stepfathers

While his life seems perfectly good as it is, Cardell, a young coyote, learns to tolerate--and even like--the coyote that is courting his mother.

"The signs are everywhere, acccording to Jory's stepfather, Caleb. The end is coming, and they must be prepared. School is Jory's only escape from Caleb's tight grasp, and with the help of new friends, he begins to explore a world beyond his family's desert ranch"--Provided by publisher.

The seven stories in this thoughtful, humorous collection focus on boys' experiences of growing up - from being asked to a dance to interviewing a potential stepfather.

Eleven-year-old Jory's stepfather Caleb forces the family to carry out mysterious tasks, such as digging a tunnel behind their farmhouse, in preparation for a prophesied disaster. But as Jory begins to explore the world outside his restrictive household, he starts to question whether Caleb's prediction is real, or whether it is the product of a damaged mind.

Seventeen-year-old Raven Weathersby works as a seamstress creating stunning works of fashion that often rival the great names of the day. Her stepfather's drinking puts him in debt to a wealthy heir, Raven reluctantly accepts Gideon Maddox's solution to paying off her stepfather's debt.

Henry "Biggie" Abbott has hidden behind his weight for years, and although he is the son and stepson of two of Finch, Minnesota's most famous athletes, he prefers academic success until the girl of his dreams suggests he join the baseball team, and, with his stepbrother's help, he discovers he is a great pitcher.

Seventeen-year-old Cassie, trying to deal with life in the household of her eccentric, paranoid stepfather, Dino, a genius composer and violin player, makes matters even worse when she begins dating Dino's student, a violin prodigy who does not need anything to distract him from practicing for an important audition.

After his parents divorce, high school junior Vinnie Gold moves to Long Island with his mother and new stepfather and must negotiate a secret crush and a rather complicated connection with the popular girl next door.

Twelve-year-old Josh Landis has a chance to use some of the knowledge he has gained since moving to the High Sierras with his mother and stepfather, a park ranger, when he helps look for the person who has been setting rusty old traps and wounding animals.