"Truthful and empowering." --Booklist From Amy Reed, Ellen Hopkins, Amber Smith, Nina LaCour, Sandhya Menon, and more of your favorite YA authors comes an "outstanding anthology" (School Library Connection) of essays that explore the diverse experiences of injustice, empowerment, and growing up female in America. This collection of twenty-one essays from major YA authors--including award-winning and bestselling writers--touches on a powerful range of topics related to growing up female in today's America, and the intersection with race, religion, and ethnicity. Sure to inspire hope and solidarity to anyone who reads it, Our Stories, Our Voices belongs on every young woman's shelf. This anthology features essays from Martha Brockenbrough, Jaye Robin Brown, Sona Charaipotra, Brandy Colbert, Somaiya Daud, Christine Day, Alexandra Duncan, Ilene Wong (I.W.) Gregorio, Maurene Goo. Ellen Hopkins, Stephanie Kuehnert, Nina LaCour, Anna-Marie LcLemore, Sandhya Menon, Hannah Moskowitz, Julie Murphy, Aisha Saeed, Jenny Torres Sanchez, Amber Smith, and Tracy Walker.

"The book is a sensory feast, teeming with vivid detail: the smells of rain-soaked dirt and magnolia blossoms, the flavors of blistered corn and caramelized orange peel, the chill of a walk-in refrigerator." New York Times "Yerba Buena is at turns decadent and spare, intimate and elusive, as balanced, fragrant, and masterfully crafted as a fine cocktail in the hands of someone mysterious and beautiful. This book is a precious thing." - Casey McQuiston, New York Times bestselling author of One Last Stop When Sara Foster runs away from home at sixteen, she leaves behind not only the losses that have shattered her world but the girl she once was, capable of trust and intimacy. Years later, in Los Angeles, she is a sought-after bartender, renowned as much for her brilliant cocktails as for the mystery that clings to her. Across the city, Emilie Dubois is in a holding pattern. In her seventh year and fifth major as an undergraduate, she yearns for the beauty and community her Creole grandparents cultivated but is unable to commit. On a whim, she takes a job arranging flowers at the glamorous restaurant Yerba Buena and embarks on an affair with the married owner. When Sara catches sight of Emilie one morning at Yerba Buena, their connection is immediate. But the damage both women carry, and the choices they have made, will pull them apart again and again. At once exquisite and expansive, astonishing in its humanity and heart, Yerba Buena is a love story about two women finding their way in the world.

"A love story like no other" Gay Times "The book is a sensory feast, teeming with vivid detail: the smells of rain-soaked dirt and magnolia blossoms, the flavors of blistered corn and caramelized orange peel, the chill of a walk-in refrigerator." New York Times "Yerba Buena is at turns decadent and spare, intimate and elusive, as balanced, fragrant, and masterfully crafted as a fine cocktail in the hands of someone mysterious and beautiful. This book is a precious thing." - Casey McQuiston, New York Times bestselling author of One Last Stop When Sara Foster runs away from home at sixteen, she leaves behind not only the losses that have shattered her world but the girl she once was, capable of trust and intimacy. Years later, in Los Angeles, she is a sought-after bartender, renowned as much for her brilliant cocktails as for the mystery that clings to her. Across the city, Emilie Dubois is in a holding pattern. In her seventh year and fifth major as an undergraduate, she yearns for the beauty and community her Creole grandparents cultivated but is unable to commit. On a whim, she takes a job arranging flowers at the glamorous restaurant Yerba Buena and embarks on an affair with the married owner. When Sara catches sight of Emilie one morning at Yerba Buena, their connection is immediate. But the damage both women carry, and the choices they have made, will pull them apart again and again. At once exquisite and expansive, astonishing in its humanity and heart, Yerba Buena is a love story about two women finding their way in the world.

A little girl stays home with Mama when Mummy goes off on a work trip in this tender, inviting story that will resonate with every child who has missed a parent. For one little girl, there’s no place she’d rather be than sitting between Mama and Mummy. So when Mummy goes away on a work trip, it’s tricky to find a good place at the table. As the days go by, Mama brings her to the library, they watch films, and all of them talk on the phone, but she still misses Mummy as deep as the ocean and as high as an astronaut up in the stars. As they pass by a beautiful garden, the girl has an idea ... but when Mummy finally comes home, it takes a minute to shake off the empty feeling she felt all week before leaning in for a kiss. Michael L. Printz Award winner Nina LaCour thoughtfully renders a familiar, touching story of a child who misses a parent, illustrated by Kaylani Juanita, whose distinctive style brings charm and playfulness to this delightful family of three.

"The book is a sensory feast, teeming with vivid detail: the smells of rain-soaked dirt and magnolia blossoms, the flavors of blistered corn and caramelized orange peel, the chill of a walk-in refrigerator." New York Times "Yerba Buena is at turns decadent and spare, intimate and elusive, as balanced, fragrant, and masterfully crafted as a fine cocktail in the hands of someone mysterious and beautiful. This book is a precious thing." - Casey McQuiston, New York Times bestselling author of One Last Stop When Sara Foster runs away from home at sixteen, she leaves behind not only the losses that have shattered her world but the girl she once was, capable of trust and intimacy. Years later, in Los Angeles, she is a sought-after bartender, renowned as much for her brilliant cocktails as for the mystery that clings to her. Across the city, Emilie Dubois is in a holding pattern. In her seventh year and fifth major as an undergraduate, she yearns for the beauty and community her Creole grandparents cultivated but is unable to commit. On a whim, she takes a job arranging flowers at the glamorous restaurant Yerba Buena and embarks on an affair with the married owner. When Sara catches sight of Emilie one morning at Yerba Buena, their connection is immediate. But the damage both women carry, and the choices they have made, will pull them apart again and again. At once exquisite and expansive, astonishing in its humanity and heart, Yerba Buena is a love story about two women finding their way in the world.

A modern ghost story about trauma and survival, Watch Over Me is the much-anticipated new novel from the Printz Award-winning author of We Are Okay "Gripping; an emotion-packed must-read." -Kirkus, starred review "A painfully compelling gem from a masterful creator." -Booklist, starred review "Moving, unsettling, and full of atmospheric beauty." -SLJ, starred review Mila is used to being alone. Maybe that's why she said yes. Yes to a second chance in this remote place, among the flowers and the fog and the crash of waves far below. But she hadn't known about the ghosts. Newly graduated from high school, Mila has aged out of the foster care system. So when she's offered a teaching job and a place to live on an isolated part of the Northern California coast, she immediately accepts. Maybe she will finally find a new home-a real home. The farm is a refuge, but it's also haunted by the past. And Mila's own memories are starting to rise to the surface. Nina LaCour, the Printz Award-winning author of We Are Okay, delivers another emotional knockout with Watch Over Me about trauma and survival, chosen family and rebirth.

Nina LaCour's award-winning, achingly beautiful novel is now available in paperback! -Includes a new foreword by Nicola Yoon, #1 bestselling author of The Sun is Also a Star and Everything, Everything- Winner of the Michael L. Printz Award "Short, poetic and gorgeously written." -The New York Times Book Review "A beautiful, devastating piece of art." -Bookpage You go through life thinking there's so much you need. . . . Until you leave with only your phone, your wallet, and a picture of your mother. Marin hasn't spoken to anyone from her old life since the day she left everything behind. No one knows the truth about those final weeks. Not even her best friend Mabel. But even thousands of miles away from the California coast, at college in New York, Marin still feels the pull of the life and tragedy she's tried to outrun. Now, months later, alone in an emptied dorm for winter break, Marin waits. Mabel is coming to visit and Marin will be forced to face everything that's been left unsaid and finally confront the loneliness that has made a home in her heart. An intimate whisper that packs an indelible punch, We Are Okay is Nina LaCour at her finest. This gorgeously crafted and achingly honest portrayal of grief will leave you urgent to reach across any distance to reconnect with the people you love. Praise for We Are Okay "Nina LaCour treats her emotions so beautifully and with such empathy." -Bustle "Exquisite." -Kirkus "LaCour paints a captivating depiction of loss, bewilderment, and emotional paralysis . . . raw and beautiful." -Booklist "Beautifully crafted . . . . A quietly moving, potent novel." -SLJ "A moving portrait of a girl struggling to rebound after everything she's known has been thrown into disarray." -Publishers Weekly "Bittersweet and hopeful . . . poetic and skillfully crafted." -Shelf Awareness "So lonely and beautiful that I could hardly breathe. This is a perfect book." -Stephanie Perkins, bestselling author of Anna and the French Kiss "As beautiful as the best memories, as sad as the best songs, as hopeful as your best dreams." -Siobhan Vivian, bestselling author of The Last Boy and Girl in the World "You can feel every peak and valley of Marin's emotional journey on your skin, in your gut. Beautifully written, heartfelt, and deeply real." -Adi Alsaid, author of Never Always Sometimes and Let's Get Lost

A beautiful new edition of the stunning debut novel by Nina LaCour, award-winning author of We Are Okay "Hold Still may be the truest depiction of the aching, gaping hole left in the wake of a suicide that I've ever read. A haunting and hopeful book about loss, love, and redemption." - Gayle Forman, #1 bestselling author of If I Stay and I Have Lost My Way That night Ingrid told Caitlin, I'll go wherever you go. But by dawn Ingrid, and her promise, were gone. Ingrid's suicide immobilizes Caitlin, leaving her unsure of her place in a new life she hardly recognizes. A life without the art, the laughter, the music, and the joy that she shared with her best friend.... But Ingrid left something behind. In words and drawings, Ingrid documented a painful farewell in her journal. Journeying through Ingrid's final days, Caitlin fights back through unspeakable loss to find renewed hope. Hold Still is the indelible debut that launched Nina LaCour, the award-winning author of We Are Okay. LaCour's breakthrough novel brings the changing seasons of Caitlin's first year without Ingrid to the page with indelible emotion and honesty. Includes an all-new essay from the author to commemorate 10 years in print!

Whether or not you believe in fate, or luck, or love at first sight, every romance has to start somewhere. Meet Cute is an anthology of original short stories featuring tales of “how they first met” from some of today’s most popular YA authors.

Readers will experience Nina LaCour’s beautifully written piece about two Bay Area girls meeting via a cranky customer service Tweet, Sara Shepard’s glossy tale about a magazine intern and a young rock star, Nicola Yoon’s imaginative take on break-ups and make-ups, Katie Cotugno’s story of two teens hiding out from the police at a house party, and Huntley Fitzpatrick’s charming love story that begins over iced teas at a diner. There’s futuristic flirting from Kass Morgan and Katharine McGee, a riveting transgender heroine from Meredith Russo, a subway missed connection moment from Jocelyn Davies, and a girl determined to get out of her small town from Ibi Zoboi. Jennifer Armentrout writes a sweet story about finding love from a missing library book, Emery Lord has a heartwarming and funny tale of two girls stuck in an airport, Dhonielle Clayton takes a thoughtful, speculate approach to pre-destined love, and Julie Murphy dreams up a fun twist on reality dating show contestants.

This incredibly talented group of authors brings us a collection of stories that are at turns romantic and witty, epic and everyday, heartbreaking and real.

Colby and Bev have a long-standing pact: graduate, hit the road with Bev's band, and then spend the year wandering around Europe. But moments after the tour kicks off, Bev makes a shocking announcement: she's abandoning their plans - and Colby - to start college in the fall.
But the show must go on and The Disenchantments weave through the Pacific Northwest, playing in small towns and dingy venues, while roadie- Colby struggles to deal with Bev's already-growing distance and the most important question of all: what's next?
Morris Award-finalist Nina LaCour draws together the beauty and influences of music and art to brilliantly capture a group of friends on the brink of the rest of their lives.

A gentle story of connection and loss finds a promise in memories after a young child loses her constant companion. With a good friend like Loonie the yellow balloon, one child finds that anything is possible. From neighbourhood walks to reading aloud in bed to dance parties in her room, Loonie makes each activity a little brighter, a little more full of sunshine. But as Loonie's friend discovers with sadness, when it’s time for Loonie to float away, the sunshine goes, too. And while tending to the garden helps a little bit, the world is now silent and grey. Until, one day, as flowers start to push up from the soil, big and full of hope, the memory of Loonie begins to emerge in unexpected places. With tender empathy, and charming and whimsical art by Ashling Lindsay, Printz Award-winner Nina LaCour illuminates the childhood companions that bring a little magic to the world.