Nairobi is haar skool se hoofmeisie en haar lewe is agtermekaar—of so lyk dit vir almal wat haar ken. Sy het doenlysies en sit nooit 'n voet verkeerd nie. Maar dit is juis haar obsessie met beheer wat maak dat haar kêrel haar op haar agtiende verjaardag, voor almal by die skool, afsê.

Haar ma gee vir haar haar oorlede tannie se hangertjie as geskenk. Nadine, haar ma se suster, het in haar agtiende lewensjaar spoorloos verdwyn, en hierdie verlies hang soos 'n donker skadu oor Nairobi se ma en ouma—eintlik oor die hele gesin.

Wanneer Nairobi die hangertjie aansit, verskyn haar tannie in haar kamer. Sy raak gaandeweg 'n gerusstellende aanwesigheid vir Nairobi, totdat Nairobi besef dat sy kan help om antwoorde te kry oor wat in haar tannie se laaste ure gebeur het.

As sy die raaisel kan ontrafel, kan sy dalk haar gesin help heelmaak—en haarself bevry van die beheer wat haar ouers oor haar uitoefen, en wat sy self aangeleer het.

A beautifully written and deeply moving middle-grade novel with characters to cherish and a story that deals with tragedy and loss in a fresh way. Aubrey has suffered an unbelievable loss, and goes to live with her grandmother in Vermont in order to heal. There she makes new friends, learns to cope with what has happened, and begins to figure out how to move on. Readers will fall in love with Aubrey from page one, and hold their breath until the very end, when she has to make one of the biggest decisions of her life.

“Ek wil uitmaak, Ellie. Ek is jammer, maar dit is dit.” En net daar spat Ellie se lewe soos sy dit ken aan stukke. Maar die vernietiging is erger as wat sy ooit sou kon droom.

Nie net verloor sy vir Gustav, haar steunpilaar van die afgelope paar maande nie, maar ook haar vriende, haar skoollewe en die vrede wat sy tot dusver as vanselfsprekend aanvaar het. Haar ma is in Oekraïne en haar pa word deur die Valke ondersoek. En die swart wolk van haar boetie se ongeluk hang nog steeds swaar oor die gesin. Vir haar eie veiligheid moet sy plaas toe gaan.

Wat op aarde het haar pa besiel om hulle so in gevaar te stel? Is die oplossing regtig om nou Lisa in ‘n ander skool te word? Hoe lank voordat Liam van die buurplaas haar geheim begin ontrafel?

’n Pragtige tienerroman oor self-ontdekking, genesing ná ‘n familielid se dood en om jou identiteit te vind wanneer baie dinge onseker voel.

It’s been a year since his best friend, Sam, died. Even though Oliver knows he won’t get a response, he can’t stop texting Sam’s number, especially as the anniversary of his death approaches.

Then one day he accidentally hits the call button, and someone picks up.

Sam’s number was reassigned and a stranger has been receiving Oliver’s private and vulnerable messages for months. But Ben, a college student in Seattle, won’t remain a stranger for long. When they finally meet in person, their spark is undeniable. Everything seems perfect until Oliver discovers something impossible and strange that will keep them from being together . . .

Buyisiwe feels like a stranger in London, where he grew up. And then he receives the terrible news: he has to go and live with his estranged father in a game reserve in South Africa. Africa is not what Buyisiwe expected it to be. It is a place of great beauty and splendour, magnificent animals and terrible danger. And now a scarred, man-eating lion prowls the reserve, waiting for his next victim. Will Buyi be able to heal from the physical and emotional scars left behind?

Wanneer Helena se vervreemde pa toevallig by haar ma se werkplek inloop en sy besluit om hom vir onderhoud te dagvaar, gebeur daar iets wat hulle lewens onherroeplik verander. Soos 'n hedendaagse Aspoestertjie verruil Helena die gehawende wendyhuis op die plot vir al die luukses wat haar hart begeer. Maar selfs in hierdie idilliese bestaan kan Helena nie van die werklikhede van die lewe ontsnap nie.

An exciting action series set in a soccer club that is a melting pot for teens from different backgrounds with one thing in common – love of the beautiful game.

In this second book of the series, Mondli is captain of Sandview A Under 17 and is doing his best to lead his team. But with his father away, and his mother not coping at home, being a leader is not easy.

When the competing demands of home and team cause clashes in his life, Mondli realises just what leadership is really about.

Wanneer Cazlee se pa een aand weer sy hande vir haar lig, slaan sy terug. Voor sy haar kom kry, veg sy elke naweek by ’n onwettige vegklub om kos op die tafel te sit en sy dobbelgewoonte te onderhou.

Sy droom van ’n matrieksertifikaat en ’n lewe ver weg van haar swakkeling-ma, dronklap-pa en ’n vegkryt waarin min reëls geld. Maar haar skoolwerk ly ál meer onder die laatnaggevegte.

Dan sien ’n voormalige martial arts-kampioen Cazlee se talent raak. Hy bied haar ’n beurs aan by die skool waar hy taekwondo afrig en die kampioentrofee in die visier het.

Ellamay, sy dogter, droom daarvan om in haar kampioen-pa se voetspore te volg. Dat haar pa uit sy pad gaan om eerder van Cazlee ’n kampioen te maak, lei tot wrywing tussen die twee meisies.

Dan gaan die wêreld van onwettige gevegte vir Ellamay ook oop. Dinge loop lelik skeef en Cazlee moet 'n besluit neem wat haar hele toekoms kan beïnvloed.

Leonardo word groot in ’n arm, maar liefdevolle gesin. Wanneer sy pa en kleinboetie in ’n ongeluk sterf, verander alles. Leonardo loop weg en beland by ’n groep straatbewoners. Rodger, ’n ou Engelsman, word vir hom soos ’n vaderfiguur. Wanneer Rodger siek word en Leonardo hom in die hospitaal besoek, ontdek hy iets onverwags.

There is no one Hazel trusts less than her self-centered twin, Beth. So when Beth abandons her at a party she didn’t want to attend in the first place, Hazel decides not to let it ruin her night. She throws herself into flirting and telling ghost stories over a Ouija board. Hazel might not be the popular twin, but she is going to have fun if it kills her.

Except Beth doesn’t come home that night, and Hazel’s anger morphs into anxiety. It only sharpens when Beth reappears a day later, disoriented and claiming to be Veronica Green, a teen who was murdered in their small town years before. If it isn’t a possession, Beth is really good at faking it. Did they accidentally release a vengeful horror during the party?

Hazel must uncover what happened to Veronica all those years ago if she’s going to save Beth. But the truth may destroy them both―if they don’t destroy each other first.

Follows the bestselling and multi-award winning The Final Year "Well-written, authentic and very moving." David Almond on The Final Year Nate’s eleven and has just finished Primary School. After a challenging final year, life is looking up. His brother has recovered from a life-threatening heart condition, he’s got the love of his mum, brothers and Auntie San, and he’s off to Secondary School with his two best mates. But while he's making new friends and avoiding the fists of Turner, his old nemesis, and struggling to come to terms with a strict new teacher and a sense of isolation from his brothers, a sudden surprise appearance in Nate's life threatens to throw him completely off course. And The Beast - the anger he tries so hard to control - reappears. Will Nate find a way to keep himself and his family together?

He needs to get lost. She wants to be found. Jamie and July are both eleven-year-olds living in London - but they have very different lives. They meet for the first time at Waterloo Station in the last week of the holidays. They are both desperate to get away from home. July is really worried about her unreliable mum - she needs to get help. Jamie has done something terrible - and left in a panic. Despite their worries, the sun is shining and, as they escape everything they've left behind in the city, Jamie and July can't help but sense adventure in the air. But running away isn't just harmless summertime fun. What are they really trying to escape? And will either Jamie or July find a place that finally feels like home? Three homes, two kids, one journey.

The day after his tenth birthday, the last thing Zak expects - or wants - is to have to give up his room for an ageing old grandmother! With a face like an extra wrinkly raisin, hands as cold as an iceberg and always smelling of smoked fish and custard creams, there's nothing she gives Zak but the chills. With the help of his friends and a series of tactics inspired by his school's chess club, Zak is convinced it'll be no time before he can reclaim his rightful territory! But Zak soon discovers that his nani is no ordinary old grandma but a former chess prodigy, able to outwit and outdo him - and his friends - at every turn. Just as both players begin to forge a mutual respect and a friendship that might finally overcome all obstacles, Zak begins to notice things. Like how Nani sometimes forgets where she is, or who she is... Or how she keeps asking for people who are no longer by her side... Once he learns the real reason she has been brought to live with them is because she is struggling with Dementia, Zak launches a desperate bid to ensure Nani never forgets who she is ever again. He enters her into the chess competition of a lifetime. But will Zak's nani remember long enough to play?

Winter Moon dreams of escape. Each night, she counts her earnings, longing for the day she's saved enough to disappear. But when her money is stolen, Winter has no choice but to make a deal with her estranged father: she agrees to spend time with him for money.

It isn't easy reconnecting with the man who's been absent for most of her life. Especially when Winter uncovers a devastating secret he's been hiding.

Her only comfort is Joon, the new boy at school who sees her in ways no one else does. Winter knows broken things can't always be fixed. But can they be pieced back together in a way that feels whole again?

An outstanding YA novel of family love, loss, and life lived between two cultures, by an astonishing, super-stylish new voice.

'I'm going to tell you exactly how everything happened. Baba always says, Mati mwana'ngu, I love a good story but I don't have time for a long one, so make it short.'

When Mati and her two siblings travel from London to Zimbabwe with their father, they are forced to confront the knotty family dynamics caused by the loss of their mother. Along for the trip is Meticais, a fabulously attired gender-neutral spirit - or ghost? or imaginary friend? - who only Mati can see and talk to.

Guided by Meticais's enigmatic advice and wisdom, Mati must come to terms with her grief and with the difficulty of a life lived between two cultures, while her family learn to forge their way in a world without their monumental mother. This is distinctive, stylish, powerful writing by a vital new voice.

A novel in verse about teenage love and friendships, lost and found. Daisy can feel like a solo act at home. On the outside of her twin brothers’ intense relationship, she leans towards her parents, particularly her father, for support. As a passionate classical musician, she is not wildly popular at school, but she has one close friend and a life filled with musical performance. Her life is turned upside down when her boyfriend suddenly breaks up with her, and Daisy is left disconnected from her one true love, music. When she makes a new friend at school, mysterious Flora, Daisy finds a glimmer of peace in her chaotic life. Just as everything seems to be getting better, they all fall apart. Family tensions heighten as Daisy’s dad falls ill and Daisy needs to decide should she find her way back to who she was or look towards who she is going to become.

Oh, how we wished and wished for someone just like you. Someone special to share our home. And the special times, too.

This warm, lyrical picture books tells the story of different adoptive families. It’s the perfect starting point for parents who want to discuss the topic of adoption, and it helps children to understand that every family is special – even though we may not look the same.

The author’s royalties from the sale of this book will be donated to Engo, a nonprofit non-governmental organization that provides support to individuals and families, and is involved in facilitating adoptions and offering support to adoptive families.

New York Times bestselling and Newbery Honor author Renée Watson explores friendship, loss, and life with grief in this poignant novel in verse and vignettes.

Sage's thirteenth birthday was supposed to be about movies and treats, staying up late with her best friend and watching the sunrise together. Instead, it was the day her best friend died. Without the person she had to hold her secrets and dream with, Sage is lost. In a counseling group with other girls who have lost someone close to them, she learns that not all losses are the same, and healing isn't predictable. There is sadness, loneliness, anxiety, guilt, pain, love. And even as Sage grieves, new, good things enter her life-and she just may find a way to know that she can feel it all.

In accessible, engaging verse and prose, this is a story of a girl's journey to heal, grow, and forgive herself. To read it is to see how many shades there are in grief, and to know that someone understands.

‘I’m going to a place called Grand Theatre and I’m going to be a dancer in a pantomime!’

Tess loves to dance, even when everything seems grim. After mum dies and pa leaves, she and her brothers and sisters are all alone, with hardly any food or money. With empty stomachs and scrambling for pennies, they’ve got to fend for themselves.
When Tess’s big brother and sister go out to look for work, she has to stay in class at The Ragged School and take care of their baby sister Ada. But Tess is determined that even though she is poor, she will still get to go to the ball…or at least to dance in the Cinderella pantomime at the Grand Theatre…
A captivating Victorian adventure about family troubles and big dreams from the bestselling Jacqueline Wilson.

Rorisang and her twin brother Mo must start the school year at a new school after their mom decides that the family needs to get out of their comfort zone.

The twins have attended the school across the road since they were toddlers. All their friends are there, and their dad is best friends with the headmaster. The new school is far from their house, the extramural activities that are on offer are unfamiliar and the ones that Rorisang used to excel at in her old school is dominated by kids far better than her.

Luckily Rorisang makes new friends quickly, learns to play softball and performs a praise poem at the Eisteddfod. She even survives the long trips in the car with her pest of a brother!

A heartwarming story that celebrates family and friendship and finding your voice amidst change. The book is also available in isiZulu and Afrikaans.

The extraordinary true story of the sisters who saved each other.

Friedel and Gina, twins and best friends, live happy enough lives. Their world is cycling trips, visits to their father’s shops, and first-day-of school excitement.

But this is a world that is about to fall apart.

It is the 1930s, and the Nazis are on the rise across Germany. They hate anyone who is different – anyone who is Jewish.

Friedel and Gina and their family are Jewish, and before long they are forced to journey to Poland, where terrible hardships await in a prison-like ghetto. Soon separated from loved ones, as the Second World War rages around them Friedel and Gina are eventually taken to a Nazi prison camp – a place of danger and fear, where they must do everything they can to survive.

From daring recues to incredible acts of kindness, this is the story of the sisters’ love for each other, and of friendships found in the darkest of places.

Gabby en haar niggie Georgia lyk baie na mekaar met hulle krullerige hare, hoë wangbene en vol lippe, en toe hulle jonger was, was hulle onafskeidbaar. Maar iewers het hulle vreemdelinge vir mekaar geword en al wat hulle nou in gemeen het, is die bloed in hulle are.

Toe die matriekgroep van Barkley-Wes op ’n toer na Kaapstad vertrek, ontdek Gabby dat Georgia se dagboek in haar rugsak is. Hulle ma’s het vir hulle identiese blou dagboeke vir hulle gekoop, en hulle deel ’n kamer, so dit kon maklik gebeur het dat sy die verkeerde dagboek ingepak het. Dit beteken waarskynlik ook dat háár dagboek in Georgia se besit is.

Kort voor lank kry Gabby se nuuskierigheid die oorhand en begin sy Georgia se dagboek lees. Wanneer Georgia daarvan uitvind, breek ’n volskaalse niggie-oorlog uit wat nie eens Kaapstad se besienswaardighede of hulle vriende se pogings om raad te gee, kan keer nie.

Gaan Gabby se verraad die niggies nog verder uitmekaar dryf of sal dit dalk daartoe lei dat hulle mekaar beter begin verstaan?

Rorisang en haar tweelingbroer, Mo, moet die skooljaar by ’n nuwe skool begin nadat hulle ma besluit het dat die gesin uit hulle gemaksone moet kom.

Die tweeling is al sedert hulle kleuters was in die skool oorkant die pad. Al hulle vriende is daar en die skoolhoof is hulle pa se beste vriend. Die nuwe skool is ver van hulle huis af en soggens sit hulle in die verkeer vas. Die buitemuurse aktiwiteite wat aangebied word, is dinge waarvan Rorisang nog nooit eens gehoor het nie, en alhoewel sy goed gevaar het in atletiek in haar ou skool, verloor sy ver teen haar nuwe klasmaats.

Maar gelukkig maak sy sommer vinnig vriende, leer hoe om sagtebal te speel en neem deel aan die Eisteddfod. Sy oorleef selfs die lang ritte in die motor saam met haar irriterende broer deur speellyste saam te speel wat in elke lid van die gesin se musieksmaak val!

’n Storie oor die belangrikheid van vriendskap en familie en om jou stem te vind te midde van verandering.

Die boek is ook beskikbaar in isiZulu en Engels.

Two things that are true and one that is a lie: I think my mother is dead and alive. I think if I work hard I will be very good at something. I've tried to please my dad but I don't think I ever will. Thirteen-year-old Morgan lives with his dad and his older brother, Mitch. He hasn't heard from his mum since she left when he was two. He works hard on his football skills, striving to meet his father's high expectations and 'be a man'. But what that means isn't always clear-cut. When Morgan makes a friend at school, gets injured in a game, and his long-lost mum turns up, everything changes. Then, when he meets an old woman in need of help, Morgan must decide what kind of man he wants to be. Shining a timely and much-needed light on different kinds of masculinity, Darkest Night, Brightest Star is a unique and compelling novel from a masterful storyteller.

Mo's older brother has to go away for work, but just like the swallows, he'll return to him when the summer comes.
Bibi and Mo love to watch the first swallows arriving home to their lake in the summer. But soon, just like the swallows, Bibi has to go north for work. He tells Mo to think of him flying with the birds, and just like the swallows, when summer comes again, he will journey across the cities, oceans, grasslands and jungle, and over the tops of the mountains back to Mo.
Featuring a non-fiction section all about the migration of swallows, this comforting and sensitively told story is perfect for children whose loves ones have to stay away from home sometimes.