New Releases by Sharon M. Draper

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Sharon M. Draper comes a debut picture book about a timid little ballerina who learns that the show must go on—and will—with a little help from her friends. Bella loves ballet class and listens hard to the music so she can tippy-toe turn, point, and plié in perfect time. When Madame announces a recital, Bella is determined to do her best. But when she tries to stretch up to leap lightly like a cloud, she wobbles and almost topples—luckily, a friend catches her. Now, Bella’s nervous; maybe she can’t do this like she thought she could. On recital day, when the curtain goes up and the dancers get in position, Bella freezes. Can she find her courage in time to take the stage?

Perfect for fans of R.J. Palacio’s Wonder, the New York Times bestselling Out of My Mind series follows a girl with cerebral palsy who fights to be heard—all three books are now together in a collectible hardcover boxed set. Eleven-year-old Melody is not like most people. She can’t walk. She can’t talk. She can’t write. All because she has cerebral palsy. But she also has a photographic memory; she can remember every detail of everything she has ever experienced. She’s the smartest kid in her whole school, but NO ONE knows it. Most people—her teachers, her doctors, her classmates—dismiss her as mentally challenged because she can’t tell them otherwise. But Melody refuses to be defined by her disability. And she’s determined to let everyone know it…somehow. This captivating hardcover boxed set includes the bestsellers: Out of My Mind Out of My Heart Out of My Dreams

Melody flies to London to speak at a convention about differently abled kids in this stunning sequel to the acclaimed, New York Times bestselling middle grade novels Out of My Mind and Out of My Heart. When Melody saves an elderly back-in-the-day actress’s life, the woman is so grateful—and impressed by Melody—that she nominates Melody to be a US spokesperson at an international symposium for kids with different abilities. To Melody’s utter shock and delight, she and two friends of her choice are chosen to participate—and this year’s symposium is in England! Melody finally gets to fly on an airplane, and even the airline’s somewhat clumsy handling of her wheelchair can’t dampen her excitement to be in London. There, Melody meets kids from all over the world who are rallying for greater accessibility and more thoughtful planning on how to make the world more equal for every kid, no matter the unusual challenges they face. As Melody’s time to speak approaches, she hopes she can find a way to make every word count and make an impact.

Because she loves horses but is scared of them, Melody wants to conquer her fears, so she hopes a summer camp will be the place to welcome someone with cerebral palsy who wants to learn to ride.

Melody è l''alunna più intelligente della scuola. Però nessuno lo sa. Quasi tutti, compresi i suoi insegnanti e i medici, ritengono che lei non abbia alcuna capacità di apprendimento. Se solo potesse dire che cosa pensa... Perché Melody non può comunicare. Non può camminare. Non può scrivere. Finché un giorno, a undici anni, scopre qualcosa che potrebbe permetterle di parlare. E con le parole potrà volare.

Striving Readers

A biracial girl of divorced parents must navigate two different homes—and the dangers outside them—in this “timely but genuine” novel (Publishers Weekly). For eleven-year-old Isabella, splitting her time between her parents’ homes feels like living two different lives. One week she’s Izzy, living in a modest house with her mom. The next week she’s Isabella, living with her dad in a fancy house where they are one of the only black families in the neighborhood. But Isabella is starting to realize that she’s not just switching between houses, nicknames, and backpacks. She’s also switching between identities. When her parents both get engaged at the same time, Isabella doesn’t just feel divided, she feels ripped in two. What does it mean to be half white or half black? To belong to half mom and half dad? And if you’re only seen as half of this and half of that, how can you ever feel whole? It seems like nothing can bring Isabella’s family together again—until the worst thing happens. Isabella and Darren are stopped by the police. A cell phone is mistaken for a gun. And shots are fired.

Sharon M. Draper presents “storytelling at its finest” (School Library Journal, starred review) in this New York Times bestselling Depression-era novel about a young girl who must learn to be brave in the face of violent prejudice when the Ku Klux Klan reappears in her segregated southern town. Stella lives in the segregated South—in Bumblebee, North Carolina, to be exact about it. Some stores she can go into. Some stores she can’t. Some folks are right pleasant. Others are a lot less so. To Stella, it sort of evens out, and heck, the Klan hasn’t bothered them for years. But one late night, later than she should ever be up, much less wandering around outside, Stella and her little brother see something they’re never supposed to see, something that is the first flicker of change to come, unwelcome change by any stretch of the imagination. As Stella’s community—her world—is upended, she decides to fight fire with fire. And she learns that ashes don’t necessarily signify an end.

"Draper offers an emotional tale about integrity, justice, and determination."-KLIATT

The death of high school basketball star Rob Washington in an automobile accident affects the lives of his close friend Andy, who was driving the car, and many others in the school.

Recovering from the recent suicide of her ex-boyfriend, senior class president Keisha Montgomery finds herself attracted to a dangerous, older man.

This gripping, chillingly realistic novel from New York Times bestselling author Sharon Draper, “by turns pulse-pounding and inspiring” (Kirkus Reviews), shows that all it takes is one bad decision for a dream to become a nightmare. Diamond knows not to get into a car with a stranger. But what if the stranger is well-dressed and handsome? On his way to meet his wife and daughter? And casting a movie that very night—a movie in need of a star dancer? What then? Then Diamond might make the wrong decision. It’s a nightmare come true: Diamond Landers has been kidnapped. She was at the mall with a friend, alone for only a few brief minutes—and now she’s being held captive, forced to endure horrors beyond what she ever could have dreamed, while her family and friends experience their own torments and wait desperately for any bit of news. From New York Times bestselling author Sharon Draper, this is a riveting exploration of power: how quickly we can lose it—and how we can take it back.

"Originally published as the series title Ziggy and the black dinosaurs."--Title page verso.

Copyright date 2006, published as #5 in the Ziggy and the Black Dinosaurs series.

A Time Best YA Book of All Time (2021) In this “searing work of historical fiction” (Booklist), Coretta Scott King Award-winning author Sharon M. Draper tells the epic story of a young girl torn from her African village, sold into slavery, and stripped of everything she has ever known—except hope. Amari''s life was once perfect. Engaged to the handsomest man in her tribe, adored by her family, and fortunate enough to live in a beautiful village, it never occurred to her that it could all be taken away in an instant. But that was what happened when her village was invaded by slave traders. Her family was brutally murdered as she was dragged away to a slave ship and sent to be sold in the Carolinas. There she was bought by a plantation owner and given to his son as a "birthday present". Now, survival is all Amari can dream about. As she struggles to hold on to her memories, she also begins to learn English and make friends with a white indentured servant named Molly. When an opportunity to escape presents itself, Amari and Molly seize it, fleeing South to the Spanish colony in Florida at Fort Mose. Along the way, their strength is tested like never before as they struggle against hunger, cold, wild animals, hurricanes, and people eager to turn them in for reward money. The hope of a new life is all that keeps them going, but Florida feels so far away and sometimes Amari wonders how far hopes and dreams can really take her.

In this fourth book of the classic chapter book series by award-winning author Sharon M. Draper, four boys who call themselves the Black Dinosaurs go to space camp! Ziggy and his friends can’t wait for space camp, where they’ll get to learn about weightlessness and how astronauts eat—and use the bathroom—in space! But Ziggy has another goal: he wants to meet some aliens. Purple, three-headed Martians, preferably, just like in his Mega Mighty Martian Blaster game. Once he gets to camp, Ziggy learns that real-life space travel is even more exciting than what he imagined. But when a mysterious, shiny stone appears, Ziggy can’t help but wonder if his dream of alien contact has just come true...

After their counselor told them a story about spirits in the woods near their campsite, Ziggy and his friends get lost in that very place.

Ziggy and the rest of the Black Dinosaurs are thrilled to find out that there is a tunnel under their school that was once used by the Underground Railroad, and decide to check it out.

In this reissue of a classic chapter book series by award-winning author Sharon M. Draper, four boys who call themselves the Black Dinosaurs, find themselves involved in exciting mysteries around their town. Ziggy and his friends Rico, Rashawn, and Jerome call themselves The Black Dinosaurs, and share exciting adventures. In The Buried Bones Mystery, the boys build a clubhouse in Ziggy''s backyard, where they uncover a box of bones while digging to bury their secret treasures. But when the boys try to hide their treasures, they''re swept up in a mystery more intriguing--and scary--than anything they could have imagined. Who could have buried a box of bones behind their clubhouse?

The flame of love burns bright in the second book of Sharon M. Draper’s award-winning Hazelwood High trilogy. When Gerald was a child he was fascinated by fire. But fire is dangerous and powerful, and tragedy strikes. His substance-addicted mother is taken from him. Then he loses the loving generosity of a favorite aunt, and a brutal stepfather with a flaming temper and an evil secret makes his life miserable. The one bright light in Gerald''s life is his little half sister, Angel, whom he struggles to protect from her father, who is abusing her. Somehow Gerald manages to finds success as a member of the Hazelwood Tigers basketball team, and Angel develops her talents as a dancer, despite the trouble that still haunts them. And Gerald learns, painfully, that young friends can die and old enemies must be faced. In the end he must stand up to his stepfather alone in a blazing confrontation. In this second book of the Hazelwood High trilogy, Sharon M. Draper has woven characters and events from Tears of a Tiger in an unflinchingly realistic portrayal of poverty and child abuse. It is an inspiring story of a young man who rises above the tragic circumstances of his life by drawing on the love and strength of family and friends.

A young girl who loves Double Dutch is caught in the crossfire of the secrets she, her best friend, and the school bullies are keeping in this emotional middle grade novel. Delia loves Double Dutch more than just about anything, and she’s really good at it—so good she and her teammates have a shot at winning the World Double Dutch Championships. Delia would die if she couldn’t jump—but she’s hiding something could keep her off the team next year. Delia’s friend Randy has a secret too, one that has him lonely and scared. And while Delia and Randy struggle to hide parts of themselves, their school is abuzz with rumors about what malicious mischief the terrible Tolliver twins—who just may have a hidden agenda of their own—are planning. Delia and Randy’s secrets collide on what should be the happiest day of Delia’s life, and the collision threatens to destroy their friendship. Why can’t life be as easy for Delia as Double Dutch?

Sixteen-year-old Jericho is awaiting initiation to the Warriors of Distinction, the oldest and most exclusive club in school—but how high a price will he have to pay to belong? Find out in this first novel in Sharon M. Draper’s Jericho Trilogy. When Jericho is invited to pledge for the Warriors of Distinction, he thinks his life can’t get any better. As the most exclusive club in school, the Warriors give the best parties, go out with the hottest girls, and great grades are a given. When Arielle, one of the finest girls in his class, starts coming on to him once the pledge announcements are made, Jericho is determined to do anything to become a member… But as the initiation week becomes progressively harrowing, Jericho is forced to make choices he’s not entirely comfortable with. And one member seems to have it in for the sole female pledge in the group…a pledge who will stop at nothing to show she can handle the pressure. But when is she being pushed too far, and when should Jericho and his friends step in and risk losing their places in the pledging process? As Jericho becomes increasingly uneasy, his cousin Joshua breezes through the initiation, never thinking of the consequences, even when the fine line between fun and games, and life and death is crossed.

Do you feel the soul of another calling to you? Do you know in your heart that your destiny and his wore meant to merge In the cosmos? We can help you find him. When Romiette Cappelle and her best friend, Destiny, decide to order The Scientific Soul Mate System from the back of Heavy Hunks magazine, they''re not sure what they''re getting into. But Destiny, a self-proclaimed psychic, assures Romi that for $44.99 plus shipping and handling, it''s the only way they''re ever going to find out who their soul mates really are. If nothing else, maybe Romi will get some insight into that recurring dream she''s been having about fire and water. But they never expect that the scented candle and tube of dream ointment will live up to their promises and merge Romiette''s destiny with that of Julio Montague, a boy she''s just met in the "cosmos" of an Internet chat room. It turns out they go to the same high school, not to mention having almost the same names as Shakespeare''s famous lovers! Sweet-scented dreams of Julio have almost overtaken Romi''s nightmares... ...when suddenly they return, but this time in real life. It seems the Devildogs, a local gang, violently oppose the relationship of Romiette and Julio. Soon they find themselves haunted by the purple-clad shadows of the gang, and the fire and water of Romiette''s dream merge in ways more terrifying -- and ultimately more affirming -- than even Destiny could have foreseen.

For the new teacher, Prestwick House''s extensive line of title-specific Teaching Units may serve as a starting point. For the experienced teacher, the Unit may serve as a point of departure. Our aim is to save you time and energy while alleviating the frustration.

Save both time and money with the downloadable version of Prestwick House Teaching Units! For the new teacher, Prestwick House''s extensive line of title-specific Teaching Units may serve as a starting point. For the experienced teacher, the Unit may serve as a point of departure. Our aim is to save you time and energy while alleviating the frustration.

When Ziggy, Jerome, Rashawn, and Rico enter the school''s talent contest, they are sure that they are going to win, until they meet a little girl with a big voice who not only has talent, but who needs the prize money even more than they do.

Jericho, November, Arielle, and their friends must step up big time to prevent a deadly school tragedy in this harrowing conclusion to Sharon M. Draper’s Jericho Trilogy. Arielle Gresham, disliked and mistrusted by most of the students at her school, has a secret past, an unbelievably complicated present, and a shaky future. But no one knows or cares because she has managed to alienate anyone who could help her. She tries to cope with problems at school, but difficulties at home almost break her spirit. Then, as the school tries to deal with an outbreak of false fire alarms and a series of thefts, and Arielle discovers that one classmate is addicted to prescription drugs and another is a victim on vicious online bullying. Outward appearances are seldom what they seem to be—everyone is dealing with something, it’s all a matter of how you deal with it, Arielle is figuring out. But one kid can’t, and as he starts to crack, could he take the school tumbling down with him? A hero is needed. But what makes a hero?

When November Nelson loses her boyfriend, Josh, to a pledge stunt gone horribly wrong, she thinks her life can''t possibly get any worse. But Josh left something behind that will change November''s life forever, and now she''s faced with the biggest decision she could ever imagine. How in the world will she tell her mom? And how will Josh''s parents take the news? She''s never needed a friend more. Jericho Prescott lost his best friend when he lost his cousin, Josh, and the pain is almost more than he can bear. His world becomes divided into "before" and "after" Josh''s death. He finds the only way he can escape the emptiness he feels is to quit doing the things that made him happy when his cousin was alive, such as playing his beloved trumpet, and take up football, where he hopes the physical pain will suppress the emotional. But will hiding behind shoulder pads really help? And will his gridiron obsession prevent him from being there for his cousin''s girlfriend when she needs him most? This sequel to The Battle of Jericho is a no-holds-barred look at what happens when life doesn''t go as planned, by the acclaimed author of the 2007 Coretta Scott King Award winner Copper Sun.