Carrie Firestone

A refreshing, funny, and moving debut novel about first loves, last wishes, and letting go. Seventeen-year-old Maddie O'Neill Levine lives a charmed life, and is primed to spend the perfect pre-college summer with her best friends and young-at-heart socialite grandmother (also Maddie's closest confidante), tying up high school loose ends. Maddie's plans change the instant Gram announces that she is terminally ill and has booked the family on a secret "death with dignity" cruise ship so that she can leave the world in her own unconventional way - and give the O'Neill clan an unforgettable summer of dreams-come-true in the process. Soon, Maddie is on the trip of a lifetime with her over-the-top family. As they travel the globe, Maddie bonds with other passengers and falls for Enzo, who is processing his own grief. But despite the laughter, headiness of first love, and excitement of glamorous destinations, Maddie knows she is on the brink of losing Gram. She struggles to find the strength to say good-bye in a whirlwind summer shaped by love, loss, and the power of forgiveness.

The Loose Ends List

"An eighth grader starts a podcast to protest the unfair dress code enforcement at her middle school and sparks a rebellion"--

Dress Coded

Five teens embark on a summer of vigilante good samaritanism in a novel that's part The Breakfast Club, part The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, and utterly captivating. Rising high school senior Sadie is bracing herself for a long, lonely, and boring summer. But things take an unexpected turn when she steps in to help rescue a baby in distress and a video of her good deed goes viral. Suddenly internet-famous, Sadie's summer changes for the better when she's introduced to other "hometown heroes." These five very different teens form an unlikely alliance to secretly right local wrongs, but when they try to help a heroin-using friend, they get in over their heads and discover that there might be truth in the saying "no good deed goes unpunished." Can Sadie and her new friends make it through the summer with their friendships--and anonymity--intact? This rich and thought-provoking novel takes on timely issues and timeless experiences with a winning combination of romance, humor, and wisdom.

The Unlikelies

First Rule of Climate Club

Maddies To-Do Liste vor dem College ist endlos. Erst als sie erfährt, dass ihre geliebte Grandma Astrid sterben wird, kommt alles zum Stillstand. Aber Astrid wäre nicht Astrid, wenn sie nicht mit einem großen Knall aus dem Leben gehen wollte, und sie lädt prompt die gesamte Patchworkfamilie zu einer Kreuzfahrt-Weltreise ein. Doch die Wishwell ist kein normales Schiff und ihre Passagiere keine Pauschaltouristen. Und Maddie bleibt genau ein Sommer, um zu lernen, wie man einem geliebten Menschen für immer Lebwohl sagt.

Als wir unendlich wurden

Jetzt reden wir!

Girl Power!

In this middle-grade girl-power friendship story, perfect for fans of Moxie, an eighth grader starts a podcast to protest the unfair dress code enforcement at her middle school and sparks a rebellion. Now available in paperback! Molly Frost is FED UP... Because Olivia was yelled at for wearing a tank top. Because Liza got dress coded and Molly didn't, even though they were wearing the exact same outfit. Because when Jessica was pulled over by the principal and missed a math quiz, her teacher gave her an F. Because it's impossible to find shorts that are longer than her fingertips. Because girls' bodies are not a distraction. Because middle school is hard enough. And so Molly starts a podcast where girls can tell their stories, and before long, her small rebellion swells into a revolution. Because now the girls are standing up for what's right, and they're not backing down.

An eighth grader starts a podcast on climate activism and rallies her friends to create lasting change in their local community and beyond, in this companion to Dress Coded. When Mary Kate Murphy joins a special science pilot program focused on climate change, the class opens her eyes to lots of things she never noticed before about her small suburban town: Kids waste tons of food at school without a second thought. Parents leave their cars running in the pick-up lane all the time. People buy lots of clothes they don’t really need. Some of her friends who live in the city and are bused to her school don’t always feel included. And the mayor isn’t willing to listen to new ideas for fixing it all. Mary Kate and her friends have big plans to bring lasting change to their community and beyond. And now is the time for the young people to lead and the leaders to follow—or get out of the way.

The First Rule of Climate Club

An unlikely clique of teens embark on a summer of twitter fame, rebellious good deeds and desperate love in this thought-provoking second novel by the author of The Loose Ends List. After high school senior Sadie helps a baby in distress, she becomes an internet sensation and is introduced to other 'hometown heroes'. Despite all their differences, the five teens hatch passionate plans to secretly right local wrongs. But when they breach the boundaries of their world, they discover that there might be truth in the saying 'no good deed goes unpunished'. For fans of The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks and The Boy Most Likely, this novel combines humour, romance and wisdom while taking on timely issues including teen drug abuse, bullying, ethnic discrimination, and the importance of being kind and doing good. Praise for The Loose Ends List: 'A poignant and important story about compassion, love, and the decision to live life on your own terms - right up to the very last minute: all aboard' - Kirkus Reviews 'Fans of Jenny Downham's Before I Die or Jonathan Tropper's This Is Where I Leave You will enjoy this unique story about dying on one's own terms. Mentions of drinking, drugs, and sex make this title appropriate for older readers (...) With its fresh, original plot and thought-provoking themes, this title will have a high teen appeal.' - School Library Journal

Carrie Firestone

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