More than anything, ten-year-old Weezie wants to please her momma. She babysits her spoiled half-sister, Ruth Ann, and little Jackson. She makes tea for Momma in Gramma Emmeline’s beautiful teapot. She even tries to cook dinner. But nothing turns out quite right. And Momma is never pleased. Hard times and a daddy who ran off before she was born seem to have stolen all of Momma’s love.If only Weezie could find her daddy, she’s sure her life would be happier. Tired of making up stories about a parent she knows nothing about, Weezie teams up with her bike-riding buddy, Calvin, and new friend, Louella, to find her mysterious father. Does he drive a truck? Sing country and western songs? Why, her real daddy might even be better than the made-up father she’s been telling lies about at school! Now, all she has to do is find him.Jean Van Leeuwen’s poignant, powerful novel introduces a feisty heroine whose brave search proves that even a life that’s missing important pieces can be chock full of things that matter.

A teen grapples with ALS and his decision to die in this devastatingly beautiful debut novel infused with the haunting grace of samurai death poetry and the noble importance of friendship.Abe Sora is going to die, and he’s only 17 years old. Diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), he’s already lost the use of his legs, which means he can no longer attend school. Seeking a sense of normality, Sora visits teen chat rooms online and finally finds what he’s been longing for: friendship without pity.As much as he loves his new friends, he can’t ignore what’s ahead. He’s beginning to lose the function of his hands, and soon he’ll become even more of a burden to his mother. Inspired by the death poems of the legendary Japanese warriors known as samurai, Sora makes the decision to leave life on his own terms. And he needs his friends to help him.

Product Description: A teen grapples with ALS and his decision to die in this “deeply moving” (Booklist, starred review) debut novel infused with the haunting grace of Japanese poetry and the noble importance of friendship.Sora is going to die, and he’s only seventeen years old...read more

What if you discovered that Kurt Cobain was not only alive, but might be your real father? This nuanced and bittersweet YA debut will keep you guessing until the end.“Utterly gorgeous. Mesmerizing. Hypnotic. I love this book.” —Jennifer Niven, New York Times bestselling author of All the Bright Places    Nico Cavan has been adrift since her mother vanished when she was four—maternal abandonment isn’t exactly something you can just get over. Staying invisible at school is how she copes—that and listening to alt music and summoning spirits on the Ouija board with her best friend and coconspirator in sarcasm, Obe. But when a chance discovery opens a window onto her mom’s wild past, it sparks an idea in her brain that takes hold and won’t let go. On a ferry departing Seattle, Nico encounters a slight blond guy with piercing blue eyes wearing a hooded jacket. Something in her heart tells her that this feeling she has might actually be the truth, so she follows him to a remote cabin in the Pacific Northwest. When she is stranded there by a winter storm, fear and darkness collide, and the only one who can save Nico might just be herself.From the Hardcover edition.

Product Description: FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. Shelby Cooper, nearly eighteen, has been overprotected by her single mother all her life but after a car accident, Shelby's mother steals her away from the hospital, revealing that Shelby's father is not dead, but rather a violent man who promised to hunt them down...read more

Product Description: 2016 Junior Library Guild Selection CCBC’s Best Books for Kids & Teens (Fall 2016) — Commended She’s with the band, whether she likes it or not. Victoria Mahler is the sixteen-year-old only daughter of rocker Micky Wayne, whose band, Dusty Moon, took the world by storm when Micky was just a teenager...read more

Product Description: What the Waves Know is an enchanting heartrending exploration of love, loss and mental illness through a child's eyes - a must read.In the graceful narrative tradition of Sue Monk Kidd and Beth Hoffman comes an exquisite debut novel about a young woman's quest to reclaim herself- and the voice she left behind- on the gritty New England island where she lost both...read more

Product Description: From critically acclaimed author Willo Davis Roberts comes an Edgar Award–winning classic mystery about a twelve-year-old girl on the run with her family.Pack up and leave? Tonight? When Megan has just one week of school left before summer vacation? Something doesn’t seem right...read more

Product Description: Abandoned by the father of her child, May Taylor supports herself by her work as a gifted wedding planner with her best friend and great-aunt, carrying on the timeless traditions established by her grandmother and mother. She is a devoted mother to her daughter, Kylie - a very special child...read more

Oscar Ogilvie is living with his dad in a house at the end of Lucifer Street, in Cairo, Illinois, when world events change his life forever. The great stock market crash has rippled across the country, and the bank takes over their home—along with all their cherished model trains. Oscar’s dad is forced to head west in search of work, and Oscar must move in with his no-nonsense Aunt Carmen. Only a mysterious drifter who stops by each day for food after school helps alleviate Oscar’s loneliness—until Oscar witnesses a crime so stunning that it catapults him into a miraculous, time-hopping train journey. Filled with suspense and peppered with witty encounters with Hollywood stars and other bigwigs of history, this captivating novel by Rosemary Wells resonates with imagination, humor, and the magic of a timeless adventure story.

Product Description: In a rainy town in the north of England, there are strange goings-on.Dad is building a pair of wings, eating flies, and feathering his nest. Auntie Doreen is getting cross and making dumplings. Mr. Poop is parading the streets, shouting LOUDER and LOUDER, and even Mr...read more

Amalee is being raised by her single father and his group of eccentric friends, and when he becomes seriously ill everyone pitches in to try to cope with the ensuing fear and chaos.

Product Description: When it comes to cake, Sheridan Wells is a true artist. She’s happiest working in the back of the family bakery, dreaming of the day her mom will keep her promise and come home. But when her dad makes an announcement that threatens to change their lives, Sheridan launches a desperate plan to find her mother before it’s too late...read more

Fans of Louis Sachar will welcome the adventures of a contest-crazed seventh grader who uses his wits and way with words in hopes of winning a big cash prize to help his family avoid eviction. Benjamin is about to lose a whole lot more than good toilet paper. If he doesn't make tons of money fast by selling candy bars and winning contests—like the Royal-T Bathroom Tissue slogan contest—his family will get kicked out of their apartment. Even with his flair for clever slogans, will Benjamin be able to win a cash prize large enough to keep a promise he made to his dad before he died? Or will he lose everything that matters to him? Praise for Death by Toilet Paper  "Readers can't help but enjoy this heartening book about hanging in there."--Kirkus Reviews"Ben is a character kids will root for."--Publisher's Weekly "Would make a fine classroom readaloud."--The Bulletin  From the Hardcover edition.