Deborah Kerbel – författare

Ever wonder why we kiss under the mistletoe? Are the lights on the Christmas tree just pretty decorations or do they symbolize something deeper? And speaking of Christmas trees, where did that idea come from? Why would we bring a tree into our homes, hang ornaments on it, and treat it as the focal point of Christmas morning? Answers to these questions and hundreds more can be found in this delightful and utterly unputdownable collection of fabulous Christmas trivia.

“Loads of fun…the perfect stocking stuffer.”—Santa

★ “A must-purchase for all libraries. Perfect for instilling the lesson of kindness toward animals and the importance of rescue.” — School Library Journal (SLJ), starred review

A stray pup wanders the streets, growling, prowling and scared, until an animal control officer finds him and takes him to a shelter.

There, he gets fed, groomed and perfumed, so he's ready to find a new home. As people come and go, the dog waits and waits and waits... until someone exclaims, “This pup!” A little girl knows he's the perfect dog for her. Told in rhyming text, this sweet story shows that even a down-on-his-luck pooch can find his forever home.

Praise for Deborah Kerbel:

★“This beautiful dedication to these special animals brings the reality and the irreversible finality of extinction to the forefront and calls on readers to act now, before so many other animals become endlings. Highly recommended for all collections.”—Booklist, starred review for The Late, Great Endlings

On a busy morning, this watchful pup starts to get nervous.

His humans are gathering shoes and shin pads, clues that his family is getting ready to leave the house for a soccer game. With a boop on his nose and a “Be good, pup,” they are out the door, leaving him behind. Time to mope, pace, chew, whimper and howl. But just when the gloomies set in, what's that? Footsteps? The door opens, and now everyone's home. The pup is overjoyed, so it's time for ZOOMIES!

Praise for Deborah Kerbel:

★ “A must-purchase for all libraries. Perfect for instilling the lesson of kindness toward animals and the importance of rescue.”—School Library Journal, starred review for Gotcha Day

★“This beautiful dedication to these special animals brings the reality and the irreversible finality of extinction to the forefront and calls on readers to act now, before so many other animals become endlings. Highly recommended for all collections.”—Booklist, starred review for The Late, Great Endlings

Fifteen-year-old Mackenzie Hill knows something is up when she arrives home to find her father making a home-cooked dinner, instead of his standard delivery pizza. But nothing prepares her for the bombshell announcement: Mackenzie and her dad, alone since the death of her mother a year ago, are moving to Jerusalem, where her father has taken a position as a visiting professor at a university.

The adjustment from life in Canada to life in Israel is dramatic - though it’s eased somewhat when Mackenzie is befriended by an American girl in her new school. The biggest shock of all comes when Mackenzie faces the wrath of her new friends, new community, and even her own father after she begins dating a Muslim boy.

Short-listed for the 2010 CLA Young Adult Book Award Tabby Freeman and Lora Froggett go to the same school, but they live in totally opposite worlds. Tabby is rich, pretty, and the most popular girl in her class. But behind closed doors, her perfect life is rapidly coming apart at the seams. On the other side, Lora is smart, timid, and the constant target of bullies. While struggling to survive the piranha-infested halls of her school, she becomes increasingly nervous that somebody might discover the unbearable truth about whats been happening to her family. Despite their differences, Tabby and Lora have something in common theyre both harbouring dark secrets and a lot of pain. Although theyve never been friends, a series of strange events causes their lives to crash together in ways neither could have ever imagined. And when the dust finally settles and all their secrets are forced out into the light, will the girls be saved or destroyed?

Fifteen-year-old Mackenzie Hill knows something is up when she arrives home to find her father making a home-cooked dinner, instead of his standard delivery pizza. But nothing prepares her for the bombshell announcement: Mackenzie and her dad, alone since the death of her mother a year ago, are moving to Jerusalem, where her father has taken a position as a visiting professor at a university.

The adjustment from life in Canada to life in Israel is dramatic - though it’s eased somewhat when Mackenzie is befriended by an American girl in her new school. The biggest shock of all comes when Mackenzie faces the wrath of her new friends, new community, and even her own father after she begins dating a Muslim boy.

Short-listed for the 2010 CLA Young Adult Book Award Tabby Freeman and Lora Froggett go to the same school, but they live in totally opposite worlds. Tabby is rich, pretty, and the most popular girl in her class. But behind closed doors, her perfect life is rapidly coming apart at the seams. On the other side, Lora is smart, timid, and the constant target of bullies. While struggling to survive the piranha-infested halls of her school, she becomes increasingly nervous that somebody might discover the unbearable truth about whats been happening to her family. Despite their differences, Tabby and Lora have something in common theyre both harbouring dark secrets and a lot of pain. Although theyve never been friends, a series of strange events causes their lives to crash together in ways neither could have ever imagined. And when the dust finally settles and all their secrets are forced out into the light, will the girls be saved or destroyed?

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selectionA MYRCA Northern Lights selectionA CCBC Best Books for Kids and Teens selection

Opposite Identicals is a non-stop adrenaline rush from start to finish. Deborah Kerbel has written two unforgettable characters who take turns telling the story. Kids of all ages will race through this book, desperate to find out what will happen to the twins when catastrophe strikes in a near future world, changed forever by climate crisis. Don't miss this one!" — Carol Matas, author of A Struggle for Hope and Past Crimes

Opposite Identicals is an upper middle grade novel set in the very near future - a time when climate change has irreversibly altered our planet and lifestyles. Nova and Joule are fourteen-year old twins whose scientist parents have recently uprooted the family from their urban home and moved to the country on a year-long research assignment, studying the effects of GMO 'SuperCrop' farming on the environment in the final regulatory phase before global expansion.

Surrounded by nature and quiet, open spaces, shy, bookish Nova is in heaven. But Joule - whose life's ambition is to be famous and reach a million Hollagram followers - is desperate to escape. One day, Joule gets her wish, although not in a way anyone ever expected. In an instant, she's gone - swallowed up by a mysterious sinkhole under her bedroom floor. Suddenly twinless, Nova is forced to step in and lead the search for her missing sister. But can she face her fears and figure out what caused the sinkhole in time to save Joule?Told from alternating points of view, it's a fantastical adventure about overcoming obstacles, self-discovery, and environmental awareness.