Teen Services

“The next great middle grade author.” —Colby Sharp, literacy advocate

From the USA Today–bestselling author of Jawbreaker and Slouch, Breakout is a fresh and funny middle-grade novel about a girl with chronic acne figuring out how to feel good in her own skin.

Ellis Starr likes learning about active volcanoes. She does not like having acne that resembles them. But it’s not just cosplaying as a pepperoni pizza that has Ellis on the verge of erupting. Her mom’s hot-and-cold moods have the two of them butting heads nonstop—especially now that her mom is dating for the first time since her parents’ separation. Then there’s Ellis’s best friend, Aggy, whose own life—and skin—seems perfect. And who could forget that Ellis still needs to decide on a research topic for a big school project.

With eighth grade proving to be every bit as pesky as a new pimple, Ellis’s only bright spot is the time she spends with her aunt Lydia, whose adorable puppy, Rocco, is a natural stress reliever. (And perhaps the perfect subject for her project.) Maybe this season of breakouts can lead to a breakthrough about what Ellis needs to truly feel good in her own skin.

Rising star author Christina Wyman takes on a quintessential middle-school experience—acne—with her trademark humor, honesty, and heart. Breakout is a must-read for kids ages 8-12 who love Raina Telgemeier, Terri Libenson, Kelly Yang, Gordon Korman, and other endlessly funny and deeply heartfelt books that tackle big topics and universal coming-of-age experiences alike.

If you enjoyed Breakout, you’ll also love the USA Today bestsellers Jawbreaker and Slouch from Christina Wyman. Order your own copy today!

A poignant non-fiction comic that sheds light on the inclusive and life-changing world of skateboarding featuring brand new art from award-winning creator of In Waves, AJ Dungo.

Skateboarding is hard and it hurts. 

No one can tell you exactly who invented it, but it has inspired generations of brave warriors to hit the curbs. This book flies through skateboarding's weird history, and grinds through AJ and Brandon's best (and worst) skateboarding memories. They're not experts, but they know how much this sport means to the communities that have embraced it and made it their own.

From the first boards to the handmade zines of the punk movement, weaving through the VHS heydays and landing hard in the glitzy video game era, we're going to take you on a ride through the ages. Special shout-out to the pages where we attempt to tell you how to do tricks through the medium of comics. It's wild.

Everything you needed to know about the war between Russia and Ukraine as told by children's nonfiction author Ben Thompson (Guts & Glory series). Conversational and straightforward, this is a must-read for any reader looking to have a better understanding of the current global events.

It is late on the evening of Monday, February 25th, 2022, and Kyiv is burning. The unthinkable has happened. The Russians have invaded Ukraine. Land war has come to Europe, on a scale that has not been seen since the end of the Second World War.

Since this date, Russia has enacted a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, led by its leader, president Vladimir Putin. Ukraine has fought back in turn, led by their president, Volodymyr Zelensky—defending their homeland and its independent customs, people, history, and language.

Putin vs Zelensky by Ben Thompson chronicles the history of Ukraine and the events that set in motion the Russian invasion and ongoing, present-day war, as told through the stories and heritage of the conflict's two key players: Volodomyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin.

"Teen Guide: Social Anxiety defines the mental health issue, explains how it affects teens' daily lives, and provides ways teens can find support. The book includes a graphic that presents key information visually, source notes, and resources to aid in further research"-- Provided by publisher.

Being in high school is about a lot more than going to high school.

It's about discovering new places, hobbies, and people—and opening your eyes to the world. This book teaches the stuff teens won’t learn in high school, like how to host a film festival, plan a first road trip, or write a manifesto. Want to spend a day in silence? Learn how to make beats like a DJ? Or shut down a house party before the police do?

Whatever your creative, social, or academic inclinations, these pages will offer you 99 ways to amuse, educate, and interest yourself and your friends. Because your life doesn’t stop at 3 p.m. each day—it just gets started.

Newly revised, this edition reimagines the bestseller with updated text and brand new "side quests" to satisfy adventurous young minds who can't wait for the end-of-the-day bell to ring.

Emma Avery has always loved solving puzzles and codes, and now that she's processing a recent autism diagnosis and facing down seventh grade at a new school, they're even more important to her.

Then Emma meets Nate Lin. He's popular and funny and . . . loves codes, too. He introduces Emma to the Codebreakers, a group of his friends dedicated to cracking codes that have been discovered in the ruins of a nearby ghost town, which are believed to lead to magical objects. But they're not the only ones on the hunt, and when their sinister rivals close in on an object that grants unlimited wishes, the Codebreakers must race to beat them to it before they use it for dark magic.

The Wish Ring Cipher is a fast-paced adventure brimming with magic and warmth that introduces a tenacious and endearing heroine on a quest to save the world--and to make some friends along the way.

“Sole Survivor is an adrenaline-fueled thrill ride right from page one. A real-life Hatchet for a new generation. You gotta read it to believe it!” —Alan Gratz, New York Times–bestselling author of Refugee and Heroes

“Inspirational, propulsive, and unforgettable. This one leaves a mark.” —Lamar Giles, author of The Getaway and Ruin Road

This riveting true story from two New York Times–bestselling authors chronicles how a California sixth grader survived a deadly mountainside plane crash during a snowstorm.

Eleven-year-old Norman Ollestad is no stranger to extreme situations. Whether it’s surfing big swells off Topanga Beach or skiing in a blizzard, he has braved one adrenaline-rush adventure after another, pushed by his thrill-seeking father to realize that “anything’s possible.” And with Dad by his side, sometimes Norman believes him.

That motto is put to the ultimate test when the small plane Norman and his dad are aboard is engulfed by a snowstorm and crashes in the San Gabriel Mountains—with deadly consequences. Struggling in and out of lucidity, haunted by the voices and memories from difficult moments in his past, Norman must decide what to do while trapped eight thousand feet above sea level, facing dangers unlike any he has encountered before. 

Inspired by the harrowing true childhood experience of author Norman Ollestad, this astonishing, action-packed story, co-written with Brendan Kiely, is about fear, survival, and the complicated forces—and people—that shape us. Fast-paced and unputdownable, Sole Survivor is the perfect read for fans of Dusti Bowling’s The Canyon’s Edge, Megan E. Freeman’s Alone, and the I Survived series.

A laugh-out-loud, edge-of-your-seat time-travel adventure perfect for fans of The Last Last-Day-of-Summer and City Spies from New York Times bestseller, Krystal Sutherland.

Twins Pearl and Patrick are no ordinary twelve-year-olds. They’re geniuses, hiding in plain sight, who pull heists all over the world to further their scientific and historical research. Their criminal activity, including grand theft auto and espionage, has made them a regular nuisance to both the CIA and MI5. But it’s all been worth it. They’ve finally achieved their greatest triumph: time travel. Pearl’s Chrono-Loop can take the twins anywhere in time! Their first stop: ancient Egypt, where they even get to see King Tut!

But when they return home, they’re arrested by TIME—The Interdimensional Misconduct Enquiry—a secret organization charged with maintaining the timeline. Turns out Pearl and Patrick didn’t invent time travel, after all—that happened two hundred years ago! And what Pearl did in ancient Egypt—killing a mosquito—could have rewritten history as we know it if not for TIME agents stepping in.

Punishment for disrupting the timeline is 100 years in the Eternal Abyss. But TIME, impressed by the pair, offers them a chance to become agents. Unfortunately, they fail their entrance exam and instead are banned from ever attempting time travel again. Pearl is furious, and when she’s offered another chance at time travel by a rival organization, she takes it! Too late, she realizes she’s been tricked and unwittingly plays a part in replacing the timeline they know with a nightmarish scenario.

Now Pearl and Patrick must clean up the mess they’ve made. But to restore the timeline, they have to go back to the beginning—to Lion Rock—to convince the real inventor of time travel to help them save time and the world.

In this electric time travel adventure steeped in unexplored Sri Lankan history, these whiz kids use their book smarts and a healthy dose of girl power to fight the ultimate villain.