When Penelope O’Shaunessy, “an incoming freshman of average height and lank hair” steps into Harvard Yard for the first time she has lots of advice from her mother: "Don't be too enthusiastic, don't talk to people who seem to be getting annoyed, and for heaven's sake, stop playing Tetris on your phone at parties." Penelope needs this advice. She is the kind of girl who passes through much of her life with coffee spilled on her white shirt, who can't quite tell when people are joking, and who, inevitably, always says the wrong thing. But no amount of coaching will prepare Penelope for the people she meets at school. Gloriously skewering the social hierarchy of college, Penelope is the brilliantly funny story of one of the most singular, memorable heroines in recent fiction.

Jodie Patterson, activist and Chair of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation Board, shares her transgender son's experience in this important picture book about identity and acceptance. Penelope knows that he's a boy. (And a ninja.) The problem is getting everyone else to realize it. In this exuberant companion to Jodie Patterson's adult memoir, The Bold World, Patterson shares her son Penelope's frustrations and triumphs on his journey to share himself with the world. Penelope's experiences show children that it always makes you stronger when you are true to yourself and who you really are.

The Arts of Penelope: Art-Making and Making Artifacts, by Ellie Rose and Shannon Scrofano -- Who Is a Hero in Your Own Life?, by Jolene Hansen -- Mamie's Story, by Beth Meyer-Arnold -- On Playing the Suitors: In Dialogue, by Daniel Cohen and Rusty Tym -- On Playing Penelope: In Dialogue, by Joyce Heinrich and Nikki Zaleski -- Five Seconds after the Audience Left, by Anne Basting -- The Magic of the Movement, by Anne Basting and Leonard Cruz -- Finding an Ending, by Maureen Towey -- Excerpt from Finding Penelope, Scene 5, by Anne Basting -- Part Five: Evaluation and Evolution -- Beyond Penelope at Luther Manor, by Ellie Rose -- On the Challenges of Continuity in Civic Arts Projects: In Dialogue, by Michael Rohd and Anne Basting -- Making Structural Changes in the Curriculum through Penelope, by Robin Mello and Anne Basting -- What Did the Research Tell Us?, by Robin Mello and Julie Voigts -- The Essential Elements of Penelope, by Robin Mello and Julie Voigts -- The Landscape beyond Penelope, by Anne Basting, Ellie Rose, and Maureen Towey -- Appendices -- Appendix 1. Penelope Project Timeline -- Appendix 2. Penelope Project Team -- Appendix 3. Partnership Agreement -- Appendix 4. Prompts for Penelope Activities and Challenges -- Appendix 5. Storytelling and Playwriting Syllabus -- Appendix 6. A Note on the Program Evaluation, by Robin Mello -- Appendix 7. Funding Partners -- Appendix 8. Survey Questions -- Contributors -- Index

I’m not the princess they think I am. I fell out of the sky and into a new world only to be attacked by a monster. The people here think I’m the daughter of the Nimali dragon king. When the king assigns me a healer, I learn the truth of this place. Bloody battles rage between the Nimali and the Fai as their war advances. The healer hates me for who he thinks I am. He’s a Fai captive in this land. But a string pulls me to him whenever he’s near. Every touch. Every look. Every stolen moment. The Nimali have no tolerance for outsiders. If they find out I’m not their princess, they will kill me. She is the daughter of my greatest enemy. I’m a Fai warrior, doing the bidding of the Nimali king to heal the princess. This is the penalty of war. Secretly, I work with the rebellion to free my people. Nimali are everything I hate. The princess is everything I despise. Cold. Aloof. Uncaring. Up close, she’s nothing like I thought. I don’t expect to crave her. I don’t expect the spark between us. Our souls calling to one another. I am a prisoner. She is a princess. Our lies are the only thing keeping us alive. Savage City is a dystopian, enemies-to-lovers, portal, shifter fantasy romance with intriguing worldbuilding and thrilling action.

Penelope is certain that she is royalty because of all the similarities between her life and that of a princess.

Penny is excited to welcome her new sibling, so throughout her mom’s pregnancy she writes letters to it (not it, YOU!). She introduces herself (Penelope, but she prefers “Penny”) and their moms (Sammy and Becky). She brags about their home city, Oakland, California (the weather, the Bay, and the Golden State Warriors) and shares the trials and tribulations of being a fifth-grader (which, luckily, YOU won’t have to worry about for a long time). Penny asks little questions about her sibling’s development and starts to ask big questions about the world around her (like if and when her moms are ever going to get married “for real”). Honest, relatable, and full of heart, Love, Penelope explores heritage, forgiveness, love, and identity through the eyes (and pen) of one memorable 10-year-old in a special year when marriage equality and an NBA championship made California a place of celebration.

“I’d never been late for anything. I just knew this would be a bad day.” When Penelope oversleeps, her daily routine gets thrown for a loop. From wearing mismatched socks to receiving her first-ever “B,” will “Penelope Perfect” survive this imperfect day? This encouraging story told in cheerful rhyme will speak to kids who deal with perfectionism or other forms of anxiety. The book concludes with tips and information to help parents, teachers, counselors, and other adults foster dialogue with children about overcoming perfectionism and coping when things don’t go according to plan.