Putting the YA in FRIYAY: 5 Reasons to Read The Downstairs Girl

For National Hat Day on January 15th, we put the spotlight on Stacey Lee’s upcoming The Downstairs Girl and if you’re not already convinced you should read it based on the gorgeous cover, here are five more reasons to pick it up in August.

1. Features a Chinese-American girl in 1860s America

Protagonist Jo Kwan is independent and determined. Despite spending most of her time in the shadows, she slowly finds her way into the light.

2. Jo Kwan leads a double life

Jo spends her days working as a lady’s maid for the cruel daughter of one of Atlanta’s wealthiest men. But at night, she writes a newspaper advice column as “Dear Miss Sweetie”.

3. Swoony romance

Jo finds herself falling for her publisher’s handsome son, but she has to hide her true identity from him. Do we need to say more?

4. Stacey Lee is a founding member of We Need Diverse Books

In addition to being a critically acclaimed author, Stacey Lee works with WNDB to promote diverse literature to a young audience.

5. A fascinating insight into suffragists and the New South

There are very few YA novels that cover this particular time period, and Stacey has done extensive research to make sure her New South setting is as realistic as possible.

The Downstairs Girl comes out August 13th, 2019. Add it on Goodreads here.

Putting the YA in FRIYAY: 5 Bittersweet YA Romances

This week we celebrated National Bittersweet Chocolate day. Here are 5 YA romances that are equal parts bitter and sweet, best enjoyed with your favourite chocolate.

We Are Okay
Alone in an empty dorm during a snowstorm, Marin waits for her best friend Mabel to visit. When Mabel arrives, Marin will be forced to face everything that’s been left unsaid between them. Nina LaCour’s Printz Award-winning novel is a contemplative, intimate look at grief and love. Marin and Mabel’s relationship is complicated and nuanced, growing from a deep friendship to something more.
Add to Goodreads here.

The Sun Is Also a Star
With a nod to the popular New York Times article, “The 36 Questions That Lead to Love,” this epic love story between Daniel, son of Korean immigrants and wannabe poet, and Natasha, whose family is on the brink of being deported to Jamaica, has lots of highs and lows to keep you turning those pages. Look out for the film coming later this year!
Add to Goodreads here.

No One Here Is Lonely
This upcoming genre-bending novel made our Top 5 Sci-fi YA Novels we’re looking forward to in 2019, but it also qualifies as a romance. Eden is falling more and more in love with her crush, Will, only it’s not really Will, but a digital version of him created by an AI after-death service. Quill and Quire called this book “Ghost meets Judy Blume’s Summer Sisters,” and we are on board with that!
Available on February 5th, 2019
Add to Goodreads here.

Odd One Out
In Odd One Out author Nic Stone presents a fresh, stereotype-busting take on that classic romance trope, the love triangle. Coop develops feelings for his best friend Jupiter, who has a crush on the new girl, Rae. Rae is into Jupiter, but maybe also Coop . . . a surprising and rewarding read.
Add to Goodreads here.

Salt to the Sea
This gut-wrenching novel follows four refugees fleeing the horror of WWII for the ill-fated ship The Wilhelm Gustloff in pursuit of new lives. But even amid great tragedy, there are glimmers of love.
Add to Goodreads here.

2019 ALA Midwinter Conference

Ahoy! Are you ready to set sail for ALA Midwinter in Seattle? We’ll be showcasing our Fall 2018, Spring 2019, and Summer 2019 titles at booth 721. Come by to say hello to our VP, Publisher, Tara Walker; our new Art Director, John Martz; our Marketing and Publicity Associate Director, Vikki VanSickle; and our Marketing and Publicity Manager, Sylvia Chan. We will be happy to show you the latest books and chat about #TundraCats, #TundraTots, #Ready2Camp, and #Ready4School.

We will also be hosting a number of signings at booth 721. This is based on first come, first serve. One copy per person while quantities last and you must be in line for the signing to receive a complimentary copy.ALAMW19_booth signingsLooking for literary assets for your schools and libraries? We’ve got you covered, ask about our posters, bookmarks, buttons, art cards, stickers, magnets!

Follow us online as we post live from the show floors!

Putting the YA in FRIYAY: 5 Sci-fi YA Novels We’re Looking Forward To

Welcome to 2019! The future is now and it is compelling. From poignant romance to wild space opera to mutative outbreaks at a girls’ school, here are five science fiction YA novels we can’t wait to get our hands on in 2019.

No One Here Is LonelyIf you’re new to science fiction, but love a good coming-of-age story, start with Canadian author Sarah Everett’s poignant No One Here Is Lonely. This novel reads like contemporary YA with a Black Mirror twist. Eden is devastated when her crush Will is killed in a car accident, but Eden finds solace in an unlikely place. Before he died, Will set up an account with In Good Company, a service that uploads voices and emails and creates a digital companion that can be called anytime. As Eden falls deeper into her relationship with “Will,” she hardly notices as her real life blooms around her.
Available: 02/05/2019
Add to Goodreads here.

Aurora RisingHan Solo & Chewie. Mulder and Scully. Sci-fi is full of dynamic duos. May we suggest adding Kaufman and Kristoff to this list? The co-authors of The Illuminae Files return with another epic space opera. The year is 2380, and the graduating cadets of Aurora Academy are being assigned their first missions. Star pupil Tyler Jones is ready to recruit the squad of his dreams, but his own boneheaded heroism sees him stuck with the dregs nobody else in the academy would touch.
Available: 05/07/2019
Add to Goodreads here.

The Virtue of SinIf you’re fascinated by cults and alternative communities or have a nolite te bastardes carborundorum tattoo, you should definitely add The Virtue of Sin to your TBR pile. Miriam lives in New Jerusalem, a haven in the desert far away from the sins and depravity of the outside world. Within the gates of New Jerusalem, and under the eye of its founder and leader, Daniel, Miriam knows she is safe . . . but at what cost? Alongside unexpected allies, Miriam fights to learn–and challenge–the truth behind the only way of life she’s ever known.
Available: 06/25/2019
Add to Goodreads here.

Eve of ManEve is the only girl born in fifty years. She is the savior of mankind, kept protected under a glass dome of safety until she is ready to renew the human race. But when the time comes to find a suitor, Eve and Bram – a young man whose job is to prepare Eve for this moment – begin to question the plan they’ve known all along.
Available: 06/18/2019
Add to Goodreads here.

Wilder GirlsIf strange plagues in isolated communities are your jam, you’ll love Wilder Girls. It’s been eighteen months since the Raxter School for Girls was put under quarantine. First the teachers died one by one. Then the Tox began to infect the students, turning their bodies into something unrecognizable. Now, cut off from the rest of the world and left to fend for themselves on their island home, the girls wait for a cure. But Hetty is about to learn that there’s more life at Raxter than she could have ever thought true.
Available: 07/09/2019
Add to Goodreads here.

Tundra Book Group