March 4, 2022

Being You

From early childhood, boys often feel pressured to be athletic and muscular. But what impact does this have on physical and mental well-being through their teens and beyond? Worryingly, a third of teen boys are trying to “bulk up” due to body dissatisfaction, and boys and men account for twenty-five percent of eating disorder cases. What can we tell our boys to help them feel happy and confident simply being themselves? Being You has the answers! It's an easy-to-read, evidence-based guide to developing a positive body image for boys aged 12+. It covers all the facts on puberty, diet, exercise, self-care, mental health, social media and everything in-between. Boys will find answers to the questions most on their mind, the truth behind many diet and exercise myths and real-life stories from other boys. Armed with this book, they will understand that muscles don't make a man – it's enough simply being you!

February 4, 2022

A Soft Place to Fall

When he was five years old, Creighton's mother left. He and his father know she has started a career as a singer but not much more than that. Dad's work with a carnival means they have not set down roots anywhere for long and as a result Creighton does not have a formal education. When they finally settle in a small town, Creighton is 14 years old. When he starts school there, he is placed in an alternate school -- which it turns out is a place for "losers" -- kids who struggle with learning.

Gradually Creighton meets other kids in his new school -- like Schooner who can't read but has his own kind of wisdom and Carin who was a victim of sexual assault when she was thirteen. There is one teacher at the school who truly cares about the students and who encourages their hopes for the future. But when she announces she is leaving at the end of the year, the students feel abandoned. School becomes irrelevant and the students are left to fend for themselves. How will they manage to survive in spite of all the personal disasters that challenge them?

February 4, 2022

Blaine for the Win

After being dumped so his boyfriend can pursue more “serious” guys, a teen boy decides to prove he can be serious, too, by running for senior class president in this joyful romp from the author of The Sky Blues.

High school junior Blaine Bowers has it all—the perfect boyfriend, a pretty sweet gig as a muralist for local Windy City businesses, a loving family and awesome, talented friends. And he is absolutely, 100% positive that aforementioned perfect boyfriend—senior student council president and Mr. Popular of Wicker West High School, Joey—is going to invite Blaine to spend spring break with his family in beautiful, sunny Cabo San Lucas.

Except Joey breaks up with him instead. In public. On their one-year anniversary.

Because, according to Joey, Blaine is too goofy, too flighty, too…unserious. And if Joey wants to go far in life, he needs to start dating more serious guys. Guys like Zach Chesterton.

Determined to prove that Blaine can be what Joey wants, Blaine decides to enter the running to become his successor (and beat out Joey’s new boyfriend, Zach) as senior student council president.

But is he willing to sacrifice everything he loves about himself to do it?

February 4, 2022

Your Amazing Teen Brain: CBT & Neuroscience Skills to Stress Less, Balance Emotions and Strengthen Your Growing Mind

Your teen brain is amazing! These fun and easy “brain hacks” will help you make the most of your growing mind, deal with ALL the feelings, build friendships and face life’s challenges with confidence.

As a teen, your brain is changing—a lot! Your feelings are bigger and more intense. Friends and peers are more important than ever before. You’re discovering who you are as a person, and what matters to you. And you’re also starting to understand how the world works—and not all of it is sunshine and roses. If you’re like many other teens, you may feel overwhelmed by these changes. And that’s okay!

In Your Amazing Teen Brain, you’ll find skills grounded in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and neuroscience to help you take advantage of your growing mind, manage difficult emotions, build better relationships and face all the challenges of growing up—from academic pressure to social drama. You’ll also gain a better understanding of how your brain works and why the teen years are so intense, and find real skills you can use to stay cool when emotions take over.

Life as a teen is exciting and challenging, and your brain is energized and ready for change. With this unique guide, you’ll learn to make the most of your growing brain, so you can be your very best. What are you waiting for?

February 4, 2022

A Boy Is Not a Ghost

In this sequel to the award-winning A Boy Is Not a Bird, a boy is exiled to Siberia during World War II. Based on a true story.

Torn from his home in Eastern Europe, with his father imprisoned in a Siberian gulag, 12-year-old Natt finds himself stranded with other deportees in a schoolyard in Novosibirsk. And he is about to discover that life can indeed get worse than the horrific two months he and his mother have spent being transported on a bug-infested livestock train. He needs to write to his best friend, Max, but he knows the Soviet police read everyone’s mail. So Natt decides to write in code, and his letters are a lifeline, even though he never knows whether Max will receive them.

Every day becomes a question of survival, and where they might be shunted to next. When his mother is falsely arrested for stealing potatoes, Natt is truly on his own and must learn how to live the uncertain life of an exile: Practice being invisible as a ghost, change your name and identity if you have to, watch out for spies and never draw the attention of the authorities.

Even then, he will need luck on his side if he is ever going to be reunited with his family.