Ian Taylor lives a secret life. At school he's a varsity football player, dating one of the hottest cheerleaders on campus. At home he's his divorced mother's right hand, helping her to keep his younger autistic brother, Davey, in line. To Ian, Davey is a freak. And no one must ever know about him. But it's a game changer when Davey begins attending a special day class at Ian's school. Undaunted, Ian continues his charade of denying Davey's existence, even when Davey has massive public meltdowns. He internalizes his strong feelings--Screaming Quietly inside--until resentment, anger, and embarrassment force him to burst. But his love for Davey and his desire to man up eventually allow him to overcome peer pressure and fully own his life.
Dad was always depressing Abel with his pyramid stories. He was always dooming Abel to a life at the bottom of the pyramid with all the other miserable losers. No matter how much Abel struggled and clawed, he'd never get to the pinnacle of the pyramid. And his mom was absolutely sure of Abel's incompetence at whatever he said.
Expelled from high school number one, Tyler Ruiz is attending his second. Not a great record for a sophomore with anger issues. Then he meets Sara Allen. Tyler's a good-looking guy, so he figures Sara's an easy hookup. But she isn't. She's complicated. And uninterested. Which makes Tyler want her even more. As he learns about Sara's punk rock world, Tyler's protective outer layers peel away. And he falls hard for a girl who is mentally unstable and achingly vulnerable.
Mark just can't settle into his new life. He misses his friends and has trouble connecting with new classmates. Walking through his neighborhood, he sees an open window. Instantly, everything changes. Maybe he can pretend to be someone else and live a different life ... if only for a moment.
Finding an old Lucky doll turns into a nightmare for Abby and Clara. The dolls multiply and spread bad luck to anyone who comes near. How can they stop the crazy doll?
New seventh-grade student Carson Roberts learns the hard way not to cross the school bully, and it's only her first day. Book #1 in the series.
On the brink of her freshman year at Tubman High, something clicked in Chelsea's mind. Shadrach rescued animals. And in a way, he saved kids by teaching them respect. Now she and her friends were rescuers by volunteering at the shelter. Jaris was a rescuer too. He was trying to save Sereeta's mom. And, maybe Maurice would have to rescue Athena from getting into trouble.
Abel Ruiz is coming into his own. He has plenty of friends, he has chosen a career path, and he has a loving girlfriend. But when Claudia dumps him for someone else, Abel is crushed and tries to keep his self-esteem from imploding.
The suspicions and accusations begin to fly around Tubman High when Marko is attacked with a baseball bat and left for dead.
Destini Fletcher hates Tubman High from day one. When Tyron Becker singles her out, Destini is thrilled to be a part of Tyron's crowd. But he corns her budding friendships with Alonee, Jaris, and Sami, and mocks her attempts to earn good grades. Do her excuses for Tyron's increasingly brutal behavior and bad attitude put her at risk?
Paris is worried that Max isn't really visiting his grandparents. She thinks he's dating another girl. Instead of asking Max her real question, Paris takes her cousin's advice and accepts a date with Blake. After all, if Max can date someone behind her back, why can't she? Besides, no one will know her at the Wayfield homecoming game... or will they?
What if everything you believed in was a lie? Eric’s old girlfriend moves back to town. Even before he sees her, old feelings stir inside him. Danielle has kept a secret, though. She has never been comfortable in her own skin. Now she identifies as male and goes by Dan. What does it mean to live your truth, and what happens when others are cruelly ignorant? Eric’s honesty and integrity are questioned. Will he let prejudice destroy what was once a deep friendship?
Someone has tagged the science building at Walden Lane High School. Ashley Moore is upset. School is supposed to be a safe place, and now she no longer feels safe. Students from the Key Club decide an act of community service is in order. The students organize and repaint the tagged wall during their lunch break and after school. They plan a fundraiser to pay for new glass for the painted windows. Kayla Flores agrees to paint after senior class president Alex Torres says he'll give her a signed program from Wicked. When Ashley gets the program from Alex's trunk, she finds cans of spray paint in the same color used to tag the school. Why would a star student on a full ride to USC wreck the school? Ashley is stunned and angry. After her confrontation with Alex, she questions her compassion and rigidity. Will Alex do the right thing? What, exactly, is the right thing to do? Walden Lane is a quintessential small city. And these chapter books describe a typical American family, with busy schedules and the usual problems. The series explores suburban life in a fun way, with topics appropriate for younger readers. These gentle reads are innocent, hopeful, and sometimes funny, with no unsettling surprises or storylines. Each book is 5,000 words (approx.) and 10 chapters.
Marlon and Steve are going camping with their dads in the rural mountain town of Dry Oak. To Marlon's disappointment, there is no cell service at the campsite. What will he do without his phone? Marlon and Steve are playing a new video game from the creator of Clan Castles, and it's rad. Now the online players will be ahead of him. Whatever! The trip is only for three days. Marlon helps with the tent. He goes fishing. The camp food is actually good. But he wants more adventure and excitement, so he convinces Steve to go on a night hike. There are no lights on their trail, and it's darn cold. The boys get more than they expect when they get lost. When they spy a house in the woods, all Marlon can think of is a horror movie. And he takes off when he hears a terrifying sound, thinking his buddy is right behind him. But Steve has gone into the house! Walden Lane is a quintessential small city. And these chapter books describe a typical American family, with busy schedules and the usual problems. The series explores suburban life in a fun way, with topics appropriate for younger readers. These gentle reads are innocent, hopeful, and sometimes funny, with no unsettling surprises or storylines. Each book is 5,000 words (approx.) and 10 chapters.
These high-interest novels feature characters in situations encountered by real-life teens everyday. The student body of Dawson High study hard, date, root for the home team, hold down part-time jobs, succeed and fail, just like most American teenagers. Characters are faced with tough choices- and must decide and react based on their principles. However, choices are complicated and learning to do the right thing is almost never easy. After finding out that Torie is dating Rae's ex-boyfriend, Chance, Rae makes a plan to pay Torie back. Rae decides to date Brad, a boy that Torie really likes, just to make her jealous. Unfortunately, Rae doesn't count on how her feelings for Brad might change. By the time Rae realizes she's fallen for Brad, it might be too late.
These high-interest novels feature characters in situations encountered by real-life teens everyday. The student body of Dawson High study hard, date, root for the home team, hold down part-time jobs, succeed and fail, just like most American teenagers. Characters are faced with tough choices- and must decide and react based on their principles. However, choices are complicated and learning to do the right thing is almost never easy. Choosing between keeping a promise and keeping a friend is tough. Josh's first few days of driving without an adult passenger may be cut short if his dad learns that Josh drives Cooper and Nikki to the dance. Josh made a promise to his dad, but he wants to help out his friend. How will Josh's dad react to a broken promise?
