When his younger brother is diagnosed with leukemia, thirteen-year-old Steven tries to deal with his complicated emotions, his school life, and his desire to support his family.

When Shelley leaves Oregon to spend the winter in California, she feels she is the happiest girl in the world, for in her new high school, she meets Philip--the "only boy." A sixteen-year-old girl gains perspective into herself and her family when whe leaves her comfortable Oregon home and spends a year visiting with friends in California... She learns, in the midst of the friendly Michie family, that there are many ways to be oneself, and many different...

"You were born to be so many things. No matter where your journey leads, remember to be curious, be adventurous, be patient, be brave and most of all be you! A joyful celebration of individuality, persistence--and staying true to Y-O-U!"--

Will Tuppence's life has always been ruled by science and common sense but in ninth grade, shaken up by the discovery that protons decay, he begins to see the entire world differently and gains new perspective on his relationships with his little sister and two closest friends.

"In Drum's hometown of musical instruments, even the birds sprout miniature trumpets from their beaks. He loves his violin brother, his cello father, and his piano mother, yet secretly he feels like an outcast because he alone, among all his family and neighbors, can't play a melody. But Drum is about to discover what he was meant to do"--Front dust jacket.

While most birds dream of being seed gatherers or nest builders, Sydney Sparrow has a dream that is a little bit out of the ordinary. She wants to be a great conductor with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra! But when the other birds start questioning her dream, Sydney wonders if she has set her sights too high. With a little courage and determination, and a whole lot of practice, can Sydney Sparrow turn her dream into a reality?

Flattered at first that all the other fairies and sparrow men want her to paint their portraits, Bess soon begins to feel overwhelmed and tries to find a way to return to the kind of painting she really wants to do.

Hank, Nathan, Jeremy, and Anabel deal with the realities of middle school basketball, including family pressure, a series of coaches with very different personalities and agendas, and what it means to be a team--and a friend.

George is a little bit different from his family. He doesn't feel like a yeti just yet. So what does he feel like?

Left an orphan after the influenza epidemic in British East Africa in 1918, thirteen-year-old Rachel is tricked into assuming a deceased neighbor's identity to travel to England, where her only dream is to return to Africa and rebuild her parents' mission hospital.