Three distinct editorial lines:

ALBIN MICHEL ANNOUNCES GRIPPING FICTION FOR KIDS

6-10+

Over the past 10 years, Albin Michel Jeunesse’s imprint WIZ has earned a reputation as a leading actor in the fiction for Young Adults publishing field. WIZ’s popular list includes major acquisitions such as international bestselling series Percy Jackson, award-winning novelists Meg Rosoff and Joyce Carol Oates and countless perennial #1 New York Times bestsellers such as Jay Asher’s debut novel, Thirteen Reason Why. In

2012, Albin Michel Jeunesse launched WITTY, a new imprint focusing on quality and humourous middle-grade fiction from abroad and featuring star-author David Walliams, to name just one.

Building on this success, we continue to innovate in 2015 with a brand new list of stirring and original novels across a wide variety of genres and ages. Introducing the best of French fiction and starting from ages 6 and up, these books will bring established authors to new audiences and focus on fundamental values such as friendship, courage and generosity in today’s world and other historical periods.

A pool of renowned French authors

Gripping stories for everyone’s age and taste

Literary fiction and quality writing

The existential road-trip of an eccentric family

An adventurous young woman

who tries to reach freedom

in the harsh 19th century Far West

SINGULAR NOVELS FOR 13 +

How to cope when your dog turns out

to be racist?

STAND-ALONE FICTION

AUDREN

FABRICE COLIN

SERIES ACROSS GENRES AND AGES

Laugh-out-loud teen diary

The destiny of a young princess solving mysteries

at the Court 8+

A young hero with the extraordinary power

to travel inside the human body

8+

11+

QUALITY FICTION FOR ALL AGES

A powerful and moving coming-of-age story about fighting for difference

BOOKS FOR EARLY READERS

Fun, educative and colourful stories to start reading alone at 6 & up

Rediscovering the power of books to change the course

of a dying civilization

A poetic story that explores the question of mourning and reawakening

Fighting for love and freedom in a fantasy

Ancient Rome

Three sisters thrown into the turmoil of dark family secrets

8+ 10+

11+

OSC

AR T

HE M

ED

ICU

S S

ERIE

S

Ages 8 & Up

112 pages – 12,5 x 18 cm

5,50€ – About 40 illustrations

sMedecine s Fantasys

sAdventure s Bravery s

Oscar is a 9-year-old boy like every other…or almost!

One day, he ventures in the mysterious Cumides Park

adjacent to his house and discovers a magical world of

moving plants, playful ants and capricious trees. But

this is nothing compared to the exciting discovery of a

magical pendant which grants him an extraordinary

power: he can travel inside the body of any living

being and heal their illnesses.

He quickly gets to experience his new power in the

stomach of Royce, the park’s guarding dog that seems

to be suffering from a terrible indigestion, and with

Bones, the frightening butler who breaks his leg while

chasing Oscar. In the hidden corners of these suffering

bodies, Oscar discovers a maze of tunnels, networks

and mechanisms and encounters countless little

workers all very busy at work such as Valentine the Cell

pilot or Bianca the overwhelmed stomach officer.

Oscar cannot resist putting his sister and two best

friends into the confidence and, whilst each new title

will bring more and more intricate cases to solve,

he will have no choice but to rely on their help and on

all the magical objects he will collect on the way to

accomplish his important mission!

OSCAR THE MEDICUS

Written by Eli Anderson Illustrated by Titwane

THE AUTHORS

Eli Anderson is a doctor and

the author of the successful

YA series Oscar Pill which

sold more than 250 000

copies and was translated into

16 languages. The series will soon be

adapted to the cinema by Warner Bros and

Heyday Films (producers of Harry Potter).

Building on this success, Eli Anderson decided

to adapt the concept to younger readers. He

also wrote several crime novels for adult

widely acclaimed by the public and critics.

Titwane is an illustrator for

press, television and books.

He illustrated several volumes

of Le Château Magique

series published by Bayard.

v A unique and strong concept:

the first hero with the power to

travel inside the human body

v A brave and touching protagonist with whom every child will identify immediately

v A new illustrated series by the bestselling author of Oscar Pill which combines gripping stories with the educative appeal of understanding the human body

Already published:

# 1: The magical pendant

# 2: The mystery of the red cape

# 3: The know-it-all grimoire

# 4: The Secret Order of the Medicus

ELIS

ABETH

PRIN

CESS A

T V

ERSAIL

LES

Ages 8 & Up

144 pages – 14,3 x 18,6 cm – 6.90€

About 40 colour illustrations

sFriendship s Mysterys

sAdventure s Royalty s sHistorys

v A rhythmic series based on

true historical characters and

facts to learn while enjoying

gripping stories

v The destiny of a young

princess whose life is ruled by

the etiquette and who tries to

find her place in the world

v Colourful and generous characters easy to identify with

Set in 1774, this new historical series recounts

the adventures of Princess Elisabeth, the

younger sister of Louis XVI.

At just 11 years old, Elisabeth is smart and lively,

but she doesn’t like to study, can’t stand the

authority and is such a nightmare to her governess

that the latter has no other choice than to hire

another governess, Madame de Mackau, entrusted

with the mission of taming her. The princess,

however, is decided not to let that happen and runs

away with her horse. When she falls, a nice girl her

age appears to help her get back on her feet, and

Elisabeth quickly realizes that she is no other than

Madame de Mackau’s daughter! Elisabeth and

Angélique rapidly become inseparable and,

together, they will solve all sorts of mysterious

cases that arise at the court… to be continued in

the next titles!

A new series that will appeal to both mystery

and adventure lovers!

The Secret of the automaton

Elisabeth, Princess at Versailles

Written by Annie Jay

THE AUTHOR Annie Jay is an

autodidact passionate

about history. Her first novel,

Complot à Versailles, was published

by Hachette in 1993 and sold over

70,000 copies. She has published

about 20 historical novels, three of

which feature on the French Ministry

of Education recommendation list, and

has received many prizes.

FRO

M T

HE N

OTEB

OO

KS O

F L

OU

ISE

Ages 11 & Up

250 pages – 14 x 20 cm

12,50€ – Soft cover

sTeenagehood s Loves

sFriendship s Humour s

Louise is a 14-year-old girl of her time: she speaks

with her friends on Skype, doesn’t want to tidy her

room, fights with her older sister and, above all, is

completely under the charm of Ricky, singer and

leader of her favourite boy band, the Connections.

For six months, Louise has been checking her

calendar with excitement… and the day has finally

come: she’s at the Connections concert! When Ricky

appears on stage, she jumps and yells from joy,

without knowing that just a few hours later, she and

Ricky will be facing each other in her living-room…

It is the beginning of her frenetic (and highly

unprepared!) three-day VIP experience … only to

realise in the end that there are far more important

things in life than getting an autograph!

A younger version of Bridget Jones, Louise is

coping with her teenage imperfections and awkward situations with a self-mocking sense of humour and a lot of heart!

Fan of His From the notebooks of Louise Series

Written by Marion Michau and Charlotte Marin

THE AUTHORS Charlotte Marin is a

well-know French

actress and singer who

became famous with her show

“One woman Chant” which combines

humorous sketches and songs. With

Marion Michau, she has already co-

written two chick-lit novels which were

adapted to the cinema. Fan of his is

their first novel for young readers.

Marion Michau writes funny

and glamourous columns in

French women’s magazines.

She is also a scriptwriter for

TV series and works with

Charlotte Marin on all her

shows and albums.

This first title is a hilarious

yet tender introduction to a

new series dedicated to the

day-to-day life and

preoccupations of today’s

teenagers!

Cover design by Diglee

STAN

D-ALO

NE F

ICTIO

N F

OR 8

+

Ages 8 & Up

112 pages – 13 x 20 cm – 8,50€

– Softcover with flaps –

About 20 colour illustrations

sRacism s Tolerances

sHumour s Family s

One is never too young to

talk about racism!

One evening, as he is going to the cinema,

Maël, a 10-year-old boy, finds a lovely little dog on

his doormat. After having looked in vain for his

master, Maël and his parents decide to adopt him

and name him Kitty. But the dog sometimes has a

strange behaviour: he growls and tries to bite

people…and even sometimes the television!

Until one day, Maël’s neighbours understand what

is going on: Kitty only growls at people who

have a dark skin… he is racist! Maël and his

parents are very embarrassed and Maël asks

himself a lot of questions: can he still love his dog?

Is it possible to be clever, nice and racist at once?

Can you unlearn to be racist? And how can he

make people understand that just because his dog

is racist, it doesn’t mean that he and his family are

racist too?

This clever story deals with the delicate subject

of racism in a subtle and humorous way to

make children ask themselves fundamental

questions.

My Dog is racist Written by Audren

Illustrated by Clément Oubrerie THE AUTHORS Audren is one

of the figure-

heads of French

children’s literature.

She has published over 30 novels that

have encountered great success,

including the series Les Orphelines

d’Abbey Road and Olsen Peterson,

published by L’Ecole des Loisirs. Her

books are translated in 10 languages

Clément Oubrerie studied

graphic arts in France

before moving to the USA

where he published his

first children’s books.

Back in France, he

created a press agency specialized

in computer graphics, while pursuing his

career as an illustrator. He published

several picture books and comics,

including the Aya de Yopougon series

(Gallimard) which received the

Angouleme International Comics festival

prize in 2006 and was translated into

more than 20 languages.

SIN

GU

LAR N

OVELS FO

R 13 +

Ages 13 & Up

250 pages – 14,5 x 21,5 cm – 15€

sWild West s Feminisms

sAdventure s Freedom s

v A universe between Little

House on the Prairie, Jane Eyre,

Calamity Jane and Sergio Leone

western movies

v The adventures of a woman who tries to reach freedom in a world ruled by conventions and traditions

Spring 1867: at the age of just 19, Milly

Burnett leaves her native Massachusetts

and lands in the little town of Tolstoy,

Montana, where she is to work as a teacher

at the local school.

Emancipated and freedom-loving, Milly

has come to build her happiness while

educating the children of the town. Although

life is harsh, she rapidly forges ties with the

other inhabitants of Tolstoy. However,

troubles begin when she accepts to

welcome Joshua in her class, an atypical

pupil of 17 who is unfairly marginalised by

the community…

Will Milly succeed in turning her nose up

at the town’s conventions and manage to

live as free a life as she had hoped?

Wild Girl Written by Audren THE AUTHOR

Audren is one

of the figure-

heads of French

children’s literature.

She has published over 30 novels

that have encountered great success,

including the series Les Orphelines

d’Abbey Road and Olsen Peterson,

published by L’école des Loisirs. Her

books are translated in 10 languages.

SIN

GU

LAR N

OVELS FO

R 13 +

Ages 13 & Up

250 pages – 14,5 x 21,5 cm – 15€

sFamily secrets sRoad trips

sHumour s Adolescence s

v A one-of-a-kind novel that

embarks the reader on both a

touristic and existential journey

v An investigation filled with family secrets and a travel into the past v A delightful cast of outlandish, moving, warm, sometimes dysfunctional and vividly hysterical characters.

The journey starts in Paris, at the beginning of the summer

holidays with the Farrows, an unconventional family! Lucy,

the narrator, is 15. Very mature for her age, brilliant at school,

she has a sound knowledge for Baudelaire’s poetry and a

bitter sense of humour. Her twin brother, Jude, is more

obscure and silent, spending most of his nights playing online

games. They live with their father, a famous and eccentric

Beatles specialist who pretends that everything is alright when

they are all desperately trying to deal with an absent mum

who has disappeared a year before in blurred circumstances.

This could have been a very boring summer if it had not been

for the intervention of Marilyne, the freshly-retired, hyperactive

and rock-n-roll grandmother who reveals that their mother,

who wasn’t their birth mum, had left some clues for them to

find their biological mother and who embarks the four of them

in an eventful trip. Not informing the father of their real

agenda, they set out in search of their birth mother all across

Europe where they have identified 3 potential candidates. This

is without knowing that they will unwittingly take part in a

burglary, survive a plane crash, steal DNA tests and that the

journey will take them all the way up to Hong Kong’s haze.

Carried by a Beattles soundtrack and the piercing voice

of Lucy who is talking to her absent mother, this epic and

extravagant journey will turn out to be a lifesaving

experience and new start for the whole family.

Written by Fabrice Colin

THE AUTHOR Whether writing for

adults or for children,

Fabrice Colin always

focuses on imaginary

literature. At Albin

Michel, he has published La

Malédiction d’Old Haven, Le Maître

des dragons and Bal de givre à New

York. He has won the Grand Prix de

l’Imaginaire, a prestigious literary

prize that rewards works of science

fiction and fantasy, not only one but

four times and his books are translated

in more than 10 languages!

In the land that is like you

Thelma and Louise meets Little

Miss Sunshine in this modern,

poignant and laugh-out-loud

novel which won’t leave any

reader unaffected!

LITTLE APPLE SERIES

Written by Delphine Cotte Illustrated by Gwenaëlle Doumont

THE SERIES

Little Apple remembers stories from “before”–when she was still little–in first

grade. But things have changed since she got bigger and started second

grade. Over the course of the stories, Little Apple learns how to be patient

and invent games with practically anything. The stories deal with everyday

life, grandparents, dreams and friendship all playing an important role and

each story ending with a clever little twist.

Ages 6 & Up

32 pages – 14,5 x 19,5 cm – 5.60€

EAR

LY R

EAD

ER B

OO

KS

Teacher, Tell Us a Story!

When she was in first grade,

Little Apple loved her

teacher’s read-aloud stories

but she always had to wait

until after reading, after math,

after recess and even after

poetry. It took forever and

Little Apple just couldn’t wait,

so she kept daydreaming

while staring out the

classroom window. Finally,

when Mrs. Johnson opened

her big book of tales, Little

Apple sat back to enjoy the

story. Since then, Little Apple

has learned to read, and she

is now the one who reads to

her little sister.

All these beautiful cherries!

Little Apple meets up with her

friend, Little Frog, bringing a

basket of magnificent cherries

from her grandfather’s garden.

And so begins the story of how

she had to wait and wait and

wait from the moment she

planted the tree with her

grandfather until she could

finally pick and eat them.

But she has learned a good

lesson: every year the tree gets

bigger, and the cherries are

better and better!

Yummy things to eat on

Saturdays!

When she was younger, Little

Apple’s grandmother cooked a

new dish every day of the

week: chicken on Monday,

grilled cheese on Tuesday,

zucchini casserole on

Wednesday, and so on. She

used to keep all the leftovers

and when Saturday finally

came around, grandma would

invent a strange but delicious

special recipe with all of them.

Now, Little Apple eats lunch at

the school but on Saturday

nights she and her mother do

the same thing she used to do

with grandma… except the

results aren’t quite as good!

THE AUTHOR Delphine Cotte works

in an adult training

program for childcare

professionals and

teachers, offering them

an understanding of Montessori

teaching methods and how to

create materials for workshops. In

other words, her work is at the

heart of childhood pedagogical

issues. She recently published a

bestselling book with Eyerolles

entitled Montessori at Home.

THE ILLUSTATOR A graduate of the Saint

Luc School of graphic

arts in Brussels,

Gwenaëlle Doumont

has worked as a full-time

illustrator since 2003. Her drawings

are full of details and share the

same tender personality and gentle

sense of humor that she enjoys

with her daughter. An original concept: a concise and dynamic text with all of the dialogue appearing in speech bubbles that make it easier to learn to read.

NOE & AZOTE SERIES

Written by Mim & Benoit Bajon Illustrated by Aurélie Guillerey

THE SERIES

Noe Maleze is a shy and awkward

seven-year-old, an only child whose

parents are always working. He has

trouble overcoming his shyness,

except with his friend Azote, a

mountain troll that only he can see.

Is Azote an imaginary friend or a

magic creature? Regardless of

whether he’s real or not, he’s the

perfect friend, who accompanies

Noe through a series of great

adventures.

A Furry friend!

Noe just moved into a new

house, and hasn’t met any

new friends. One day, while

playing in the backyard, he

comes face to face with

Azote, a real-life mountain

troll. Azote is terrifying, but

he’s actually not at all mean,

so Noe invites him over the

next day for a snack. He

quickly discovers that being

friends with a troll isn’t the

most relaxing job in the

world…

Ages 7 & Up

48 pages – 14,5 x 19,5 cm– 5.90€

EAR

LY R

EAD

ER B

OO

KS

Super Strong!

Noe Maleze is the laughing

stock of the class: he doesn’t

even know how to climb a

rope. He’s so bad that his

classmate Jules has

nicknamed him Noe

Strongman. Back at home,

Zoe is desperate. To cheer

him up, Azote offers to take

him on a little trip to Borneo,

offering him a chance to

discover his hidden powers.

Welcome to Troll Land!

Noe is annoyed: the troll

refuses to introduce him to

his family. Why does he want

to keep them apart? After

another endless quarrel,

Azote gives in and takes Noe

into the mountains to meet

his clan. This little outing in

the midst of a gang of hairy,

uncouth giants turns into a

genuine ordeal for Noe..

THE AUTHORS

Mim is a translator and

author of children’s

books and radio plays.

Her series The Wonderful

Life of Brigitte Hurricane (35

episodes for radio France culture)

was awarded the prize for Best New

Radio Talent by the French writer’s

union (SACD).

Benoit Bajon has

worked for a number of

years as a speech

therapist and helps

children find their way

down the sometimes-difficult road of

language learning. He also

accompanies children learning to

read.

THE ILLUSTATOR

Aurélie Guillerey was born in 1975

and lives in Rennes. She studied

illustration at the Strasbourg School

of Decorative Arts. Her style is fresh

and full of bright colors, and her

tender and insightful illustrations are

a delightful addition to a

host of magazines and

children’s books. She

already has more than

30 works to her credit.

GIANT

Written by Jo Hoestlant Illustrated by Thomas Baas

An intense and poetic story that explores the question of mourning and reawakening The characters are touching and principled Her sensitive, intelligent and amusing style makes Jo Hoestlandt a central figure in children’s literature

The story begins in the marshlands,

somewhere between dry land and the sea.

Martin and Louis are father and son, and work

together as shepherds on stilts. Like giants,

they keep watch over their herd.

When Martin dies, Louis and his mother move

to the city. While going to school, he has to

earn a living, make new friends, learn how to

fight for himself and understand girls,

including one in particular: Sophia. A special

kind of girl, Sophia is particularly amusing.

She’s his neighbor, and she too lost her

mother early. She lives with her father and her

little sister Maria, who never says a word. In

no time, Sophia conveys her passion for

theater to Louis and creates new bounds

between the two families.

THE AUTHOR Jo Hoestlandt was born in 1948 and lives in

Rueil-Malmaison. She initially worked as a

professor of literature before dividing her time

between writing books for children and raising

three children of her own. She also created

and managed reading and

writing workshops for

children. Her work spans

different forms of writing,

including novels, folktales

and poetry, and she often

meets with readers,

encouraging them to

exchange and correspond with

each other, in order to better share both little

and big things in life, across generations.

Ages 8-10

112 pages - 14 x 21,5 cm – 8.90€

Mourning Friendship

Family Theater

Jo Hoestlandt has received numerous

prizes including:

- The Bologna Graphic Award, The

Batchelder Award and Bundestag

Award (Germany) for her picture book

Stars of Fear, Stars of Hope (Syros)

- Prix Saint-Exupéry for Le pouvoir

d’Aimé (Actes Sud Juniors)

THE BIG RIVER

Written by Anne Rossi

Strong characters with whom readers identify immediately: Frog, the daredevil with a heart, and Arbas, who is reserved and resourceful. A story with gripping twists and turns told in a simple and poetic style A powerful and moving coming-of-age story

Two children, who have been banished from

their hometown, join together in search of a

better world…

Rejected by her tribe because of her webbed

fingers, Frog decides to leave her village when

her grandfather dies. Following his ashes as they

float down the river, she goes in search of the

wonderful place he always told her about.

During her first night on the run, she discovers a

young boy named Arbas who has a paralyzed

arm. Like Frog, he has fled in fear of being killed.

They decide to undertake their journey together.

Following the same destiny and facing the same

hardships and dangers, each has a strength that

makes up for the weakness of the other.

Frog and Arbas paddle down the river in a tree

trunk that serves as a canoe, hoping to reach the

legendary country described by Frog’s

grandfather.

THE AUTHOR In answer to her grandfather’s habit of ending

his stories with an invitation to “tune in next

time to hear the end,” Anne Rossi decided to

start writing her own endings. Since then, she

never stopped. In her novels for children and

adults, she is particularly fond of fantasy,

imaginative writing and

stories where everything

is possible!

Her most recent books

are The Adventures of

Barthelemy Styx,

published by Scrineo,

and a romantic series

The Diary. She lives

near Paris.

Ages 8-12

160 pages - 14 x 21,5 cm – 12.90€

Adventure Difference

Quest Friendship

The initiatory journey of an intrepid girl and an oversensitive shy boy, facing together the hardships of life.

MIRAPOLIS Vol. 1: The shadows of the City

Written by Hélène Montardre

Ages 8-12

336 pages - 14 x 21,5 cm – 13.90€

Adventure Suspense

Utopia

THE AUTHOR

Hélène Montardre was born in

1954 in Montreuil. As a

child, when people asked how

she imagined herself in the future, she

answered: writing, traveling and having

children. Writing has always been a constant

in her life and a guiding principle. Her books–

which include more than fifty novels, picture

books, folktales, and non-fiction works–are

written for children of all ages. Several have

won important prizes, including the most

recent, The Phantom of the Red Hand

(Nathan) which was awarded the paperback

reader’s prize in 2013.

An adventure into a strange, futuristic and fascinating world

A passionate story, and a reflection on the power of books throughout the history of humanity

An understated and accessible style, inviting the reader to identify with the young heroes in search of a new world

The artificial peace of the City is suddenly disrupted

when Nakat, a mysterious librarian from the Upper City,

intercepts an enigmatic call from Barral, whom he knows

has returned from the outside world. Barral is dying and

only lives long enough to tell Nakat that he is the only

survivor of the expedition and to give him the logbook

which contains the precious secret itinerary to the

Vessel. The Great Council must not know about the

Vessel and Nakat has no other choice but to hide the

book in a dark underground tunnel.

Angueo is a young boy who works and lives in the dull

Lower City where people are labeled and follow the

orders of The Voice without any questionings. But

Angueo is different. Somehow he has mysteriously

avoided the total indoctrination that restricts their

emotions and intelligence. His curiosity and boldness

quickly lead him to discover the logbook which will

change the course of his life. Nakat understands that

this boy is different from the others, and undertakes an

unprecedented experiment: he teaches him to read.

During these secret encounters, Angueo discovers a

world of forgotten knowledge and soon wants to learn

more about what is happening in the outside world,

beyond the city walls.

An invisible city, cut off from the world.

A society divided between the gloomy

Lower City and the Upper City, built for

the pleasure of the elite…

Angueo’s adventures and

quest for freedom continue

in an exciting sequel: The lights of the Vessel

MIRAPOLIS Vol. 2: The lights of the Vessel

Written by Hélène Montardre

Ages 8-12

336 pages - 14 x 21,5 cm – 13.90€

Adventure Suspense

Utopia

THE AUTHOR

Hélène Montardre was born in

1954 in Montreuil. As a

child, when people asked how

she imagined herself in the future, she

answered: writing, traveling and having

children. Writing has always been a constant

in her life and a guiding principle. Her books–

which include more than fifty novels, picture

books, folktales, and non-fiction works–are

written for children of all ages. Several have

won important prizes, including the most

recent, The Phantom of the Red Hand

(Nathan) which was awarded the paperback

reader’s prize in 2013.

An adventure into a strange, futuristic and fascinating world

A passionate story, and a reflection on the power of books throughout the history of humanity

An understated and accessible style, inviting the reader to identify with the young heroes in search of a new world

What if the search for the vessel was the same as the

difficult lesson of learning the meaning of liberty?

Having escaped the city, Angueo finds himself alone in

the outside world. As arranged by Nakat, Saskia, a

young woman his age who comes from a tribe of

mountain people, takes him under her wing. Having

removed the chip that once regulated his moods and

desires, Angueo experiences new feelings and is

delighted by the wonders of the world he continues to

discover in person, having only glimpsed them before in

picture books.

Soon, Angueo is joined by Nakat and five other young

people who flee the city with him: Dokana and Chouab,

two old friends from the Lower City, and Liona, Méji and

Télia, three smart teenagers from the elitist Upper City.

The search for the vessel continues and, while they can

only rely on the logbook with mysterious itinerary

instructions, the small group progressively discovers

deserted landscapes and the ruins of a once civilized

world. Along this dangerous journey, they are all forced to

reveal their true personality and learn how to manage the

freedom that comes with this new life, but nothing

could have ever prepared them for what they were

about to find in the Vessel…

The riveting sequel to The shadows of the City

The Young Ladies of Windy Heights

Written by Yaël Hassan

The touching portrait of three sisters, each with her own personality, thrown into the turmoil of dark family secrets

Yaël Hassan’s writing, recognized by booksellers and teachers, strikes just the right tone and sensibility

An invitation to reach out and communicate with one’s own family

Charlotte is reasonable and protecting, Emily is

lively and impulsive, and Anne is sensitive and

clairvoyant. All three are in shock: their mother has

disappeared.

When their father has to leave town on business,

they are forced to stay with their maternal

grandparents, whom they have never met. From the

moment they arrive at the austere manor of Windy

Heights, the three sisters are struck by their

grandmother’s toughness and their grandfather’s

silence. Could this explain why their mother had

broken off all ties with her family? And what about

those mysterious Thursday evening parties thrown

by their grandmother? The three sisters, named

after the Brontë sisters, decide to conduct their own

investigation: through a collection of old letters,

Anne’s extraordinary visions and Charlotte’s

perceptiveness, they are able to discover the truth

that lies behind a wall of silence.

Ages 8-12

382 pages - 14 x 21,5 cm – 13.90€

Family secrets Investigation

Disappearances Divination

THE AUTHOR Yaël Hassan was born in

Paris in 1952. After

spending her childhood

in Belgium and Israel,

she returned to France

for good in 1984.

A prolonged convalescence

following an accident gave her the

opportunity to write her first novel, A

Grandfather who Fell from Heaven,

published by Casterman. The book was an

immediate critical and commercial

success. It won the Prize for the Best

Youth Novel awarded by the Ministry of

Youth and Sports in 1996, the Grand Prize

for Young Readers chosen by the school

board in 1998, and the Sorcières

Booksellers Prize the same year. Since

then she has devoted her career to

children’s literature, and has published

numerous books with Gallimard, Syros and

Casterman, among others.

LIGHTNING HORSES

Written by Aurélie Wellenstein

An ancient and original fantasy world: the Roman circus serves as the backdrop to relentless horse races

A fast-paced style, a breathless plot, affecting and courageous characters, and a love story: everything to keep readers hooked!

The fate of a resourceful young orphan who is trying to find her place in a man’s world

As they work in the fields, Alix and her father are

attacked by merciless Roman horsemen who are there

to capture the Lightnings, this breed of terrifying

electrified horses that pulverize everything in their path

during thunderstorms and that have become the

Romans’ favourite Circus attraction.

Her father is brutally murdered and Alix is kidnapped as

she appears to be the only person capable of calming

these powerful animals. Enslaved in Rome where she

has to prepare the Lightnings for the races, she

develops a special bound with Ira, an exceptional yet

wild horse that was captured at the same time as her.

Marcus, a young slave who is also the stable’s standing

champion, immediately takes her under his protection

and reveals the tricks of the trade to her. With the

approaching race, bets are taken on each of the

horsemen riding the Lightnings on an electrified horse

track, where they run the risk of electrocution if they fall.

With Ira, Marcus hopes to win the champion’s title and

to buy back his liberty. But can he still aspire to victory

after his terrible accident in the Circus? It is time for Alix

to show what she is capable of…

THE AUTHOR Aurélie Wellenstein has

been writing since the

age of seventeen with a

natural taste for science

fiction. She is now

thirty-seven and lives

near Paris with an otter, a German

shepherd, a pet horse and other imaginary

creatures.

She has published a number of short stories

in fanzines and her first novel for children

was published by Sortilèges. She has a

natural taste for science fiction.

Ages 12 & Up

208 pages - 14 x 21,5 cm – 12.90€

Adventure Roman Circus

Bravery Love