Author: Alexandra Quill

Discussion Guide: Greta by J.S. Lemon

Greta

Greta
By J.S. Lemon
Ages 10-14
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Fish in a Tree meets Fighting Words in J. S. Lemon’s middle grade debut, a fiercely original story about friendship, healing, and the beauty of transformation.

Greta Goodwin’s life is changing. On top of moving to a new neighborhood far away from her best friend, Lotti, she’s also starting middle school. Greta isn’t totally ready for boys, bras, and the chaotic cafeteria. She still feels like a little kid compared to those female classmates who have suddenly matured over the summer. Girls who are now the talk of the school—unlike Greta, who would rather fly under the radar, especially after a bad haircut that makes her look less “effortlessly beautiful” and more “triangle with legs.”

But at her first-ever middle-school party, a boy does pay attention to Greta. Initially it feels good. And then it feels awful. In the aftermath, Greta can’t make sense of what’s happened, let alone talk about it, even to Lotti. Impossibly, Greta’s body starts to change in a vastly different way from everyone else’s. What follows leads Greta to believe the world might finally see her as she truly is: ethereal, powerful, and free.

Sensitively told, stunningly written, and surprisingly funny, Greta will transform readers just as Greta herself is transformed.

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Discover Books for National Bullying Prevention Month

National Bullying Prevention Month Weirdo CoverJawbreaker CoverThe Pout-Pout Fish and the Bully-Bully Shark CoverWishtree CoverAccountable CoverFlamer CoverReal Friends Cover

October is National Bullying Prevention Month. Looking for suggestions for titles that encourage kindness, empathy, and understanding in your classroom or library? Read on for a list of titles for every age reader, plus spotlights on Weirdo written by Tony Weaver, Jr. and illustrated by Jes & Cin Wibowo, and Accountable: The True Story of a Racist Social Media Account and the Teenagers Whose Lives It Changed by Dashka Slater.

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Discussion Guide: Thirsty by Jas Hammonds

Three Summers

Thirsty: A Novel
By Jas Hammonds
Ages 14-18
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From Jas Hammonds, award-winning author of We Deserve Monuments, comes a gripping read about a girl willing to risk it all for the chance to join an underground sorority with her wealthy best friends—perfect for fans of the show Euphoria and Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow.

It’s the summer before college and Blake Brenner and her girlfriend, Ella, have one goal: join the mysterious and exclusive Serena Society. The sorority promises status and lifelong connections to a network of powerful, trailblazing women of color. Ella’s acceptance is a sure thing—she’s the daughter of a Serena alum. Blake, however, has a lot more to prove.

As a former loner from a working-class background, Blake lacks Ella’s pedigree and confidence. Luckily, she finds courage at the bottom of a liquor bottle. When she drinks, she’s bold, funny, and unstoppable—and the Serenas love it. But as pledging intensifies, so does Blake’s drinking, until it’s seeping into every corner of her life. Ella assures Blake that she’s fine; partying hard is what it takes to make the cut . . .

But success has never felt so much like drowning. With her future hanging in the balance and her past dragging her down, Blake must decide how far she’s willing to go to achieve her glittering dreams of success—and how much of herself she’s willing to lose in the process.

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The Yellow Bus by Loren Long

Art: The Yellow Bus with children and a driver on board

Introducing the #1 New York Times bestselling Picture Book

Read on to learn all about The Yellow Bus, download resources, score special librarian & educator surprises, and access a bus-load of bonus content! Hop on board!

The Yellow Bus Cover Image

Perfect for fans of Love and Hello, Lighthouse, The Yellow Bus from #1 New York Times bestselling Loren Long is a tender and hopeful new classic about a forgotten school bus that finds happiness and purpose in the most unexpected places—and in the journey along the way.

There is a bright yellow bus who spends her days driving. She loves carrying children from one important place to another. Every morning they climb in . . . Pitter-patter, pitter-patter, giggle, giggle-patter. And they fill her with joy.

As time passes, things change. The Yellow Bus gets a new driver, a new route, and new passengers, young and old. Until one day the driving stops for good, and the Yellow Bus is left on her own. And yet, no matter where she is, the Yellow Bus still finds joy and discovery in the world around her.

With stirring black-and-white artwork and powerful pops of color, The Yellow Bus is a poignant reflection on the many new beginnings life has to offer.

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Discussion Guide: The Girl Who Sang by Estelle Nadel with Bethany Strout; illustrated by Sammy Savos

the-girl-who-sang

The Girl Who Sang
By Estelle Nadel with Bethany Strout; illustrated by Sammy Savos
Ages 10-14
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A heartrending graphic memoir about a young Jewish girl’s fight for survival in Nazi occupied Poland, The Girl Who Sang illustrates the power of a brother’s love, the kindness of strangers, and finding hope when facing the unimaginable.

Born to a Jewish family in a small Polish village, Estelle Nadel—then known as Enia Feld—was just seven years old when the Nazis invaded Poland in 1939. Once a vibrant child with a song for every occasion, Estelle would eventually lose her voice as, over the next five years, she would survive the deaths of their mother, father, their eldest brother and sister, and countless others.

A child at the mercy of her neighbors during a terrifying time in history, The Girl Who Sang is an enthralling first-hand account of Estelle’s fight for survival during World War II. She would weather loss, betrayal, near-execution, and spend two years away from the warmth of the sun—all before the age of eleven. And once the war was over, Estelle would walk barefoot across European borders and find remnants of home in an Austrian displaced persons camp before finally crossing the Atlantic to arrive in New York City—a young woman carrying the unseen scars of war.

Beautifully rendered in bright hues with expressive, emotional characters, debut illustrator Sammy Savos masterfully brings Estelle story of survival during the Holocaust to a whole new generation of readers. The Girl Who Sang is perfect for fans of March, Maus, and Anne Frank’s Diary.

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