UPCOMING TITLES
October 2026
The Cosmic Journey of Jessica Meir
Jamie Hogan
CHILDREN'S PICTURE BOOK
Jessica Meir always knew what she wanted to do: VROOOOOOOM to outer space! Growing up beneath the dark night skies of northern Maine, Jessica had her head in the stars and her feet in the wild woods. As she got older, she traveled around the world to study extreme environments and the animals that thrive in them. She plunged under ice and slithered inside caves. Jessica’s hard work and determination led to a career with NASA, living out her astronaut dreams, and making history as part of the first all-woman spacewalk!
Get ready for astronaut Jessica Meir’s incredible cosmic journey.
3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . .
Liftoff!
October 2026
Hector Fox and the Snowy Surprise
Astrid Sheckels
CHILDREN'S PICTURE BOOK
Winter has come to the Green Wood, and Hector Fox and his friends are busy preparing for a festive celebration. But when howling winds and wild snows arrive, the friends get lost in the storm. Will they find their way home? Will all of their party plans go to waste? In their newest, snowiest adventure, Hector Fox and his woodland crew must rely on each other and their courage more than ever as they discover that friendship is one of the greatest gifts of all.
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Hector Fox and the Snowy Surprise, created by award-winning author and illustrator Astrid Sheckels, is the fifth in her series of picture books featuring Hector Fox, Lucy Skunk, Mo Marten, Charlie Chipmunk, Jeremiah Rabbit, and other surprise friends.
November 2026
Throwbacks and Keepers
Ron Pedro
Young Adult Fiction
A heartfelt middle-grade novel about a boy navigating foster care who finds healing, purpose, and new family among the lobstering community of a small Maine island.
Sully loves his mom. But love doesn’t always mean safety.
After years of homelessness and uncertainty, Sully is taken from his mother and placed in foster care—thrust into an unfamiliar world with new rules and strangers who say they want to help. Inside, Sully battles two powerful forces he calls “the Sads” and “the Mads,” feelings that make it hard to trust anyone.
Then he meets Miss Millie.
Miss Millie sings while she cooks, holds daily “safety briefings,” and insists that Sully and his new foster brother Victor help with chores, go to church, and look out for each other. When the trio visits Miss Millie’s sister Aggie on Long Island, Maine, Sully discovers something unexpected: lobstering.
Out on the water before sunrise, hauling traps alongside local lobstermen, Sully feels something he hasn’t felt in a long time—like he belongs.
But just when Sully begins to believe he’s finally found a forever home, tragedy strikes again.
With the help of Victor, Aggie, and the tight-knit island community, Sully learns that family isn’t always the one you start with—it’s the one that refuses to let you go.
Weaving back and forth between the present when Sully is age twelve and the past at age seven when the world he has always known falls apart, this is a heartfelt story of resilience, belonging, and second chances. Throwbacks and Keepers is perfect for fans of Lynda Mullaly Hunt and Gary D. Schmidt.
November 2026
E. Norm Moose
Heidi E.Y. Stemple
CHILDREN'S PICTURE BOOK
A warm and witty read-aloud about a moose named Norm and her misadventures in search of a friend.
Ernestine Norman Moose (Norm for short) sets out to find a friend, but being enormous makes that surprisingly difficult.
Norm’s size causes chaos everywhere she goes. When people shout, wave their arms, and declare, “That thing is ENORMOUS!” Norm is thrilled they know her name… but disappointed they don’t want to be her friend.
Just when she’s ready to give up, Norm meets Bo, a calm and quiet cow who doesn’t mind Norm’s size—or her clumsiness. Together they discover that the best friendships often come in the most unexpected forms.
A playful, heartwarming picture book about belonging, differences, and finding your herd.
December 2026
Wood Work: Building a living, Crafting a Life
Steve Smith
Nonfiction | Memoir
In January 2019, former white-collar worker Steve Smith stepped into the snowy Maine woods with a single question: could he make a living using only an axe?
With no business degree and no formal training—only books, YouTube videos, and stubborn determination—Smith founded Renaissance Timber LLC in Cumberland, Maine, becoming one of the only commercial hand-hewers in the United States. Over the next six years, he navigated brutal weather, physical danger, financial uncertainty, and family strain while building a successful timber operation that ultimately earned more than any of his previous office jobs.
Drawing on an upbringing in a religious cult and years of failed attempts to secure meaningful wage work, Smith explores the deeper forces that drove him toward a life of manual craft and self-reliance. Structured around the months of the year, A Hewn Life follows the seasonal rhythms of labor—frost, mud, sun, and sweat—revealing both the hardship and deep satisfaction of building something real with one’s hands.
Part memoir, part meditation on work and meaning, A Hewn Life is a resonant testament to the enduring human desire for purpose beyond the fluorescent glow of the modern office—and a beacon for anyone who has ever dreamed of leaving the desk behind.
February 2027
ABCs of Maine
Written by Erika Zambello
Illustrated by Mary Zambello
Board Book
A Maine alphabet book that introduces young readers to the wonders of the Pine Tree State.
Give readers a taste of Maine through the state’s memorable plants, animals, pastimes, and treats in this charming ABC board book. From Birches to Fly fishing to Luna moths to Whoopie pies, each letter celebrates a different flavor of the state's beauty and character.
Exploring a mix of iconic Maine elements and some lesser known surprises, this engaging board book helps young children learn their ABCs while inviting all readers to discover fascinating facts about Maine's history, environment, wildlife, and culture.
Written and illustrated by sisters Erika and Mary Zambello, passionate outdoor enthusiasts and explorers, this book is a joyful celebration of the Pine Tree State in all its glory.
February 2027
Odum Widows
Emily Eaton Moore
Fiction
A madcap literary masterpiece, newly discovered and published posthumously for the first time.
For fifty years, Pearl Glass has listened to the crows that watch over Eden Harbor, a quirky Down East Maine village where secrets linger longer than winter. Now her grandmother Abigail—more than a century old and determined to die before summer's end—has one final wish: that Pearl find her happy ending.
As the two women trade stories and long-buried secrets, Pearl is drawn deeper into the tangled history of Eden Harbor's unforgettable residents, including the infamous Odum widows, whose family has been haunted for generations by a curse that turns every wedding into a funeral. Amid gossip, grief, mystery, and unexpected revelations, Pearl must confront the losses that have shaped her life and uncover the truth about her family, her past, and herself.
By turns hilarious, heartbreaking, and wholly original, this newly discovered novel by a previously unknown Maine writer is a literary treasure. Filled with unforgettable characters, sharp wit, and the rhythms of coastal Maine life, it is an instant Maine classic—perfect for readers who love richly woven community stories in the tradition of Olive Kitteridge or The Beans of Egypt, Maine, with a delightfully eccentric twist.
March 2027
Storm Season: Inspired by the True Story of Abbie Burgess
Jenny Connell Davis
Middle Grade
Inspired by the remarkable true story of Maine folk heroine Abigail Burgess, Storm Season is at once a thrilling survival adventure and a thoughtful, funny exploration of a girl’s place in society in the mid-1800s.
Fourteen-year-old Abbie Burgess has never been afraid of hard work. And it’s a good thing, since times are tough and money tight for her big family. Still, everyone in her small town has an opinion about what a girl should—or shouldn’t—be doing. But when her father accepts a position tending the lighthouse on remote Matinicus Rock, twenty miles off the coast of Maine, Abbie finds herself living at the edge of the world.
Life on the tiny island is lonely, wild, and unforgiving. Fierce winds batter the lighthouse. Supplies arrive only when the weather allows. And with endless ocean stretching in every direction, there's no escaping the power of the sea.
Then winter tightens its grip.
When food runs low and a supply boat fails to arrive, Abbie's father makes the dangerous journey to the mainland in search of help. Before he can return, a massive storm descends on Matinicus Rock. Cut off from the world and facing hurricane-force winds, Abbie must find a way to keep the lighthouse burning, protect her family, and survive one of the most devastating storms in Maine history.
Storm Season is an unforgettable tale of resilience, bravery, and the light that guides us through even the darkest nights.
February 2027
My Hawthorn Tree and Me
Written by Samara Cole Doyon
Illustrated by Daniel Minter
Children's Picture Book
A joyful picture book about self-expression, finding your voice, and standing up for what matters.
In the heart of the neighborhood stands a magnificent hawthorn tree. One curious and confident child sees something more than its breathtaking blossoms—they see a kindred spirit. Like the tree, they aren't afraid to stand out, and they find comfort in its beauty, strength, and quiet grace.
But when the beloved tree's future is suddenly threatened, the child discovers that even a small voice can make a big difference. Together, neighbors come together to protect a cherished community landmark, proving that when people unite around something they love, remarkable things can happen.
