Where the Red Fern Grows

#1 New York Times bestselling author Fredrik Backman returns with an unforgettably funny, deeply moving tale of four teenagers whose friendship creates a bond so powerful that it changes a complete stranger’s life twenty-five years later. Most people don’t even notice them—three tiny figures sitting at the end of a long pier in the corner of one of the most famous paintings in the world. Most people think it’s just a depiction of the sea. But Louisa, an aspiring artist herself, knows otherwise, and she is determined to find out the story of these three enigmatic figures. Twenty-five years earlier, in a distant seaside town, a group of teenagers find refuge from their bruising home lives by spending long summer days on an abandoned pier, telling silly jokes, sharing secrets, and committing small acts of rebellion. These lost souls find in each other a reason to get up each morning, a reason to dream, a reason to love. Out of that summer emerges a transcendent work of art, a painting that will unexpectedly be placed into eighteen-year-old Louisa’s care. She embarks on a surprise-filled cross-country journey to learn how the painting came to be and to decide what to do with it. The closer she gets to the painting’s birthplace, the more nervous she becomes about what she’ll find. Louisa is proof that happy endings don’t always take the form we expect in this stunning testament to the transformative, timeless power of friendship and art.

In the suburbs of 1970s New York, rookie NYPD cops Francis Gleeson and Brian Stanhope become neighbors, their lives unknowingly entwined. Behind closed doors, the loneliness of Francis's wife, Lena, and the instability of Brian's wife, Anne, create a volatile atmosphere that threatens to erupt.

Born just months apart, Kate Gleeson and Peter Stanhope forge an unbreakable bond that transcends the simmering tensions of their families. But one fateful night, a shocking act divides their loyalties and sets in motion a series of events that will echo through the next four decades.

Ask Again, Yes is a poignant exploration of forgiveness, the complexities of marriage, and the enduring power of love. As Kate and Peter navigate the haunted landscape of their shared past, they discover that childhood memories can shift and transform with the passage of time, revealing hidden truths and challenging long-held perceptions. Theirs is a story of tenderness and resilience, a testament to the idea that even the deepest wounds can be healed with grace and understanding.

In the rumble of teenage angst and societal divide, Ponyboy Curtis lives on the wrong side of the tracks in 1960s Oklahoma. He and his brothers, Sodapop and Darry, are Greasers, a gang of working-class teens perpetually at odds with the affluent Socs. When a violent clash turns deadly, Ponyboy is forced to run, finding an unlikely ally in his friend Johnny.

On the run and desperate, the boys confront harsh realities, testing the bonds of friendship and loyalty. As tensions escalate between the Greasers and Socs, Ponyboy questions everything he's ever believed, grappling with identity, belonging, and the true meaning of family. "The Outsiders" is a timeless coming-of-age story that explores the universal struggles of adolescence, class conflict, and the search for acceptance in a world that often sees only labels. A powerful and poignant tale of brotherhood, sacrifice, and the enduring hope that even in the darkest of times, there's still good to be found.

In 1986, as the nation buzzes with anticipation for the Space Shuttle Challenger launch, three siblings navigate their own turbulent orbits. Cash, Fitch, and Bird Nelson Thomas, all seventh graders, are as different as the planets, each wrestling with anxieties that threaten to pull them into separate worlds. Cash, a basketball enthusiast sidelined by a broken wrist, fears failing school. Fitch battles a volatile temper he doesn't understand, finding refuge in arcade games. Bird, his twelve-year-old twin, dreams of commanding a NASA mission, yet feels increasingly invisible.

Bound by a chaotic home life and a shared love for science, the siblings find an unlikely connection through their enthusiastic teacher, Ms. Salonga. When she assigns a project that divides the class into spacecraft crews, each tasked with a mission, the siblings' lives begin to converge. As the fateful launch day approaches, the pursuit of a shared goal and the weight of historical events will forge an unexpected bond between Cash, Fitch, and Bird, changing their lives and their understanding of family, friendship, and the vastness of their own potential.

Told in three compelling alternating voices and beautifully illustrated by the author, We Dream of Space is a poignant and unforgettable middle-grade novel about finding your place, even when you feel worlds apart.