Erin Entrada Kelly

"In one day, four lives weave together in unexpected ways. Virgil Salinas is shy and kindhearted and feels out of place in his crazy-about-sports family. Valencia Somerset, who is deaf, is smart, brave, and secretly lonely, and she loves everything about nature. Kaori Tanaka is a self-proclaimed psychic, whose little sister, Gen, is always following her around. And Chet Bullens wishes the weird kids would just stop being so different so he can concentrate...

The twelve kids in the seventh grade at Fawn Creek K-12 have been together all their lives so when graceful Orchid Mason arrives, with exotic clothes and glorious hair, the other seventh graders do not know what to think.

Charlotte, twelve, and Ben, eleven, are highly-skilled competitors at online Scrabble and that connection helps both as they face family issues and the turmoil of middle school.

"One of Marisol's least-favorite things is gym class-- especially when Coach Decker announces that they will be playing kickball-- so Marisol and her best friend Jada ask the best (and stinkiest) athlete they know-- Marisol's big brother Oz-- for help"--Provided by publisher.

Abandoned by their father and living in poverty with their heartless stepmother in Louisiana, two sisters from the Philippines, twelve-year-old Sol and six-year-old Ming, learn the true meaning of family.

Virgil se siente fuera de lugar en su familia loca por los deportes. Valencia es sorda, inteligente y ama todo sobre la naturaleza. Kaori es una psíquica autoproclamada, cuya hermana pequeña, Gen, siempre la sigue. Y Chet desea que los niños raros simplemente dejen de ser tan diferentes para poder concentrarse en el baloncesto. No son amigos Pero cuando Chet tira una broma que atrapa a Virgil y su conejillo de indias en el fondo de un pozo, Kaori,...

Virgil feels out of place in his crazy-about-sports family. Valencia is deaf, smart, and loves everything about nature. Kaori is a self-proclaimed psychic, whose little sister, Gen, is always following her around. And Chet wishes the weird kids would just stop being so different so that he can concentrate on basketball. They aren't friends. But when Chet pulls a prank that traps Virgil and his pet guinea pig at the bottom of a well, Kaori, Gen, and...

For Angela, it came on the basketball court--while playing on the boys' team. For Penny, it came on a school field trip to the lake (making for some cringeworthy moments of humor). And to Layla's disappointment, it came at the start of her first fasting Ramadan, meaning that she won't be able to fast after all. Whether it spurs silence or celebration, whether the subjects are well prepared or totally in the dark, the young people in these sixteen...

"When identities cross boundaries, with love that knows no bounds. From platonic and romantic love to grief and heartbreak, these stories explore navigating life at the intersection of identities, and what it means to grow up surrounded by a multitude of traditions, languages, cultures, and interpersonal dynamics. Returning to a father's homeland. Trying to fit in at chaotic weddings and lavish birthday parties where not all are welcome. Processing...