets Isa perilously close to the second most hated class of people in Amsterdam: the collaborators. Isa sells her beautiful forgery to none other than Hitler himself, and on the way to the auction, discovers that Truus is part of a resistance ring to smuggle Jewish babies out of Amsterdam.
But Truus cannot save more children without money. A lot of money. And Isa thinks she knows how to get it. One more forgery, a copy of an exquisite Vermeer, and the Nazis will pay for the rescue of the very children they are trying annihilate. To make the sale, though, Isa will need to learn the art of a master forger, before the children can be deported, and before she can be outed as a collaborator. And she finds an unlikely source to help her do it: the young Nazi soldier, a blackmailer and thief of Dutch art, who now says he wants to desert the German army.
Yet, worth is not always seen from the surface, and a fake can be difficult to spot. Both in art, and in people. Based on the true stories of Han Van Meegeren, a master art forger who sold fakes to Hermann Goering, and Johann van Hulst, credited with saving 600 Jewish children from death in Amsterdam, Sharon Cameron weaves a gorgeously evocative thriller, simmering with twists, that looks for the forgotten color of beauty, even in an ugly world.
Adria Knudson - Wispwood Chronicles - Published by Red Dirt Road Publishing (November 16, 2023) - ISBN-13 : 979-8989458516 - Paperback - Age: 8+ An enchanted forest. A long-lost treasure. Mysteries to be solved. Dive into an exciting adventure for children ages 8-12 full of magical creatures and friendship!
In the heart of an ancient forest lies the mystical town of Wispwood, where magic thrives and secrets rustle among the trees. When an injustice shatters their peaceful existence, four unlikely friends unite to restore honor and harmony. Ghosts stand accused, a treasure long lost beckons, and a web of deception unravels.
Together, Lily, Theo, Noah and Ella confront the unknown, forging unbreakable bonds and discovering their true strengths. Will justice prevail, or will fear and revenge forever shadow Wispwood?
Ben Lerwill (Author), Grahame Baker-Smith (Illustrator) - Stone Age Beasts - Published by Candlewick (November 7, 2023) - ISBN-13 : 978-1536231342 - Hardback Picture Book - Age: 6+ The spectacle of Stone Age life stampedes off the page in an engaging, eye-popping gift book illustrated by a Kate Greenaway Medal winner.
Are you brave enough to come face-to-face with the biggest and most awe-inspiring prehistoric beasts? In this dramatic introduction to the Stone Age world, the stupendous giants that shared the earth with our human ancestors—from the woolly mammoth and the fearsome saber-toothed cat to the elephant bird and the giant wombat—leap, slither, and swoop to life on eighteen atmospheric and densely packed double-page spreads spotlighting animals from around the globe. Each lively profile is anchored to a stunning illustration by Kate Greenaway Medal winner Grahame Baker-Smith and features jaw-dropping facts about the animal’s anatomy and behavior, with an emphasis on how it interacted with early humans. Sidebars highlight scientific name, weight, territorial range, and extinction dates, while a glossary and end notes offer additional color and context to round out a boldly packaged and richly absorbing journey of discovery.
Olivia O'Bryon - Little Bird & the Graveyard - Published Independently published (November 11, 2023) - Paperback - Age: 7+ Ten-year-old Indie has a lot of questions. Not only is she on a mission to find a ghost in the graveyard across the street from her house, but she also wants to know why her mom left her and her brother with their dad a few months earlier. After all, if she figures out why her mom is gone, then maybe she can stop feeling so upset. To find answers, Indie will have to be brave. She needs to befriend the family of caretakers who live at the graveyard, which means coming face-to-face with the old man who hates her dog and dealing with a boy who is a couple of years older and clearly doesn't want her around. Her quest will also push her to snoop through the creepy apartment downstairs and visit the graveyard with her brother at night. While none of these adventures will keep Indie out of trouble, they will lead to some life-changing answers, including the realization that a ghost has something to do with her mother's absence.
