Books with author Susan Beth Pfeffer

The heart-wrenching companion to the bestselling novels Life As We Knew It and The Dead & The Gone.It’s been a year since a meteor collided with the moon, catastrophically altering the earth’s climate. Miranda and her two brothers spend their days scavenging for food and household items, while their mother stays at home and desperately tries to hold on to the ordinary activities of their previous life. But they all know that nothing is truly normal in this surreal new world they live in. The struggle to survive intensifies when Miranda’s father and stepmother arrive with a baby and three strangers in tow. One of the newcomers is Alex Morales, and as Miranda’s complicated feelings for him turn to love, his plans for his future thwart their relationship. Then a devastating tornado hits the town of Howell, and Miranda makes a decision that will change their lives forever.

“The right thing never just happens; you have to make it happen.” Morgan knows her parents left her in boarding school so they could travel the world, which is why hardly anything changes when they’re killed in an accident during her freshman year at Fairfield. But every orphan needs a guardian, and Morgan’s is her uncle Tom, a famous and somewhat eccentric author. Tom’s New York City apartment has plenty of space for Morgan, and her room is the nicest one she’s ever seen, but her uncle, uncomfortable suddenly raising a fourteen-year-old girl, seems distant and preoccupied. Alone in an unfamiliar world, Morgan imagines what her school roommate, the popular and sarcastic Trinck, would think of everything. Would she approve of Morgan’s newly discovered love of reading or the friends she makes in New York? Slowly, Morgan makes a place for herself that is all her own and reflects on the person she is becoming—whether Trinck would like it or not.

Thea would do anything to make the people she loves happy . . . but how much can she give away and still be herself? The Sebastians have a tradition of falling in love at sixteen, and Thea is ready for it to happen to her, but so far she hasn’t met anyone except the moving-van driver who deposited her and her family in their new home. As the sisters and their untraditional parents, Nicky and Megs, unpack yet again, Thea dreams of whispers, longing glances, and romance. But what she gets is a volunteer job at the local hospital. Thea figures she’ll be fluffing pillows, playing with children, and reading books aloud, and it will help Nicky’s chances of striking a business deal with community leaders. So she doesn’t mind when she’s matched up with Gina, a young leukemia patient. She minds even less when she meets Gina’s big brother, Kip. Kip is devoted to his sister, and he and Thea are quickly drawn together by their fight for Gina’s health and happiness. But their alliance is soon tested by illness, family, and a tragedy in Thea’s life—one that will make demands of her heart that she never expected.

Each of the girls has a choice to make about the beautiful brooch.Meg's Christmas Dream: Meg would gladly exchange it for a gift for her father....Jo's Christmas Dream: Jo behaves like a total scrooge and must learn the true spirit of Christmas.Beth's Christmas Dream: Beth discovers what her sisters' and parents' lives would have been like without her.Amy's Christmas Dream: Always happy to receive presents, Amy surprises everyone when she bestows a gift to a poor little girl.This quartet of Christmas stories captures the joyful spirit of the holiday season.

When Claire fears her family might be falling apart, she knows she’ll have to fight her own battles—and she plans to win Always the beauty of the family and often the most ambitious, Claire Sebastian doesn’t feel sixteen, and she doesn’t dream of romance—she dreams of diamonds. Diamonds and emeralds and anything else that will pay for the best doctors to treat her sister Sybil, now an invalid after a terrible accident. Claire knows that her cheekbones and charm are her best assets, but she’ll also need a shrewd strategy if she’s going to save her family from their financial troubles. And she’s on her own: Her parents, Nicky and Megs, are completely wrapped up in Sybil’s recovery, and Claire’s sisters just aren’t as ruthless as she is. A visit with Aunt Grace and a chance look at an old photograph give Claire the ammunition she needs to pull off her plan. But as it starts to unfold, she realizes that people are going to get hurt . . . and one of them may be her.

Blood can both wound and heal . . .Willa is lucky: She has a loving blended family that gets along. Not all families are so fortunate. But when a bloody crime takes place hundreds of miles away, it has an explosive effect on Willa’s peaceful life. The estranged father she hardly remembers has murdered his new wife and children, and is headed east toward Willa and her mother. Under police protection, Willa discovers that her mother has harbored secrets that are threatening to boil over. Has everything Willa believed about herself been a lie? But as Willa sets out to untangle the mysteries of her past, she also keeps her own secret—one that has the potential to tear apart all she holds dear.

People think Annie can handle anything, and she can—but only because the alternative is worse Annie’s summer in New York City was every teenager’s dream. Being chosen as a summer intern at Image magazine meant the chance to work on real articles during the day and enjoy the independence and excitement of city life outside office hours. But now, going back to her high school routine feels like punishment—especially when the promised editorial job at the school paper doesn’t work out the way she planned. Annie knows she’s ready for bigger challenges, but it feels like every time she keeps her calm and saves the day, she gets punished for her own success. Suddenly she’s tired of being the boring old dependable honor student that everyone thinks is getting along just fine. Annie tells her mom she has a right to get angry sometimes, and at first it does feel good to tell people what she really thinks. But can Annie keep her job, her boyfriend, and her family close when getting mad turns into getting even?

Always the youngest but never the baby, Sibyl sometimes wonders, What good is inner strength if only you know it’s there? Sybil loves Aunt Grace’s dark, old house, even if the upkeep is a burden the Sebastians can’t entirely afford. It feels like home, and after years of surgeries and therapy, all Sybil wants for her sixteenth birthday is to be surrounded by her crazy family in a place of their own. But Evvie’s been keeping a secret, one that puts her at risk, and when the truth finally comes out, it throws the whole family into turmoil as they struggle to face the facts. Sybil may not have Evvie’s charm, Thea’s patience, or Claire’s beauty, but she does have herself: quiet, perceptive, and absolutely determined. When her father, Nicky, declares that he’s found a solution to their troubles, Sybil faces a difficult choice—and her heart tells her there are some betrayals that can never be forgiven.

The first book in Susan Beth Pfeffer’s Make Me a Star series introduces six teenagers, each waiting for that first big break Open call! Now casting for brand-new prime time series. No experience necessary. Tenth grader Miranda Newgate is visiting Los Angeles on spring break when her cousin hears about a casting call for extras on a new TV series. Miranda goes to the audition, but ends up reading for a bigger part. Then it’s back to Massachusetts, to term papers and biology projects while waiting for the call that could change her life. Stage star Molly O’Malley is a serious actress. But she could sure use the exposure from a network show that will be seen from coast to coast. Alison Blake is Miss Young America, but that doesn’t give her a free pass. She has to work harder than anyone else to prove she isn’t just another pretty face. Former child star T. J. Tyler is ready for his comeback. He needs the leading role to show the world he wasn’t washed up at eleven. Rafe Marquez has no acting experience. But he’s hot and hunky and goes after what he wants—and he wants to make it big. Bill Douglas has been on so many TV shows, this one should be a breeze. But in this business, you never know. Who will make the final cut and rise to stardom on Hard Time High?

After her father moves away, Laurie sends her love by mail The scariest thing Laurie has ever seen is a half-empty house, which she discovered the day her dad moved away. The divorce was a long time coming, but that didn’t make it hurt any less. To stay in touch with her father, Laurie’s mom forces her to write him a letter each week, keeping him updated on everything from quizzes and tests to parties and boys. At first, the letters are a chore, a painful reminder that Dad isn’t around anymore, but with every stamp she licks, Laurie finds herself growing up just a little bit more. This remarkable novel, told entirely through Laurie’s letters to her father, is a powerful story of divorce and renewal that proves it’s not impossible to love someone from afar.

Robin doesn’t want to be perfect, but it would be nice to be more than perfectly average Robin can’t believe it: Out of the thousands of girls who applied for the Image magazine summer internships, she’s one of only four winners who will be spending the summer in New York City. Robin knows she’ll be working hard at the popular teen magazine, but she hopes there will be plenty of time for shopping, eating out, and living the fabulous life. Her excitement is only a little dulled when she hears her cousin Annie got one of the other spots. Robin and Annie used to be close, but now that their mothers compare them to each other all the time, both girls feel like they can’t win. So when they meet at their hotel, the cousins agree: All they want is to be themselves and have a perfect summer. Along with their roommates, Ashley and Torey, Robin and Annie dive into their new responsibilities—and into the parties, makeovers, and social lives they’ve always dreamed of. But while their friendships are getting stronger, life in the public eye is harder than it looks, and all four girls know that only one intern can be chosen for the cover of the special Image issue. Will Robin’s dream of the perfect summer survive reality?