On slug days Lauren feels slow and slimy. She feels like everyone yells at her, and that she has no friends. Today there is a different bus driver; Dan and Sachi are sitting in Lauren's seat on the bus; and Lauren's teacher interrupts her reading time. It is definitely a slug day. But not every day is like this. On butterfly days Lauren makes her classmates laugh, or goes to get ice cream, or works on a special project with Mom. Lauren has Autism Spectrum Disorder (an umbrella term that has included Asperger Syndrome since 2013), and she sees the world differently from many people. Sometimes this can be frustrating and makes Lauren want to flip her lid, especially at school where she learns differently from her classmates. But with support and stubbornness and a flair that's all her own, Lauren masters tricks to stay calm, to understand others' feelings, and to let her personality shine. She even manages to find common ground with her sticky, slobbery baby sister. Best of all, it is being different that gives Lauren insight into the insecurities of the new student, Irma.

Brace yourself for an exhilarating epic fantasy trilogy with a diverse cast, polyamory, and chaotic sentient magic, for fans of V.E. Schwab and Antonia Hodgson. In the twisted city of Amaris, magic spawns from chaos. Prone to driving humans mad, it can only be wielded safely by the Wraiths—seven immortal beings magically bound to obey the king. Esme is the most notorious Wraith. She has spent the last century forced to kill on behalf of the nation that stole her from her homeworld while building a secret life for herself and her wife away from violence. That is, until the current king turns up murdered, and a magical will demands his successor be chosen through three trials. Esme cannot break the magical shackles that bind her, but she will suffer no more tyrants. She rigs the king's succession trials in favour of her chosen the righteous General Balthazar, who she can't help but fall for. As Esme weaves together the threads of the court on Balthazar's behalf amid a strange tide of sentient magic in the city and a growing war on the horizon, she will come face to face with Balthazar's bloody past, troubled present, and countless betrayals. He isn't the man Esme thought he was—but she was born to make and break kings.

The devil has come to town. And he wants a library card. Star author Olivie Blake and artist Little Chmura kick off a deliciously dark graphic novel romance series with Clara & the Devil, Volume 1. Clara has the rest of her life figured out. She’ll graduate college with the support of her best friend, Jonah; marry her adoring boyfriend; take a full-time job at her local library; and settle down in her small seaside hometown. But when an unusual tourist―tall, dark, and infernal―comes to town, Clara’s careful plans quickly start to unravel. And even while the stranger, who openly calls himself the devil, strikes up a situationship with Jonah, he continues to tempt Clara with reckless talk of power, ambition, and lust. Over the course of one sultry summer, tensions between Clara, Jonah, and the devil mount to an intolerable degree, and Clara is forced to confront the desires she’s kept secret her whole life, even from herself. This deliciously dark tale of Faustian bargains and seduction from New York Times–bestselling author Olivie Blake and fan-favorite artist Little Chmura kicks off a series that explores artistry and power through the temptation of the seven deadly sins.

Two teens are sent to Mexico for the summer to unplug in this hilarious, richly drawn, and thought-provoking dual narrative, perfect for fans of Darius the Great Is Not Okay, The First State of Being, and Ultraviolet.Newly graduated 8th graders Celi and Elio don't know each other, but after a catfishing incident in their Oakland, California community goes viral, both sets of parents discover their recent screen overuse. Independently, they have the "brilliant" idea to ship the kids off to the same rancho in Mexico for two months, thinking it will help them detox from their devices and reconnect with themselves.In the middle of nowhere-without internet, electricity, or even running water-the two meet and bond over their miserable Celi is forced to spend her days helping in a primitive healing clinic with her eccentric tías while Elio carts sticks and logs to rehabilitate a river. But day by day, amidst the stark beauty and cultural richness of rural Mexico, with crushes blooming, Celi and Elio each shed a little of their online selves and begin to understand what it means to embrace nature, connect to culture, and cultivate authenticity.Featuring the main characters from Aida Salazar's award-winning novels Ultraviolet and The Moon Within, Stream crackles with humor, wisdom, and relatable themes. It speaks directly to teens and will make them feel seen.

The USA Today bestselling and Edgar Award–winning author of Never Look Back and If I Die Tonight plumbs the dark side of justice and the depths of diabolical revenge in this propulsive novel of psychological suspense that melds the driving narrative of Then She Was Gone with the breathtaking twists of The Chain and the violent fury of Kill Bill. Just how far will a grieving mother go to right a tragic wrong? Camille Gardner is a grieving—and angry—mother who, five years after her daughter’s death, is still obsessed with the privileged young man she believes to be responsible. When her rash actions attract the attention of a secret group of women—the collective—Camille is drawn into a dark web where these mothers share their wildly different stories of loss as well as their desire for justice in a world where privilege denies accountability and perpetrators emerge unscathed. Fueled by mutual rage, these women orchestrate their own brand of justice through precise, anonymous, complexly plotted and perfectly executed revenge killings, with individual members completing a specific and integral task in each plan. As Camille struggles to comprehend whether this is a role-playing exercise or terrifying reality, she must decide if these women are truly avenging angels or monsters. Becoming more deeply enmeshed in the group, Camille learns truths about the collective—and about herself—that she may not be able to survive.

A neurodivergent child interacts with their neighbors to discover the true meaning behind greetings and salutations.  When people say “How are you?” are they really asking or just saying hello? Verity, who is neurodivergent, plans an experiment to figure this out. Verity is bubbling with excitement about an upcoming school field trip to the aquarium! When neighbors ask, “How are you?” Verity shares their excitement and fascinating facts about sea animals. Their older brother John kindly suggests that the question "How are you?" is actually a greeting and not an invitation to share so much. Verity plans an experiment to find out if their brother is right. But when the trip to the aquarium is cancelled, Verity is heartbroken. When people ask “How are you?” what should they say then?

From the author of the bestselling Clytemnestra comes another intoxicating excursion into ancient history, as Casati reimagines the rise to power of the Assyrian empire's only female ruler, Semiramis. When kings fall, queens rise. Nothing about Semiramis's upbringing could have foretold her legacy or the power she would come to wield. A female ruler, once an orphan raised on the outskirts of an empire - certainly no one in Ancient Assyria would bend to her command willingly. Semiramis was a woman who knew if she wanted power, she would have to claim it. There are whispers of her fame in Mesopotamian myth- Semiramis was a queen, an ambitious warrior, a commander whose reputation reaches the majestic proportions of Alexander the Great. Historical record, on the other hand, falls eerily quiet. In her second novel, Costanza Casati brilliantly weaves myth and ancient history together to give Semiramis a voice, charting her captivating ascent to a throne no one promised her. The world Casati expertly builds is rich with dazzling detail and will transport her readers to the heat of the Assyrian Empire and a world long gone.

The Times top ten bestseller. ‘An instant Scottish classic’ – The Skinny ‘A swaggering, incendiary debut’ – Guardian ‘Trainspotting for a new generation’ – Independent ‘Raw and lyrical’ – Observer ‘One of the most admired young voices in British fiction’ – The Times 2005. Glasgow is named Europe’s Murder Capital, driven by a violent territorial gang and knife culture. In the housing schemes of adjacent Lanarkshire, Scotland’s former industrial heartland, wee boys become postcode warriors. 2004. Azzy Williams joins the Young Team [YTP]. A brutal gang conflict with their deadly rivals, the Young Toi [YTB] begins. 2012. Azzy dreams of another life. He faces his toughest fight of all – the fight for a different future. Expect Buckfast. Expect bravado. Expect street philosophy. Expect rave culture. Expect anxiety. Expect addiction. Expect a serious facial injury every six hours. Expect murder. Hope for a way out.