Books in Real Life series

From bestselling author Nancy Rue comes a YA contemporary novel that combines coming-of-age drama with a rom-com series of adventures as one girl deals with her complicated family and first love. Jesse Hatcher is used to keeping everything together—from trying to manage her thoughts amidst her ADHD to helping her mom through bipolar “phases” and keeping the reality of the highs and lows—and their living situation—a secret. But when her supposedly dead father, Lou, appears and her mother becomes suicidal, her taped-together life comes undone.Soon Jesse is placed in Lou’s temporary custody, where she has everything but control. As she works her Dad-mandated job learning to make sushi with a chef intent on torturing her, she concocts a plan to get back to her real home. But then a cute boy named Rocky and the thrill of riding his motorcycle complicate things, and the book she found seems to have all the answers she doesn’t want to hear. Torn between what her mom wants and a life she might actually enjoy, Jesse is forced to make a crazy decision.Motorcycles, Burritos & One Strange Book:features a vibrant and witty protagonist dealing with the realities of a divided family and mental illnessis a Christy award-winning novel that explores the ideas of self-worth and empowermentprovides an inspirational message for those dealing with tough circumstancesis the first book in the Real Life series

Get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of what it takes to change the world in this comprehensive biography that tells the complete life story of internationally renowned peacemaker Nelson Mandela.Civil rights activist. World leader. Philanthropist. Writer. Throughout his life, Nelson Mandela took on many roles, all in the pursuit of peace. Born in 1918 in South Africa, he grew up in a culture of government-enforced racism and became involved in the anti-apartheid movement at a young age. Deeply committed to nonviolent activism, Mandela directed a peaceful campaign against the racist policies of his South African government, and spent twenty-seven years in prison as a result. In the years following his emergence as a free man, he continued his efforts to dismantle the country’s apartheid system and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize alongside South African President F.W. de Klerk. In 1994 he was inaugurated as South Africa’s first black president and served until his retirement from active politics in 1999 at the age of eighty-one. He continued to promote global peace until his death in 2013, and his legacy lives on. From Nelson Mandela’s childhood to his monumental impact on race relations and nonviolent activism, this comprehensive biography shares the truth about the man behind the iconic smile: his struggles, his triumphs, and the sacrifices he made along the way.

Sally Ride was more than the first woman in space—she was a real-life explorer and adventurer whose life story is a true inspiration for all those who dream big.Most people know Sally Ride as the first American female astronaut to travel in space. But in her lifetime she was also a nationally ranked tennis player, a physicist who enjoyed reading Shakespeare, a university professor, and the founder of a company that helped inspire girls and young women to pursue careers in science and math. Posthumously, she was a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. From Sally Ride’s youth to her many groundbreaking achievements in space and beyond, Sue Macy’s riveting biography tells the story of not only a pioneering astronaut, but a leader and explorer whose life, as President Barack Obama said, “demonstrates that the sky is no limit for those who dream of reaching for the stars.”

Learn all about the life of the 44th President of the United States in this updated biography of Barack Obama, specially written for a younger audience.University Professor. Nobel Peace Prize Winner. First African American President of the United States. President Obama was born on August 4, 1961, in Honolulu, Hawaii. With relatives in Kenya, Ireland, Indonesia, and Kansas, President Obama has referred to his family as “a mini–United Nations.” He attended college on both coasts, first at Occidental in California, then at Columbia in New York City. After graduating from Harvard Law School, he practiced and taught law in Chicago. In 2005 Barack started his political career when he became the senator for Illinois. President Obama was inaugurated on January 20, 2009. His many efforts in the first 100 days of his presidency earned him a Nobel Peace Prize and, in 2012, he was reelected for a second term. Originally published in 2012, this revised biography of the 44th President of the United States includes eight pages of photos as well as a timeline and index.

From bestselling author Nancy Rue comes a YA contemporary novel where prom season takes on a deeper meaning, as a girl nominated for prom queen as a joke decides to use the opportunity as a way to empower her fellow classmates. And ends up questioning her self-perceptions in the process.For Tyler Bonning, not caring what others think is her super power. As is her ability to find the perfect, cutting response. All she needs to be happy is her group of equally smart and quirky friends and high grades to get into a good college. Then she’s nominated for prom queen as a joke.Deciding to make the most of the opportunity—and mask her pain—Tyler starts a Prom for Everyone campaign intended help make the event more affordable. In the process, she discovers the way she’s perceived by her classmates—as well as her supposedly close friends—may actually be more important than she thought. And she doesn’t like the person they perceive her to be. With her parents pressuring her to focus on the racial issues at school instead of a frivolous cause, and a growing closeness to a boy who represents everything she once mocked, Tyler questions who she really wants to be. And as prom approaches, she faces her biggest challenge yet. One she can’t handle on her own.Limos, Lattes & My Life on the Fringe:features a diverse main protagonistfocuses on the ideas of self and identity, and what we let define and divide usprovides an inspirational message for those dealing with tough circumstancesis the final book in the Real Life series, but can also be read as a stand-alone novel