Becca thought her life was over when her father was sent to prison for embezzlement. It didn’t help that he used her as his excuse: “How else is a guy like me supposed to send his daughter to college?” After the trial, she and her mother fled town, started over in a new place, and vowed to never let anyone know who they really are.
Now, four years later, Becca is starting her senior year of high school, and thinks she might be ready to shed some of the secrecy. It seems like she might have to do that to apply for college and college scholarships and financial aid. But what if she and her mother were escaping more than just shame when they ran away? And what if Becca has already revealed enough of the truth to put them both in danger?
“The disastrous turns that Becca’s senior year takes will rivet readers and perhaps even alleviate some stress about their own (presumably scandal-free) application processes.”
—Publishers Weekly
When Kira agrees to let her friends hypnotize her at a slumber party, she has no idea that she will reveal secrets even she didn’t know she had–memories of fleeing a war-torn country with her mother, understanding a language she can’t identify. Then her mother disappears, and a woman calling herself Aunt Memory takes Kira to Crythe, a place that doesn’t officially exist, in order to rescue her mother–or so Kira thinks.
She soon learns that there are memories locked in her mind that place her and her mother in grave danger, but those memories are also the only thing that might save them. Escape from Memory imagines a culture that values its memories above everything else–and a teen who has to make the most important decision of her life.
“Haddix nimbly balances a fascinating examination of the significance of memory with an exciting, fantastical adventure story.”
—Booklist
As Bethany approaches her 13th birthday, her parents begin acting more oddly than usual: Her mother cries constantly, and her father barely lets Bethany out of his sight. Then one morning he hustles the entire family into the car, drives across several state lines–and leaves Bethany with an aunt she never knew existed. Bethany has no idea what’s going on. She’s worried that her mom and dad are running from some kind of trouble, but she can’t find out because they won’t tell her where they are going.
Bethany’s only clue is a few words she overheard her father tell her Aunt Myrlie: “She doesn’t know anything about Elizabeth.” But Aunt Myrlie won’t tell Bethany who Elizabeth is, and she won’t explain why people in her small town react to Bethany as if they’ve seen a ghost. The mystery intensifies when Bethany gets a package from her father containing four different birth certificates from four states, with four different last names–and thousands of dollars in cash. And when a strange man shows up asking questions, Bethany realizes: She’s not the only one who’s desperate to unravel the secrets of her past.
“A twisting plot and spine-tingling creepiness.”
—VOYA
“This quick, engaging read is a good choice for reluctant readers.”
—School Library Journal
Everyone has to keep a journal in Mrs. Dunphrey’s English class, but the teacher has promised she won’t read any entry marked “Do not read this.” It’s the kind of assignment Tish Bonner, one of the girls with big hair who sit in the back row, usually wouldn’t take very seriously. But right now, Tish desperately needs someone to talk to, even if it’s only a notebook she doesn’t dare let anyone read.
As Tish’s life spins out of control, the entries in her journal become more and more private…and dangerous. Is she risking everything that matters to her by putting the truth on paper? And is she risking more by keeping silent?
“A brief, gritty documentary novel, this will be a natural for reluctant readers and could also be used for readers’ theater.”
—Booklist
“The peeking-into-a-life appeal of the journal format combined with the realism of Tish’s plight will satisfy readers looking for high drama with a gritty edge.”
—Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
It was a talent that came out of nowhere. One day, Lindsay Scott was on the top of the world, the child star of a hit TV show. The next day her fame had turned into torture. Every time anyone said anything about her, anywhere in the world, she heard it: praise, criticism, back-stabbing… Lindsay had what looked like a nervous breakdown and vanished from the public eye. Now she’s sixteen, and a tabloid newspaper claims that her own father is holding her hostage. The truth is much stranger, but that tabloid article sets off a chain of events that forces Lindsay to finally confront who she really is.
“Haddix’s characters are, as usual, superbly drawn, and Lindsay’s struggle to shape her identity independent of what others think of her will surely resonate with many young readers.”
— The Bulletin of the Center of Children’s Books
Connect with Margaret: