Raven, Rising

Perfect for fans of Christine Day and Cynthia Leitich Smith, this debut novel follows a Cherokee girl who, after the tragic loss of her parents, tries to acclimate to difficult social dynamics in her new school and a curious magic that her mother may have passed down to her.

Raven Miller only just moved to Bear Creek Falls, but she already hates it. There’s a clique that has it out for her, a vice principal who keeps targeting her for dress code violations, and a cruel rumor going around that Raven is a witch who killed her parents. If it weren’t for her new friends Laurel and Hazel, she’d be lost.

The “witch” stuff would be easy to shrug off, but Raven does possess magical powers in the kitchen—the treats she makes can mysteriously change the lives of those who eat them. Though she doesn’t bake anymore—not since the accident that took her parents’ lives.

Then the clique’s bullying and the vice principal’s watchful eye intensifies. When the girls’ attempts to retaliate fall flat, Raven wonders if the magical sweets she used to make could whip up a justice so powerful it would set everything right. In order to find out, she’ll have to face the things she’s been avoiding. Can Raven rise above the pain of her past to secure a better future? 

Readers will root for Raven as she rises from the ashes of her old life and discovers just how powerful her voice can be. - Laura Shovan, co-author of A Place at the Table

This is middle grade fiction at its finest. Emotional, empowering, magical, and fun, with an excellent thread on solidarity organizing for preteens.”

- Christine Day, author of I Can Make This Promise

Heartfelt and sprinkled with a dash of mysterious magic, this is a beautiful debut by a new important voice in children's literature. I absolutely loved Raven and I know readers will too. - Jasmine Warga, Newbery Honor author of Other Words for Home

Raven's story reads like an old family recipe—the kind that takes time, love, and a heaping spoonful of magic. Her courage and compassion will inspire readers. - Carrie Firestone, author of Dress Coded