Lonely and shy, ten-year-old May Ellen Bird has no idea what awaits her when she falls into the lake and enters The Ever After, home of ghosts and the Bogey Man.

Now that her father is dead, CeCe McGill is left to wonder why he risked his life for the ragged slaves who came to their door in the dead of night. When her uncle, an ornithologist, insists she accompany him to Georgia on an expedition in search of the rare scarlet ibis, CeCe is surprised to learn there's a second reason for their journey: Along the way, Uncle Alex secretly points slaves north in the direction of the Underground Railroad. Set against the backdrop of the tumultuous pre-Civil War South, The Ever-After Bird is the story of a young woman's education about the horrors of slavery and the realization about the kind of person she wants to become.

This third and final installment of Andersons Ever After saga delivers even more of the sly hilarity and horror, original touches, and poignant moments that earned starred reviews for the first two novels of the trilogy.

The first of three novels about May Bird and her adventures in the ghostly world of The Ever After

WINNER OF THE NAACP IMAGE AWARD WINNER OF THE CORETTA SCOTT KING AUTHOR AWARD National Book Award winner Jacqueline Woodson's stirring novel-in-verse explores how a family moves forward when their glory days have passed, and the cost of professional sports on Black bodies. Now in paperback. For as long as ZJ can remember, his dad has been everyone's hero. As a charming, talented pro football star, he's as beloved to the neighborhood kids he plays with as he is to his millions of adoring sports fans. But lately life at ZJ's house is anything but charming. His dad is having trouble remembering things and seems to be angry all the time. ZJ's mom explains it's because of all the head injuries his dad sustained during his career. ZJ can understand that--but it doesn't make the sting any less real when his own father forgets his name. As ZJ contemplates his new reality, he has to figure out how to hold on tight to family traditions and recollections of the glory days, all the while wondering what their past amounts to if his father can't remember it. And most importantly, can those happy feelings ever be reclaimed when they are all so busy aching for the past?

Entrenched secrets, mysterious spirits, and an astonishing friendship weave together in this extraordinary and haunting debut that School Library Journal calls “a powerful story about loss and moving on.” Nothing matters. Only Bird matters. And he flew away. Jewel never knew her brother Bird, but all her life she has lived in his shadow. Her parents blame Grandpa for the tragedy of their family’s past: they say that Grandpa attracted a malevolent spirit—a duppy—into their home. Grandpa hasn’t spoken a word since. Now Jewel is twelve, and she lives in a house full of secrets and impenetrable silence. Jewel is sure that no one will ever love her like they loved Bird, until the night that she meets a mysterious boy in a tree. Grandpa is convinced that the boy is a duppy, but Jewel knows that he is something more. And that maybe—just maybe—the time has come to break through the stagnant silence of the past.

'A gripping book full of twists and turns.'Alice Clark-Platts 'Unsettling and beautiful'Allie Reynolds 'Kept me guessing until the very end with a brilliantly clever twist that I really didn’t see coming'Sarah Pearse 'A little gem'GJ Minett Three months into her new role as a psychiatrist at a clinic in New York, Erin Cartwright is asked to evaluate the case of a man who murdered his mother and sisters at the age of seventeen. Found not guilty by reason of insanity and held in a maximum-security psychiatric facility for twenty-seven years, Timothy Stern is now eligible for release. Upon learning the crime occurred in the same village she once visited as a child, Erin is on the verge of refusing to take the case, when a startling discovery triggers memories she’d rather keep hidden, and a suspicion the wrong man is behind bars. WHAT READERS ARE SAYING Lies, secrets and hidden pasts all come into play in this beautiful debut from Ann Gosslin. All in all, this book had me hooked throughout, I enjoyed it so much. monsieurmarple This is a suspenseful, disquieting psychological thriller, which I found very compelling. silverliningsandpages I can imagine it being the setting of a new series, and see Erin getting into more complex investigstions. Great for new readers of psychological thrillers. rhirhireader The writing is great, it doesn't feel like a debut book at all. breathingbooks95 I enjoyed this one. I raced through it and was pretty much gripped from the start. mrsfegfiction The writing is truly exquisite and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. [...]I would love to read more of Gosslin's work. escapetothebookshelf Gosslin creates the perfect level of suspense throughout, I couldn’t have asked for more. nobooksgiven I absolutely loved this book! Loved it! [...] I enjoyed every minute, thrilling and captivating. lostinherbookland Crikey, #theshadowbird the debut novel from Ann Gosslin really got under my skin. This is a captivating, emotional thriller that I couldn’t stop thinking about. It made me cry, gave me hope and I couldn’t put down with all its twists and turns. noveldelights Full of twists and turns The Shadow Bird is a brilliantly written psychological suspense book that has been thoroughly researched and paced perfectly [...] This is an intense and gripping debut and I cannot wait to read what Ann Gosslin writes next! oncemorewithreading As the pieces start to add up I though I could see where this story was head but wow it had some amazing twists that left me reeling! booksandemma It is almost impossible to believe that THE SHADOW BIRD is author Ann Gosslin’s first novel. This psychological thriller is sure to gain instant fans [...] 5 OUT OF 5 STARS. amiesbookreviews There were so many secrets, so much hidden in The Shadow Bird that it was impossible to put the novel down [...] It was dark, and unsettling, but with chunks of light that provided that perfect balance. A brilliant debut. amandaduncan12

A brand-new series of school stories from the world of Ever After High! Duchess Swan and Lizzie Hearts are roommates at Ever After High. While their personalities are very different, they bond over not quite fitting in with the other Royals. Lizzie, however, has one thing that Duchess doesn't: a happily-ever-after at the end of her story. While Lizzie and the other princesses train for the day when they will rule their kingdoms, Duchess is torn between her role as the perfect, dutiful princess and her rebellious ambition to be a queen. When both girls are selected to attend General Villainy class, Duchess sees an opportunity to be a rebel while following the rules. But can she play a prank on her roomie to ace the class? Find out if Duchess' desire to change her destiny will make her Ever After High's Next Top Villain! Don't miss the companion Destiny Do-Over Diary, General Villainy, for interactive fun!

Vernon the toad takes the silent Bird on a journey in hopes of finding Bird'shome. Full color.

At Hog Wallow Middle School, May Ellen Bird was always slightly invisible. Then she went on a long trip to the land of the dead, where ghost towns glowed blue in the dark dusk and spooky specters dwelled in cities on the Dead Sea. Back on Earth at last, May and her hairless cat, Somber Kitty, are now famous, their faces plastered across souvenirs and sportswear that read "May Bird Went to the Land of the Dead and All She Brought Me Was This Lousy T-Shirt." But, finally in the spotlight, May feels more than ever that she doesn't belong. Every night she sits by her bedroom window, gazing at the sky and dreaming of another place, wishing -- despite herself -- to be back among the ghosts. And then one night she gets her heart's desire in a way she would never have wished for. Only the Ever After isn't anything like the world May left behind three years ago. The spirits have vanished, and the towns -- once full of every manner of things that go bump in the night -- are deserted. Evil Bo Cleevil has made the Ever After as cold as his own frigid soul, and put up a bunch of tacky malls to boot. Now, with her friends missing and enemies all around her, May must find her way to the edge of the universe, where night swallows the stars, where allies are few and often have bad breath, where endings can also be beginnings, and where the truest hero lurks in the unlikeliest of souls. But Bo Cleevil's got one last trick up his sleeve -- one that no one on Earth is ready for. With the worlds of the living and the dead in the balance, will May's courage fail her one last time? Or will she finally become the warrior she was always meant to be?