Books with author Susan Shreve

"None of us has control," says Alyssa Reed's father. Alyssa knows he's lying. Yes, her baby sister died. Stillborn. No one could control that. But her father moved their family to a new town, then moved out. Nobody made him. Her mother stays in bed and cries all day. She doesn't have to. Her grandmother Daisy G is too busy to help. That's her choice. No matter what the grown-ups say, they hold some power Alyssa doesn't have. So Alyssa decides to take control of her own life. Get new friends. Try out for cheerleader. Find some cool clothes-in her dad's girlfriend's suitcase. And pick a new name:BLISTER, a sore spot, a raw place no one can ignore.

An ALA Notable Book and PW Best Children's Book of 2001 winner with a resilient 10-year-old heroine whom readers will love... now in an After Words edition!Alyssa Reed's life is a mess. Her parents can't stop fighting. Her mother won't stop crying. Alyssa's father has decided to move the family to a new town, and to move himself to a separate apartment. Nobody gave Alyssa a choice.So Alyssa decides to take control. She renames herself Blister and starts fighting back in her own way. Blister will take on her new school with a new identity, a new wardrobe (stolen from her father's girlfriend), and a raw, new attitude that nobody can ignore. Not even the cheerleaders.Look out world -- here comes Blister!