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Back to the Bright Before

By Katherin Nolte
On Tour

Illustrated by Jen Bricking

By Katherin Nolte
On Tour

Illustrated by Jen Bricking

By Katherin Nolte
On Tour

Illustrated by Jen Bricking

By Katherin Nolte
On Tour

Illustrated by Jen Bricking

By Katherin Nolte
On Tour

Illustrated by Jen Bricking

By Katherin Nolte
On Tour

Illustrated by Jen Bricking

By Katherin Nolte
On Tour

Read by Jesse Vilinsky

By Katherin Nolte
On Tour

Read by Jesse Vilinsky

Best Seller
Hardcover $17.99

May 30, 2023 | ISBN 9780593565100 | Middle Grade (8-12)

Hardcover $20.99

May 30, 2023 | ISBN 9780593565117 | Middle Grade (8-12)

Ebook $10.99

May 30, 2023 | ISBN 9780593565124 | Middle Grade (8-12)

Audiobook Download $23.00

May 30, 2023 | 294 Minutes | Middle Grade (8-12)

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    Back to the Bright Before by Katherin Nolte
    Hardcover $17.99
    May 30, 2023 | ISBN 9780593565100

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    • Hardcover $17.99

      May 30, 2023 | ISBN 9780593565100 | Middle Grade (8-12)

      Buy from Other Retailers:

    • Hardcover $20.99

      May 30, 2023 | ISBN 9780593565117 | Middle Grade (8-12)

      Buy from Other Retailers:

    Ebook
    +

    • Ebook

      May 30, 2023 | ISBN 9780593565124 | Middle Grade (8-12)

      Buy from Other Retailers:

    Audio
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    • Audiobook Download

      May 30, 2023 | ISBN 9780593679715 | Middle Grade (8-12)

      294 Minutes

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    Buy the Audiobook Download:

    About Back to the Bright Before

    A magical adventure about two brave siblings determined to find a treasure that could save their family.

    When eleven-year-old Pet Martin’s dad falls from a ladder on their family farm, it isn’t just his body that crashes to the ground. So does every hope her family had for the future. Money is scarce, and Pet’s mom is bone-tired from waiting tables at the local diner, and even with the extra hours, it’s not enough for a third surgery for Pet’s dad. Her five-year-old brother, Simon, now refuses to say anything except the word “cheese.” Worst of all? The ladder accident was Pet’s fault.

    She’s determined to fix things—but how? Good old-fashioned grit…and maybe a little bit of magic. 

    When a neighbor recites a poem about an ancient coin hidden somewhere on the grounds of the local abbey, Pet forms a plan. With her brother, a borrowed chicken, and a stolen pony, Pet runs away from home. If she can find the coin, Daddy can have his surgery, Momma can stop her constant working, and Simon might speak again. But Pet isn’t the only one who wants the coin…which means searching for it is more dangerous than she ever imagined. 

    This dazzling debut novel filled with magic, family, and adventure is sure to be an instant classic.

    About Back to the Bright Before

    A magical adventure about two brave siblings determined to find a treasure that could save their family.

    When eleven-year-old Pet Martin’s dad falls from a ladder on their family farm, it isn’t just his body that crashes to the ground. So does every hope her family had for the future. Money is scarce, and Pet’s mom is bone-tired from waiting tables at the local diner, and even with the extra hours, it’s not enough for a third surgery for Pet’s dad. Her five-year-old brother, Simon, now refuses to say anything except the word “cheese.” Worst of all? The ladder accident was Pet’s fault.

    She’s determined to fix things—but how? Good old-fashioned grit…and maybe a little bit of magic. 

    When a neighbor recites a poem about an ancient coin hidden somewhere on the grounds of the local abbey, Pet forms a plan. With her brother, a borrowed chicken, and a stolen pony, Pet runs away from home. If she can find the coin, Daddy can have his surgery, Momma can stop her constant working, and Simon might speak again. But Pet isn’t the only one who wants the coin…which means searching for it is more dangerous than she ever imagined. 

    This dazzling debut novel filled with magic, family, and adventure is sure to be an instant classic.

    About Back to the Bright Before

    A magical adventure about two brave siblings determined to find a treasure that could save their family.

    When eleven-year-old Pet Martin’s dad falls from a ladder on their family farm, it isn’t just his body that crashes to the ground. So does every hope her family had for the future. Money is scarce, and Pet’s mom is bone-tired from waiting tables at the local diner, and even with the extra hours, it’s not enough for a third surgery for Pet’s dad. Her five-year-old brother, Simon, now refuses to say anything except the word “cheese.” Worst of all? The ladder accident was Pet’s fault.

    She’s determined to fix things—but how? Good old-fashioned grit…and maybe a little bit of magic. 

    When a neighbor recites a poem about an ancient coin hidden somewhere on the grounds of the local abbey, Pet forms a plan. With her brother, a borrowed chicken, and a stolen pony, Pet runs away from home. If she can find the coin, Daddy can have his surgery, Momma can stop her constant working, and Simon might speak again. But Pet isn’t the only one who wants the coin…which means searching for it is more dangerous than she ever imagined. 

    This dazzling debut novel filled with magic, family, and adventure is sure to be an instant classic.

    About Back to the Bright Before

    A magical adventure about two brave siblings determined to find a treasure that could save their family.

    When eleven-year-old Pet Martin’s dad falls from a ladder on their family farm, it isn’t just his body that crashes to the ground. So does every hope her family had for the future. Money is scarce, and Pet’s mom is bone-tired from waiting tables at the local diner, and even with the extra hours, it’s not enough for a third surgery for Pet’s dad. Her five-year-old brother, Simon, now refuses to say anything except the word “cheese.” Worst of all? The ladder accident was Pet’s fault.

    She’s determined to fix things—but how? Good old-fashioned grit…and maybe a little bit of magic. 

    When a neighbor recites a poem about an ancient coin hidden somewhere on the grounds of the local abbey, Pet forms a plan. With her brother, a borrowed chicken, and a stolen pony, Pet runs away from home. If she can find the coin, Daddy can have his surgery, Momma can stop her constant working, and Simon might speak again. But Pet isn’t the only one who wants the coin…which means searching for it is more dangerous than she ever imagined. 

    This dazzling debut novel filled with magic, family, and adventure is sure to be an instant classic.

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    Listen to a sample from Back to the Bright Before

    About Katherin Nolte

    Katherin Nolte received an MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where she was a Truman Capote Fellow. Her fiction has appeared in dozens of publications and won multiple awards, but it was a late-night ER visit with her four children that… More about Katherin Nolte

    About Katherin Nolte

    Katherin Nolte received an MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where she was a Truman Capote Fellow. Her fiction has appeared in dozens of publications and won multiple awards, but it was a late-night ER visit with her four children that… More about Katherin Nolte

    About Katherin Nolte

    Katherin Nolte received an MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where she was a Truman Capote Fellow. Her fiction has appeared in dozens of publications and won multiple awards, but it was a late-night ER visit with her four children that… More about Katherin Nolte

    About Katherin Nolte

    Katherin Nolte received an MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where she was a Truman Capote Fellow. Her fiction has appeared in dozens of publications and won multiple awards, but it was a late-night ER visit with her four children that… More about Katherin Nolte

    Product Details

    Category: Children’s Middle Grade Action & Adventure Books

    Hardcover | $17.99
    Published by Random House Books for Young Readers
    May 30, 2023 | 208 Pages | 5-1/2 x 8-1/4 | Middle Grade (8-12) | ISBN 9780593565100

    Category: Children’s Middle Grade Action & Adventure Books

    Hardcover | $20.99
    Published by Random House Books for Young Readers
    May 30, 2023 | 208 Pages | 5-1/2 x 8-1/4 | Middle Grade (8-12) | ISBN 9780593565117

    Category: Children’s Middle Grade Action & Adventure Books

    Ebook | $10.99
    Published by Random House Books for Young Readers
    May 30, 2023 | 208 Pages | Middle Grade (8-12) | ISBN 9780593565124

    Category: Children’s Middle Grade Action & Adventure Books | Audiobooks

    Audiobook Download | $23.00
    Published by Listening Library
    May 30, 2023 | 294 Minutes | Middle Grade (8-12) | ISBN 9780593679715
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    Praise

    “Like Oz or Narnia, the landscape will enchant readers looking for an eventful adventure.” —Booklist

    “A diverting, warmhearted, unusual fantasy.” —Kirkus Reviews

    “Sweetly mystical.” —Publishers Weekly

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