From the author of Riding Chance comes the story of a girl whose dictionary is helping make sense of the world, her changing body, friendships, and a family that's struggling to stay strong amidst the turbulent backdrop of activism, across generations. Being twelve isn't easy, especially when you're Neva Beane. Neva feels beautiful wearing her new bra, but she's confused by how others respond to the changes taking place in and out of her body. Her best friend, Jamila, is getting all the attention. Her brother, Clayton, is becoming an activist. And Mom and Dad are gone working-again. Grandad and Nana aren't much help, either, with their old ways and backward views.Neva struggles to find her place in a world that, like the political landscape that's always shifting around her in her West Philadelphia neighborhood, is uncertain, at times scary, but most always, filled with unanswered questions. Neva is left with what comforts her most-words and their meanings, which she chronicles herself. While the pages of her beloved dictionary reveal truths about what's happening around her, Neva must discover the best way to define herself. In this wholly original story by the author of the NAACP Image Award nominee Riding Chance, a girl finds her voice in unexpected ways.

The Crossover meets War Horse in this novel about an urban kid's redemption through the grit of polo. Take a ride on this hero's journey amid city streets and an uncertain future. Troy is a kid with a passion. And dreams. And wanting to do the right thing. But after taking a wrong turn, he's forced to endure something that's worse than any juvenile detention he can imagine -- he's been "sentenced" to the local city stables where he's made to take care of the horses and learn to play polo. The greatest punishment has been trying to make sense of things after his mom died. Troy's also figuring out which friends have his back, which kids to cut loose, and whether he and Alisha have a true connection. Laced with humor and beating with heartache, this novel will grip readers, pull quickly, and take them in an unforgettable ride. Set in modern Philadelphia, Christine Kendall's stunning debut lets us come face-to-face with the challenges of a loving family that helps turn hardships into a horse of a different color.

An NPR Best Book of the Year Proudly introducing the Well-Read Black Girl Library Series, On Girlhood is a lovingly curated anthology celebrating short fiction from such luminaries as Rita Dove, Alice Walker, Toni Morrison, and more. Featuring stories by: Jamaica Kincaid, Toni Morrison, Dorothy West, Rita Dove, Camille Acker, Toni Cade Bambara, Amina Gautier, Alexia Arthurs, Dana Johnson, Alice Walker, Gwendolyn Brooks, Edwidge Danticat, Shay Youngblood, Paule Marshall, and Zora Neale Hurston. “When you look over your own library, who do you see?” asks Well-Read Black Girl founder Glory Edim in this lovingly curated anthology. Bringing together an array of “unforgettable, and resonant coming-of-age stories” (Nicole Dennis-Benn), Edim continues her life’s work to brighten and enrich American reading lives through the work of both canonical and contemporary Black authors—from Jamaica Kincaid and Toni Morrison to Dana Johnson and Alexia Arthurs. Divided into four themes—Innocence, Belonging, Love, and Self-Discovery—On Girlhood features fierce young protagonists who contend with trials that shape who they are and what they will become. At times heartbreaking and hilarious, the stories within push past flat stereotypes and powerfully convey the beauty of Black girlhood, resulting in an indispensable compendium for every home library. “A compelling anthology that . . . results in a literary master class.” —Keishel Williams, Washington Post “A beautiful and comforting patchwork quilt of stories from our literary contemporaries and foremothers.” —Ibi Zoboi, New York Times best-selling coauthor of Punching the Air

Twelve-year-old Neva and her older brother Clayton have been left with their grandparents for the summer. She's having a difficult time dealing with changes to her body, changes with her best friend, and changes with her relationship with her brother who is now into social activism and their multicultural community (and into Michelle, the sexy girl across the street)--Neva is growing up and she is not sure that the dictionary has the right words to describe everything she is experiencing.

"Daphne Kalmar has created a wonderfully imperfect cast of characters and gathered them into a story that will break your heart. . . and heal it again. Stealing Mt. Rushmore has it all." —Marion Dane Bauer, author of the Newberry Honor novel On My Honor In Stealing Mt. Rushmore, Daphne Kalmar brings to life the social and political upheaval of the 1970s, revealing the heart of a family on the verge of falling apart and the courage of a young girl who does all she can to bring them together. She almost always made things worse. But at least she'd be standing there. I hated her for stealing the money. But I want her back. Nellie's dad had planned on having four boys to name after the presidents on Mt. Rushmore. He got George, Nellie, Tom, and Teddy. No Abe. It's the summer of 1974. Nellie's turned thirteen. Her best friend, Maya, has a crush on a boy. President Nixon might get impeached. And her mom's run off. The money for their family road trip to see Mt. Rushmore is missing and her dad's crawled into bed and won't get up. Nellie's sure the trip out West will fix her family, and she'll do almost anything to come up with the cash. But she begins to wonder why it's always her, the girl, who's stuck with the dishes and everything else. And how can a mom just up and leave with no note, no forwarding address, no nothing?

Maybe “normal” isn't all it's cracked up to be. All twelve year-old Daisy Fisher wants is to be normal — or at least to not stick out like a sore thumb. But growing up in the house disparagingly referred to as the “Jungle” makes that pretty much impossible. When your parents' activism brands them as a nuisance and your house is overrun with vines and critters, it's not so easy to fit in. And it definitely doesn't help when the neighbours declare your family public enemy number one. Or when your best (and possibly only) friend leaves for summer camp and forgets you exist. Or when your twin brother's cancer might be growing back. Will this be the summer Daisy changes things for the better? She can't help where she lives, but if she could find a new friend, cultivate some courage, and figure out a way to keep her brother healthy, maybe life will finally be normal. Or will it? An extraordinary new novel from acclaimed author Deborah Kerbel.

Zackie wants to be a famous horror writer, so when he finds a typewriter in a burned down antique store, he takes it home and starts typing--but what he types starts to come true.