Children’s / Teenage fiction: School stories

Book SynopsisIn Laguna Beach, California, sixteen-year-old Kendra Dimes is preparing for the 2010 USA Surfing Prime West. She’ll be competing this year in honor of her brother, who was a surfer too, but who died from a drug overdose. Kendra has suffered anxiety attacks ever since her brother’s death, and surfing is what’s been helping her heal. Brock Parker is the new bad boy at school; he deals drugs to the high school clientele for his parents, who work for a Mexican drug lord. Though Brock and Kendra come from two different worlds, sparks fly when they meet at the homecoming dance—their attraction is magnetic. When they start a game of 21 Questions one night, they begin to learn more about each other—and, surprisingly, about themselves too. But some questions aren’t answered with the whole truth; after all, Brock can’t tell Kendra what his parents do for a living. As Kendra and Brock experience all of life’s most exciting firsts, they prove that even when life throws you the perfect storm, you can make it through and come out stronger than before. 21 Questions is a coming-of-age journey packed with passion and heartbreak, risk and romance.Trade Review“Rizik is the new queen of writing bad boys!” —Simone Elkeles, New York Times and USA Today best-selling author “Rizik’s coming-of-age story brings everything you want in a young adult novel: first love, first heartbreak, and all the growing pains along the way.” —Jennifer Millikin, author of Our Finest Hour and The Lifetime of a Second “Along the way, readers get a clear view of how their decisions have affected their lives and forced them to mature. An often engaging story of two teens’ emotional highs and lows.” —Kirkus Reviews

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Book SynopsisIf I wanted the lead role, Valentina had to go. A contemporary Ballet Shoes set in an elite dance academy, this compelling coming-of-age novel is all about overcoming pressure, standing up for yourself and the joy of ballet! The perfect gift for all young dancers. Amelia is a ballerina on the rise she''s talented, dedicated and set to star in the lead role of the annual production. But when Valentina arrives from Italy and joins the ballet academy, the competition gets fierce. Can Amelia outshine Valentina and keep her place in the spotlight?

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