The Science of Friendship

Rylee Swanson is beginning eighth grade with zero friends.

A humiliating moment at the end-of-seventh-grade pool party involving a cannonball, a waterlogged updo, and some disappearing clothes has Rylee halfway convinced she's better off without any friends—at least friends like those.

The one question Rylee can't shake is . . . why?

Figure It Out, Henri Weldon

7th grader Henrietta Weldon gets to switch schools—finally! She'll be “mainstreaming” into public school, leaving her special education school behind. She can't wait for her new schedule, new friends, and new classes.

If Henri Weldon has twenty-four hours in a day, and she has two siblings who dislike her four new friends, two hours of soccer practice, seven hours of classes, and three hours of homework... she has...

PARTLY CLOUDY

Lightning couldn't strike twice, could it? After a terrible year, Madalyn needs clear skies desperately. Moving in with her great-uncle, Papa Lobo, and switching to a new school is just the first step.

It's not all rainbows and sunshine, though. Madalyn discovers she's the only Black girl in her class, and while most of her classmates are friendly, assumptions lead to some serious storms.

Serena Says

Everything changes when JC returns from the hospital with a new kidney - and a new best friend. Out of the spotlight of JC's friendship, suddenly things aren't quite so sparkly in Serena's world.

Peas & Carrots

Dess knows that nothing good lasts. Disappointment is never far away, and that's a truth that Dess has learned to live with.
Dess's mother's most recent arrest is just the latest in a long line of disappointments, but this one lands her with her baby brother's foster family. Dess doesn't exactly fit in...

Happy Families

Teenage twins Ysabel and Justin Nicholas are lucky. Ysabel's jewelry designs have already caught the eyes of the art world and Justin's intelligence and drive are sure to gain him entrance into the most prestigious of colleges. They even like their parents. But their father has a secret - one that threatens to destroy the twins' happy family and life as they know it.

Mare's War

"...this contemporary intergenerational story resounds with mutual exasperation, criticism, discovery, and humor... A steady travelogue, realistic banter, memorable characters, and moments of tension, insight, and understanding make this an appealing selection." The School Library Journal, July 2009

A la Carte

Seventeen-year-old Lainey dreams of becoming a world famous chef one day and maybe even having her own cooking show. (Do you know how many African American female chefs there aren't? And how many vegetarian chefs have their own shows? The field is wide open for stardom!)