Carol Weston

From award winning author Carol Weston comes an uplifting, heartfelt tale of bravery and strength in the face of loss and grief, perfect for tweens, teens and adults alike. "I will eagerly place it on my daughter's bookshelf, so that she, like Sofia, can find her own resilience and voice in our painful, joyful, speeding world."—New York Times Sofia lost her mother eight months ago, and her friends were 100% there for her. Now it's a new year and they're ready for Sofia to move on. But being a motherless daughter is hard to get used to, especially when you're only fourteen. Problem is, Sofia can't bounce back, can't recharge like a cellphone. She decides to write Dear Kate, an advice columnist for Fifteen Magazine, and is surprised to receive a fast reply. Soon the two are exchanging emails, and Sofia opens up and spills all, including a few worries that are totally embarrassing. Turns out even advice columnists don't have all the answers, and one day Sofia learns a secret that flips her world upside down. 2018 Best Fiction for Young Adults - American Library Association A 2018 Best Children's Book of the Year - Bank Street College of Education 2017 Best Fiction for Older Readers - Chicago Public Library 2019 2020 Young Hoosier Book Award Longlist Four STARRED Reviews Read the first page from Speed of Life: WARNING: This is kind of a sad story. At least at first. So if you don't like sad stories, maybe you shouldn't read this. I mean, I'd understand if you put it down and watched cat videos instead. I like cat videos too. Then again, this book is already in your hands. It starts and ends on January 1, and I was thinking of calling it The Year My Whole Life Changed. Or Life, Death, and Kisses. Or maybe even The Year I Grew Up. For me, being fourteen was hard. Really hard. Childhood was a piece of cake. Being a kid in New York City and spending summers in Spain, that was all pretty perfect, looking back. But being fourteen was like climbing a mountain in the rain. In flip-flops. I hoped I'd wind up in a different place, but I kept tripping and slipping and falling and wishing it weren't way too late to turn around. This book does have funny parts. And I learned two giant facts: Number one: everything can change in an instant—for worse, sure, but also for better. Number two: sometimes, if you just keep climbing, you get an amazing view. You see what's behind you and what's ahead of you and—the big surprise—what's inside you.

Speed of Life

When ten-year-old Ava uses her writing talents to help her older sister overcome her shyness, both girls learn the impact their words and stories can have on the world around them.

Ava and Pip

Fifth-grader Ava writes in her diary about her family, losing her best friend to a new girl, and adopting an injured, skittish, and very special cat.

Ava and Taco Cat

or How I Survived Matt the Brat, Michelangelo, and the Leaning Tower of Pizza (Melanie Martin Novels)

The Diary of Melanie Martin

The Private Diary of My Almost Bummer Summer with Cecily, Matt the Brat, and Vincent Van Go Go Go (Melanie Martin Novels)

Melanie Martin Goes Dutch

Valentine's day is just around the corner, and when another girl asks out Ava's friend Chuck, Ava realizes that she is definitely NOT okay with it. To top it all off, Pip's friend Jayda is being bullied for her size, and Ava starts a series of projects to help Jayda feel better about herself. But a misstep leads to some serious backlash, and Ava discovers that words can be powerful instigators. All Ava wants is to help Jayda find her inner confidence. But how can she give advice when she's not even sure she can stick by her words-or tell Chuck how she really feels?

Ava Xox

Based on correspondence elicited by the publication of "Girltalk," this volume offers straightforward answers to honest questions about every aspect of life and romance with guys

Real Questions, Real Answers

Girltalk about Guys

Ava desperately wants a pet for her eleventh birthday-but gets way more than she bargained for when she adopts T-A-C-O-C-A-T. When Ava Wren hears about an injured yellow tabby with mismatched ears, she becomes obsessed and wants to rescue him. She even picks out a perfect palindromic name: T-A-C-O-C-A-T. But when Taco joins the family, he doesn't snuggle or purr-all he does is hide. Worse, Ava's best friend starts hanging out with Zara, a new girl in fifth grade. Ava feels alone and writes an acclaimed story, "The Cat Who Wouldn't Purr." What begins as exciting news turns into a disaster. How can Ava make things right? And what about sweet, scared little Taco? The New York Timescalled AVA AND PIP "a love letter to language. " With this second diary, Girls' Life advice columnist Carol Weston hits another home run.

Dear Diary, You will never in a million years guess where we're going. Nope. Guess again. Never mind. I'll tell you. Italy! We're going to ITALY! In Europe!! Across the ocean!!! I even have a passport. It's really cool, except I'm squinting my eyes in the photo so I look like a dork. At least that's what my brother said. I call him Matt the brat. You would too. Trust me. . . . Go ahead. It's not snooping, because you're invited to dig right into the private diary of Melanie Martin, age 10. Melanie is off to Italy on a family vacation with her art-obsessed mom, her grumpy dad, and her annoyingly cute 6-year-old brother. But Italy isn't exactly everything Melanie expects it to be. As she discovers Michelangelo, gelato, and the joy of penning poetry, she also discovers how much her crazy family really means to her. Maybe she won't trade them in after all.

or How I Survived Matt the Brat, Michelangelo, and the Leaning Tower of Pizza

Letters sent to the Girl's Life advice columnist address girls' issues

Questions and Answers for Girls Only

Private and Personal

Looking for some words of wisdom? for girls only is here to help with tips, advice, and tons of fun, clever quotes about friends, family, school, life, and love. Carol Weston, advice columnist, novelist, and best-selling author of girltalk, adds her own spin to over five hundred carefully chosen quotations. You'll find insight and inspiration in the words of Socrates and Seinfeld, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Latifah, Mark Twain and Halle Berry -- and in proverbs and quotations from around the world and throughout history that are still perfect for here and now.

For Girls Only

Compiles the best advice from "Girls' Life Magazine" about family, friends, and growing up.

The Girls' Life Awesome Advice Guide to Everything

Eleven-year-old Melanie records in her diary how she rediscovers her hometown of Manhattan, copes with competing for her best friend's attention, enjoys a litter of baby mice, and anxiously awaits email from her Spanish friend, Miguel.

Melanie in Manhattan

Written by the advice columnist of Girls’ Life magazine, this hilarious companion to The Diary of Melanie Martin finds Melanie off to Holland–with her best friend! Dear Diary, You will never ever believe this! It is too good to be true!! Guess who is going with us to Amster Amster Dam Dam Dam? Cecily! Since Cecily’s mom is having surgery, Melanie’s parents invite Cecily on their family trip to Holland. Melanie thinks having her best friend along will be terrific. But things don’t go exactly as expected. First Melanie loses her luggage, and soon it looks like she’ll lose Cecily’s friendship. But Holland isn’t a total disaster. Along the way, Melanie learns to look through the eyes of van Gogh, Vermeer, and Anne Frank. Soon she discovers that being a good friend means seeing the world through your best friend’s eyes, too.

The Private Diary of My Almost Bummer Summer with Cecily, Matt the Brat, and Vincent Van Go Go Go

The third of the popular Melanie Martin books finds Melanie in Spain—and caught up in her first romance! Dear Diary, All of us are excited about this vacation, but Mom might be too excited. Mel is back and off to Spain, the land of bullfights, flamenco, and Picasso. But this is no ordinary vacation—the Martins are visiting Mom’s old boyfriend. Mel’s worried that Mom might still have feelings for Antonio . . . until she meets Antonio’s son, Miguel, who’s almost exactly Mel’s age—and cute! So instead of spying on Mom for Dad, she ends up getting pretty distracted herself. . . .

With Love from Spain, Melanie Martin

Denis Weston

Coping Victoriously with Crippling Disease

Every Step of the Way

From bra shopping to babysitting, from making close friends to making great grades, Girltalk has all the answers Upbeat and up-to-date, honest and hip, Girltalk is an "indispensable guide" (Working Mother) for girls ages eleven to eighteen. This Fourth Edition is the ultimate preteen and teen source for advice on: Body: looking and feeling your best Friendship: you don't like everybody -- why should everybody like you? Love: falling in, falling out Sex: what you should know before saying yes Family: making the best of your nest Education: getting through school, getting into college Money: making it, saving it, spending it Smoking, Drinking, and Drugs: advice without lectures Quizzes: getting to know yourself

All the Stuff Your Sister Never Told You

Girltalk

Love is in the air-and Ava thinks she's allergicValentine's Day is just around the corner, and Ava couldn't care less. That is, until a new girl, Kelli, asks out Ava's friend Chuck? and he says yes! What?!? Ava is NOT okay with this. But since when does she think about boys? For the first time ever, words fail Ava. She isn't sure what she's feeling (Like? Love? Friendship? Frustration?), or what going out" even means. After all, fifth graders aren't allowed to go anywhere by themselves, are they?To top it off, Pip's friend Tanya is being bullied for her size. Ava wants to help-but, uh oh, it's not as easy as she imagines.The New York Times called AVA AND PIP "a love letter to language. " With this third diary format, Girls' Life advice columnist Carol Weston hits another home run.Don't miss how it all began in:Ava and PipAva and Taco Cat

Ava runs into trouble when she tries to help Pip's friend Tanya combat a bully and when she realizes she is uncomfortable with someone dating her friend, Chuck.

Ava XOX

Return to the world of Ava and Pip in the third book in the series, featuring the beloved diary format and strong, spunky Ava...this time during Valentine's Day! This installment follows Ava as she discovers her first crush, deals with a friend being bullied, and learning the power of words (and how to be careful with them). Love is in the air—and Ava thinks she's allergic. Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and Ava couldn't care less. That is, until a new girl, Kelli, asks out Ava's friend Chuck...and he says yes! What?!? Ava is NOT okay with this. But since when does she think about boys? For the first time ever, words fail Ava. She isn't sure what she's feeling (Like? Love? Friendship? Frustration?), or what "going out" even means. After all, fifth graders aren't allowed to go anywhere by themselves, are they? To top it off, Pip's friend Tanya is being bullied for her size. Ava wants to help—but, uh oh, it's not as easy as she imagines. Pick up Ava XOX if you are looking for: A relatable story perfect for family discussion Books on growing up for 10 year old girls Books on first crushes for tweens Reluctant readers Aspiring writers

Carol Weston

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