An ALA Best Book for Young Adults 2001 Shayla Dubois lives in a Houston neighborhood known as the Bottom, where life is colorful but never easy. She wants only two things out of life: to become a writer and to have a nice, peaceful home. Instead, her life has been turned upside down. Shayla's mama kicked her sister, Tia, out of the house for messing around with an older guy. And Shayla's father has been spending a lot of time at the house with mama. And there's her strange new neighbor, Kambia Elaine, who tells the most fantastic stories. Then Shayla begins to suspect that something is wrong. This title is an Accelerated Reader® Title

Shayla lives with her mother and her teenage sister, Tia, in a poor, rough area of Houston. While Tia, to her mother's distress, has taken up with a local boy who is none-to-bright, Shayla becomes friends with Kambia Elaine, the strange girl who has moved in next door.

The acclaimed author of "When Kambia Elaine Flew in from Neptune" now delivers the story of one girl's excruciating struggle to beat the odds. Williams imbues this narrative with an unshakable sense of hope that transcends China's bleak reality.

Thirteen-year-old Shayla is upset when her estranged father's new baby is born on her birthday, but she learns that her problems are nothing compared to those faced by her friends Kambia and Lemm.

Shayla, a twelve-year-old African American girl growing up in Houston, reveals her troubled world through her writing notebooks, telling of her sister's misdeeds with boys, a neighbor girl's tales of abuse, and her father's sudden reappearance.

With her parents splitting up, 16-year-old Sammie Davis may not want to feel a thing, but feelings happen. For starters, she’s plenty angry. Her dad’s leaving their upstate New York home and moving clear across the country. Her mother—well, she’s packing up and relocating to New York City with Sammie, who has no say about any of it. Overnight Sammie is forced to deal with change. And one change spawns another: Roles get reversed, old and new friendships tested, and sexual feelings awakened. It’s a scary time. But as Sammie realizes that things can’t stay the same forever, that even the people she loves and trusts the most can disappoint her, she begins to accept that change isn’t always bad. It’s how you cope, jumbled feelings and all, that counts. And as she copes, Sammie’s sense of self emerges proud and strong.

New York Times bestselling author, Food Network star, and The Pioneer Woman herself, Ree Drummond, brings us the first book in a brand-new picture book series! In Ree's own words: “I was all grown up when I moved out to the country. When I first arrived, I felt so out of place! But eventually, I looked around and discovered all the wonderful things about country life. So I decided to write a story about my experiences, as seen through the eyes of a little girl named Ree. "Little Ree moves to the country and feels as scared and unsure as I was. But then she finds that if she sets her mind to it, being a country girl is a pretty cool thing. Come along on her adventures!” Little Ree trades in her city days for a country way of life when she moves with her family to her grandparents’ ranch. She’s excited to ride horses, swim in the pond, and help Grandma cook for everyone. But on her first day, she finds that living on a ranch can be tough. She has to get up at the crack of dawn, learn to herd cows, and make sure her horse, Pepper, doesn’t eat everything in sight. And that’s all before breakfast! Will she ever get used to this new place? Luckily, the end of the day brings a big family barbecue...and the happy discovery that being a country girl isn’t about the right pair of boots, it’s all about the right attitude. With warmth, humor, and stories inspired by life on the ranch, Ree Drummond’s picture book introduces us to a spunky new picture book star and treats us to a special pancake recipe at the end! Plus, don't miss Little Ree: Best Friends Forever!