Sylvia McNicoll Book order

Naomi’s dog Diesel returns from the afterlife with one mission. Naomi can hear his thoughts. Can he save her? It’s Naomi’s worst summer ever. Her dog, Diesel, died. Dad lost his job. Mom and Dad split up. The family is broke, and Naomi is stuck babysitting when she planned to take swimming lessons. Then Naomi’s sometime-friend Morgan convinces her to jump off a dock. On July 1 at precisely 4:30, when Naomi drowns, destiny shifts. Naomi awakes a week earlier to Diesel talking to her. Through his canine counsel, he wants to show her how to fix things. “I can save you,” he barks. But no matter how often Naomi resets her watch, the time and date keep flipping back to July 1 at 4:30, which makes her wonder: is her time running out?

Set against the backdrop of a tragic accident, the story follows fourteen-year-old Paige, who is struck by a train while trying to escape bullies. In a surreal afterlife, she meets Kim, a girl who died years earlier. Believing she is in a dream, Paige embarks on a quest to return to her life. This poignant narrative explores themes of cultural identity, belonging, and the essence of home, offering readers a gripping journey filled with unexpected twists.

Leaving behind England (and the graves of his mother and baby sister) 12-year-old William sails to Canada with his father, where he joins the campaign to eradicate flies in cities and stop the spread of deadly diseases.