After school one day, Frankie, a lover of physics and astronomy, has her first sexual experience with quiet and gorgeous Benjamin—and gets her period. It’s only blood, they agree. But soon a gruesome meme goes viral, turning an intimate, affectionate afternoon into something sordid, mortifying, and damaging. In the time it takes to swipe a screen, Frankie’s universe implodes. Who can she trust? Not Harriet, her suddenly cruel best friend, and certainly not Benjamin, the only one who knows about the incident. As the online shaming takes on a horrifying life of its own, Frankie begins to wonder: is her real life over?
Age
Catalog sorted by age group
Small Mercies
Mercy lives in modern-day Pietermaritzburg, South Africa with her eccentric foster aunts―two elderly sisters so poor, they can only afford one lightbulb. A nasty housing developer is eying their house. And that same house suddenly starts falling apart―just as Aunt Flora starts falling apart. She’s forgetting words, names, and even how to behave in public. Mercy tries to keep her head down at school so nobody notices her. But when a classmate frames her for stealing the school’s raffle money, Mercy’s teachers decide to take a closer look at her home life.
Small Mercies has been discussed in My Take/Your Take for December 2020.
Blue Flag 1
An Unexpected Love Quadrangle With A Dash Of Unrequited Love As Two Classmates, A Boy And A Girl, Begin To Fall For Each Other When Each Of Their Best Friends Have Already Fallen For Them. It’s The Last Year Of High School, And Love Is In The Air. Romantic Feelings That Have Been Building Up Over Years Of Friendship Come To Light. When Taichi’s Classmate Futaba Asks Him To Help Her Confess To His Best Friend, Toma, It Sparks The Catalyst That Begins The Sweet And Heart-wrenching Journey Of Their Third And Final Year Of High School. For Some Reason, Taichi Ichinose Just Can’t Tolerate Futaba Kuze. But At The Start Of His Third Year In High School, He Finds Himself In The Same Homeroom As Her, Along With His Childhood Friend And School Sports Star Toma Mita. But One Day Futaba Opens Up To Taichi, Admitting She Has A Crush On Toma And Asking For His Help In Confessing To Him! There’s Just One Problem—toma Seems To Already Have A Secret Crush On Someone Else…
Some Days
A young girl tells her mother about a passageway in their yard. Down this passageway, it is not cold, there is no danger, and nothing bad can ever happen—and the person she longs for is with her again. The only problem is that, on some days, the passageway is not there. But maybe, together, mother and daughter can find a way to carry that feeling with them always.
Cane Warriors
Cane Warriors follows the true story of Tacky’s War in Jamaica in 1760. A powerful young adult tale told through the eyes of Moa, a 14-year-old slave, this fictionalized account of the most significant rebellion of the time is rarely mentioned in history books or taught in schools. The story begins as Moa is awoken in the middle of the night by one of the rebels, who informs him that the revolt will begin on Easter Sunday. Moa’s father doesn’t like the idea of his son joining the rebellion, but his mother gives Moa her blessing. Together, Moa and his 16-year-old best friend Keverton take up arms, learning about brotherhood, courage, faith, and sacrifice along the way. Alex Wheatle’s storytelling and characterization bring to life the issues, pain, and the power structure of the era, along with the hopes and the dreams of the people. In writing this story, Wheatle’s meticulous and extensive research evokes the stories and legends passed down by word of mouth over the centuries.
Cane Warriors is a WOW Recommends: Book of the Month for January 2021.
Plasticus Maritimus: An Invasive Species
Inspired by biologist AnaPêgo’s life’s work, and filled with engaging science and colorful photographs, this foundational look at plastic pollution in the ocean explains why it is such an urgent contemporary issue.
Cannonball
Determined to execute the perfect cannonball dive, a boy tries to follow everyone’s advice but finally hears Nan, an expert and former champion, who advises doing it his own way.
The Last Tree Town
Cassi has always been proud to be Puerto Rican, but when others comment on her appearance, telling her she doesn’t look like the rest of her family, Cassi begins to question everything.
Anya And The Nightingale
The Adventure Continues In This Exciting Sequel To Anya And The Dragon, Where A Dangerous Monster Lurks Beneath The City And Only Anya Can Keep Him From Taking Her Friends’ Magic — And Their Lives. Perfect For Fans Of The Girl Who Drank The Moon.
The Star Outside My Window
Ten-year-old Aniyah and her little brother Noah find themselves living in foster care after the sudden disappearance of their mom, but with her life in disarray, Aniyah knows just one thing for sure–her mom is not gone forever.