Fifteen top young-adult authors let us in on provocative secrets in a fascinating collection that will have readers talking. A baby no one knows about. A dangerous hidden identity. Off-limits hookups. A parent whose problems your friends won’t understand. Everyone keeps secrets—from themselves, from their families, from their friends—and secrets have a habit of shaping the lives around them. Acclaimed author Ann Angel brings together some of today’s most gifted YA authors to explore, in a variety of genres, the nature of secrets: Do they make you stronger or weaker? Do they alter your world when revealed? Do they divide your life into what you’ll tell and what you won’t? The one thing these diverse stories share is a glimpse into the secret self we all keep hidden. With stories by: Ann Angel Kerry Cohen Louise Hawes Varian Johnson erica l. kaufman Ron Koertge E. M. Kokie Chris Lynch Kekla Magoon Zoë Marriott Katy Moran J. L. Powers Mary Ann Rodman Cynthia Leitich Smith Ellen Wittlinger

A beautifully raw coming-of-age story for fans of Becky Albertalli and Julie Murphy, examining what it means to crush on your two best friends at the same time. Ten years ago, the Scar Squad promised each other nothing would tear them apart. Even when Casey Jones Caruso lost her twin brother Sammy to an overdose, and their foursome became a threesome, the squad picked each other up. But when Casey’s feeling for the remaining members—Francesca and Benjamin—develop into romantic attraction, she worries the truth will dissolve them. Casey tries to ignore her heart, until Ben kisses her at a summer party, and Frankie kisses another girl. Now Casey must confront all the complicated feelings she’s buried—for her friends and for the brother she’s totally pissed at for dying. Since Sammy’s death, Casey has spilled all the things she can no longer say to him in journals, and now more than ever, she wishes he were here to help her decide whether she should guard her heart or bet it all on love, before someone else decides for her.

“Things I can never say out loud,” explores moments of deep inspiration and dives beneath the surface of emotional awareness. In all ages, “things I can never say out loud,” relates to common emotions that are mostly felt through moments of vulnerability. Not only has it captured the brutal honesty of the authors perspective of herself, but it has embodied the fluctuating events of life’s ups and downs.

Poetry was the only thing I could write/say as my world collapsed underneath my feet. These poems showcase every emotion I was feeling as I attempted to stitch my life back together when all i wanted was to feel heard and understood.

An empowering look at finding your voice, facing your fears, and standing up for what's right, from the author of Property of the Rebel Librarian. Charlotte Andrews is perfectly fine being quiet--in fact, she prefers it. When she doesn't speak, people can't make fun of her stutter. But when she witnesses bullying on the school bus and doesn't say anything, her silence comes between her and her best friend. As if that wasn't bad enough, her parents signed her up for musical theater. Charlotte doesn't want to speak onstage, but at least she doesn't stutter when she sings. Then, just as she starts to find her voice, the arts program is cut. Charlotte can't stay silent anymore. So she begins to write. Anonymous encouraging notes to her classmates. Letters to the school board to save the school musical. And an essay about the end of her best friendship--and her hope that she can still save it. Words could save Charlotte Andrews and everything she believes in . . . if she just believes in herself enough to speak up.

A RACE TO VICTORY… Terra. Birthplace of humankind. Cradle of the Inner Sphere. For centuries, it has been the Clans’ ultimate prize. As prophesied by their founder, Nicholas Kerensky, the Clan that conquers Terra shall ascend above all others to become the ilClan, ruler over the rest of the Clans. And its leader shall become the ilKhan, and will lead the Inner Sphere into a new era. And now, nearly a century after the Clan Invasion, two Clans race to be the first to reach Terra and the ultimate prize. On one side is Alaric Ward, Khan of Clan Wolf, a brilliant warrior and complex mix of the best of the Clans and the Inner Sphere. He comes to save the Inner Sphere from itself, intending to construct a new empire among the stars. His main adversary is Chingis Khan Malvina Hazen, the brutal, ruthless leader of Clan Jade Falcon. Forged in a tradition where only the strong survive, she leads her touman not to save the Inner Sphere, but to raze it to ashes and rebuild it according to her own twisted vision. All that stands between them and a decisive victory that will reshape the Inner Sphere forever is the impenetrable barrier shielding Terra from invasion, not to mention the forces of the once-mighty Republic, which has no plans to surrender without a vicious fight…the only question is, who will reach Terra first?

"A woman escapes Pol Pot's murderous regime in Cambodia after watching her family butchered, "like chickens" only to lose her way in America. An eight year old deaf girl breaks the hearts of the firefighters who respond to her call for help, only to find that her parents had been using her as a prostitute. An intoxicated "frequent flier" quizzes the crew with his latest trivia question and elderly people depend on 911 services when their breathing becomes difficult. Meanwhile, in Iraq, Sergeant Robert Morse, the author's brother serves his year, giving glimpses of life in Baghdad, of risking his life, and the lives of the people with him while transporting water along the Tigress River into Fallujah and of missing home. One brother is at war in a distant land, the other remains home and fights a different kind of battle. Hardship brings out the best in people, and a bond that had been weakened as life moves relentlessly forward, each lost in their own worlds strengthens when those far away worlds seem somehow closer with the realization that it all could end in an instant. There are people who need help, and people who give it. Often, the ones giving the help get a little as well. This insightful collection of one man's interactions with the people he encounters during a time span of six seasons paints a vivid picture of life in a small city. These are wonderful stories of triumph, loss, tedium and hilarity. Inspiring and concise, the author provides every person who spends time immersed between the pages of this book valuable insight into life at its most raw and powerful."--Publisher's website.

#1 New York Times Bestseller “Funny and smart as hell” (Bill Gates), Allie Brosh’s Hyperbole and a Half showcases her unique voice, leaping wit, and her ability to capture complex emotions with deceptively simple illustrations. FROM THE PUBLISHER: Every time Allie Brosh posts something new on her hugely popular blog Hyperbole and a Half the internet rejoices. This full-color, beautifully illustrated edition features more than fifty percent new content, with ten never-before-seen essays and one wholly revised and expanded piece as well as classics from the website like, “The God of Cake,” “Dogs Don’t Understand Basic Concepts Like Moving,” and her astonishing, “Adventures in Depression,” and “Depression Part Two,” which have been hailed as some of the most insightful meditations on the disease ever written. Brosh’s debut marks the launch of a major new American humorist who will surely make even the biggest scrooge or snob laugh. We dare you not to. FROM THE AUTHOR: This is a book I wrote. Because I wrote it, I had to figure out what to put on the back cover to explain what it is. I tried to write a long, third-person summary that would imply how great the book is and also sound vaguely authoritative—like maybe someone who isn’t me wrote it—but I soon discovered that I’m not sneaky enough to pull it off convincingly. So I decided to just make a list of things that are in the book: Pictures Words Stories about things that happened to me Stories about things that happened to other people because of me Eight billion dollars* Stories about dogs The secret to eternal happiness* *These are lies. Perhaps I have underestimated my sneakiness!

"Changes" is the first of three books that make up the story, The Ultimate Dream. This book describes the beginning of a journey that takes a typical middle class family from their normal but happy life into a world of chaos. Linda is the key. She leads her family and her two closest friends into the world of fame and chaos with her music. The only problem is that change is not always good. As her family deals with this new world, Linda has a secret that she is burdened with that brings on soul crushing sadness for her while her younger brother steps in a world of darkness. Both Linda and her brother, Mike are woven deep into the fabric of the universe. Both the Light and Dark side of the universe watches.

With that, neither of them said anything for a few moments and both realized the song had ended. Looking at each other they imagined an audience applauding to that musical exchange. Benny Goodman and Lionel Hampton would have been jealous had they been there in the audience. They were perhaps busy that morning playing somewhere or maybe even rehearsing for their groundbreaking concert in Carnegie Hall that would take place a few weeks later in January. It was the first time a jazz ensemble had been allowed to perform at Carnegie. Colin and Piper didnt know it, but theres had just been an opening act for themselves, music, and jazz. It would be a good year for improvisation, that year 1938, a