authentic voice
— An outcast seventh-grader's wish on a shooting star leads to unexpected friendship when he's paired with the school's intimidating new girl for a biology project.
— A young man who can speak to birds is banished by his father after revealing an unwelcome prophecy, but returns years later wealthy and wise, fulfilling the birds' prediction.
— A nerdy seventh-grader wishes on a shooting star to be popular, and when a tough new girl arrives at school, his life unexpectedly changes through their forced partnership.
— A girl narrates her family's early morning departure from North Carolina to Texas, struggling to accept leaving the only home she's ever known.
— A girl observes her cat Trixie sleeping on the dining room table, cataloging each gesture and sound with tender attention and affection.
— When her best friend Aisha's brother is jailed and the family must flee to Singapore, Melly struggles to support her friend through crisis and impending separation.
— A girl receives a mysterious package containing both an elf hat that once excluded her and her childhood Hanukkah hat, forcing her to reconsider identity and belonging.
— A farm family loses their home to bank foreclosure and moves to a West Virginia coal mining town, where they find hope in staying together despite the difficult changes.
— A child swimming with her father discovers strength in diving under waves instead of fighting them, finding joy in the ocean's power.
— Three friends walk a private beach as tensions rise over Ally's choice between divorced parents—staying in California with her mother or moving to New York with her father and brother.