Social Pressure

Augie Boretski knows how to get by. If you're a scrawny loser in the destitute city of Camden, New Jersey, you keep your head down, avoid the drug dealers and thugs, and try your best to be invisible. Augie used to be good at that, but suddenly his life is changing....

Cheyenne is embarking on the end of her eighth-grade year and the only thing on her mind is being selected for the ninth-grade dance team. But in the midst of tryouts Cheyenne finds herself dealing with the painful reality that her ex-boyfriend, Brandon, is now dating her former best friend! So Cheyenne comes up with a plan to try and get back at Brandon but it backfires and she becomes the topic of vicious rumors swirling around the school. Will Cheyenne rise to the challenge of overcoming this hurtful time in her life or will she crumble under pressure?

Walking around in other people's heads can get messy... especially if those people are vampires. Learning that I have the powers to read vampires' minds might make me an invaluable part of the LIGHTS team, but it's a lot to swallow, especially now that I've moved to Kansas City full-time. I miss my friends, my parents, my old life, but I'm also excited about what's to come. Sometimes, it's hard for me to tell which of my sides is the true me--the hunter or the vampire--and it just takes one tricky hunt to get me all off kilter. Can I get myself back together again before my sister Cadence ...

April has always marched to the beat of her own drum, but would life be easier if she learned to fit in? Now that she's in Year 8, things have got even worse. She's much more likely to be trying to rescue an animal in need than worrying about who's dating who at school, which April just finds BORING. Plus, her lessons feel like they're in a foreign language, and it suddenly seems impossible to make it through the week without landing in detention. As family worries and classroom romances ramp up, it feels like everyone around her is pulling away - even her best friend Ben.

Eleven-year-old Norah lives in temporary accommodation, relies on foodbanks for dinner, and doesn't have a mum. But she's happy enough, as she has a dad, a pet mouse, a pet spider, and a whole zoo of rescued local wildlife to care for. Eleven-year-old Adam lives with his parents in a nice house with a big garden, a private tutor, and everything he could ever want. But his life isn't perfect. He's recovering from leukaemia, and questioning his dream of becoming a champion swimmer. When a nest of baby birds brings them together, Norah and Adam discover they're not so different after all.

A story about peer pressure and the importance of choosing ones' friends wisely.

Ever since she met him, everyone thought Baby Jaimie's first crush was Derek. Derek even thought so. That's why he asked her first-grade teacher, Mrs. Smith if he could come visit her. The day of the visit didn't go as planned. While Derek was introducing himself a new student, Jack, entered the room and stole everyone's attention. Especially Baby Jaimie's. For that reason, Derek took an instant disliking to the new kid. Baby Jaimie is forced to choose between Derek and Jack, and she doesn't know what to do.

This inclusive and empowering audiobook will explore what it means to be a boy and how to nurture positive traits and habits. It will be a celebration of everything 'boy' in all of its different shapes and forms, whilst tackling potentially harmful traditional narratives and stereotypes. We'll reflect on what it takes to be a kind, good and responsible boy in today's pressurised world. We'll look at everything from identity, gender and sexuality, to feminism and allyship. We'll also look at friendships, relationships and consent.

Sticky Icky Vicky is a fun-loving girl who can’t get enough of playing in the mud and dirt. That is, until she is teased for being dirty. Suddenly, Vicky finds herself withdrawing from friends and mud play altogether. When she learns about the upcoming International Mud Day, Vicky wants nothing more than to get in on the mud-tastic fun. But will Vicky find the courage to ignore the Negative Ned voice in her head and value herself over the opinions of others?

Take That, You Scaredy-Cat! is the first book by actor/writer Byron Marc Newsome. In this 6,800-word story, kids will learn important lessons about how to stand up for themselves and how to overcome the bullies in their lives. The main character is Jay, a short but very smart African American kid who has been bullied at his last school and now has to start a new school.

En una casa fantasmal en lo más profundo de las montañas de Transilvania vive Nicu, un vampiro que no tiene colmillos. ¡Sí, eso es, no tiene colmillos! Sus amigos le toman el pelo, su hermano mayor se burla de él y sus padres casi lo repudian. Nicu hará todo lo posible para conseguir sus colmillos y vencer a los que lo acosan.

Midnight on Fireworks Island is Shawshank Redemption, Do The Right Thing and It's a Wonderful Life for middle grade kids. Midnight on Fireworks Island is a hilarious yet deep and compelling tale. It starts simple and funny but when you finish the last chapter your life has changed. This book is Shawshank Redemption in that it is a story of an unbreakable friendship that develops in a dangerous prison/correctional academy. The boys are sent to Rockweiler Correctional Academy, a facility for boys under 18 and too young for the traditional prison system.

"You're a boy!" the kids exclaim. "You can't play with a doll." But Travis has lots of confidence and little regard for social norms. There are so many things to like in the world. Why should there be limits that keep him from enjoying those things? "I am who I am! There's no boy or girl line. In sports or in dress-up, I'll sparkle and shine." Dresses and armor one day, ballet and basketball the next. Travis sets no limits on what he enjoys doing. But when some of the kids on the playground begin to pick on him, will Travis dull his shine or decide to truly dazzle?

In a world where kindness triumphs over cruelty, prepare to be inspired by the incredible journey of Annie, a little girl who faces teasing and bullying at school. Get ready to join her as she discovers the remarkable strength within, guided by a loving friend, Miss Pearl, who will change her life forever. Annie's Flutterflies is an endearing tale that will empower your young ones to conquer their challenges and believe in their true potential.

Ollie has hidden their most worrisome secret away from all of their friends, but one day it comes out of the closet. This heartwarming story is about Ollie, and just like most kids, they desperately want to fit in with their friends, but Ollie has a secret, something their friends say that they don’t like, and it is making Ollie anxious. So like most kids, Ollie has hidden the secret away, some place where no one is supposed to find it. But one day, that secret comes out of the closet.

The Little Book, Jody Bill is a story about a young penguin that wants to fly south for the winter just like all the other birds do. As hard as Jody tries to fly, he just can't get off the ground. He asks this question, "Why can't I fly? I have wings and feathers just like all the other birds." Jody then seeks the wisdom of his mother. Mrs. Bill says to Jody that he should be patient and wait a year. Being patient is very hard for most of us. One year seems like forever, but all of Jody's love, caring, kindness, and patience will be worth it.

Eleven-year-old Kieran wants to be part of the in-group at school. He wants to be on the soccer team. He wants to fit in. But then his weird cousin Bon turns up, both at school and at home. Bon's mom hasn't taken good care of him, and he knows nothing about fitting in, with his long blond braid, babyish hand-knit hat, and funny, precise voice. Bon doesn't play sports and likes to draw imaginary maps with stories about "Bon the Crusader" and "Kieran the Brave." No wonder the boys call him Rapunzel and throw his stuff around!

Angeline could read before she was old enough to turn the pages of a book, and she mastered the piano without a single lesson. But being so clever doesn't make life easy for Angeline. Mean kids at school call her a 'genius freak', and her dad seems a bit worried about how to look after her. It is not until she makes friends with a boy who tells the best jokes, and a teacher who loves tropical fish, that things start to get better in some surprising ways for Angeline.

Teased by their friends that "No one will ever know", Johnny and Janie ignore their parents' warnings about the big, bad wolf. Wanting big, delicious acorns, they lie to their parents and sneak out one night to Mr. Smith's farm. Their delightful meal suddenly ends by being chased by a very hungry wolf.

So you think your mom is embarrassing? You won’t after you meet mine. She’s the co-host of a morning television show and her host chat has covered everything I’ve done from puking on my piano teacher’s shoes to gluing antlers on my head. But I’ve got the microphone now and I’m doing weekly commentaries on my school’s broadcast/podcast. Don’t get me wrong - mom’s awesome, and I’d never really want to freak her out. But if viewers get to hear about my private life, why can’t I dish about Mom’s new boyfriend, or how dorky she is as a school volunteer?