Read Chapters 1 & 2 of The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding Before Its Release!

From #1 New York Times best-selling author Alexandra Bracken comes a tale of betrayal and revenge, of old hurts passed down from generation to generation.  Can you ever fully right a wrong, ever truly escape your history? The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding hits shelves in the less than one month, but you can get your first glimpse of what mysteries await readers by clicking right here for a sneak peek at the first two chapters of this chilling new release.
Prosper is the only unexceptional Redding in his old and storied family history—that is, until he discovers the demon living inside him. Turns out Prosper’s great-great-great-great-great-something grandfather made—and then broke—a contract with a malefactor, a demon who exchanges fortune for eternal servitude. And, weirdly enough, eight-hundred-year-old Alastor isn’t exactly the forgiving type.
 
The fiend has reawakened with one purpose–to destroy the family whose success he ensured and who then betrayed him.  With only days to break the curse and banish Alastor back to the demon realm, Prosper is playing unwilling host to the fiend, who delights in tormenting him with nasty insults and constant attempts to trick him into a contract. Yeah, Prosper will take his afterlife without a side of eternal servitude, thanks. But with the help of his long-lost uncle, Barnabas, and his daughter, Nell, a witch-in-training, it seems like Prosper has at least a fighting chance of ridding himself of Alastor before the demon escapes and wreaks havoc on his family.
 
Little does Prosper know, the malefactor’s control over his body grows stronger with each passing night and there’s a lot Alastor isn’t telling his dim-witted (but admittedly strong-willed) human host…
 

The Summer Stars Are Shining Bright!

This season’s starred reviews have been lighting up our new releases each and every week since May. With Books like Elizabeth Wein’s The Pearl Thief and Ryan T. Higgins Be Quiet continuing to deliver out-of-this-world praise from industry periodicals and fans alike. While many of our upcoming titles like The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding and The Adventurer’s Guild have begun to gather their own star struck followings sure to send readers searching for exciting new reads at your school or library this fall. So with The Dog Days of Summer finally here, let’s take a look the books shining brightly at DBG this summer!

THE DREADFUL TALE OF PROSPER REDDING By Alexandra Bracken

“Bracken’s (Passenger, 2016) new middle-grade offering is an infectious, entertaining series starter. Hapless, dry Prosper is at hilarious odds with his demanding, old-fashioned demon companion, and the thrilling plot twists will keep even the most savvy readers guessing. Clever, occasionally frightening, and always fun, this will hook plenty.” – Booklist

SERAFINA AND THE SPLINTERED HEART By Robert Beatty

“Beatty decidedly keeps readers on the edge of discovery as the plot unfurls. Each character continues to surprise both one another and readers with their emotional complexity. A captivating, edge-of-your-seat, action-packed fantasy.” – Kirkus

SUPER SAURUS SAVES KINDERGARTEN By Deborah Underwood and Illustrator Ned Young

“Young cleverly makes Arnold’s imaginative adventures kid-doable: the Sticky Shoes are smeared with peanut butter, and the Rescue Rocket is a decorated box. Imagination as a coping mechanism equals lots of superpowered fun. (Picture book. 4-8)” – Kirkus

THE PEARL THIEF by Elizabeth Wein (FIFTH STARRED REVIEW FOR THIS TITLE!)

Verity fans will find this irresistible and return to a reread of that title with this new backstory in mind, while fans of period drama such as Cooper’s A Brief History of Montmaray (BCCB 11/09) will appreciate this as an absorbing read that leads them inexorably to the next book.” Deborah Stevenson, Editor – The Bulletin for The Center of Children’s Books

 

WELCOME: A MO WILLEMS GUIDE FOR NEW ARRIVALS by Mo Willems

Along with being a shoe-in for inclusion in every maternity ward’s gift bag, this loving heads-up will continue to resonate with all offspring as they go on to toddle, big-kid, and beyond. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Williams is a reliable best-seller, and love letters from parents to children are always in demand.”  —  Booklist

The real audience is new parents, who will revel in having their devotion mirrored back to them and chuckle at the many knowing jokes (“If you have any further questions/ Do not hesitate to call or flail about or scream like a banshee”). And they’ll be grateful that Willems offers a modicum of hope regarding the world that the newborn will inherit: “We are happy to report there are people working day and night on making this a better place to be.” – Publishers Weekly

 

THE TAKEDOWN By Connie Wang

“Wang has managed to write an exciting, prescient story that brings to mind the unlikely combination of M.T. Anderson’s Feed, Cory Doctorow’s Little Brother, and Sara Shepard’s “Pretty Little Liars” series, with a little of Libba Bray’s “Gemma Doyle” trilogy and the cult classic film Heathers thrown in the mix. VERDICT Highly recommended for all YA collections” – School Library Journal