Showing results by publisher "Tantor Media" in Growing Up & Facts of Life

If you told Sloane Osburn and Amelia Miller-Poe that they'd be hiding in their town cemetery from an evil mastermind, they would have been hard-pressed to believe you. If you also told them that person was intent on beating them to a cache of long-lost jewels using nothing more than a slingshot and wicked aim, they'd have been sure you got your facts wrong. Finally, if you told them they'd be doing this as friends . . . well, they would have been sure you needed medical attention.

Two years after her parents' surprising and painful split, twelve-year-old Jo and her mom find themselves on the 100-mile hike on the Superior Hiking Trail along Lake Superior's north shore—a journey that Jo had always looked forward to hiking with her dad. It's not a situation that either of them ever predicted they'd find themselves in, yet here they are in the wilderness with their entire lives stuffed into a pair of thirty-pound packs.

December, 1961, Marta is a young girl who saw thirty miles of barbed wire appear across her city overnight, separating Berlin into West and East—with Marta's home on the Communist Bloc-controlled eastern side. January, 1989, Now a spray-painted concrete monolith, the Berlin Wall bisects the city. Kurt, a young East Berliner, often wonders what those living on the other side must think of their unseen neighbors. Do they hate the people of East Germany as completely as Kurt has been instructed to hate them?

Etta isn't like other kids at school, and she's proud of it. The class misanthrope and the owner of the greenest hair at Doolittle Middle School, she's still reeling from a painful friendship breakup, making her more than happy to burn middle-school bridges before she heads off to the local alternative high school next year.

Gwen Russell is thrilled to hear she will be heading to Paris with her family. Even though the main reason for the trip is to see her three older brothers play lacrosse, Gwen and her Mom have plans to tour the city when they can. As soon as they land, Gwen is swept up in the city she has always wanted to see, and even meets a tres cute boy named Henri. If that wasn't enough excitement, Gwen finds out that her all-time favorite band is playing a one-night only concert in Paris—and there are tickets available to the sold-out show for three lucky people.

Lucia "Lucy" Rossi thought she was going to be a camp counselor for the summer, but, thanks to a very fortunate twist, she ends up in Rome, Italy, helping out at her aunt's restaurant, Amore Pizzeria. Lucy can't wait to see some ruins, eat all the gelato she can, and maybe say a few buongiornos to some cute Italian boys. But Lucy arrives to Italian trouble. Her aunt is in danger of losing her business, thanks to a flashy new pizzeria down the road that is all style, but no substance.

Raam and his buddy, Cake, are ready to try out for their middle school's basketball team. Will Raam earn a spot on the roster this time around? Or will old rivals resurface?

It's the first week of middle school, and Ash (don't call her "Ashley") already has a class assignment: Make a family tree. But how can Ash make a family tree if she doesn't have a family? Ever since she was four years old, Ash has been in foster care, living with one so-called family after another. Now she's stuck with Gladys. And the only place Ash feels safe is in the branches of her favorite tree, drawing in her sketchbook, hidden from the view of Gladys's son Jordan.

Twelve-year-old Maia's parents say she's lucky to have smelled the smoke, lucky to have pulled her sister, Amelia, out of their burning house. But is it really "lucky" when Amelia's in the hospital? And is it “lucky" when Maia knows it was her candle that started the fire? When she's sent to spend the summer with her grandparents in Minnesota while her sister heals, Maia discovers that her demons are intent on following her.

As a preteen or young teen girl, you're changing more than ever before—and it's natural to feel a mix of excitement and worry. You're seeing the world in new ways. Your social life has gotten a lot more complicated. And whether you're experiencing the onset of puberty, or have already begun menstruation, the physical changes you're going through can also feel overwhelming. Written by a teen mental health expert, The Middle School Survival Guide for Girls is packed with tips and tools to help you adjust to the pressures of middle school—as well as to your changing mind and body.

Artem lives in the sleepy city of Stalingrad, which has mostly been cut off from war with Nazi Germany—until the summer of 1942. That July, martial law is declared as the Nazis begin their unprecedented march toward the city. Artem's older brother is a soldier in Stalin's Red Army, so Artem is worried for his brother's safety once he and his family have evacuated the city. Then the announcement comes. Stalin has ordered that no civilians be allowed to leave Stalingrad.

The Carlson family gets an urgent call that their eccentric Aunt Betty, a former actress who lives in Hollywood, is in serious trouble. The bank is going to take her house unless she can give them the money she owes. The Carlsons head to LA to sort things out for Aunt Betty, along with Payton, who tags along for the West Coast adventure. In a moment alone with the girls, Aunt Betty tells them what's really going on. Because she didn't trust banks, Aunt Betty stashed her money in a secret hiding place. Only problem—it's so secret, she can't remember where that hiding place is!