A series of true stories that are at once relatable, funny, and heart-wrenching, join lauded writer Marissa Miller on a journey of battling imposter syndrome and learning to be proud to stand out. Acclaimed writer and editor Marissa Miller was born into what you would call a nice Jewish family. But she somehow grew into anything but a Nice Jewish Girl. From openly discussing any and all bodily functions with whoever would listen, to encouraging her peers to join her in undressing in the hallways at school for no reason other than to fight the oppressive institution of modern academia, she was continuously scolded by members of the Jewish community for exploring her identity and pushing the boundaries of what a “nice girl” is allowed to do. To make sense of being the odd one out, she did what any confused teenager would do: she wrote. She wrote poems on MySpace, articles for her school newspaper, extra credit English assignments to compensate for her complete and utter lack of math skills, and eventually, reported pieces for many of the world’s most prestigious media publications. But the transition to a lucrative journalism career didn’t come without is growing pains. Getting anywhere past the school newspaper stage and being asked to provide journalism lectures around the city inspired a sense of panic, dread, and most notably, impostor syndrome—the sense that success is a product of coincidence and luck as opposed to hard work and talent. No fellow journalists she idolized growing up seemed to have had a history of behavior so crude it would make your Rabbi blush. Surely, the Universe was thisclose to taking everything away from her. And to some extent, it did. In Pretty Weird—a series of true stories that are at once relatable, funny, and heart-wrenching—you’ll learn about why, like Miller, you’re worthy of success by virtue of you thinking you’re not, about why there’s no such thing as being “not sick enough” to deserve help, and that living in that liminal space of being too normal to stand out, yet too weird to fit in, is truly where all the magic happens.

Warning -- this book contains top-secret information about flowers! Prepare to be shocked and weirded out by this hilarious and totally true picture book introduction to some of nature's strangest plants. Flowers are beautiful. They have bright colors, soft petals and sweet nectar. Yum! But that's not the whole truth. Flowers can be WEIRD . . . and one bee is here to let everyone know! Talking directly to the reader, a bee reveals how flowers are so much stranger than what we think. Did you know that there are some flowers that only bloom in the nighttime? Some flowers are spooky, and look like ghosts, or bats, or a monster's mouth. And while most flowers smell good, there are some that smell like dead meat, or even horse poop! This hilarious and refreshing book with silly and sweet illustrations explores the science of flowers and shows that these plants are not always stereotypically pretty and harmless as we often think they are -- they are fascinating, disgusting, complicated and amazing.

This is Portland is a first-hand look at a city that people can't seem to stop talking about. It's a guidebook of sorts, but not to restaurants and sightseeing. Instead, Alexander Barrett is your friendly guide to the quirky characters and atmosphere of Portland, Oregon and how fun, beautiful, and ridiculous it can be. With its approachable, often hilarious tone, this book is perfect for anyone who wants to learn more about bikes, beards, beers, rain, and everything else important about the city you've heard you should like.

What is the truth behind our existence? Does every decision lay the groundwork for our life or is each person's future predestined? Have we lived, or can we ever live, in other times or parallel universes? And are there scientific explanations for visions and dreams, or are they figments of our imagination, the result of complex electrical signals racing through our brains at random? Izzy doesn't know, and frankly couldn't care less. A young member of the working poor, she struggles with mounting depression and continual financial hardship, and more recently with increasingly frequent, frighteningly realistic dreams. Or are they dreams? Unknown to Izzy, while in her mother's womb she experienced an event that rewired her brain and left her with a unique gift; the ability to project her subconscious 'self' into the past, as well as explore the mysteries - and dangers - of alternate futures. On the other side of the country, Avery, a researcher in charge of the CIAs newly resurrected remote viewing (ESP) program, has discovered Izzy's unique ability. She's a perfect candidate, for both his research and a plan to secretly sell the technology. Unaware of Avery's motives or his CIA connection, Izzy agrees to participate. The two immediately clash and Izzy wreaks havoc on his research, making Avery all the more determined to see his scheme through and destroy Izzy in the process. Izzy soon realizes that her life and the lives of those around her will always be in danger as long as she's alive. In a final standoff, she takes the only option available - one that seems to guarantee her death, yet may be her only chance to survive.

There’s more to me than just being awk-weird. I own my own flower shop, have some great friends, and I have my eye on adopting the most adorable kitten. But sadly, hot guys don’t tend to be blown away by my trivia-spouting, dorky self. So when a Thor-lookalike who happens to be a professional hockey player hits on me at my bestie’s wedding rehearsal party... You better believe I climbed that tree like a cat. And the fact that it happened not once, not twice, but three times? Yeah, that’s pretty much a once-in-a-lifetime experience for a woman like me. There’s zero chance I’ll end up ever seeing him again...right? Until the pregnancy test comes up positive. What happens next? Oh my God, I wish I knew... Each book in the Ice Knights series is STANDALONE: * Parental Guidance * Awk-Weird * Loud Mouth

When six high school students at an upscale private school in Pittsburgh discover the demonic legend of the school's origin is actually true and obtain amazing superpowers as a result, they unwittingly unleash the demonic Horde. Mike has a happy-go-lucky attitude and astounding athletic abilities that make him popular while twin sister Shelly is his opposite with her shyness. Cooper, crippled, considers himself a freak. Maggie is artistic and eccentric while Jimmy is a brooding heartthrob. New girl, Caitlyn, rounds out the group, though she can't escape the sense that she doesn't belong. As a team, the teenagers need to figure out how stop the Horde before its evil spreads through the school and beyond...all while somehow keeping their ever-growing powers a secret.

It: Chapter Two—now a major motion picture! Stephen King’s terrifying, classic #1 New York Times bestseller, “a landmark in American literature” (Chicago Sun-Times)—about seven adults who return to their hometown to confront a nightmare they had first stumbled on as teenagers…an evil without a name: It. Welcome to Derry, Maine. It’s a small city, a place as hauntingly familiar as your own hometown. Only in Derry the haunting is real. They were seven teenagers when they first stumbled upon the horror. Now they are grown-up men and women who have gone out into the big world to gain success and happiness. But the promise they made twenty-eight years ago calls them reunite in the same place where, as teenagers, they battled an evil creature that preyed on the city’s children. Now, children are being murdered again and their repressed memories of that terrifying summer return as they prepare to once again battle the monster lurking in Derry’s sewers. Readers of Stephen King know that Derry, Maine, is a place with a deep, dark hold on the author. It reappears in many of his books, including Bag of Bones, Hearts in Atlantis, and 11/22/63. But it all starts with It. “Stephen King’s most mature work” (St. Petersburg Times), “It will overwhelm you…to be read in a well-lit room only” (Los Angeles Times).

A CLASSIC FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE THINGS THEY CARRIED "To call Going After Cacciato a novel about war is like calling Moby-Dick a novel about whales." So wrote The New York Times of Tim O'Brien's now classic novel of Vietnam. Winner of the 1979 National Book Award, Going After Cacciato captures the peculiar mixture of horror and hallucination that marked this strangest of wars. In a blend of reality and fantasy, this novel tells the story of a young soldier who one day lays down his rifle and sets off on a quixotic journey from the jungles of Indochina to the streets of Paris. In its memorable evocation of men both fleeing from and meeting the demands of battle, Going After Cacciato stands as much more than just a great war novel. Ultimately it's about the forces of fear and heroism that do battle in the hearts of us all. Now with Extra Libris material, including a reader’s guide and bonus content

2016 Young Author's Award — Shortlisted CCBC's Best Books for Kids & Teens (Fall 2015) - Commended Instead of writing in a diary, twelve-year-old Jo Waller secretly edits Wikipedia entries to cope with the worst year of her life. Jo Waller has three brainy friends, two mostly harmless parents, and one deep, dark secret: she edits Wikipedia for fun. But when her twenty-four-year-old brother moves back home with his pregnant girlfriend, Jo is forced to reconcile the idealized version of her absent, cool older brother with the reality of romantic relationships and the truth behind so many embarrassing health class videos. With the young couple moving back into the family home, there’s barely enough room for anyone to move, let alone have any privacy. Throw in some major friendship turbulence, a seriously unrequited crush, and a mortifyingly bad haircut, and it’s looking like Jo will be lucky to make it out of the year alive. When you’re a pizza-faced dork who uses Wikipedia as a diary and would rather wear ancient hand-me-downs than shop at the mall, what’s the upside? Jo is about to find it in the most unlikely way.

A dead girl, Anna Corwin, lures high school gymnast Cory Brooks to Fear Street--the street that can lead to his death.