Fall Releases from Common Deer Press
We are pleased to introduce you to the fall releases from Common Deer Press. This season brings the third book in the early reader chapter book series Asha and Baz. Next is the dynamic addition to the middle grade Lucy and Dee series. Finally, Iz The Apocalypse is a brand new young adult title to our catalogue.
These fall releases will be available at major booksellers in September 2023.
Asha and Baz Meet Elizebeth Friedman
Written by Canadian author Caroline Fernandez
Illustrated by Canadian illustrator Dharmali Patel
Available September 2023
Chapter Book (6-9)
ISBN 9781988761831
Spies and secret codes await in the third book in the Asha and Baz series
A secret code and a mysterious prize up for grabs at school prompts Asha and Baz to once more use their magic stick to travel to the past. This time they land in 1942, where they meet Elizebeth Friedman, a codebreaker working with the US Navy.
She’s the perfect person to help the kids with their codebreaking challenge, but she’s hard at work decoding secret messages from Nazi spies!
With a navy officer pressuring Elizebeth to work quickly and the Allied war efforts at risk, the kids could be in for more than they expected in Asha and Baz Meet Elizebeth Friedman.
"Appealing think-along adventure in codebreaking for young readers." - Editor's Pick, Booklife by Publishers Weekly
"...an intriguing novel that centers on an underlauded woman pioneer in the sciences." - Foreword Clarion Reviews
Lucy & Dee: The Caves of Wonder
Written by Canadian author Kirsten Marion
Available September 2023
Middle Grade
ISBN 9781988761800
Trapped and on the run!
In the sequel to The Silk Road, Lucy and Dee are trapped in the magical world of Sericea with the young emperor Yidi and a sorceress queen who wants all three of them captured.
Hiding their true identities to protect both themselves and those who want to help them, the trio must make the hazardous trip across Sericea to the Caves of Wonder to find a fabled warrior who could help them. But along the way, developing talents and rumors of revolution test their resolve. Lucy’s magical abilities grow, Dee’s interest in alchemy poses new opportunities and Yidi’s budding awareness of his empire has him confronting uncomfortable truths as he learns to live among those he’s meant to rule.
New dangers lurk around every corner, and if Lucy, Dee, and Yidi can’t face them together, their lives and the very fate of Sericea will be in peril.
"A deftly crafted and thoroughly fun read ... especially and unreservedly recommended for elementary school, middle school, and community library Fantasy Fiction collections." - MBR Midwest Book Review
Iz the Apocalypse
Written by Canadian author Susan Currie
Available September 2023
Young Adult
ISBN 9781988761848
A fierce voice longs to break free.
A spark ignites inside fourteen-year-old Iz Beaufort when she hears school music group Manifesto perform. Even though she hasn’t written a song since That Place, she recognizes herself in the moving performance and longs to be part of the group, certain that they might actually understand her. But Manifesto is based at the prestigious Métier School, and Iz has bounced through twenty-six foster homes. Plus, there’s no way Dominion Children’s Care would ever send a foster kid to a private school when a public option is available. So Iz does what any passionate, broken, off-the-chart wunderkind might and takes matters into her own hands.
Iz fakes her way in only to face a new set of challenges: tuition fees, tough classwork, and new classmates she can’t immediately identify as friends or foes. And if she can’t handle all this while keeping how she got into Métier a secret, she could get kicked out of both school and her current home. But a life with music—a life where Iz gets to have a voice—might be worth risking everything.
2023 Junior Library Guild Gold Selection
CBC Books 25 Canadian YA Books To Read This Fall 2023
"A compassionate, character-driven story that will particularly resonate with music lovers." - Kirkus