4 Books Published by CAS Books on AALBC — Book Cover Collage

“There’s plenty, plenty more to this world than what we see with our eyes.”

12-year-old JV is learning just how much truth lies behind those words.

He has discovered that he’s one of a select few entrusted with preserving the balance between the world’s natural and unnatural realms and is now more driven than ever to know who his birth parents are.

But there’s another mystery in the usually quiet village of Alcavere that he can’t ignore. He and his friends, Carol and Riaz, have received a cryptic warning from a supernatural being who dwells in the Oscuros Forest, launching them into a high-stakes mission. Can they solve the riddle and protect a villager from the foretold doom before time runs out?

The annual Quadrille and Quelbe Festival is finally here and Jasmine and Justin are excited to be dancing and playing music in the colorful Virgin Islands festival.

Join Justin and Jasmine in celebrating this exciting tradition.

Award winning title: Third place in the 2016 Burt Award for Caribbean Literature

A fast-paced adventure set deep in a Caribbean forest with a hero who must risk everything to save the forest and his village.

Twelve-year-old JV can’t wait to spend his vacation exploring the Oscuros Forest. True, everyone in the village of Alcavere believes the Oscuros Forest is a place to be feared, inhabited by dangerous and magical beings. But JV is not afraid, even when his first trip into the forest brings him face-to-face with a mysterious creature.

Then the disappearance of one of their own shakes the village and JV joins the search. He finds himself deep in the Oscuros Forest on a rescue mission and committed to a promise, a promise which the Protectors of the forest insist he keeps no matter how dangerous things get.

Can JV complete his daring quest even as he uncovers in the process, a shocking secret that will force him to question everything he thought he knew?

Mystery and Magic

When Bamidele spots two Moko Jumbies outside of his window one night he is determined to uncover the mystery behind the masked stilted dancers. He embarks on a quest: Are Moko Jumbies to be feared or are they really protective magical ancestral spirits?

“The narrative breaks into a wonderful reflection of the Caribbean… and] culminates in a magical dance beneath the trees which will delight readers. Opal Palmer Adisa’s words create colourful images.”—Diane Browne, author of Abigail’s Glorious Hair and the Commonwealth Foundation prize winning story, The Happiness Dress.

“Opal Palmer Adisa skilfully, artfully, and with great lyricism shares her tale of a child’s encounter with the Moko Jumbie. The telling…interweaves the elements of a rich cultural setting and those of a loving family, which all work together to keep a child safe and sound.”—Tregenza A. Roach, author of The Blessing of Rain, The Lesson Box, and All This Is Love

“Opal Palmer Adisa brings the spirit of the Caribbean alive in this vibrant book which evokes the warmth and color of the islands. The vivid setting and the sparkling descriptions are just delicious. A joy to read.”—Valerie Bloom, author of several children’s novels and books of poetry including Jaws and Claws and Things With Wings.