One last chance. One wild weekend. Flat out the funniest book of the year.
My name is Caitlin and up until forty-eight hours ago I had never:
Tasted alcohol, kissed a boy, sang in public at the top of my lungs, kidnapped anyone or--WHAT? STOLEN A CONVERTIBLE?
Now I'm in jail and I have no idea what I'm going to tell:
The police, my parents, the mayor, all of those camera crews and everyone on Twitter.
I have just noticed that:
My nose is pierced and I have-WAIT? IS THAT A TATTOO?
I blame one person for this entire insane weekend:
My famous cousin.
Who is also my former best friend.
Who I have HATED for the past four years.
Who I miss like crazy. NO I DON'T!!!!
IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT, HELLER HARRIGAN!!!!
Critically acclaimed author Cammie McGovern's middle grade debut is a powerful and heartwarming story that will appeal to readers who loved R. J. Palacio's Wonder, Ann M. Martin's Rain Reign, and Holly Sloan's Counting by 7s.
Fourth grade is not going at all how Benny Barrows hoped. He hasn't found a new best friend. He's still not a great bike rider-even though his brother George, who's autistic, can do tricks. And worst of all, he worries his dad's recent accident might be all his fault. Benny tries to take his mom's advice and focus on helping others, and to take things one step at a time. But when his dad ends up in the hospital again, Benny doesn't know how he and his family will overcome all the bad luck that life seems to have thrown their way.
Just My Luck is a deeply moving and rewarding novel about a down-on-his-luck boy whose caring heart ultimately helps him find the strength to cope with tragedy and realize how much he truly has to offer his friends and family.
Tommy Wallach, the New York Times bestselling author of the "stunning debut" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) We All Looked Up, delivers a brilliant new novel about a young man who overcomes a crippling loss and finds the courage to live after meeting an enigmatic girl."Was this story written about me?" I shrugged. "Yes or no?" I shrugged again, finally earning a little scowl, which somehow made the girl even more pretty. "It's very rude not to answer simple questions," she said. I gestured for my journal, but she still wouldn't give it to me. So I took out my pen and wrote on my palm. I can't, I wrote. Then, in tiny letters below it: Now don't you feel like a jerk? Parker Santé hasn't spoken a word in five years. While his classmates plan for bright futures, he skips school to hang out in hotels, killing time by watching the guests. But when he meets a silver-haired girl named Zelda Toth, a girl who claims to be quite a bit older than she looks, he'll discover there just might be a few things left worth living for. From the celebrated author of We All Looked Up comes a unique story of first and last loves.
Bobby Burns knows he's a lucky lad. Growing up in sleepy Keely Bay, Bobby is exposed to all manner of wondrous things: stars reflecting off the icy sea, a friend that can heal injured fawns with her dreams, a man who can eat fire. But darkness seems to be approaching Bobby's life from all sides. Bobby's new school is a cold, cruel place. His father is suffering from a mysterious illness that threatens to tear his family apart. And the USA and USSR are testing nuclear missiles and creeping closer and closer to a world-engulfing war.
Together with his wonder-working friend, Ailsa Spink, and the fire-eating illusionist McNulty, Bobby will learn to believe in miracles that will save the people and place he loves.
Bess Cunningham has never been popular, and she plans to do something about it. She's got a fresh style with plenty of unique clothes, and she's the new stage manager for the musical at her middle school. She couldn't care less about the volunteer work her parents do at a soup kitchen until she meets Grace Jarvis Battle. The kind, elderly woman reminds Bess of her grandmothers except for one significant difference--Grace lives on the street and finds food in dumpsters. Because of Grace, Bess begins to think about her priorities and realizes there are more important things in life than trying to win friends with a few wild outfits. Ellen Wittlinger won a Michael L. Printz Honor for her writing and is praised for her ability to tackle important topics from original perspectives. Narrator Stina Nielsen perfectly captures the confusion so many middle-schoolers face as they desperately try to find their place in the world.
From the award-winning and New York Times bestselling author of Five, Six, Seven, Nate! and Better Nate Than Ever comes a laugh-out-loud sad YA debut that's a wry and winning testament to the power of old movies and new memories-one unscripted moment at a time.Quinn Roberts is a sixteen-year-old smart aleck and Hollywood hopeful whose only worry used to be writing convincing dialogue for the movies he made with his sister Annabeth. Of course, that was all before-before Quinn stopped going to school, before his mom started sleeping on the sofa...and before Annabeth was killed in a car accident. Enter Geoff, Quinn's best friend who insists it's time that Quinn came out-at least from hibernation. One haircut later, Geoff drags Quinn to his first college party, where instead of nursing his pain, he meets a guy-a hot one-and falls hard. What follows is an upside-down week in which Quinn begins imagining his future as a screenplay that might actually have a happily-ever-after ending-if, that is, he can finally step back into the starring role of his own life story.
Ruby Redfort: undercover agent, code cracker, and thirteen-year-old genius. She's one fearless kid, buster.
UNMASKING AN EVIL VILLAIN? All in a day's work.
CLIMBING BUILDINGS AND RUNNING ACROSS ROOFS? Take a leap of faith.
SEEING THE WARNING SIGNS? Not so much.
When a ghostly foe begins stealing from the highest buildings in Twinford, Ruby is ready to defy death once more to capture the bandit.
But how do you catch a thief who isn't there?
Ruby might think she's invincible, but recklessness always comes before a fall.
When 10-year-old Liam's family moves to be near his grandmother who is suffering from dementia, he's left to navigate his new neighborhood, school and grandmother's illness all by himself; His mom regularly looses herself in a bottle of wine, and his sister sneaks out to who knows where shortly after "wine o'clock"-as they've come to call it-strikes. Life it isn't easy.
The one place he seems to find solace is a rundown church where he finds an over-sized gargoyle that keeps drawing him in. After learning that they were created to protect people from demons and evil spirits, he can't seem to shake the image of the old stone bird and its presence weaves itself into the stories Liam tells himself and others, so much so that Liam starts to believe that it might be alive.
Shy Liam's only means of confidence during shared story time is to tell tales of the gargoyle. His classmate mock him at first but are soon are captivated by his storytelling, and his teacher's slight nods of encouragement fuel Liam's belief in the bird and lead him to think that she knows a thing or two about the old bird herself.
As his home life gets harder and the bullies more relentless the gargoyle seemingly brings Liam's stories to life-swooping in to protect and defend him in the most unexpected ways. But is the old stone bird really alive, or is it just Liam's imagination finding ways to help him through a difficult time?
These days, even a preschooler's bedtime can be rushed and tense after a busy day of classes, playdates, and increasing screen time. "Winding down" has become more difficult for everyone in the family. Read Me to Sleep stories are designed to soothe the child and the adult, with calming text and prompts that effortlessly encourage both reader and listener to breathe deep and dream. The first story, Let's Go to Sleep, is a journey through magical Forest of Dreams, where Mama Bird leads a drowsy crew of animal friends on the gentle journey to sleep.
Each Read Me to Sleep story features opportunities to personalize the text for deeper meaning and optimal comfort, cues to help readers slow down and use their voices more effectively for bedtime, and deep breathing embedded in the narrative to maximize relaxation for both adult and child.
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A fantastic, fabulous, funny YA debut from Jeffery Self, one of the gay icons of the YouTube generation, that follows one high school student on a drag race to his future.
Debut author Jeffery Self takes us on a road trip with an insecure high school senior who was one goal: to be the first in his family to leave Clearwater, Florida, and go to college. The problem is, he has zero means of paying for school -- until his friends convince him to compete in a drag teen competition for a college scholarship.
Cody knows there are many mysteries in the big, wide universe. Like why it hurts so bad to get stung by a yellow jacket and how some things can only be seen with a microscope. Or the exact moment when her best friend, Spencer, will finally arrive with his parents and move into her neighborhood for good!
But the biggest mystery of all may just be Mr. Meen, Grandma Grace's next-door neighbor. No one has ever seen him, and when a "Welcome Home" sign appears in his window, Cody and Spencer can hardly wait to see who shows up.
Newbery-winning Rules meets Counting by 7s in this affecting story of a girl's devotion to her brother and what it means to be home
When eleven-year-old Thyme Owens' little brother, Val, is accepted into a new cancer drug trial, it's just the second chance that he needs. But it also means the Owens family has to move to New York, thousands of miles away from Thyme's best friend and everything she knows and loves. The island of Manhattan doesn't exactly inspire new beginnings, but Thyme tries to embrace the change for what it is: temporary.
After Val's treatment shows real promise and Mr. Owens accepts a full-time position in the city, Thyme has to face the frightening possibility that the move to New York is permanent. Thyme loves her brother, and knows the trial could save his life-she'd give anything for him to be well-but she still wants to go home, although the guilt of not wanting to stay is agonizing. She finds herself even more mixed up when her heart feels the tug of new friends, a first crush, and even a crotchety neighbor and his sweet whistling bird. All Thyme can do is count the minutes, the hours, and days, and hope time can bring both a miracle for Val and a way back home.
With equal parts heart and humor, Melanie Conklin's debut is a courageous and charming story of love and family-and what it means to be counted.
