BEWARE THE HEARTMAN
(17th September 2024, Scholastic)
For once, everything in twelve-year-old Josephine's life is going according to plan. She's finally proved that girls belong on the cricket team and earned a spot as a starting player! And she's confident that she and her best friend, Ahkai, will both be accepted to their dream secondary school. Nothing can stop Jo now -- not even the memory of the vengeful sea spirit she vanquished last year.
But then a series of disasters strike. Ahkai suddenly seems to have a new best friend -- the annoyingly perfect Lynne. Then Jo isn't accepted to the same school as Ahkai! Even worse, Jo keeps having eerie encounters with a mysterious figure lurking in the shadows -- a figure who bears an unsettling resemblance to the fearsome Heartman rumored to steal children's hearts...
Jo doesn't know where to turn. With Daddy away, the only person who'll believe her is Ahkai, but Jo is too proud to ask for help after being replaced. By the time she musters the courage to approach him, it's too late.
Ahkai has disappeared without a trace.
He's been taken by the Heartman.
None of the adults believe Jo. The Heartman is just a legend, after all. But Jo knows that the fearsome creature is real and that if she doesn't find his lair soon, Ahkai will be lost forever.lost lost forever.l
NIGHTMARE ISLAND
(Scholastic, June 6th 2023)
Twelve year-old Serenity Noah has never told anyone about her recurring nightmares -- the haunting images of silver butterflies who lead her to a silent, shadowy monster. Her parents already favor her "perfect" younger brother, Peace, and she doesn't want to be seen as the "problem" child.
Instead, Serenity's found a productive way to channel her fears: creating a horror movie as scary as her nightmares.
When Peace suddenly becomes afraid of the dark and refuses to sleep alone, their parents take him away for "treatment" on Duppy Island. Serenity has a very bad feeling about the mysterious island and the facility's creepy leader, Dr. Whisper. And when she sees a silver butterfly from her nightmares in the forbidden forest she realizes that something is seriously, dangerously awry.
But nothing could've prepared Serenity for the truth: the island is home to douens -- faceless children with backward feet who are trapped in limbo between the world of the living and the land of the dead. And unless Serenity acts soon, her brother is going to join their ranks...
Illustrator: Ejiwa "Edge" Ebenebe
Cover Design: Keirsten Geise
JOSEPHINE AGAINST THE SEA
(Scholastic, 2021)
Meet Josephine, the most loveable mischief-maker in Barbados, in a magical, heartfelt adventure inspired by Caribbean mythology.
*A SLJ Best Book of 2021
Eleven-year-old Josephine knows that no one is good enough for her daddy. That's why she's desperate to make it onto her school's cricket team. She'll get to play her favorite sport AND make sure her fisherman daddy is too busy attending her matches to date.
But when tryouts go badly, the frustrated Josephine cuts into a powerful silk cotton tree and accidentally summons a bigger problem into her life . . .
The next day, Daddy brings home a new catch, a beautiful woman named Mariss. And unlike the other girlfriends, she doesn't scare easily. Josephine knows there's something fishy about Mariss–she sings in a strange language, eats weird food, and seems to exert mysterious control over everyone she meets.
Josephine knows that Mariss isn't what she seems . . . she might not be human! But who's going to believe her? Can Josephine convince her friends to help her and use her cricket skills to save Daddy from Mariss's clutches before it's too late?
Illustrator: Ejiwa "Edge" Ebenebe
Cover Design: Keirsten Geise
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Cover Design: Anita Mangan
ALLIES ANTHOLOGY
(DK Books)
Co-Edited by Shakirah Bourne & Dana Alison Levy
This book is for everyone. Because we can all be allies.
As an ally, you use your power—no matter how big or small—to support others. You learn, and try, and mess up, and try harder. In this collection of true stories, 17 critically acclaimed and bestselling YA authors get real about being an ally, needing an ally, and showing up for friends and strangers.
From raw stories of racism and invisible disability to powerful moments of passing the mic, these authors share their truths. They invite you to think about your own experiences and choices and how to be a better ally.
There are no easy answers, but this book helps you ask better questions. Self-reflection prompts, resources, journaling ideas, and further reading suggestions help you find out what you can do. Because we’re all in this together. And we all need allies.
A portion of the proceeds from this book goes to supporting charities.
*FREE Educational Package available for teachers. Please request via contact form.
MY FISHY STEPMOM
Caribbean Edition (Josephine Against the Sea)
(Blue Banyan Books, 2019)
“A delightful story that is charmingly funny. With a folktale antagonist, the shenanigans that result as the main character fights to preserve her bonds of family and friendship are heartwarming.”
CODE Burt Judges 2018
Illustrator: Andrea Haynes-Peart
Cover Design: Ion Communications