Ninth Grade Blues follows four teens through the adventures and misadventures of the first year of high school. Interweaving first person stories are told by: Luke: a shy, poorly dressed boy from the wrong side of the tracks. But he has hidden talents in science -- and he is even appealing to some girls. Elly: sociable and friendly, Elly worries about getting a boy to like her. She has frizzy hair, and a few excess pounds. However, she is also a top notch student. Elly has her life mapped out, all the way through a big church wedding and a house in the suburbs. Marcus: a freshman superstar, Marcus plays football and basketball at the varsity level and has his sights on a D-I college scholarship. He worries about having to choose between the NBA and the NFL. Mia: a smart, dedicated girl who gets straight A's. Her Mexican-American parents are intent on matching her up with a nice Hispanic boy. But Mia and Luke begin studying together, and very soon, Mia develops other opinions.

Though no longer a fat girl, Elsie, now fifteen, still has trouble believing anyone could love her and that old fear threatens her relationship with her boyfriend.

During the last week of school, the students in Mrs. Hartwell's class try to come up with the perfect present for their teacher.

A fifth grade class, repelled by the overweight new student who has serious home problems, finally learns to accept her.

As they pass the halfway point in their high school journey, life begins to get more serious for the four classmates in Eleventh Grade Stress. - Luke continues to wrestle with math and the standardized state tests. He takes refuge in his work on the yearbook and his solitary fishing trips. The hostility of his girlfriends father abruptly ends the most rewarding relationship of his life. - Elly is getting along better than ever with her parents because she is dating the star quarterback for the schools football team. But her folks dont seem to care about the secret damage that this relationship is doing to Elly.- Marcus still loves basketball, but history classes are beginning to open his eyes to life beyond the court. His planned campus visit to the nearby state university leads his father have the talk with him. - Mia is still on track to graduate first in her class and pursue her dream of becoming a doctor, but her home life is troubled. Her parents finally reach a breaking point.

Tenth Grade Angst (a sequel to Ninth Grade Blues, 2017) continues the story of four teens as they negotiate the roller-coaster ride of high school. Now sophomores, they grapple with growing independence and changing dreams and ambitions. Luke: a shy, hard-working boy from the wrong side of the tracks, Luke continues to come out of his shell with the friendly encouragement of Mia. His love for hunting, fishing, and all things nature-related keeps him sane and grounded, while ongoing problems with his dad worsen. Elly: a bit overweight and a lot insecure in her freshman year, Elly joins her mom at the gym, sheds a few pounds and discovers she can set her cap for star football players. But is that always a good idea? Marcus: a football and basketball star, Marcus comes down to earthdiscovering that there are limits to his athletic career. And, a series of rebuffs lead him to reflect on the best way to a girls heart. Mia: a straight-A student who looks like a good bet to be the class valedictorian, Mia is also on track to realize her dream of becoming a pediatrician. But just how angry will her poppa get if she insists on dating Luke?

“Readers will be entranced by this exceptional offering.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) “By turns a mystery, a thriller, and an adventure, this richly woven story will provide much for readers to tease apart long after it’s finished.” —Booklist (starred review) “Thought-provoking and intense.” —Kirkus Reviews “A survival story in its truest sense.” —BCCB The threat of two escaped convicts and a missing friend lead Lizzie on a harrowing journey through the wilds of the Adirondacks in this captivating mystery from National Book Award finalist Beth Kephart. Thirteen-year-old Lizzie’s favorite place in the world is her uncle’s cabin. Uncle Davy’s renovated schoolhouse cabin, filled with antiques and on the edge of the Adirondacks, disconnected from the rest of the world, is like something out of a fairy tale. And an escape from reality is exactly what Lizzie needs. Life hasn’t been easy for Lizzie lately. Her father abandoned their family, leaving Lizzie with her oftentimes irresponsible mother. Now, her mom has cancer and being unable to care for Lizzie during her chemotherapy, asks Lizzie where she’d like to spend the summer. The answer is simple: Uncle Davy’s cabin. Lizzie loves her uncle’s home for many reasons, but the main one is Matias, Uncle Davy’s neighbor and Lizzie’s best friend. Matias has proportionate dwarfism, but that doesn’t stop him and Lizzie from wandering in the woods. Every day they go to their special spot where Matias paints with watercolors and Lizzie writes. Until one day when Matias never arrives. When news breaks about two escaped convicts from the nearby prison, Lizzie fears the worst. And when Uncle Davy goes missing, too, Lizzie knows she’s the only one who knows this area of woods well enough to save them. Armed with her trusted Keppy survival book, Lizzie sets out into the wilds of the Adirondacks, proving just how far she’ll go to save the people she loves.