Dear Diary, You will never in a million years guess where we're going. Nope. Guess again. Never mind. I'll tell you. Italy! We're going to ITALY! In Europe!! Across the ocean!!! I even have a passport. It's really cool, except I'm squinting my eyes in the photo so I look like a dork. At least that's what my brother said. I call him Matt the brat. You would too. Trust me. . . . Go ahead. It's not snooping, because you're invited to dig right into the private diary of Melanie Martin, age 10. Melanie is off to Italy on a family vacation with her art-obsessed mom, her grumpy dad, and her annoyingly cute 6-year-old brother. But Italy isn't exactly everything Melanie expects it to be. As she discovers Michelangelo, gelato, and the joy of penning poetry, she also discovers how much her crazy family really means to her. Maybe she won't trade them in after all.

Dear Diary, You will never in a million years guess where I’m going....Italy! In Europe!! Across the ocean!!! I even have a passport. It’s really cool, except I’m squinting my eyes in the photo, so I look like a dork. At least that’s what my brother said. I call him Matt the Brat. You would too. Trust me.... When Melanie Martin heads to Italy on a family vacation with her art-obsessed mom, her grumpy dad, and her little brother, she has no idea what she’s in for. As she discovers Michelangelo, Italian ice cream, and poetry, she also realizes how much her family means to her. Maybe she won’t trade them in after all.

The first installment in the Ava and Pip series, perfect for aspiring writers and anyone that loves palindromes and word play. Ava and Pip is a funny and heartfelt story of Ava, an outgoing girl who wants to help her sister come out of her shell, and become a writer when she grows up. "A love letter to language."—The New York Times Meet outgoing Ava Wren, a fun fifth grader who tries not to lose patience with her shy big sister. She can't understand why Pip is so reserved and never seems to make friends with others, and decides to use her writing talents to help her sister overcome her shyness. She writes a short story based on the girl that ruined her sister's birthday party ... but it doesn't quite go over like she wanted it to. Can Ava and her new friend help Pip come out of her shell? And can Ava get out of the mess she has made, and really be a real writer like she always dreamed? Great for parents, educators and librarians looking for: A heartwarming read that has messages of sisterhood, identity, and friendship Funny books for girls ages 9 to 12 A story that incorporates word play (especially palindromes!) A story with a character wants to be a writer, perfect for aspiring young authors

Eleven-year-old Melanie records in her diary how she rediscovers her hometown of Manhattan, copes with competing for her best friend's attention, enjoys a litter of baby mice, and anxiously awaits email from her Spanish friend, Miguel.

From award winning author Carol Weston comes an uplifting, heartfelt tale of bravery and strength in the face of loss and grief, perfect for tweens, teens and adults alike. "I will eagerly place it on my daughter's bookshelf, so that she, like Sofia, can find her own resilience and voice in our painful, joyful, speeding world."—New York Times Sofia lost her mother eight months ago, and her friends were 100% there for her. Now it's a new year and they're ready for Sofia to move on. But being a motherless daughter is hard to get used to, especially when you're only fourteen. Problem is, Sofia can't bounce back, can't recharge like a cellphone. She decides to write Dear Kate, an advice columnist for Fifteen Magazine, and is surprised to receive a fast reply. Soon the two are exchanging emails, and Sofia opens up and spills all, including a few worries that are totally embarrassing. Turns out even advice columnists don't have all the answers, and one day Sofia learns a secret that flips her world upside down. 2018 Best Fiction for Young Adults - American Library Association A 2018 Best Children's Book of the Year - Bank Street College of Education 2017 Best Fiction for Older Readers - Chicago Public Library 2019–2020 Young Hoosier Book Award Longlist Four STARRED Reviews Read the first page from Speed of Life: WARNING: This is kind of a sad story. At least at first. So if you don't like sad stories, maybe you shouldn't read this. I mean, I'd understand if you put it down and watched cat videos instead. I like cat videos too. Then again, this book is already in your hands. It starts and ends on January 1, and I was thinking of calling it The Year My Whole Life Changed. Or Life, Death, and Kisses. Or maybe even The Year I Grew Up. For me, being fourteen was hard. Really hard. Childhood was a piece of cake. Being a kid in New York City and spending summers in Spain, that was all pretty perfect, looking back. But being fourteen was like climbing a mountain in the rain. In flip-flops. I hoped I'd wind up in a different place, but I kept tripping and slipping and falling and wishing it weren't way too late to turn around. This book does have funny parts. And I learned two giant facts: Number one: everything can change in an instant—for worse, sure, but also for better. Number two: sometimes, if you just keep climbing, you get an amazing view. You see what's behind you and what's ahead of you and—the big surprise—what's inside you.

Color in each page as Melanie Martinez’s fictional character Cry Baby and a few magical friends plan their escape from the K-12 Sleepaway School. Parental Advisory Explicit Content

Written by the advice columnist of Girls’ Life magazine, this hilarious companion to The Diary of Melanie Martin finds Melanie off to Holland–with her best friend! Dear Diary, You will never ever believe this! It is too good to be true!! Guess who is going with us to Amster Amster Dam Dam Dam? Cecily! Since Cecily’s mom is having surgery, Melanie’s parents invite Cecily on their family trip to Holland. Melanie thinks having her best friend along will be terrific. But things don’t go exactly as expected. First Melanie loses her luggage, and soon it looks like she’ll lose Cecily’s friendship. But Holland isn’t a total disaster. Along the way, Melanie learns to look through the eyes of van Gogh, Vermeer, and Anne Frank. Soon she discovers that being a good friend means seeing the world through your best friend’s eyes, too.

The third of the popular Melanie Martin books finds Melanie in Spain—and caught up in her first romance! Dear Diary, All of us are excited about this vacation, but Mom might be too excited. Mel is back and off to Spain, the land of bullfights, flamenco, and Picasso. But this is no ordinary vacation—the Martins are visiting Mom’s old boyfriend. Mel’s worried that Mom might still have feelings for Antonio . . . until she meets Antonio’s son, Miguel, who’s almost exactly Mel’s age—and cute! So instead of spying on Mom for Dad, she ends up getting pretty distracted herself. . . .

Fall in love with the second installment in the Ava and Pip series, perfect for the young cat lover in your life. Written as short diary entries, this quick, heartwarming read follows 11 year old Ava as she learns patience and persistence are all part of growing up. Ava Wren desperately wants a cat for her 11th birthday—but gets way more than she bargained for when she adopts a rescue cat. When Ava Wren hears about an injured yellow tabby with mismatched ears, she becomes obsessed and wants to rescue him. She even picks out a perfect palindromic name: T-A-C-O-C-A-T. But when Taco joins the family, he doesn't snuggle or purr—all he does is hide. Worse, Ava's best friend starts hanging out with Zara, a new girl in fifth grade. Ava feels alone and writes an acclaimed story, "The Cat Who Wouldn't Purr" with her sister. What begins as exciting news turns into a disaster. How can Ava make things right? And what about sweet, scared little Taco? Ava and Taco Cat is perfect for: Kids who love cats and budding animal rescue enthusiasts 9 to 12 year old girls Young aspiring writers Reluctant readers

From bra shopping to babysitting, from making close friends to making great grades, Girltalk has all the answers Upbeat and up-to-date, honest and hip, Girltalk is an "indispensable guide" (Working Mother) for girls ages eleven to eighteen. This Fourth Edition is the ultimate preteen and teen source for advice on: Body: looking and feeling your best Friendship: you don't like everybody -- why should everybody like you? Love: falling in, falling out Sex: what you should know before saying yes Family: making the best of your nest Education: getting through school, getting into college Money: making it, saving it, spending it Smoking, Drinking, and Drugs: advice without lectures Quizzes: getting to know yourself