For Griffin Furlong, the odds were against him.
Death, homelessness, and fear of his future loomed early in his childhood. According to the National School Board Association, students experiencing homelessness are 87 percent more likely to drop out of school than their stably housed peers, and without a high school diploma, youth are 4.5 times more likely to experience homelessness later in life. But through the power of growing his perspective and mindset, Griffin transformed his perception of his situation and turned it into something worthwhile.
In Boundless, he shares his astonishing childhood story and major themes he learned along the way to defy the odds set against him. His story is a testament that no matter the obstacles, no matter the difficulties that lie ahead, and no matter the lack of resources, anything is possible if you put your mind to it. Griffin believes anyone can apply the principles in this book to create the future they dream of.
A heartfelt novel about a softball-loving girl coming to terms with her parents' humanity after a scandal sends shock waves through her town
Bea's parents think she can accomplish absolutely anything-and she's determined to prove them right. But at the end of seventh grade, on the same day she makes a gutsy play to send her softball team to the league championships and Xander, the boy she likes, makes it clear that he likes her too, a scandal shakes up her world. Bea's dad made a big mistake, taking money that belonged to a client. He's now suspended from practicing law, and another lawyer spread the news online. To make matters worse, that other lawyer is Xander's dad.
Bea doesn't want to be angry with her dad, especially since he feels terrible and is trying to make things right. But she can't face the looks of pity from all her friends, and then she starts missing throws in softball because she's stuck in her own head. The thing she was best at seems to be slipping out of her fingers along with her formerly happy family. She's not sure what's going to be harder-learning to throw again, or forgiving her dad. How can she be the best version of herself when everything she loves is falling apart?
From Dan Gemeinhart, the acclaimed author of The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise, comes an extraordinary story about a family of runaways who take up residence in a small town, and the outcast boy who finds his voice and his people—perfect for fans of Katherine Applegate and Kate DiCamillo.
In the dead of night, a truck arrives in Slaughterville, a small town curiously named after its windowless slaughterhouse. Seven mysterious kids with suitcases step out of the vehicle and into an abandoned home on a dead-end street, looking over their shoulders to make sure they aren't noticed.
But Ravani Foster covertly witnesses their arrival from his bedroom window. Timid and lonely, Ravani is eager to learn everything he can about his new neighbors: What secrets are they hiding? And most mysterious of all...where are the adults?
Yet amid this shadowy group of children, Ravani finds an unexpected friend in the warm and gutsy Virginia. But with this friendship comes secrets revealed—and danger. When Ravani learns of a threat to his new friends, he must fight to keep them safe, or lose the only person who has ever understood him.
Full of wonder, friendship, and mystery, The Midnight Children explores the meaning of 'home,' what makes a family, and what it takes to find the courage to believe in yourself.
A Macmillan Audio production from Henry Holt & Company Books for Young Readers
"A powerful series that fills in the cracks and illuminates the shadows of the past." -Sherri L. Smith, award-winning author of Flygirl
Introducing a new nonfiction series that uncovers hidden histories of the United States.
The true story of the United States' Indigenous beginnings.
American schoolchildren have long been taught that their country was "discovered" by Christopher Columbus in 1492. But the history of Native Americans in the United States goes back tens of tens of thousands of years prior to Columbus's and other colonizers' arrivals. So, what's the true history?
Indigenous America introduces and amplifies the oral and written histories that have long been left out of American history books.
"A powerful series that fills in the cracks and illuminates the shadows of the past." -Sherri L. Smith, award-winning author of Flygirl
Introducing a new nonfiction series that uncovers hidden histories of the United States.
The true story of a nation of immigrants and its dreamers.
The United States has long been touted as a place where anyone with a little grit and determination could come to pursue the American Dream. But as more walls are erected and borders are closed, is that dream still alive today?
A New History of Immigration introduces young readers to alternative histories of immigration beyond Ellis Island and amplifies the voices of marginalized immigrants and their stories of success.
June can't tell a lie - and that made for a lot of drama even before she joined her school musical! Tween readers won't want to miss this relatable and magical new series. Honestly.
June has a hard time telling the truth when it isn't what people want to hear. But she's trying to be honest with herself, and auditioning for the school musical is a step in the right direction! It's what she wants -- even if her parents have other ideas.
But the drama is brewing offstage, too, and on the night of the play, June's secret blog is released to the whole school. ALL of the inner secrets that she's been desperate to keep to herself are unleashed! Will her friends and family forgive her for the lies? Or is her carefully-constructed life going to come crashing down?
From a Newbery Medal-winning author comes a deeply moving ode to the complexity and uniqueness of every child.
In profound, uplifting verse, beloved author Matt de la Peña explores the endless possibilities each child contains: A young dancer may grow into a computer coder; a basketball player might become a poet; a class clown may one day serve as an inspiring teacher; and today's quiet empath might be tomorrow's great leader. Here's a profound and uplifting new classic with an empowering message for listeners of all ages: Your story is still being written.
"Told in a voice that is so real it reeks of filched peaches, this book is a home run." —Amy Sarig King, Printz Award–winning author of Dig and The Year We Fell from Space
Sandlot meets Esperanza Rising in this lyrical middle grade novel set in the 1930s about a strong-willed girl who finds her voice in a tale of moxie, peaches, and determination to thrive despite the odds.
When the skies dried up, Gloria thought it was temporary. When the dust storms rolled in, she thought they would pass. But now the bank man's come to take the family farm, and Pa's decided to up and move to California in search of work. They'll pick fruit, he says, until they can save up enough money to buy land of their own again.
There are only three rules at the Santa Ana Holdsten Peach Orchard:
No stealing product.
No drunkenness or gambling.
And absolutely no organizing.
Well, Gloria Mae Willard isn't about to organize any peaches, no ma'am. She's got more on her mind than that. Like the secret, all-boys baseball team she's desperate to play for, if only they'd give her a chance. Or the way that wages keep going down. The way their company lodgings are dirty and smelly, and everyone seems intent on leaving her out of everything.
But Gloria has never been the type to wait around for permission. If the boys won't let her play, she'll find a way to make them. If the people around her are keeping secrets, then she'll keep a few of her own. And if the boss men at the Santa Ana Holdsten Peach Orchard say she can't organize peaches, then by golly she'll organize a whole ball game.
When her father is arrested for a crime she committed, Prismena will do anything to save him, taking her on a high-flying and shadowy adventure in this middle-grade fantasy debut.
In the kingdom of Oren, Prismena longs to fly hot-air balloons, but her father insists she keep her feet on the ground. When he's arrested for a crime he didn't commit--and one that Prismena did--she must decide between following the rules and following her heart.
Her decision will catapult her on an adventure that challenges everything she knows about her identity, her kingdom, and even her beloved balloons.
1786. Isolated from the rest of the world, thirteen-year-old Alma lives with her family in a lush African valley. She spends her days exploring their blissful homeland. But everything changes when her little brother finds a secret way out of the valley. Alma sets out to find him, but she soon must face terrible dangers in a continent ravaged by the slave trade. The journey to bring her brother home becomes a harrowing adventure to save herself, her family, and the memory of her people. Meanwhile, in Lisbon, Joseph Mars, an orphan turned petty thief devises a great plan to land himself aboard a slave ship, The Sweet Amelie, on the ultimate quest: to find a pirate’s treasure in the far reaches of the Caribbean. But as time passes, he learns he's not alone in his hunger for the treasure, which forces him to rethink the true purpose of his presence aboard The Sweet Amelie. The destinies of a large cast of characters, including Alma and Joseph, become intertwined both on land and at sea in this unforgettable adventure of resilience and compassion as de Fombelle quietly elucidates the slave trade and the infamous Middle Passage for middle grade and YA listeners.
Wanted: One amazing forever home for one amazing sixth grader.
'My name is Gaby, and I'm looking for a home where I can invite my best friend over and have a warm breakfast a couple of times a week. Having the newest cell phone or fancy clothes isn't important, but I'd like to have a cat that I can talk to when I'm home alone.'
Gaby Ramirez Howard loves volunteering at the local animal shelter. She plays with the kittens, helps to obedience train the dogs, and writes adoption advertisements so that the strays who live there can find their forever homes: places where they'll be loved and cared for, no matter what.
Gaby has been feeling like a bit of a stray herself, lately. Her mother has recently been deported to Honduras and Gaby is stuck living with her inattentive dad. She's confident that her mom will come home soon so that they can adopt Gaby's favorite shelter cat together. When the cat's original owners turn up at the shelter, however, Gaby worries that her plans for the perfect family are about to fall apart.
Once, in a tiny village in India, a boy lived in an old house with his grandfather.
They loved to do everything together—growing mangoes, making paper boats to float in the monsoon rains—but what they loved most of all was to paint.
The boy and his grandfather filled their home with art. Some days, they would invite the village children to join in. They didn’t have much, but they had each other, and a loving bond that would always keep them together.
From Rashmi Sirdeshpande and Ruchi Mhasane comes a tender, vibrant story oflove passed on through the generations.
