Wendy S. Swore

Convinced that if she looks like a monster on the outside (a blood tumor covers half of her face), she must be a monster on the inside as well, Sophie tries to find a cure before her mother finds out the truth.

A Monster Like Me

Twelve-year-old Alexis was born in Hawaii and loves exploring her island paradise, but she's afraid of the ocean, actually--afraid of the various creatures who live in it. She still remembers the day a viper moray eel, looking like a monster, startled her when it popped out of a coral reef. When she tried to swim away, she got caught in a riptide until her dad rescued her. Now, even when her friends are surfing and swimming in the ocean, Alex watches from the beach. Alex's mom works as a civilian contractor for the Navy. Alex thinks it's cool that her mom works in intelligence on a submarine, but her job requires her to be away from home a lot. When she's gone, she leaves codes and puzzles for her daughter and friends to solve, including a small prize. A special birthday puzzle has a new twist--it leads Alex to visit their grumpy older neighbor whom everyone calls Uncle Tanaka, a retired marine biologist. Knowing her mom is away on an assignment, Uncle Tanaka reluctantly allows Alex to tag along as he and his enormous dog, Sarge, collect marine samples. Sarge isn't the only creature devoted to Uncle Tanaka. A deformed sea turtle that Uncle Tanaka rescued returns to his beach each day, but Alex is leery of it and any other creature hiding beneath the waves. Uncle Tanaka assures her that sea turtles are gentle animals and are ancient symbols of wisdom and good luck. When Uncle Tanaka's Parkinson's disease acts up, making it hard for him to put the stoppers in his specimen vials, Alex is a pair of steady hands ready to assist. She's starting to believe that maybe old Uncle Tanaka isn't as grumpy as everyone says. Alex's courage is put to the test when Uncle Tanaka has a medical emergency and she finds him stranded in his small boat. Alex knows there's no one else around to help but her. To crack her mom's codes, she had to be smart and use her problem-solving skills. But now she'll need to be strong like the sea and overcome her very real fear of the ocean to help save her new friend.

Strong Like the Sea

Living on a small Idaho vegetable farm, Paige's family has faced tough times before, but a year after the loss of her father, her mom is overwhelmed by the financial challenges and reluctantly agrees to sell the farm. However, when a realtor pounds the "For Sale" sign into the family's front yard, the reality (and finality) of it is almost too much to bear. Paige is determined to do whatever it takes to save her father's farm, which has been in their family for generations. With the help of her little brother, her best friends, Matteo and Kimana, and, of course, her trusty farm dog, T-Rex, Paige believes she can use her "farm smarts," however sneaky, to try to stop the sale of the farm. She puts makeup on the cows so they look sickly to potential buyers, and she pranks the realtor by releasing a jar of grasshoppers in her car. Her efforts don't stop reality from setting in; her mother and grandfather just don't have enough money to keep the farm running and selling it is their only option. But who will be the new owners, and where will her family go? Paige finds a new appreciation for the land, animals, and even the barn she once took for granted. One day while roaming in the hay barn, Paige finds a peacock. She's fascinated by the beauty of the bird's plumage but discovers an injured wing among its fancy feathers. Since the bird cannot fly and return home, Paige is eager to nurture it back to health. Her book-smart brother helps her care for the bird and tells Paige that peacocks are symbols of luck, protection, and integrity in folklore and legends. Shortly after the exotic bird is discovered, a man dressed in a business suit shows up on the farm with his two children and claims ownership of the peacock. Paige is devastated by the prospect of yet another loss and, again, prepares to face an adversary. Paige is suspicious of him, especially because he's spending a lot time with her mom. But her first impressions are wrong and, like the peacock, his true colors show him in a positive light. He's a journalist looking for a good, human-interest story about their farming community and Paige sees a way to make the farm a solution that will help everyone. With all the changes and challenges she faces with her family, Paige learns that sometimes the idea of a home is less about place and more about the people you call a family and that asking for help isn't a sign of weakness, but an opportunity for working with others and building strength.

The Wish and the Peacock

There are trolls, goblins, and witches. Which kind of monster is Sophie? Sophie is a monster expert. Thanks to her Big Book of Monsters and her vivid imagination, Sophie can identify the monsters in her school and neighborhood. Clearly, the bullies are trolls and goblins. Her nice neighbor must be a good witch, and Sophie's new best friend is obviously a fairy. But what about Sophie? She's convinced she is definitely a monster because of the "monster mark" on her face. At least that's what she calls it. The doctors call it a blood tumor. Sophie tries to hide it but it covers almost half her face. And if she's a monster on the outside, then she must be a monster on the inside, too. Being the new kid at school is hard. Being called a monster is even harder. Sophie knows that it's only a matter of time before the other kids, the doctors, and even her mom figure it out. And then her mom will probably leave--just like her dad did. Because who would want to live with a real monster? Inspired by real events in the author's life, A Monster Like Me teaches the importance of believing in oneself, accepting change, and the power of friendship.

Wendy S. Swore

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