NCW Libraries

Sixteen-year-old Jemma, who has severe cerebral palsy, must grapple with dark truths that only she knows, and is unable to communicate. Jemma knows who the murderer is-- because he told her. He thought his secret was safe because her severe cerebral palsy won't let her speak or move. When a new technology means she may be able to communicate and reveal all she knows, Jemma no longer feels powerless. But now she's in a race against time. The killer...

"Alex has a set of Enchanted cards. When she flutters her fingers above them, something magical happens: the cards come alive and create moving pictures of what is now and what is yet to come. But Enchantment is illegal in the city of Luma, and those who practice it are imprisoned forever in the Vaults--dark dungeons deep below the city. When Alex is betrayed by her foster sister Zerra, she knows she is in great danger. With the help of her little...

"A young girl grapples with the feeling of being without a people when she realizes she cannot fill out her family tree for school"--

In a scheme to reunite with her estranged biological mother, foster kid Jess joins a cosplay team working toward a competition in New York, but along the way she learns the value of the family you choose for yourself.

When eleven-year-old foster kid Mo finds a handmade cookbook filled with someone else's family recipes, she collects the stories behind them and builds a website to share them, secretly hoping a long-lost relative will find her and give her a family recipe all her own.

"Growing up in foster care, Muir has lived in many houses. And if she's learned one thing, it is to Pack. Light. Carry only what fits in a suitcase. Toothbrush? Yes. Socks? Yes. Emotional attachment to friends? foster families? a boyfriend? Nope! There's no room for any additional baggage. Muir has just one year left before she ages out of the system. One year before she's free. One year to avoid anything--or anyone--that could get in her way. Then...

"The son of a Mississippi policeman finds a boy living in hiding in the wilderness and tries to help him without giving away his secret"--

Rynn was born with a hole in her heart--literally. Although it was fixed long ago, she still feels an emptiness there when she wonders about her birth family. As her relationship with her adoptive mother fractures, Rynn finally decides she needs to know more about the rest of her family. Her search starts with a name, the only thing she has from her birth mother, and she quickly learns that she has a younger sister living in foster care in a nearby...

"Sam Miracle never thought that his future could lie in the past. But after leaping through centuries at the side of a mystical time walker, Sam and his best friend, Glory, know that the next morning's sun could belong to yesterday as easily as tomorrow. But no day is safe. Since the Vulture escaped, Sam and Glory's greatest nemesis has left no time nor place unmarked by his path of destruction. At least Sam and Glory have Peter, the youngest version...

What if art could come alive and guide you home? Twelve-year-old foster child Nova longs to find her one true home. When jealousy of her art ability upends her most cherished placement, Nova's dropped in the middle of nowhere to live with painter Mr. Russell in his ramshackle farmhouse. While exploring, Nova sneaks into the attic and discovers a magical easel that brings paintings to life. She puts her art skills to the test and gets caught in a whirlwind...