In this latest enchanting novel from bestselling magical realism author Jennifer Moorman, a treasure hunt through the past reveals one woman’s extraordinary gift for arranging the future. The Russell women have always lived in a house that is as special as they are—a century-old Victorian with a radio that tunes itself to the listener’s mood and a pantry that rearranges to provide just the right ingredients for any baking need. Lilith Russell was the exception. She left the family home in Ivy Ridge, Georgia, and has been flitting like a hummingbird from place to place with her daughter, Mattie, in the decades since, only returning each summer to drop Mattie off with Lilith’s sister, Penelope. When Lilith dies suddenly, Mattie is left without her sole companion and the captain who steered her ship. That is, until she visits Ivy Ridge and learns Lilith charted one last course for Mattie: a series of tasks that she must complete to earn her inheritance, with Penelope overseeing the process. Both Mattie and Penelope are outraged by Lilith’s seemingly random stipulations: throw a Halloween party, take a local pizza cooking class, share secrets with someone . . . But Mattie soon realizes that if she completes the tasks, she may unearth her mother’s secrets, including the identity of Mattie’s father. She may also discover more about the Russell family “gifts” and why Lilith chose Penelope’s former love to be the executor of the will. She may even learn how and why Jonathan Carlisle, the boy who stole her heart ten summers ago, also happens to be back in town. Mattie can only hope that Lilith’s final map will finally point her home.

Includes an excerpt from "The trouble with magic."

The autumn and winter holidays are more than individual, celebrated feasts; they are an exceptional concoction of feelings, dreams, hopes, reawakened memories, and (perhaps more than at any other time of year) a renewal of traditions. Sounds a bit like the Disney theme park experience already, doesn't it? Disney magic and holiday enchantment blend smoothly, and the result has delighted guests for decades. This spectacular oversized coffee table book offers visual storytelling at its best. More than 1,800 photographs (more than half of them taken just for this book) showcase Disney's key locations filled with special holiday menu offerings, the big biggest parade and stage productions and nighttime spectacles, the tiniest decorating details from amazing artists and designers, and of course the most significant historical holiday events. A harmonic trio of researchers, writers, and photographers logged more than 150,000 miles in visiting every Disney park and resort across the globe, personally documenting the holiday installations through fifty-five thousand photographs and, wherever possible, meeting the talented and endlessly passionate artisans behind it all. With twelve theme parks and dozens of resorts, plus numerous cruise ships, dining and shopping districts, and more than six decades of holiday experiences, there're a lot of pumpkin treatments and ornate trees to reflect upon. (The smallest holiday tree at a Disney property is just four inches high, while very tallest ever put up was seventy feet.) Every parade or show requires dozens (sometimes hundreds) of creative magicians both onstage and off. And each decoration is chosen carefully to fit within a story and is placed on its tree or garland by craftspeople backstage. The decor is installed onstage, maintained, and, ultimately, de-installed and disassembled by small armies of technicians before it is once again cleaned, prepared, and stored in vast warehouses for the next year's use. The stories and contributions from so many unsung employees (usually working hard at hours of the night when so many people are asleep) fill these pages, along with the joys of Halloween, Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year celebrations. Time to join the party!

In our happy story of the Magic Merry-Go-Round, your child will come to understand how to become a Christian.

Nimira is a foreign music-hall girl forced to dance for pennies. When wealthy sorcerer Hollin Parry hires her to sing with a piano-playing automaton, Nimira believes it is the start of a new and better life. In Parry's world, however, buried secrets are beginning to stir. Unsettling below-stairs rumors swirl about ghosts, a madwoman roaming the halls, and Parry's involvement with a league of sorcerers who torture fairies for sport. Then Nimira discovers the spirit of a fairy gentleman named Erris is trapped inside the clockwork automaton, waiting for someone to break his curse. The two fall into a love that seems hopeless, and breaking the curse becomes a race against time, as not just their love, but the fate of the entire magical world may be in peril. Look out for the follow-up to this book, Magic Under Stone, out next year!

Girls who enjoy spunky heroines such as Merida from Brave (Disney/Pixar) and Ella from Ella Enchanted will want to join Rory and Ryder in their adventures in our world—and the world beyond the TV. An exciting new middle-grade fantasy from Kathryn Lasky, bestselling author of the Guardians of Ga’Hoole series. Ryder Holmsby is the same age as Rory, the popular TV cartoon character her animator parents created. Ryder and Rory are alike—bold and brave! But Ryder is a bit lonely: Mom passed away a couple of years ago, and Dad is dating a woman with snooty teenage daughters. Ryder doesn’t fit in with them at all. And then: Shazam! Rory jumps out of the TV into Ryder’s bedroom to tell her that the TV studio behind her parents’ show is trying to turn Rory into a dopey princess—no more adventures. She needs Ryder’s help! The two girls team up with a crew of animated and real-life friends to save the day in both worlds. Kathryn Lasky, bestselling author of the Guardians of Ga’hoole series, the Wolves of the Beyond series, and the Horses of the Dawn series, delivers a whimsical tale in which inner strength is the greatest form of magic.

The second book in this breakout series that's been called "charming and delectably sweet." (Zoraida Córdova, award-winning author of the Brooklyn Brujas series) Leonora Logroño has finally been introduced to her family’s bakery bruja magic—but that doesn’t mean everything is all sugar and spice. Her special power hasn’t shown up yet, her family still won’t let her perform her own spells, and they now act rude every time Caroline comes by to help Leo with her magic training. She knows that the family magic should be kept secret, but Caroline is her best friend, and she’s been feeling lonely ever since her mom passed away. Why should Leo have to choose between being a good bruja and a good friend? In the midst of her confusion, Leo wakes up one morning to a startling sight: her dead grandmother, standing in her room, looking as alive as she ever was. Both Leo and her abuela realize this might mean trouble—especially once they discover that Abuela isn’t the only person in town who has been pulled back to life from the other side. Spirits are popping up all over town, causing all sorts of trouble! Is this Leo’s fault? And can she reverse the spell before it’s too late? Anna Meriano’s unforgettable family of brujas returns in a new story featuring a heaping helping of amor, azúcar, and magia.