Hannah Edwards Secrets of Riverway

by Ashley Hards

Overview

“Clever Heroine and Paranormal Intrigue.” - School Library Journal

Something's Rotten in Riverway! Sleuth Hannah Edwards teams up with friends, talks to a ghost, and plans a frog apocalypse to solve her father’s disappearance while navigating her undiagnosed ADHD.
This award-winning mystery is perfect for kids ages 9-12!

Hannah has a lot on her mind. Her father—the Canola King—is missing, and no one in her small town seems to care. With the support of her best friend Sam Castillo, and their sidekick Tim the Hall Monitor, Hannah embarks on a journey to solve the mystery of her father’s disappearance.
Along the way, she uncovers secrets that she records in her journal, confronts challenges in middle school due to her ADHD, talks to a ghost, and learns the true meaning of determination and friendship.
Bonus Book Content: Author Q&A and Book Club Discussion Guide

GREAT FOR READERS AGES 9-12
The novel’s blend of prose and inventive journal entries make it a compelling read for anyone looking for an engaging story with heart.

Award Winner!
Children’s Book Council Teacher Favorites 2025
American Bookseller Association Best Books for Young Readers Catalog Pick

Perfect for School, Classroom, or Library!

• An Authentic ADHD Reimagining of Hamlet
• Interior font designed for increased reader accessibility
• For kids that like the Nancy Drew & Sammy Keyes mysteries and relate to Honestly Elliott and Aza from Turtles All The Way Down.

Complimentary Educator Guides:

• Neurodiversity Guide
• Common Core Language Arts Guide with Creative Writing Choice Board
• Tween Book Club with printable activities

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781944020798
Publisher:	Fabled Films Press
Publication date:	04/22/2025
Series:	Hannah Edwards
Pages:	268
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.80(d)
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Ashley Hards was declared to be “gifted” at age 8 and was diagnosed with ADHD at age 22. When forced to sit still in class, she finds books and writing to be the most engaging, especially Shakespeare. She received both her BA and MA in English Literature from McGill University where she now teaches writing and continues her research on Shakespeare and ritual. She grew up in Calgary, Canada.

Always the adrenaline lover, she enjoys skiing, mountain biking, and opera (hey, it’s exciting). She spent many weekends driving across Alberta and hanging out at a ski hill near Pincher Creek where the vision for Riverway developed over many dark, stormy nights.

Like Hannah, she enjoys journaling. Unlike Hannah, she has not solved any mysteries (yet).
This is her first book.

Editorial Reviews

Hannah’s voice speaks directly to readers which helps to draw them into the book... This book should appeal to lovers of ghosts and small-town mysteries and I recommend you give it a shot.

YA Book Central

Original and a fun read from start to finish... [the book] deftly combines an exciting mystery and a relatable coming-of-age story about ADHD, friendship, school, and family.

Midwest Book Review

Through depictions of Hannah’s skepticism and can-do attitude, debut author Hards introduces a heroine who handily propels this familiar yet exciting supernatural mystery.

Publishers Weekly

A 2024 Children’s Institute Pick for Building Diverse Children’s Sections – Neurodiversity

The American Booksellers Association

Delightful middle grade novel whose ghost story pairs with a refreshing window into the lives of the neurodiverse.

Foreword Reviews

A strong retelling that...captures the middle-grade spirit, this debut novel is perfect for fans of mysteries, ghost stories that feel rooted in the real world, and strong characters who make internal revelations as well as strides in their worlds.

Booklist

Children with ADHD will find solace in Hannah's struggles and admire her coping mechanisms. At the same time, neurotypical readers will gain a deeper understanding of their neurodiverse peers while thoroughly enjoying the plot as it unravels.

The Children's Book Review

Filled with twists and humor, this fresh take on a small-town mystery is perfect for readers who love clever heroines and paranormal intrigue.

School Library Journal

2024-07-19
In the small prairie town of Riverway, sixth grader Hannah is troubled: Her beloved farmer dad, dubbed the Canola King, has been missing for four months.

Pushy uncle Fergus keeps coming over, giving unsolicited advice and cooking subpar meals. When Hannah’s best friend, Sam, claims to have seen a ghost that looked like her missing father, Hannah at first dismisses it—“My dad cannot be a ghost because he is alive.” She decides to investigate, recording her progress with the case in the grief journal her concerned mom gave her to help her cope. But Hannah discovers it’s hard to find clues when the trail has gone cold, especially with an invasive, cloyingly sweet school counselor getting into her business. Debut author Hards’ story is told through Hannah’s first-person narration, which tells more than it shows. The writing often fails to convey the depth of emotion a missing parent would be expected to evoke. One chapter is written in rhyming couplets that scan awkwardly and are organized into paragraphs of text: “Click! That’s the sound Tim’s key made as it slid into Ms. Grant’s door. Tim (previously known as Tim the Timid) was the Hall Monitor of lore!” Although she’s not given an explicit label, Hannah struggles with paying attention in class and is cued as neurodivergent; by the end of the book, she’s being evaluated and given support and validation. Hannah and her family present white; Sam is of Filipino descent.

Passable.(Mystery. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews