
Licorice
Kara Lareau(Author)
Scholastic US (Publisher)
Will be published approx. on 22. October 2026
Book
Hardback
224 pages
978-1-5461-8594-9 (ISBN)
Description
Heartwarming, charming and sometimes spine-tingling, this
story by award-winning author Kara LaReau is about fitting in, standing
out, overcoming fear, and finding a place called home.
A young and frightened kitten is brought starry-eyed into a new
household. A boy named Max is trying desperately to get over the
loss of his former beloved pet. But ghosts don't always enjoy being
forgotten. Sometimes they must make their presence known.
In her cage at the Mount Charles Animal Shelter, Kitty feels safer
than she did in the woods. And then Max appears at the shelter.
Max has adopted all sorts of pets over the years and he seems
kind. When Max chooses Kitty, she is going to have a home at last.
There is a scent lingering in the house on 5 Manderley Lane. The
scent rises from every chair leg, every carpet fibre, every pillow,
even inside the bathtub. Everything smells like Licorice. It
is the strongest upstairs in Max's room, almost overpowering. If
the smell isn't enough, Duchess, the family's old parrot, won't
let Kitty forget that she is a replacement. And soon, Kitty finds
herself trapped in the long shadow of the cat that came before
her. But is it just a shadow? Or is there something really there
on the other side of it ... haunting her...
Licorice is an atmospheric and gripping story full of twists and
turns and gorgeous black and white illustrations throughout by
Kelly Murphy.
story by award-winning author Kara LaReau is about fitting in, standing
out, overcoming fear, and finding a place called home.
A young and frightened kitten is brought starry-eyed into a new
household. A boy named Max is trying desperately to get over the
loss of his former beloved pet. But ghosts don't always enjoy being
forgotten. Sometimes they must make their presence known.
In her cage at the Mount Charles Animal Shelter, Kitty feels safer
than she did in the woods. And then Max appears at the shelter.
Max has adopted all sorts of pets over the years and he seems
kind. When Max chooses Kitty, she is going to have a home at last.
There is a scent lingering in the house on 5 Manderley Lane. The
scent rises from every chair leg, every carpet fibre, every pillow,
even inside the bathtub. Everything smells like Licorice. It
is the strongest upstairs in Max's room, almost overpowering. If
the smell isn't enough, Duchess, the family's old parrot, won't
let Kitty forget that she is a replacement. And soon, Kitty finds
herself trapped in the long shadow of the cat that came before
her. But is it just a shadow? Or is there something really there
on the other side of it ... haunting her...
Licorice is an atmospheric and gripping story full of twists and
turns and gorgeous black and white illustrations throughout by
Kelly Murphy.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Target group
Children/juvenile
Reading Age: From 08 to 12 years
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 128 mm
Thickness: 21 mm
Weight
270 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-5461-8594-9 (9781546185949)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Kara LaReau worked as an editor at Candlewick Press and Scholastic Press, where she edited celebrated titles such as Kate DiCamillo's Because of Winn-Dixie (winner of a Newbery Honor), The Tiger Rising (finalist for the National Book Award), The Tale of Despereaux (winner of the Newbery Medal), The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane (winner of the Boston Globe Horn Book Award), and the Mercy Watson series. She's the author of the award-winning chapter book series The Infamous Ratsos, illustrated by Matt Myers; middle-grade trilogies The Unintentional Adventures of the Bland Sisters, illustrated by Jen Hill, and the ZomBert Chronicles, illustrated by Ryan Andrews; the chapter book series WITCHYCAKES, illustrated by Ariane Moreira; and many picture books. Kara lives in Providence with her husband and daughter and their cats.
Kelly Murphy is a New York Times-bestselling author-illustrator and recipient of the E.B. White Award. She has notably illustrated the works of William Shakespeare, Jane Austen and Beatrix Potter, as well as book covers for various Newbery Medal-winning novels, creating thousands of illustrations and award-winning art for clients worldwide. Her 52 books have been translated in 16 languages, earning countless awards and starred reviews, featuring on "best books of the year" lists by Publishers Weekly, The Wall Street Journal, People Magazine, Kirkus and The New York Times. Kelly teaches illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design, is a keynote speaker, competition juror, and leads professional workshops nationwide. She lives in Providence, RI, with her husband, author-illustrator Antoine Revoy, and their many animal companions.
Kelly Murphy is a New York Times-bestselling author-illustrator and recipient of the E.B. White Award. She has notably illustrated the works of William Shakespeare, Jane Austen and Beatrix Potter, as well as book covers for various Newbery Medal-winning novels, creating thousands of illustrations and award-winning art for clients worldwide. Her 52 books have been translated in 16 languages, earning countless awards and starred reviews, featuring on "best books of the year" lists by Publishers Weekly, The Wall Street Journal, People Magazine, Kirkus and The New York Times. Kelly teaches illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design, is a keynote speaker, competition juror, and leads professional workshops nationwide. She lives in Providence, RI, with her husband, author-illustrator Antoine Revoy, and their many animal companions.