Books with author Taylor Meskimen

Peyton, Sydney's charismatic older brother, has always been the star of the family, receiving the lion's share of their parents' attention and—lately—concern. When Peyton's increasingly reckless behavior culminates in an accident, a drunk driving conviction, and a jail sentence, Sydney is cast adrift, searching for her place in the family and the world. When everyone else is so worried about Peyton, is she the only one concerned about the victim of the accident?Enter the Chathams, a warm, chaotic family who run a pizza parlor, play bluegrass on weekends, and pitch in to care for their mother, who has multiple sclerosis. Here Sydney experiences unquestioning acceptance. And here she meets Mac, gentle, watchful, and protective, who makes Sydney feel seen, really seen, for the first time.The uber-popular Sarah Dessen explores her signature themes of family, self-discovery, and change in her twelfth novel, sure to delight her legions of fans.

In the future-fantasy world of RWBY, Rooster Teeth's hit animated webseries, teens train to become warriors. Join the fight in this epic official, original novel from EC Myers and RWBY's head writers! Trouble is brewing . . . After Beacon Academy fell, Coco, Fox, Velvet, and Yatsuhashi made a vow: No one else is getting left behind. It's been more than a year since Team CFVY saw their school destroyed by the creatures of Grimm, their friends felled in battle or scattered across the world of Remnant. Since then, they've been settling into life at Shade Academy in Vacuo, fighting hard to finish their training so they can find their friends and save their world. When a distress message comes into Shade, asking for huntsmen and huntresses to defend refugees from a never-ending stream of Grimm, Team CFVY answers the call without hesitation. But in the heat of the desert, they're forced to relive their former battles, both from the fall of Beacon and from everything that came before. Don't miss this exclusive original story straight from award-winning author E. C. Myers and RWBY's head writers, Kerry Shawcross and Miles Luna!

Being the new kid at school is hard, but Sophie has a secret weapon: her vivid imagination and her oversized, trusted Big Book of Monsters, an encyclopedia of myths and legends from all over the world. The pictures and descriptions of the creatures in her book help her know which kids to watch out for-clearly the bullies are trolls and goblins-as well as how to avoid them. Though not everyone is hiding a monster inside; the nice next-door neighbor is probably a good witch, and Sophie's new best friend is obviously a good fairy.Sophie is convinced she is a monster because of the monster mark on her face. At least that's what she calls it. The doctors call it a blood tumor, and it covers almost half of her face. Sophie can feel it pulsing with every beat of her heart. And if she's a monster on the outside, then she must be a monster on the inside, too. She knows that it's only a matter of time before the other kids, the doctors, and even her mom figure it out.The Big Book of Monsters gives Sophie the idea that there might be a cure for her monster mark, but in order to make the magic work, she'll need to create a special necklace made from ordinary items: a feather, a shell, and a crystal that Sophie believes are talismans. Once she's collected all the needed ingredients, she'll only have one chance to make a very special wish. If Sophie can't break the curse and become human again, her mom is probably going to leave just like Dad did. Because who would want to live with a real monster?

A teenager whose parents have separated tries to adapt to life at a boarding school and make a fresh start in a strange new place. After her mother runs off with her much-younger boyfriend, 14-year-old Flanders is shipped off to a boarding school in Virginia. On the train, she meets Carolyn Cardmaker, a preacher's daughter who will become her best friend. She also meets Ernestine Blue. Miss Blue is Flanders' faculty advisor at the Charles School, where each residence hall is named after a Charles Dickens novel. But Miss Blue's strict disciplinarian persona may be concealing a tragic past. As Flanders adjusts to life at school - which includes a deaf roommate and a terrifying blind date - she discovers surprising things about Miss Blue... and herself. A coming-of-age novel that transcends the ordinary in its perceptive, empathetic depiction of Flanders and the people in her life, Is That You, Miss Blue? takes us into a world where not everyone can be taken at face value - and where strangers can become unexpected friends.

Winner of four book awards—adult fiction and middle-grade/YA—Elizabeth’s Landing bridges risk and loss with hope and hearts in this compelling family and environmental saga.Port Winston, Texas—home to sun, sand, and shopping. What’s not to like? Everything to fourteen-year-old Elizabeth Barker. Port Winston is a far cry from small-town Missouri where Elizabeth used to be somebody and family meant something a whole lot different. Taunted at school as the newbie camera geek, Elizabeth’s given up trying to fit in. Between Mom’s journalism assignment in Mexico, Dad’s fourteen-hour workdays on top of weekends minding Grandpa and his shrimp boat, Elizabeth’s once close-knit family life is in shreds.And there’s Grandpa. Not just ornery, he’s got more judgments than the Old Testament. When he pronounces Elizabeth 10¢ shy of worthless and headed for trouble, she bolts for Wayward Landing beach—the county’s last wild haven. Her impulsive defense of an endangered, nesting sea turtle against a trio of bullies ignites new purpose, a challenging friendship, and troubles even Grandpa couldn’t predict.Elizabeth’s fight to save the Landing for the turtles unearths a long-buried family tragedy and unexpected ties to the Landing’s powerful developer. When the Deepwater Horizon oil slick threatens the sea turtles’ Louisiana feeding grounds, Elizabeth’s plans for Port Winston’s turtles and the Landing hit overdrive. But others are primed and waiting to hit back.