Precious Bones

Precious Bones

Precious Bones by Mika Ashley Hollinger

Hardback cover

Hardback

Precious Bones
By Mika Ashley-Hollinger
Delacorte Books for Young Readers, Ages 9-12
9780307930705 $7.99 paperback; 9780375990465, $16.99 hardcover
Read an excerpt
Read reviews
Precious Bones has received a CLC Seal of Approval!

Buy the book from an independent bookseller
Buy the book from Amazon
Buy the book from Barnes & Noble

Ten-year-old Bones lives with her parents on the edge of a magnificent Florida swamp. Bones’s father, Nolay, who is part Miccosukee Indian, is wise, but he’s also as inquisitive and mischievous as a raccoon. Her mama is as practical as corn bread. With an assortment of animals, including Pearl, Bones’s pet pig, the family lives a peaceful, happy life.

The summer of 1949 is drawing to an end. Bones and her best friend, Little Man, have spent most days fishing, hunting, and exploring the swamp. All is well until a huge storm blows through, flooding Bones’s home. A couple of days later, two crafty Yankee real estate agents show up and Nolay chases them away with a gun. Not long after, Bones and Little Man discover something horrible out in Nolay’s beloved swamp. Their small community is rocked by the news of two murders within two weeks.

Precious Bones by Mika Ashley Hollinger

Paperback cover

As evidence pointing toward Nolay mounts up, Bones’s life begins to unravel. The thin thread of hope that her father will be found innocent is held in the hands of bumbling Sheriff LeRoy, who Bones thinks is as slow as pond water. Will the sheriff come through? Is Nolay innocent? Bones is determined to take matters into her own hands, and if clearing her father’s name requires a miracle, then a miracle is what she will deliver.

Filled with adventure, suspense, and the joys of simple living, Precious Bones will transport readers to a time and place that offer a rich and rare blend of magic and mystery.

Reviews
“…a tale that will already hold high interest for nature-loving readers longing for their own wild playgrounds.”—The Center for Children’s Books  Read full review
show


“The names of the characters alone make this a novel worth reading. How can you resist Bones, Little Man, Nolay, Soap Sally and Mr. Speed?!? Each character is as distinctive as the name they carry and the adventures they have.”—Random Acts of Reading  Read the full interview.


Precious Bones is a novel filled with adventure and mystery, as well as fascinating glimpses of its distinctive setting.”—Kevin Delecki, BookPage  Read full review show


“I won’t be the last person to compare Mika Ashley-Hollinger’s amazing debut novel, Precious Bones to Harper Lee’s iconic To Kill A Mockingbird.”—Mindy McGinnis, author of Not a Drop to Drink  Read full review show


“An intriguing debut, written lovingly to a way of life now lost.”—Booklist  Read full review show


“It’s a rich stew, including hearty dollops of mystery and suspense.”—The Horn Book  Read full review show


“Her voice is strong and lyrical, mixing regional syntax and dialect with lovely descriptions of the beauty she sees as she hunts, fishes, observes and explores in this mystical place.”—Kirkus Reviews  Read full review show


“Like an age-appropriate To Kill a Mockingbird, it’s Bones’s interactions with well-developed, often-eccentric characters that shape this story.”—Mahnaz Dar, School Library Journal  Read full review show


“Mika Ashley-Hollinger’s debut book is full of suspense and surprise…I love Bones’ easy-going nature and adventurous spirit. She’s ready to rush off into battle to defend herself and those she loves, no matter the dangers. And I want her pet raccoon, too! “—Jack and Jill Magazine  Read the full interview.