* "Maldonado excels at depicting realistic and authentic interactions between middle school boys."--School Library Journal (starred review) A Washington Post Best Children's Book of 2018! Tight: Lately Bryan's been feeling it in all kinds of ways. He knows what's tight for him in a good way--reading comics, drawing superheroes, and hanging out with no drama. But drama's hard to escape where he's from, and that gets him wound up tight. And now Bryan's new friend Mike is challenging him to have fun in ways that are crazy risky. At first, it's a rush following Mike, hopping turnstiles, subway surfing, and getting into all kinds of trouble. But Bryan never feels right acting wrong. So which way will he go when he understands that drama is so not his style? Fortunately his favorite comic heroes shed light on his dilemma, reminding him that he has power--the power to choose his friends and to stand up for what he believes is right . . . Torrey Maldonado delivers a fast-paced, insightful, dynamic story. Readers will connect with Bryan's journey as he navigates a tough world with a heartfelt desire for a different life.

** From Emmy Award-winning writer Rachel McRady comes a vital, illuminating debut novel about memory, storytelling and a broken family uniting in the face of a terrifying crisis. ** Six-year-old Gracie Lynn is perpetually curious and bighearted. Convinced she knows how to save her beloved grandfather John from the 'worm' that is eating his brain - a metaphor her mother once used to explain John's dementia and sundown syndrome - Gracie helps him break out of his nursing home, and the two disappear together on a quest to chase the sun. But what's an adventure for Gracie is a nightmare scenario for her estranged parents, LeeAnn and Dan. There's no way to predict where John might have taken their young daughter, or if he's capable of keeping her safe. An emotionally resonant novel, Sun Seekers artfully explores the truths of parenthood, the ways in which we sometimes hurt those we love most and the universal experience of deep loss - even when the person is still here. Perfect for fans of Fredrik Backman, Clare Pooley, Mark Haddon and Nicholas Sparks, as well as the hit TV series Parenthood and This Is Us PRAISE FOR SUN SEEKERS 'A heartwrenching tribute to familial trauma, guilt and loss, Sun Seekers makes for a captivating, beautiful holiday read' - Daily Mail 'In her impactful debut, Rachel McRady explores the intricate dynamics of a fractured family. Through multiple perspectives, she paints a poignant portrait of the complexities of relationships that resonate with us all' - Jo Piazza, author of We Are Not Like Them 'A vivid and often wise exploration of grief, told through the lens of alternating narrators... Sun Seekers explores how we grieve and who we love, despite our struggles to maintain a brave front in the aftermath of great loss' - Jaimee Wriston, author of How Not to Drown 'Sun Seekers is my favorite type of novel: beautifully written prose delivering deep truths about family and the nature of grief. I absolutely loved it. An incredible debut by a writer to watch' - Brenda Janowitz, author of The Grace Kelly Dress 'Rachel McRady's debut novel depicts the fabric of family dynamics in the voices of well-developed engaging characters. The emotional connections across multi-generations are genuine and kept me turning pages until the finale' - Suzanne Leopold, Suzy Approved Book Reviews 'Magnificent... A beautiful tribute to the suffering and hard-earned growth of these characters' - Booklist

Feeling like an outsider in a new city and at a new school, Mariam finds that her love of comic-book superheroes overlaps with the interests of a new friend who is otaku, crazy about manga and anime. Together, Mariam and Tya plan their costumes for the big fan convention. Mariam is comfortable with her choice of character, partly because as Haruhi, she can dress in a costume that doesn't bare too much skin. When Tya can't go to the convention, Mariam is relieved to meet up with some boys who are dressed as the rest of the group from Haruhi's manga. Rick, dressed as Haruh''s love interest, insists that Mariam spend all her time with him, doing things that their characters like to do and playing out their romance. When he tries to physically force himself on her, Mariam realizes that Rick is taking the game way too seriously, but how can she escape his attention? This novel explores the appealing world of comic books and graphic novels that has growing numbers of young people exploring role playing and attending fan conventions.

Life before and after Cerebral Palsy: We Are Their Voices is based on real life events. In this story, the author, Tammy, takes us on a whirlwind of events and one heck of a roller-coaster ride. She allows us in her life to show us what it was like being a young, teen mother of a child with a disability. She talks about the trials and tribulations of being a young mother and dealing with diversity and disappointment. She speaks about how what she went through made her

A stunning collection of plays from Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks that captures the societal rupture of the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. On March 13, 2020, as theaters shut their doors and so many of us went into lockdown, Suzan-Lori Parks picked up her pen and set out to write a play every day. What emerged is a breathtaking chronicle of our collective experience throughout the troubling days and nights that followed. Plays for the Plague Year is at once a personal story of one family's daily lives, as well as a sweeping account of all we faced as a city, a nation, and a global community. Parks' groundbreaking new work is brimming with humanity, bears witness to what we’ve experienced, and offers inspiration as we look ahead.

Seventeen-year-old Kevin Jason starts his first day at his new school by unintentionally punching the local bully through the cafeteria wall. When Kevin's father, a legendary superhero, learns of this, he insists on training Kevin to master his new powers, though Kevin finds his father's training methods a lot less exciting than he thought they were going to be. But Kevin's training takes on new urgency when the local bully's father—Master Chaos, one of the world's most dangerous supervillains—breaks out of prison and declares Kevin his new archenemy for harming his son. Now Kevin must complete his training as a superhero before Master Chaos arrives. If Kevin doesn't complete his training in time, then all of the power in the world won't be able to keep him and his family safe from the madman who wants him dead. KEYWORDS: superhero action fiction, superhero fantasy, superhero fiction novel, superhero science fiction, superhero scifi, superhero young adult, superhero city, superhero books, superhero action, superhero books for kids, superheroes, cool superheroes, action adventure books, superhero action adventure books, action adventure fiction, superhero action adventure fiction, young adult action adventure, action adventure young adult, free superhero books, free superhero fiction, free action adventure books, free young adult books, free young adult, free action adventure, free superheroes

With perfect pitch for the humor and heartbreak of everyday life, Julie Buxbaum has fashioned a heroine who will be instantly recognizable to anyone who has loved and lost and loved again. When successful twenty-nine-year-old Manhattan attorney Emily Haxby ends her happy relationship just as her boyfriend is on the verge of proposing, she can’t explain to even her closest friends why she did it. Somewhere beneath her sense of fun, her bravado, and her independent exterior, Emily knows that her breakup with Andrew has less to do with him and more to do with...her. “You’re your own worst enemy,” her best friend Jess tells her. “It’s like you get pleasure out of breaking your own heart.” As the holiday season looms and Emily contemplates whether she made a huge mistake, the rest of her world begins to unravel: she is assigned to a multimillion-dollar lawsuit where she must defend the very values she detests by a boss who can’t keep his hands to himself; her Grandpa Jack, a charming, feisty octogenarian and the person she cares most about in the world, is losing it, while her emotionally distant father has left her to cope with this alone; and underneath it all, fading memories of her deceased mother continue to remind her that love doesn’ t last forever. How this brave, original young heroine finally decides to take control of her life and face the fears that have long haunted her is the great achievement of Julie Buxbaum’s marvelous first novel. Written with the authority, grace, and wisdom of an author far beyond her years, The Opposite of Love heralds the debut of a remarkable talent in contemporary fiction.