The powerful and long-anticipated companion to The Skin I'm In, Sharon Flake's bestselling modern classic, presents the unflinching story of Char, a young woman trapped in the underworld of human trafficking. My feet are heavy as stones when I walk up the block wondering why I can't find my old self.In The Skin I'm In, readers saw into the life of Maleeka Madison, a teen who suffered from the ridicule she received because of her dark skin color. For decades fans have wanted to know the fate of the bully who made Maleeka's life miserable, Char.Now in Sharon Flake's latest and unflinching novel, The Life I'm In, we follow Charlese Jones, who, with her raw, blistering voice speaks the truths many girls face, offering insight to some of the causes and conditions that make a bully. Turned out of the only home she has known, Char boards a bus to nowhere where she is lured into the dangerous web of human trafficking. Much is revealed behind the complex system of men who take advantage of vulnerable teens in the underbelly of society. While Char might be frightened, she remains strong and determined to bring herself and her fellow victims out of the dark and back into the light, reminding us why compassion is a powerful cure to the ills of the world.Sharon Flake's bestselling, Coretta Scott King Award-winning novel The Skin I'm In was a game changer when it was first published more than twenty years ago. It redefined young adult literature by presenting characters, voices, and real-world experiences that had not been fully seen. Now Flake offers readers another timely and radical story of a girl on the brink and how her choices will lead her to either fall, or fly.

Turned out of the only home she has known, Charlese Jones, aka Char, boards a bus to nowhere where she is lured into the dangerous web of human trafficking. While Char might be frightened, she remains strong and determined to bring herself and her fellow victims out of the dark and back into the light.

Maleeka suffers every day from the taunts of the other kids in her class. If they're not getting at her about her homemade clothes or her good grades, it's about her dark, black skin. When a new teacher, whose face is blotched with a startling white patch, starts at their school, Maleeka can see there is bound to be trouble for her too. But the new teacher's attitude surprises Maleeka. Miss Saunders loves the skin she's in. Can Maleeka learn to do the same?

Life is filled with unexpected storms that take you by surprise. In these storms of life, it's easy to feel helpless, exhausted, afraid . . . and alone. We can feel like victims to circumstances out of our control. Beloved author Sally Clarkson understands deeply. Through almost seven decades of life, she has found herself tossed about in overwhelming life storms through many different seasons. In Help, I'm Drowning, Sally identifies the challenges that took her by surprise and then leads you to the wisdom she gathered from her experiences. Finding grace to walk through the darkness and hope to make it through will give you the comfort and encouragement you need in knowing you are not alone. Though there are no easy, formulaic answers that apply to every situation, Sally leads us to the One who is with us and will see us through. Sally found the anchors that held her steady in the midst of every storm, and she wants to help you find your anchors too. She invites you into her own personal story of anchoring well, and then--with honesty, grit, and her trademark wisdom--she will help you heal and move forward with courage and strength.

Life is in all things; personified as an unassuming yet enchanting creature, Life visits flowers, animals, and humans with her gifts of energy and positivity. A pink-winged creature flies across each page; Life is present within all things. The pastel-colored protagonist befriends and animates every living being from bees that pollinate spring flowers to turtles that live under the sea to grandparents who impart wise words. Whether short or long, Life is always present. A sensitive story that answers many childhood questions, I am Life is the lovingly crafted complementary volume to Life and I, a Little Gestalten favorite. As Life and I addressed themes of loss, I am Life embarks on a colorful journey about Life's magic and the never-ending search for the meaning of life.

‘You are from India—the land of three hundred and thirty million Gods, and you say you don’t believe in even one of them? I think it’s time to go home, Sid.’ Andrea’s words have been echoing in my head since last night when she poured another round of scotch. I entered God in the Google search bar and of all the places, it directed me to India—a place where I had buried my childhood dream eleven years ago, and moved to New York. I waived God away when I got to New York, and, to be honest, I didn’t need Him either. Until now... Life’s always been a bitch but this time it’s gone too far. I want my money and my company back, and I will find God one way or the other to get my answers. I’ve boarded the flight. Hop on...and yes...carry some scotch along. See you on the other side. Cheers, Sid—Siddharth Khanna

I am the architect of my dreams. I am sculpting my world. I am clay. I am motion. I am light. I am what I think. Bursting with imagination, this ode to positive thought demonstrates a young girl’s ability to use the power of her mind to transform her world. (Ages 3–7) I Am Thinking My Life illustrates how the power of positive thinking can be the secret to manifesting hopes and dreams over time. An imaginative little girl thinks inspired thoughts, envisions positive actions, and engages in creative activities as she unveils the secret connection between her thoughts, dreams, and actions. Her visions of her future unfold in brilliant, heartwarming illustrations. A child’s first person look at manifestation, affirmations, and the law of attraction, this encouraging picture book will help children build confidence and self-esteem, while still acknowledging that there will be obstacles and storms in life that must be weathered. Filled with positive affirmations and an encouraging message about the role positivity and mindfulness play in bringing hopes and dreams to fruition, I Am Thinking My Life makes a wonderful gift, and will appeal to children and adults alike.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A stunning “portrait of the enduring grace of friendship” (NPR) about the families we are born into, and those that we make for ourselves. A masterful depiction of love in the twenty-first century. NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST • MAN BOOKER PRIZE FINALIST • WINNER OF THE KIRKUS PRIZE A Little Life follows four college classmates—broke, adrift, and buoyed only by their friendship and ambition—as they move to New York in search of fame and fortune. While their relationships, which are tinged by addiction, success, and pride, deepen over the decades, the men are held together by their devotion to the brilliant, enigmatic Jude, a man scarred by an unspeakable childhood trauma. A hymn to brotherly bonds and a masterful depiction of love in the twenty-first century, Hanya Yanagihara’s stunning novel is about the families we are born into, and those that we make for ourselves. Look for Hanya Yanagihara’s latest bestselling novel, To Paradise.

It is time. It is time to free our voice. To speak is a revolution. For too long, through the most intimate acts of erasure, women have been silenced. Now, women everywhere are breaking through the limits placed on us by family, society, and tradition. To find our voices. To make space for ourselves in this world. Now is the moment to reclaim what was once lost, stolen, forsaken, or abandoned. I Am Yours is about my fight to protect and free my voice from those who have sought to silence me, for the sake of creating a world where all voices are welcome and respected. Because the voice, without intimacy, will atrophy. We're in this together. You are mine, and I am yours.

A 2019 Batchelder Honor Book 2021 Global Literature in Libraries Translated YA Book Prize Shortlist From one of Italy's favorite authors of young adult literature comes a gripping, true-to-life thriller of a Sicilian boy's fight to survive after his family is torn apart by the Mafia. A talented young runner, Santino lives in Palermo, Sicily--a beautiful region of Italy that's dominated by the Mafia. With Santino's first communion approaching, his father and grandfather carry out a theft to pay for the party--but they steal from the wrong people. A young, cocky Mafioso summons them to a meeting, and they bring the boy. As Santino wanders off into the old abandoned neighborhood, he hears shots and runs back to see two armed men and his father and grandfather slumped over in the car. The boy barely escapes with his life. Now, he's left with a choice: cooperate with police and be a "rat," or maintain Omertà the code of silence. Twelve-year-old Lucio lives in the northern Italian city of Livorno and dreams of sailing when not taking care of his his young sister, Ilaria, and his sick mother, who is convinced that a witch has cursed her. One day, Lucio's mother goes missing and he receives a mysterious text: "Come to Palermo. Mamma is dying." Panicked, Lucio grabs Ilaria and rushes to Sicily, where Lucio's and Santino's stories converge with explosive results. Inspired by a real-life Mafia episode, Silvana Gandolfi's Run for Your Life is a powerful survival story of young people finding the courage to do the right thing when faced with the cruel realities of the adult world.