36 Canadian middle-grade books to watch for in fall 2022
Here are the Canadian middle-grade books and chapter books we are excited to read in the second half of 2022.
The Book of Elsie by Joanne Levy
The Book of Elsie is a novel that explores the life of one Elsie Rose-Miller. Elsie is a Jewish girl who is excited about the Purim holiday and the costume party happening at her local synagogue. But when the synagogue is vandalized, Elsie learns that justice and the power of love are what is needed to bring the community together to stand up to hate.
The Book of Elsie is for ages 9 to 12.
When you can read it: Aug. 16, 2022
Joanne Levy is an Ontario author of several books for young people, including Double Trouble and Fish Out of Water, Crushing It, The Sun Will Come Out and the Red Maple Award-nominated Small Medium At Large.
Final Cut by Marty Chan
Final Cut is a novel about a boy named Mason who is tired of getting bullied at school. Mason is an aspiring filmmaker and one day, he captures video of two bullies that he edits to make them look foolish. But when the video goes viral, the bullies aim to get even with Mason — who soon realizes that his very life is in danger.
Final Cut is for ages 9 to 12.
When you can read it: Aug. 16, 2022
Marty Chan is a children's book author based in Edmonton. His other books include Kung Fu Master, Haunted Hospital, Willpower, the Ehrich Weisz Chronicles and the Keepers of the Vault series.
Ghostlight by Kenneth Oppel
In the novel Ghostlight, a teen named Gabe revels in his summer job giving ghost tours on Toronto Island. He loves to tell the story of Rebecca Strand, a teen who died after a fall from Gibraltar Point Lighthouse in 1839. But when he encounters the ghost of Rebecca, he learns that her death may not have been an accident. Gabe tries to solve the mystery but along the way encounters more ghosts, some not quite as friendly as Rebecca.
Ghostlight is for ages 9 to 12.
When you can read it: Sept. 5, 2022
Kenneth Oppel is a bestselling author whose books include the Silverwing trilogy, which has sold over a million copies worldwide, and Airborn, which won the Governor General's Literary Award for children's literature — text. His most recent books include Inkling, Every Hidden Thing and The Nest.
My Name Is Seepeetza by Shirley Sterling
Written in the form of a diary, My Name is Seepeetza recounts the story of a young girl taken from home to attend the Kamloops Indian Residential School in the 1950s. My Name is Seepeetza has been described as an honest, inside look at the residential school experience — one that highlights the resilience of a child in a place governed by strict nuns and arbitrary rules. This 30th anniversary edition version of the 1992 book features new cover artwork by Speplól Tanya Zilinski and a new afterword by acclaimed Cree author Tomson Highway.
My Name is Seepeetza is for ages 9 to 12.
When you can read it: Sept. 6, 2022
Sterling was a member of the Interior Salish Nation of British Columbia. Her Nlaka'pamux name is Seepeetza. My Name is Seepeetza won the Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize and was shortlisted for the Governor General's Literary Awards for young people's literature text — in 1993.
The Raven Mother by Hetxw'ms Gyetxw Brett D. Huson, illustrated by Natasha Donovan
The Raven Mother is the latest book in the Mothers of Xsan series. It offers a look at the raven and why they have an important role to play in nature. Young readers will learn more about traditions of the Gitxsan, the lives of ravens and their role in the food web.
The Raven Mother is for ages 9 to 12.
When you can read it: Sept. 6, 2022
Hetxw'ms Gyetxw, also known as Brett D. Huson, is a writer from the Gitxsan Nation of the northwest interior of British Columbia.
Natasha Donovan is a Métis illustrator originally from Vancouver. She has illustrated several graphic novels, including the Surviving the City series by Tasha Spillet and Huson's animal series, which includes The Sockeye Mother, The Grizzly Mother and The Eagle Mother. She also illustrated the cover for The Ghost Collector by Allison Mills and her work appears in the anthology This Place: 150 Years Retold.
Severn Speaks Out by Severn Cullis-Suzuki
When she was 12 years old, Severn Cullis-Suzuki, the daughter of environmentalist David Suzuki, made a speech to world leaders that asked: What are you doing to the Earth, our home? How far can human greed go? More than 20 years later, this book for young readers uses illustrations and commentary to look back at that speech — while providing detail about Cullis-Suzuki's life and the context of her speech now.
Severn Speaks Out is for ages 10 to up.
When you can read it: Sept. 6, 2022
Cullis-Suzuki is a PhD candidate, environmentalist and author. She started the Environmental Children's Organization at the age of 10, which culminated in a speech to the UN Earth Summit in 1992 when she was 12. She is an Action Canada Fellow and the co-editor of the book Notes from Canada's Young Activists.
Alex Nogués is an author from Spain.
Ana Suárez is a Spanish artist and illustrator.
Susan Ouriou is a writer, editor and literary translator from Calgary. She has won the Governor General's Literary Award for translation for her work.
Winterkill by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch
Winterkill is a historical middle-grade novel is set in 1930s Ukraine, a time where the Soviet Union caused the Holodomor, or death by starvation in the country. The book follows two young people, Nyl and Alice, who devise a daring plan to save their community from famine.
Winterkill is for ages 8 to 12.
When you can read it: Sept. 6, 2022
Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch is the Brantford, Ont.-based author of over a dozen historical books for young readers of all ages. Her other books include Too Young to Escape, which was co-authored with Van Ho, and Don't Tell the Enemy.
Whales to the Rescue by Adrienne Mason, illustrated by Kim Smith
Part of the Ecosystem Guardians series, Whales to the Rescue is a nonfiction book for young readers that highlights how whales play a key role in helping to save the planet. Through words and illustrations, Whales to the Rescue reveals how whales are actually "ecosystem engineers" by reducing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by storing it in their bodies.
Whales to the Rescue is for ages 8 to 12.
When you can read it: Sept. 6, 2022
Adrienne Mason is a B.C.-based biologist and the author of more than 30 books for children. She is the author of the Primary Physical Science series and an editor at Hakai Magazine, a publication devoted to marine and coastal science.
Kim Smith is a Calgary artist who has illustrated many books for children and has also created illustrations for video games, apps, magazines and apparel.
A Wonderful Bigness by Diana Daly
A Wonderful Bigness is a nonfiction book for young readers that looks at the remarkable people in Diana Daly's family who lived with skeletal dysplasia at a time when the condition was not well understood. Through family stories, the book is a celebration of family and inclusion. The book is based on the stage show If a Place Could Be Made.
A Wonderful Bigness is for ages 8 to 12.
When you can read it: Sept. 6, 2022
Lorna Shultz Nicholson is an Edmonton writer and author of children's books. Her nonfiction children's book Amazing Hockey Stories: Hayley Wickenheiser was a finalist for the 2020 Yellow Cedar Award.
Jordan and Max, Field Trip! by Suzanne Sutherland, illustrated by Michelle Simpson
Jordan and Max, Field Trip! is the second book in the Jordan and Max chapter book series. Jordan and Max, Field Trip! sees the two friends on a class field trip to the museum. But when they are accidentally left downtown when the trip is over, Jordan and Max have plans to find their classmates but get caught up in the wonders and magic of downtown in the city.
Jordan and Max, Field Trip! is for ages 6 to 8.
When you can read it: Sept. 13, 2022
Suzanne Sutherland is an author and editor of books for young people based in Toronto.
Michelle Simpson is an Ontario artist and freelance illustrator with a focus on children's publications.
Lark Steals the Show by Natasha Deen, illustrated by Marcus Cutler
In Lark Steals the Show, Lark and Connor are two young twins who are always on the hunt for mystery. When a masterpiece painting goes missing at the local art gallery, the ace detectives are on the case to prove their friend's innocence.
Lark Steals the Show is for ages 6 to 8.
When you can read it: Sept. 13, 2022
Natasha Deen is a Canadian writer of Guyanese heritage. She is also the author of the YA novel The Signs And Wonders Of Tuna Rashad.
Marcus Cutler is both a children's illustrator from Windsor, Ont.
Apartment 713 by Kevin Sylvester
In the novel Apartment 713, a boy named Jake Simmons moves to an apartment building named The Regency, a place that features floors of peeling wallpaper and the barest of hints at its glory. Jake makes a few friends in the building but misses his old home. He quickly discovers that there are secrets hiding within The Regency, secrets that are begging to be explored…especially that off-limit unit known as apartment 713.
Apartment 713 is for ages 8 to 12.
When you can read it: Sept. 13, 2022
Kevin Sylvester is a Canadian broadcaster, illustrator and writer of middle-grade books such as the Neil Flambé Capers series and the MiNRS space adventure series. He is also the co-author of the book The Fabulous Zed Watson!, written with his child Basil Sylvester.
Behind the Label: Gloria & Willa by Lorna Schultz Nicholson
Behind the Label: Gloria & Willa is the fifth book in the One-2-One series, which revolves around a diverse group of fictional teens connected through a Best Buddies post-secondary school program.
Gloria is an impulsive teen with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) who is having trouble with her home life as her mother struggles with addiction. When Gloria is slated to be transferred to the foster care system, a school club partnership with a troubled older teen named Willa creates a situation where they support and rely on each other. But when Willa's boyfriend becomes abusive, Gloria and Willa try to help each other find a way to a happier life.
Behind the Label: Gloria & Willa is for ages 8 to 12.
When you can read it: Sept. 15, 2022
Lorna Shultz Nicholson is an Edmonton writer of several books for young people. Her nonfiction children's book Amazing Hockey Stories: Hayley Wickenheiser was a finalist for the 2020 Yellow Cedar Award.
The Case of the Rigged Race by Michael Hutchinson
The Case of the Rigged Race is the latest book in the Mighty Muskrats mystery series. It's time for the annual Trappers Festival and the Mighty Muskrats are excited about the sled-dog races But when a sled dog is the victim of an accident, the four cousins — Sam, Otter, Atim and Chickadee — are determined to solve the case.
The Case of the Rigged Race is for ages 9 to 12.
When you can read it: Sept. 20, 2022
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Michael Hutchinson's Mighty Muskrats Mystery series reflects diversity within Indigenous communities
Michael Hutchinson is a novelist and member of the Misipawistik Cree Nation. He currently lives in Ottawa and works at the Assembly of First Nations.
Killer Underwear Invasion! by Elise Gravel
Killer Underwear Invasion! is a middle-grade nonfiction book that helps young readers learn media literacy skills. The book uses colourful and humorous illustrations to help children understand what fake news is, why people spread it, and how to tell what is true and what isn't. The title aims to equip young readers with the tools needed to better discern truth in news sources.
Killer Underwear Invasion! is for ages 9 to 12.
When you can read it: Sept. 20, 2022
Elise Gravel is a Quebec author and illustrator. She is the author of several books for children, including The Bat, The Worst Book Ever, The Mushroom Fan Club, I Want a Monster! and What Is a Refugee.
Mortimer by Joan Marie Galat
In the novel Mortimer, Mortimer T. Flightdeck is an intergalactic space rat who dreams of earning a spot on the International Space Station (ISS). With a future trip to Mars as the prize, Mortimer is determined to not miss his chance to prove that rats are better suited than humans to make the space flight.
Mortimer is for ages 9 to 12.
When you can read it: Sept. 24, 2022
Joan Marie Galat is an Alberta author of more than 20 books for children and adults. She is best known for her science books for children.
The Museum of Odd Body Leftovers by Rachel Poliquin, illustrated by Clayton Hanmer
The nonfiction book The Museum of Odd Body Leftovers is a quirky look at the museum that is the human body. Using wacky language and illustrations, the book helps young readers better understand the amazing facts about goosebumps, hiccups and the "weird bits" of bodies such as the appendix.
The Museum of Odd Body Leftovers is for ages 7 to 11.
When you can read it: Sept. 27, 2022
Rachel Poliquin is a writer and taxidermist from Vancouver. She is also the author of Beaver, The Breathless Zoo. and Beastly Puzzles.
Clayton Hanmer is a cartoonist, writer and animator from Bloomfield, Ont. He also illustrated Not Your Typical Book about the Environment by Elin Kelsey and The Lowdown on Denim by Tanya Lloyd Kyi and the puzzle book CTon's Super A-maze-ing Year of Crazy Comics!
Green Mountain Academy by Frances Greenslade
Green Mountain Academy is a sequel to Red Fox Road. Francie is still coping with the fact her life has been turned upside down after an accident. Her love of nature and the wilderness makes attending the Green Mountain Academy, a small boarding school located on the side of a mountain, a chance for a fresh start. But when a snowstorm hits the region and a plane goes missing, Francie is forced to call on her survival skills once more to keep safe.
Green Mountain Academy is for ages 9 to 12.
When you can read it: Sept. 27, 2022
Frances Greenslade is Ontario-born and Manitoba-raised memoirist and writer.
Hidden on the High Wire by Kathy Kacer
Hidden on the High Wire is a middle-grade novel set in 1940s Europe. A young Jewish girl named Irene loves traveling and performing across Germany with her family's circus. But in a time during the rise of Adolf Hitler's Nazis, Irene and her family are in danger. When the family is forced to go into hiding, Irene's dreams of being a high wire performer — along with her very life — is put into jeopardy.
Hidden on the High Wire is for ages 9 to 12.
When you can read it: Sept. 27, 2022
Kathy Kacer is a prolific Toronto-based author whose parents were both survivors of the Holocaust. Her books, including Hiding Edith and Masters of Silence, explore the lives of young Jewish people who lived during that time.
Oculum Echo by Philippa Dowding
Oculum Echo is a novel about a dystopian world devastated by environmental collapse. The children of the automated, domed city of Oculum are in danger. With bombs raining down from the sky, Miranda1, Mannfred, Grannie and the 1,000 children of Oculum must flee their farm to escape. As they begin their journey through the wasteland chased by UnRuly, Echo1 is awakened from an 83-year sleep. Echo1 is on a mission to help the children of Oculum, but who must be protected in this new world and what must be destroyed?
Oculum Echo is for ages 9 to 12.
When you can read it: Oct. 1, 2022
Philippa Dowding is a Toronto author of books for young readers. Her book Firefly won the 2021 Governor General's Literary Award for young people's literature — text.
Beware the Burmese Pythons by Etta Kaner, illustrated by Phil Nicholls
Beware the Burmese Pythons is a nonficton book that introduces young readers to the phenomenon of how invasive animal species enter new ecosystems and how they damage the local environments. By way of looking at creatures such as tiny cactus moths to mighty Burmese pythons, the book features information about how they interact with the environment and what humans are doing to reduce the harm they cause.
Beware the Burmese Pythons is for ages 8 to 12.
When you can read it: Oct. 1, 2022
Etta Kaner is a Toronto author of many nonfiction books for children, including Wild Buildings and Bridges.
Phil Nicholls is an Ontario artist and illustrator who studied illustration at Sheridan College.
Where We Live by Margriet Ruurs, illustrated by Wenjia Tang
Where We Live is a nonfiction book that offers insight into neighbourhoods around the world to reveal how children live in various parts of the world. Where We Live explores 16 neighbourhood using geography and first-hand experience to reveal how the child in that location lives, learns, eats and interacts with their community.
Where We Live is for ages 9 to 12.
When you can read it: Oct. 4, 2022
Margriet Ruurs is the author of 40 books for children. She lives in British Columbia.
Wenjia Tang is a Chinese American freelance artist and illustrator.
How to Be a Goldfish by Jane Baird Warren
How to Be a Goldfish is a middle-grade novel about Lizzie, a girl who lives in a small town with her single mother. When Lizzie is assigned a family tree project in school, it inadvertently reveals a family secret. Lizzie and her new friend David discover that family lives can be extremely complicated.
How to Be a Goldfish is for ages 9 to 12.
When you can read it: Oct. 4, 2022
Jane Baird Warren is a Quebec writer and poet.
Fly by Alison Hughes
Fly is a novel in verse about Felix Landon Yarrow, Fly for short. Fly is a young teen with cerebral palsy who learns he's not the only one grappling with the imperfections of the world. Felix imagines himself a chivalrous knight — and when a school bully poses a threat to Daria, his lady love, he charges into action on a wheeled "trusty steed" to save the day. But things go wrong when Felix learns that being a knight in the real world comes with its own challenges.
Fly is for ages 9 to 12.
When you can read it: Oct. 4, 2022
Alison Hughes has published 18 books and was a finalist for the Governor General's Literary Award for young people's literature — text. Her short fiction has been shortlisted for the Writers' Union Short Prose Competition for Developing Writers, longlisted for the 2011 CBC Short Story Prize and shortlisted for the 2021 CBC Short Story Prize.
One More Mountain by Deborah Ellis
One More Mountain is the latest book in the Breadwinner Series. The year is 2021 and the Taliban have regained power in Afghanistan. It has been two decades since Parvana and Shauzia, the protagonists of The Breadwinner, had to disguise themselves as boys to support themselves and their families. But in the present day, the pair are forced to flee to escape new dangers from an old enemy.
One More Mountain is for ages 9 to 12.
When you can read it: Oct. 4, 2022
Deborah Ellis is a Canadian writer of children's books, including The Breadwinner. Her other books include the children's short story collection Sit and nonfiction book Kids of Kabul. She is a member of the Order of Canada.
My Sister's Girlfriend by Gail Marlene Schwartz and Lucie Gagnon
In the middle-grade novel My Sister's Girlfriend, best friends and Grade 5 students Talia and Carmen are growing up and thinking about things such as kissing and first crushes. Talia recently lost her mother to cancer but her big sister Jade is helping her through hard times. One day, Talia sees Jade kiss a girl and isn't quite sure what to think. But Carmen and her therapist help Talia learn that love comes in many forms.
My Sister's Girlfriend is for ages 8 to 12.
When you can read it: Oct. 15, 2022
Lucie Gagnon and Gail Marlene Schwartz are children's book co-writers from Quebec. Their previous books include Clementine in Quarantine and The Loudest Bark.
The Secret of the Jade Bangle by Linda Trinh, illustrated by Clayton Nguyen
The Secret of the Jade Bangle is a book in the middle-grade series The Nguyen Kids. When their grandmother dies, nine-year-old Anne Nguyen and siblings Jacob and Liz discover that they have new secret powers by way of a beautiful jade bangle. The siblings learn more about themselves and their Vietnamese heritage as they use the power to stand up for what is right.
The Secret of the Jade Bangle is for ages 9 to 12.
When you can read it: Oct. 18, 2022
Linda Trinh is a Winnipeg author of Vietnamese heritage. The Nguyen Kids is her first children's book series.
Clayton Nguyen is a Vietnamese artist born in Ottawa and currently based in Toronto.
Seekers of the Fox by Kevin Sands
Seekers of the Fox is a middle-grade novel that is the sequel to Children of the Fox. It is set in a fantastical world of magic and extraordinary powers. It follows a boy named Callan and a ragtag group of kids caught up in crime and misadventure. When they make a deal with the Eye — the sinister, sentient artifact Callan and his friends stole from a sorcerer — a life gets put on the line for a future task, and the gang has no choice but to agree. Callan must get involved in a life-and-death heist while uncovering the true secret of the Eye.
Seekers of the Fox is for ages 8 to 12.
When you can read it: Oct. 18, 2022
Kevin Sands is a children's writer from Ontario. His literary career began in 2015 with the publication of the middle-grade fantasy novel The Blackthorn Key. He's continued the Blackthorn Key series with Mark of the Plague, The Assassin's Curse and Call of the Wraith.
Weird Rules to Follow by Kim Spencer
Weird Rules to Follow is a middle-grade novel set in 1980s Prince Rupert. It's a boom time for the local fishing industry and there is a lot of work to go around. Best friends Mia and Lara are pre-teens who have known each other since kindergarten. Lara comes from a well-to-do white family while Mia's Indigenous family have their fair share of economic and personal struggles. But Mia and Lara are determined to stay friends forever, no matter what or who gets in their way.
Weird Rules to Follow is for ages 9 to 12.
When you can read it: Oct. 18, 2022
Kim Spencer is a writer and member of the Ts'msyen Nation in northwest B.C., and currently lives in Vancouver. She is a graduate of the Writers Studio at Simon Fraser University and her work has appeared in Filling Station magazine and was shortlisted for the Alberta Magazine Publishers Association Award.
Anne: An Adaptation of Anne of Green Gables (Sort Of) by Kathleen Gros
Anne: An Adaptation of Anne of Green Gables (Sort Of) is a middle-grade graphic novel that updates and puts a modern twist on the classic story Anne of Green Gables. When Anne Shirley finally lands in the loving home of the Cuthberts, she becomes friends with a girl named Diana — and things just might be more than that. The girls live in the same apartment building, the Avon-Lea. When Anne realizes she might have a first-time crush, she knows that life is about to become even more complicated.
Anne: An Adaptation of Anne of Green Gables (Sort Of) is for ages 9 to 12.
When you can read it: Oct. 25, 2022
Kathleen Gros is a comic book artist who was born in Toronto and now lives in Vancouver. She is the creator of the webcomic Lunar Maladies. She has also published the graphic novels Jo and Last Night at Wyrmwood High.
If You Can Dream It, You Can Do It by Colleen Nelson and Kathie MacIsaac
The nonfiction middle-grade book If You Can Dream It, You Can Do It shows young readers the power of being what you want to be. The book outlines a bunch of real people and their careers, including a barber, a stunt person and a mathematician, and highlights what it takes to achieve them.
If You Can Dream It, You Can Do It is for ages 9 to 12.
When you can read it: Oct. 25, 2022
Colleen Nelson is a YA author based in Winnipeg. Her other books include Pulse Point, Spin, Harvey Comes Home and Harvey Holds His Own.
Kathie MacIsaac is a Manitoba literacy advocate who is passionate about books for middle-grade readers. She is a co-author of the blog Bit About Books and a co-founder of the website MG Book Village, which facilitates connection between members of the middle-grade community.
Scot Ritchie is a Vancouver-based author and illustrator of more than 60 books for young readers.
Babble! by Caroline Adderson, illustrated by Roman Muradov
In the world of Babble!, a small community has been struck by its residents' inability to communicate — until a little girl appears to share the gift of punctuation to all. As the girl begins to share more gifts — a question mark, quotation marks — the residents are able to understand each other better. But when more fights arise and disaster strikes, can punctuation truly save the day?
Babble! is for ages 7 and up.
When you can read it: Oct. 25, 2022
Caroline Adderson is the author of five novels, including The Sky is Falling, Ellen in Pieces and A Russian Sister. Adderson is also a three-time winner of the CBC Literary Prizes. She has published two short story collections, including the 1993 Governor General's Literary Award finalist Bad Imaginings.
Roman Muradov is a Russian American editorial artist and graphic novelist. He has created illustrations for The New Yorker, the New York Times, Criterion, Vogue, Paris Review, Wired, the Wall Street Journal, Time and GQ.
Scales and Stardust by Meaghan McIsaac
Scales and Stardust is the latest book in The Bear House series. While the war in the Bear Highen has ended, the true test has just begun for 13-year old Aster who is now the High Queen. While peace now reigns in the land, political and personal challenges threaten to end her rule as the massive Hemoth Bear, symbol of the House of the Bear, is growing more powerful. When Aster meets a young girl living in a nest of wyverns, she must learn how to keep the peace while realizing her one true destiny.
Scales and Stardust is for ages 10 to 14.
When you can read it: Nov. 1, 2022
Meaghan McIsaac is a Toronto author. Her other books include Urgle, Underhand, The Boys of Fire and Ash and The Bear House.
The Seaside Corpse by Marthe Jocelyn, illustrated by Isabelle Follath
The Seaside Corpse is the third book in the Aggie Morton, Mystery Queen series. The Seaside Corpse involves our intrepid young sleuths Aggie and Hector finding a dead body on the beach. When a team of paleontologists are digging up the fossilized bones of an ichthyosaur from the sea by Lyme Regis, Aggie and Hector are on the case to find out the mystery of that seaside corpse.
The Seaside Corpse is for ages 10 and up.
When you can read it: Nov. 8, 2022
Marthe Jocelyn is the author of over 20 books, including The Invisible Enemy, Mayfly and the Aggie Morton series of middle-grade books.
Isabelle Follath is an artist and illustrator from Switzerland.
Simon and Chester: Super Family! by Cale Atkinson
Simon and Chester: Super Family! is the latest in the middle-grade series about Simon and Chester, ghost and boy duo extraordinaire. Chester lives with his grandmother, his cat Mr. Pickles and Simon the ghost. When Chester decides to meet more families to see what he might be missing and Simon heads off to the annual ghost conference, both realize that they should always feel thankful for the family and friends they already have.
Simon and Chester: Super Family! is for ages 6 to 9.
When you can read it: Nov. 8, 2022
Cale Atkinson is a Kelowna, B.C.-based illustrator, writer and animator. His work has appeared in numerous children's books, animated shorts, games and on television.
This is it, Lark Harnish by Laura Best
This is it, Lark Harnish is a historical middle-grade novel about a plucky young teen starting a new life in 1919 Nova Scotia. Lark's father has died and due to economic constraints, she is forced to leave her mother and siblings to go work at the McMasters house. She arrives at an unhappy place of devastated adults, raising sad and lonely children. Lark is determined to bring laughter and hope into the lives of both families... but will she succeed? When Lark barrels in with her big personality, she disturbs a long-held silence in the McMasters house.
This is it, Lark Harnish is for ages 9 to 12.
When you can read it: Nov. 8, 2022
Laura Best is an author from Nova Scotia. Her books include the YA novels A Sure Cure for Witchcraft and Bitter, Sweet, which was shortlisted for the Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People.
