ambition

Rory, a scholarship kid teased for her weight, tells the reader exactly the lengths she'll go to secure the leading role in Bosworth Academy's senior musical.

"Though she has tried to close the lid on her ballet shoes and the thankless life she left behind, Laure is spinning out. Between partying, drinking, and avoiding anything and, well, everyone, she has no time to be anything but a monster, a vessel to Acheron and its ever-demanding appetite. So when she stumbles across a mysterious dead body during one of her nights out, Laure is forced to notice the cracks stretching beyond herself. Below the streets of Paris, Elysium is dying, and the primordial influence that destroyed her best friend is spilling into the streets like a blight. But Laure isn't the only of Elysium's beasts to rise from the ruins of Op?ra Garnier, and someone is mobilizing an army of monsters with plans to raise themselves beyond heights even she never dreamed of. To stop this force and oblivion itself, she must gaze into the growing abyss inside her and discover secrets that only the dark can offer"--Provided by publisher.

Alessandra is tired of being overlooked, but she has a plan to gain power: 1) Woo the Shadow King. 2) Marry him. 3) Kill him and take his kingdom for herself. No one knows the extent of the freshly crowned Shadow King's power. Some say he can command the shadows that swirl around him to do his bidding. Others say they speak to him, whispering the thoughts of his enemies. Regardless, Alessandra knows what she deserves, and she's going to do everything within her power to get it. But Alessandra's not the only one trying to kill the king. As attempts on his life are made, she finds herself trying to keep him alive long enough for him to make her his queen--all while struggling not to lose her heart. After all, who better for a Shadow King than a cunning, villainous queen?.

"Daughter of an ousted king, descendant of ancient druids, Gruoch has grown up believing that she will be crowned queen of Alba and reclaim the lands of her Pictish kin, a prophecy seemingly fulfilled by her betrothal to Duncan, the heir-elect. Leaving behind her home, her family, and her close friend MacBethad, she travels to the royal seat at Scone to embrace her new position. But Duncan's court is rife with sly words and unfriendly faces, and as her coronation approaches, a deadly turn of events forces Gruoch to flee the capital. Alone and at the mercy of an old enemy, Gruoch must make a fateful choice: live a long, quiet life in the shadows or seize vengeance and a path back to the throne"--Provided by publisher.

Illustrations and rhyming text reclaim words often used to put down girls and women while introducing the letters of the alphabet.

"Laure Mesny is a perfectionist with an axe to grind. Despite being constantly overlooked in the elite and cutthroat world of the Parisian ballet, she will do anything to prove that a Black girl can take center stage. To level the playing field, Laure ventures deep into the depths of the Catacombs and strikes a deal with a pulsating river of blood. The primordial power Laure gains promises influence and adoration, everything she's dreamed of and worked toward. With retribution on her mind, she surpasses her bitter and privileged peers, leaving broken bodies behind her on her climb to stardom. But even as undeniable as she is, Laure is not the only monster around. And her vicious desires make her a perfect target for slaughter. As she descends into madness and the mystifying underworld beneath her, she is faced with the ultimate choice: continue to break herself for scraps of validation or succumb to the darkness that wants her exactly as she is--monstrous heart and all. That is, if the god-killer doesn't catch her first"--Provided by publisher.

"When Shira and Esther first meet, they can hardly believe their eyes. It's like looking in a mirror! But even though they may look identical, the two girls couldn't be more different. Shira dreams of singing and dancing onstage, but her father, a stern and pious rabbi, thinks Shira should be reading prayers, not plays. Esther dreams of studying Torah, but her mother, a glamorous stage performer, wishes Esther would spend more time rehearsing and less time sneaking off to read books. Oy vey! If only the two could switch places . . . Would Shira shine in a big-time televised talent show? Would Esther's bat mitzvah go off without a hitch? What's a little deception, when it means your dreams might finally be within reach? One thing is certain: Shira and Esther are going to need more than a little chutzpah to pull this off. But if they do, their double dream debut is sure to be the performance of a lifetime"--Provided by publisher.

Mary J. Blige presents this empowering story in which young Mary, told there are many things she cannot do, isn't about to let anyone tell her she cannot sing.

"Poppy is a pig with big dreams, but other people keep telling her she can not dance like a ballerina. . . . When she happens upon a skating rink, she sets out to learn to skate--and at last her determination pays off"--Provided by publisher.

Margot, a seventeen-year-old aspiring chef, moves from France to New York to follow her dreams, but things become complicated when she meets Zach, a fellow chef, and is torn between chasing her dream or her dream boy.