The All But True series returns on Wednesday, February 22, 2023, at 6:30 p.m. The program will be virtual, on Zoom, with preregistration required via the sponsoring bookstore, A Novel Idea on Passyunk. It's free (with a suggested $5 donation for the bookstore). Click here to register.
We're subtitling this program Two Brand-New Middle-Grade Novels, because, well, that's what the books are. Both are being published between February 2 and February 14, and they are both spectacular.
In Ona Gritz’s third book for young readers, August or Forever, ten-year-old Molly has always loved having a sister. Unfortunately, her older half-sister Alison lives on a whole other continent. Their video chats are great, and Molly is thrilled when Alison’s handwritten letters arrive in the mail like surprise gifts. Still, it’s not enough, not compared to what other siblings have. So when Molly finds out that Alison is finally coming to visit over the summer, she devises a plan she’s sure will get her sister to stay. But then Alison arrives with plans of her own, a fragile heart gets broken, and Molly stumbles upon a painful piece of her sister’s past. Molly has always loved having a sister, but this is the August when she’ll learn what it really means to be one.
“What a beautiful novel about sisterhood, about art, about hearts broken and hearts mended. August or Forever will forever chime inside my own heart.”
—Gayle Brandeis, author of My Life with the Lincolns
“Ten-year-old Molly is a narrator in whom young readers will surely see themselves, with her longings, foibles, and authentic voice.”
—Caren Lissner, author of Carrie Pilby
“As she learns to share her parents—and her bedroom—during an extended summer visit with Alison, Molly’s voice remains charming despite her flaws. Filled with a cast of well-drawn characters and settings, Gritz’s novel is an insightful read.”
—Laura Shovan, author of Takedown and, with Saadia Faruqi, A Place at the Table
In Artemis Sparke and the Sound Seekers Brigade, the debut novel from Kimberly Behre Kenna, 12-year-old Artemis Sparke gets fed up with humans. For relief, she heads to the nearby salt marsh to hang out with the birds, plants and mollusks who don’t make a big deal of her stutter. One day, she sees from the data in her science journal that the salt marsh is dying, and she discovers that the historic hotel where she lives with her mom may be part of the problem. But speaking up would mean confronting the cranky hotel owner who happens to be her mom’s boyfriend and boss. As Artemis conjures up help from deceased ecologists, she finds family secrets that could both save the marsh and destroy her life as she knows it.
“Warning: Artemis Sparke is pure energy! Equal parts ecologist, artist, scientist and historian, Art had me riding her tailwind on her mission to protect the delicate salt marsh of Long Island Sound. And, oh my, the stakes are high—environmentally and personally! Kenna’s well-crafted debut is a timely gift.”
—Leslie Connor, National Book Award finalist, author of The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle and Anybody Here Seen Frenchie?
“Handling mature issues (including divorce, parental alcoholism, and near-death experiences) with tact, Artemis Sparke and the Sound Seekers Brigade is a commanding novel with a powerful environmental message.”
--Foreword Reviews (starred review)
Part of the proceeds from sales of Artemis Sparke will be donated to Save the Sound, an organization dedicated to protecting the Long Island Sound.
We're subtitling this program Two Brand-New Middle-Grade Novels, because, well, that's what the books are. Both are being published between February 2 and February 14, and they are both spectacular.
In Ona Gritz’s third book for young readers, August or Forever, ten-year-old Molly has always loved having a sister. Unfortunately, her older half-sister Alison lives on a whole other continent. Their video chats are great, and Molly is thrilled when Alison’s handwritten letters arrive in the mail like surprise gifts. Still, it’s not enough, not compared to what other siblings have. So when Molly finds out that Alison is finally coming to visit over the summer, she devises a plan she’s sure will get her sister to stay. But then Alison arrives with plans of her own, a fragile heart gets broken, and Molly stumbles upon a painful piece of her sister’s past. Molly has always loved having a sister, but this is the August when she’ll learn what it really means to be one.
“What a beautiful novel about sisterhood, about art, about hearts broken and hearts mended. August or Forever will forever chime inside my own heart.”
—Gayle Brandeis, author of My Life with the Lincolns
“Ten-year-old Molly is a narrator in whom young readers will surely see themselves, with her longings, foibles, and authentic voice.”
—Caren Lissner, author of Carrie Pilby
“As she learns to share her parents—and her bedroom—during an extended summer visit with Alison, Molly’s voice remains charming despite her flaws. Filled with a cast of well-drawn characters and settings, Gritz’s novel is an insightful read.”
—Laura Shovan, author of Takedown and, with Saadia Faruqi, A Place at the Table
In Artemis Sparke and the Sound Seekers Brigade, the debut novel from Kimberly Behre Kenna, 12-year-old Artemis Sparke gets fed up with humans. For relief, she heads to the nearby salt marsh to hang out with the birds, plants and mollusks who don’t make a big deal of her stutter. One day, she sees from the data in her science journal that the salt marsh is dying, and she discovers that the historic hotel where she lives with her mom may be part of the problem. But speaking up would mean confronting the cranky hotel owner who happens to be her mom’s boyfriend and boss. As Artemis conjures up help from deceased ecologists, she finds family secrets that could both save the marsh and destroy her life as she knows it.
“Warning: Artemis Sparke is pure energy! Equal parts ecologist, artist, scientist and historian, Art had me riding her tailwind on her mission to protect the delicate salt marsh of Long Island Sound. And, oh my, the stakes are high—environmentally and personally! Kenna’s well-crafted debut is a timely gift.”
—Leslie Connor, National Book Award finalist, author of The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle and Anybody Here Seen Frenchie?
“Handling mature issues (including divorce, parental alcoholism, and near-death experiences) with tact, Artemis Sparke and the Sound Seekers Brigade is a commanding novel with a powerful environmental message.”
--Foreword Reviews (starred review)
Part of the proceeds from sales of Artemis Sparke will be donated to Save the Sound, an organization dedicated to protecting the Long Island Sound.