dysfunctional families

When eleven-year-old Hank's mother does not come home after a week, he and his toddler sister, Boo, seek out the stranger listed as their emergency contact, even though it means social workers, a new school, and having to answer questions about his mom that he has been trying to keep secret.

To free herself from her dysfunctional family in Kingston, Jamaica, and join her beloved aunt in Paris, 13-year-old Pumkin Patterson turns her passion for baking into a way to raise money for her French exam, but when word gets out, she stands to lose everything she's worked so hard for.

When a lost dog helps Laura find a way home to her family, they discover family in each other along the way.

"Roy Perkins struggles in high school and has three strikes agains him. He never knew his dad. His mom died in a meth-lab explosion. And his alcoholic uncle beats him. He is sent to live with a caring foster family. But the challenges continue"--Back cover.

Recently transitioned and starting a new school, Phoebe is taken under the wing of Mackenzie Ishikawa, the envy of all girls, who shows her the value of being true to herself instead of who everyone expects her to be.

"A nonfiction guide for teens to better communication with difficult parents"--Provided by publisher.

When a lost dog helps Laura find a way home to her family, they discover family in each other along the way.

From failed football tryouts to helping the new Syrian refugee student, seventh-grader Kareem attempts to navigate the social complexities of seventh grade, which are further complicated when his mother is unable to return home from Syria due to an executive order.

Poverty-stricken Joseph bravely rides out all the storms life keeps throwing at him.

Told in alternating voices, determined to make a difference and heal from their troubled pasts, teens Ana and Leandro fight to protect California wildlife and the endangered puma.