About BC Books Online
BC Books Online was created for anyone interested in BC-published books, and with librarians especially in mind. We'd like to make it easy for library staff to learn about books from BC publishers - both new releases and backlist titles - so you can inform your patrons and keep your collections up to date.
Our site features print books and ebooks - both new releases and backlist titles - all of which are available to order through regular trade channels. Browse our subject categories to find books of interest or create and export lists by category to cross-reference with your library's current collection.
A quick tip: When reviewing the "Browse by Category" listings, please note that these are based on standardized BISAC Subject Codes supplied by the books' publishers. You will find additional selections, grouped by theme or region, in our "BC Reading Lists."
Description
Fiona's life changed forever when her mother died in a South Pacific sailing accident. One year later, everyone tells her it is time to move on. To Fiona, moving on means leaving her mother behind-something she has vowed never to do. But Fiona's father has started dating again. His new girlfriend, Kathy, is a professional psychic who claims she can predict the future and communicate with the dead. Fiona is sure she is a fraud, although she secretly longs for her abilities to be genuine. With the reluctant support of her best friend Abby, Fiona sets out to put an end to her father's new relationship by trying to prove, with decidedly mixed results, that Kathy is a liar.
Recommended Age, Grade, and Reading Levels
- Age:
- 9 to 12
- Grade:
- 4 to 7
- Reading age:
- 9 to 12
Awards
- Short-listed, Chocolate Lily Book Awards
- Commended, Bank Street College of Education Children's Book Committee Best Children's Books of the Year
- Commended, Ontario Library association (OLA) Best Bets
Editorial Reviews
"An expressive story about a young girl trying to come to terms with the world around her without her mother by her side…By its conclusion, Stevenson's novel brings about complex realizations of how both children and adults come to cope with the loss. Recommended."
— CM Magazine
"Fiona's voice is believable and her grief is powerfully and sensitively portrayed. Her anger, guilt and sadness are strongly emotional without being depressing and truly drive the plot. Other characters are well-developed with their own emotions, beliefs, and needs while Fiona's love of sailing and the setting of coastal British Columbia add to the atmosphere."
— Puget Sound Council for Reviewing Children's Media
"In this sensitive depiction of grief and acceptance, Fiona's solid voice captures a flux of emotions that arise from her mother's death and from being an early adolescent…Stevenson adds further layers of interest by incorporating Fiona's British Columbia surroundings, the teen's own love of boating and a look at several belief systems."
— Kirkus Reviews
"Fiona is a believable character trying to deal with her grief...Her relationship with her best (and only) friend, Abby, is realistic, and the banter between the two girls adds humor...This resonates as a story about Fiona finding her own strength in the wake of tragedy."
— Booklist
"In this perceptive novel, Stevenson (Inferno) captures the intensity of Fiona's grief and her passion for the sea. The questions haunting the heroine...are gracefully addressed in a way that will inspire readers to draw their own conclusions."
— Publishers Weekly
"Stevenson has done a great job [of] showing the angst of a young girl lacking control in so many sections of her life…This book will appeal to younger students, especially those who can empathize with the journey Fiona is on."
— Resource Links
"This book has a well-rounded main character who speaks and acts like a teenage girl and a cast of believable secondary characters, and the sailing subplot provides additional interest."
— School Library Journal
"Allows readers to vividly empathize with Fiona...All of the characters are richly developed, and although it is sad in parts, the story never gets overly melodramatic and the plot moves at a quick pace. Liars and Fools is an important coming-of-age story that delves into how teens deal with the grieving process...A good, solid dramatic story."
— VOYA
