Sam is concerned about keeping things orderly and "cool" at school. She thinks people need to have a tough skin in order to fit in and withstand others' meanness and lack of cooperation. Sam teases her free-spirited classmate Luisa and enlists a friend, Jayla, to help. But when Sam is confronted by a concerned teacher about her bullying, and Jayla turns on Sam and befriends Luisa, Sam begins to show some heart and rethink her treatment of others.
The Weird Series
These three books tell the story of an ongoing case of bullying from three third graders' perspectives. Luisa describes being targeted by bullying in "Weird "Jayla shares her experience as a bystander to bullying in "Dare "And in "Tough , "Sam speaks from the point of view of someone initiating bullying. Kids will easily relate to Luisa, Jayla, and Sam, as each girl has her own unique experience, eventually learning how to face her challenges with the help of friends, peers, and caring adults.
Part of the Bully Free Kids(TM) line

From the critically acclaimed author of Eventown comes a hopeful and empowering tale set in an enchanting world of magic and mysterious family secrets-perfect for fans of Anne Ursu, Rebecca Stead, and Wendy Mass. Magic is like a dream. Delightful. Terrifying. Unreal. Rose Alice Anders is Little Luck. Lucky to be born into the Anders family. Lucky to be just as special and magical as the most revered man in town-her father. The whole town has been waiting for Rose to turn twelve, when she can join them in their annual capturing of magic on New Year's Day and become the person she was born to be. But when that special day finally comes, Rose barely captures one tiny jar of magic. Now Rose's dad won't talk to her anymore and her friendships have gotten all twisted and wrong. So when Rose hears whispers that there are people who aren't meant for magic at all, she begins to wonder if that's who she belongs with. Maybe if she's away from all the magic, away from her dad telling her who she's meant to be, who she has to be, Rose can begin to piece together what's truly real in a world full of magic. * An SLJ Best Book of the Year * A CCBC Choices Pick of the Year *

Oh moon so full, round, and bright We beg one favor of you tonight For witches who tattle, witches who snitch, Tie their tongues, zip their lips! No witch shall squeal or tell on friends. This spell will be broken when the snitching ends!" Tattling is an all too familiar occurrence among children that can have harmful impacts on friends and relationships. This spellbinding story encourages children to examine the difference between snitching and telling, and the impact of their words on others. Includes a Note to Parents and Caregivers with more information about snitching versus telling and what adults can do to help.

ONE OF SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL's BEST BOOKS OF 2022 In You Ruined It, Anastasia Higginbotham, acclaimed author of Not My Idea: A Book About Whiteness, sheds light on the confusion and pain that many children feel in the aftermath of incest and sexual assault. When 11-year-old Dawn discloses that a favorite cousin sexually assaulted her, it's hard to tell what hurts more: the betrayal or the fall-out. After all, everyone always says to tell someone, but does this mean she'll never get to hang out with him again? What if he goes to jail? And the biggest question of all: How will she know if she can trust someone again? You Ruined It is a testament to a child's experience of a confusing betrayal, her broken heart, and the loved ones who help her piece it back together. I wish I had this magical brave book when I was young and being abused. So beautifully rendered and carefully told. May it inspire anyone caught in childhood sexual abuse to tell their story and get free. -V (formerly EVE ENSLER), award-winning playwright and author of bestsellers The Vagina Monologues and The Apology

Last year, Ollie Morcombe was a star pupil, popular and a gifted musician.

Then, after the accident, everything changed. Now he's an outcast, a prime target of the school bullies who have made his life a living hell.

Today - the last day of the school year - he's brought those bullies a gift. A homemade pipe bomb.

What has driven a model student to plan an unspeakable revenge? And with the clock ticking down to home time, what can anybody do to stop him?

The wonderful sequel to the fairytale-inspired fantasy THORN by an exciting new author.

Children have been disappearing from across Menaiya for longer than Amraeya ni Ansarim can remember. When her friend's sister is snatched, Rae knows she can't look away any longer - even if that means seeking answers from the royal court, where her country upbringing and clubfoot will only invite ridicule.

Yet at court she discovers an ally in the foreign princess, who recruits her as an attendant. So Rae begins to seek answers in the dark city streets, finding unexpected help in a thief with secrets of his own. But treachery runs deep, and the more Rae uncovers, the more she endangers the kingdom itself.

Geraldine is an energetic, spirited second-grader with a passion for inventing. When the class bully picks on Geraldine and her friends one too many times, Geraldine devises a plan to teach him a lesson. Sorting through her parents' old gadgets and gizmos, she finds exactly what she needs to create the perfect anti-bullying shield. She and her friends work together to create something that shows the bully exactly what he looks and sounds like when he picks on other kids. Will it be enough to make him stop?

Called a “masterpiece” in a starred review from School Library Journal, award-winning author Chris Crutcher’s acclaimed Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes is an enduring classic.

This bestselling novel is about love, loyalty, and friendship in the face of adversity. “Superb plotting, extraordinary characters, and cracking narrative make this novel unforgettable.”—Publishers Weekly

Sarah Byrnes and Eric Calhoune have been friends for years. When they were children, his weight and her scars made them both outcasts. Now Sarah Byrnes—the smartest, toughest person Eric has ever known—sits silent in a hospital. Eric must uncover the terrible secret she’s hiding before its dark current pulls them both under. Will appeal to fans of Marieke Nijkamp, Andrew Smith, Matt de la Peña, and John Corey Whaley.

Southfield High School is oh so normal, with its good teachers, its bad, and its cliques. But despite the cliques, there's a particular group of friends who have known each other forever and know that they can rely on each other for anything. There's the twins: Vis, rebellious, kind, and just a tiny bit worried about what the hell she's going to do once this year is over, and Aisha, smart, quiet and observant. Then there's Remy, the loudmouth, and Gemma, who's more interested in college boys and getting into the crap club in town. And then there's Elise: the pretty one. But at the start of Year 11, when the group befriend the new boy, Elijah, things start to change. The group find themselves not as close as they used to be. Until one Tuesday, when the students are trapped inside the school building. And one of them has a gun. Close Your Eyes is the story of a school shooting which, through interviews, messages and questionable actions, asks: Who is truly responsible?

"Dear Malala, we have never met before, but I feel like I know you." Malala Yousafzai is an inspiration. A young girl living in Pakistan, she was shot by the Taliban simply because she wanted to go to school. Since that moment, she has captured the attention of the world with her bravery, becoming a voice for the rights of girls everywhere. This is a letter to Malala, illustrated with beautiful photographs. Girls from around the world express their sympathy, sisterhood and admiration for her. Many of them know first-hand the barriers that stand in the way of girls going to school - barriers like poverty, discrimination and violence. In Malala these girls recognize a leader, a champion, and a friend.

X-Books are for kids who love facts-especially in bite-sized portions and about fascinating, true subjects. As plentiful images and graphical representations stimulate visual perception, readers will be drawn into learning how to use informational texts. Each title is framed by a signature Top 5 countdown feature that not only serves as an example of sequential order but also narrates a brief story within the main topic: in X-Books: Fighters, these sidebars summarize the extraordinary true tales of famous warriors throughout history. Count down the world's most extreme fighters, and launch a lifetime of reading without limits!