juvenile fiction / social issues / adolescence

"LU was born to be co-captain of the Defenders. Well, actually, he was born albino, but that's got nothing to do with being a track star. Lu has swagger, plus the talent to back it up, and with all that -- not to mention the gold chains and diamond earrings -- no one's gonna outshine him. Lu knows he can lead Ghost, Patina, Sunny, and the rest of the team to victory at the championships, but it might not be as easy as it seems. Suddenly, there are hurdles in Lu's way -- literally and not-so-literally -- and Lu needs to figure out, fast, what winning the gold really means."--.

"Sunny Lancaster is a winner. Wih-winner. As the best runner in the 1600 meter, Sunny can beat anyone by, well, a mile. But for Sunny, winning is boring. Buh-boring. Truth is, Sunny doesn't like running. Never has. What Sunny really loves ... is dancing. The boom-bap-bap of dance routines beats the chick chick chick of track meets any day. Sunny loves his team, though, so he can't quit, but he also can't be on a track team and not run. And he definitely can't be on a track team and dance. But it turns out track isn't just chick chick chick. It's also whoosh whoosh ahh ... If Sunny lets loose everything he's been holding inside, will he make the best moves ever, or will it be his biggest misstep?"--.

"Patina "Patty" Jones is the fastest girl on the Defenders track team. Makes sense; she's got a lot to run for. She runs for the kids at the fancy new school she's now being sent to, to show the ones who taunt her that she's gonna be something one day. She runs for her fellow Defenders newbies -- Ghost, Sunny, and Lu -- to make them proud. She runs for her little sister, Maddy, who relies on Patty to show her how to be brave and strong. And she runs for her mother, who can never run again. Like Ma says, Patty ain't no junk. And she's out to prove it. But when the pressure becomes too much, can she outdistance it?"--.

"It's 1986, and Zoe and her best friend Jonah are near the bottom of their high school social ladder. Then after a freak accident, Zoe wakes up in present day, and, to her surprise, is the most popular girl in school. It isn't an easy adjustment, especially when she finds out she and Jonah aren't even friends"--.

"When she leads a super-successful event at school to raise awareness, everyone starts looking to her to take charge-of everything. Prianka needs ideas for National Poetry Month, Victoria wants advice on volunteer projects, and Gabby needs homework help. To be honest, being a leader is fun but the pressure is OOC (out of control)! Can Cece help her friends without totally losing it herself?"--Back cover.

"When six students are chosen to participate in a weekly talk with no adults allowed, they discover that when they're together, it's safe to share the hopes and fears they have to hide from the rest of the world"--Provided by publisher.

A collection of short stories by diverse authors that explores acts of bravery by heroes trying to make the world a better place.

"When she leads a super-successful event at school to raise awareness, everyone starts looking to her to take charge-of everything. Prianka needs ideas for National Poetry Month, Victoria wants advice on volunteer projects, and Gabby needs homework help. To be honest, being a leader is fun but the pressure is OOC (out of control)! Can Cece help her friends without totally losing it herself?"--Back cover.

Best friends Cecily, Gabby, and Prianka face drama in the last days of school as a meme goes viral, their mothers take them bra shopping together, and Cecily develops her first crush. Told entirely in text messages, emails, and notes.

"Twelve-year-old Rahul Kapoor, an Indian-American boy growing up in small-town Indiana, struggles to come to terms with his identity, including that he may be gay"--Provided by publisher.