K. L. Going

"Jane, a budding writer and Jane Austen fan, discovers the true secret to writing when a famous author and her cute, but annoying, son come to her small coastal town and play seemingly unwitting roles in affecting the custody battle between Jane's Hollywood mother and marine biologist father"--

The Next Great Jane

Eve gave up her belief in stories and magic after her mother's death, but a mysterious birthday present takes her and a boy who claims to be a ghost on a strange journey, to where their supposedly cursed town flourishes.

The Garden of Eve

When his human family goes to the store, Dog is left in charge of five wiley cats.

Dog in Charge

M. T. Anderson

Chris Lynch

Beth Kephart

Jacqueline Woodson

An Na

Six award-winning young adult authors present short stories featuring teens who have to face the "real world" for the first time.

No Such Thing as the Real World

A Michael L. Printz Honor Book Troy Billings is seventeen, 296 pounds, friendless, utterly miserable, and about to step off a New York subway platform in front of an oncoming train. Until he meets Curt MacCrae, an emaciated, semi-homeless, high school dropout guitar genius, the stuff of which Lower East Side punk rock legends are made. Never mind that Troy’s dad thinks Curt’s a drug addict and Troy’s brother thinks Troy’s the biggest (literally) loser in Manhattan. Soon, Curt’s recruited Troy as his new drummer—even though Troy can’t play the drums. Together, Curt and Troy will change the world of punk, and Troy’s own life, forever. "Troy's voice is candid, irreverent, realistic and humorous. [A] wonderful, engrossing tale."—SLJ An ALA BBYA A BCCB Blue Ribbon Book A Booklist Editors' Choice An SLJ Best Book of the Year A Miami Herald Best Book of the Year

Fat Kid Rules the World

Mixing spine-tingling chills with a deeply resonating story that explores grief, healing, and growth, this magical tale is of a girl grieving her mother, a town with a curse, and a mysterious apple seed given to the girl by someone she's never met.

Gabriel King is afraid of everything: spiders, the rope swing over the lake, andmost of all, going to fifth grade. Frita Wilson, his best friend, decides Gabriel needs some liberating from his fears, so they make a list and plan to tackle each one. But one of the reasons Frita is so determined to help Gabe is that she needs his help too. Hollowell, Georgia in 1976 isn't exactly the most integrated place, and Frita's the only black student in school in a town with an active Ku Klux Klan.

The Liberation of Gabriel King

From the award winning author of Fat Kid Rules the World and The Liberation of Gabriel King comes a lyrical, middle grade gem that asks all the hard questions and hits all the right notes--perfect for fans of Cynthia Rylant and Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine Tia lives with her mom in a high-risk neighborhood in New Orleans and loves singing gospel in the Rainbow Choir with Keisha, her boisterous and assertive best friend. Tia's dream is to change the world with her voice; and by all accounts, she might be talented enough. But when a shooting happens in her neighborhood and she learns the truth about the crime that sent her father to prison years ago, Tia finds she can't sing anymore. The loss prompts her to start asking the people in her community hard questions--questions everyone has always been too afraid to ask. Full of humanity, Pieces of Why is a timely story that addresses grief, healing, and forgiveness, told through the eyes of a gifted girl who hears rhythm and song everywhere in her life.

K. L. Going

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