Fiction / Novel Books

Springtime is finally arriving on Gardam Street, and there are surprises in store for each member of the family.

Some surprises are just wonderful, like neighbor Nick Geiger coming home from war. And some are ridiculous, like Batty's new dog-walking business. Batty is saving up her dog-walking money for an extra-special surprise for her family, which she plans to present on her upcoming birthday. But when some unwelcome surprises make themselves known, the best-laid plans fall apart.

Filled with all the heart, hilarity, and charm that has come to define this beloved clan, The Penderwicks in Spring is about fun and family and friends (and dogs), and what happens when you bring what's hidden into the bright light of the spring sun.

Get ready for a thrilling journey in Compass South, a New York Times-bestselling middle-grade graphic novel full of pirates and adventure, written by the adapter and illustrator of the New York Times-bestselling A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel.

It's 1860 in New York City. When 12-year-old twins Alex and Cleo's father disappears, they join the Black Hook Gang and are caught by the police pulling off a heist. They agree to reveal the identity of the gang in exchange for tickets to New Orleans.

But once there, Alex is kidnapped and made to work on a ship that is heading for San Francisco via Cape Horn. Cleo stows away on a steamer to New Granada where she hopes to catch a train to San Francisco to find her brother.

Neither Alex nor Cleo realizes the real danger they are in--they are being followed by pirates who think they hold the key to treasure. How they outwit the pirates and find each other makes for a fast-paced adventure.

This full color graphic novel is perfect for readers of all genders, including reluctant readers, comics fans, and anyone who enjoys action packed seafaring adventures. It's the first book in a duology, followed by a standalone sequel, Knife's Edge.

Praise for Compass South

A New York Times bestseller!

"Mock's luminous full-color artwork beautifully showcases the late nineteenth-century locations, swashbuckling pirate battles, and jungle treks, all while effortlessly distinguishing among characters (no small feat, given the expansive, diverse cast and two sets of twins). Meanwhile, Larson, befitting the seafaring adventure, keeps the pace clipping along with frequent scene breaks and propulsive reveals. . . . A gorgeously executed, lively caper." --Booklist, starred review

"Larson, best known for her graphic novel adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time, weaves a wonderful, vivid story, assisted beautifully by Mock's illustrations, which take the twins from murky back alleys to bright and vibrant ocean scenes...A charming choice for elementary and middle school library graphic novel collections." --School Library Journal, starred review

"Larson's (Who Is AC?) concoction of tried-and-true adventure elements--stowaways, pirate raids, jungle tribes--hangs together convincingly, and scene-stealers such as Tarboro, a free black man who's a brilliant swordsman and the story's true hero, provide moral ballast. Illustrator Mock, making her debut, adeptly captures the changing relationships between the twins--especially the gender-bending awkwardness that accompanies Cleo's stint as a boy. A sequel is promised." --Publishers Weekly

"Captures all the rollicking action of a Robert Louis Stevenson-type sea adventure." --The Horn Book

A standalone, adventure-packed companion to the New York Times-bestselling middle grade graphic novel Compass South

Twelve-year-old twin adventurers Cleopatra and Alexandra Dodge are reunited with their father and realize that two family heirlooms reveal the location of a treasure that is their birthright. When they set sail with Captain Tarboro on the Almira, they know they're heading into danger --the ocean is filled with new and old enemies, including their nemesis, the infamous pirate Felix Worley.

But like a coral reef that lurks below the surface of the waves, trouble is brewing between the siblings. Alex is determined to become a sailor and is happy with his role aboard the Almira, but Cleo--the only girl on the ship--is tired of washing dishes in the galley. In an effort to find her own purpose, she begins studying sword fighting with Tarboro, but neither Alex nor her father approves. Can the twins remain close as they pursue different goals and dreams, or will their growing differences tear the family apart before the treasure can be found?

Hope Larson and Rebecca Mock once again create an outstanding seafaring adventure with Knife's Edge.

Richly colored illustrations breathe life into the rough seas and tropical locales. . . . As in its predecessor, every question answered leads the twins to more questions to be asked, and it ends with a breath-catching cliffhanger. An action-packed sophomore volume, with no loss of wind in its sails. --Kirkus Reviews

A Margaret Ferguson Book

Read the whole series!
Compass South
Knife's Edge

More from Hope Larson:
A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel
All Summer Long

It has been a while since Folks lived in the Big House, and an even longer time has passed since there has been a garden at the House. All the animals of the Hill are very excited about the new Folks moving in, and they wonder how things are going to change. It's only a matter of time before the animals of the Hill find out just who is moving in, and they may be a little bit surprised when they do.

"Robert Lawson has created. . . a whole, fresh, lively, amusing world." --The New York Times