Washoe County Library System

A Brooklyn eighth-grader nicknamed Antsy befriends the Schwa, an "invisible-ish" boy who is tired of blending into his surroundings and going unnoticed by nearly everyone. Anthony, also known as "Antsy," is fascinated by "The Schwa Effect"--the fact that no one ever sees Calvin Schwa. Even when acting weird and dressed like a total freak, The Schwa is only barely noticed. The two boys form a partnership and get away with all kinds of mischief, from...

As twelve-year-old Duane endures the confusing and humiliating aspects of puberty, he watches a newborn bird in a nest on his windowsill begin to grow and become more independent, all of which he records in his journal.

"An outcast teen girl explores the mysteries of friendship, family, faith, and phenomena, including the greatest mystery of all--herself"--

Living with his religious father, feminist mother, and racist grandmother in Denver, Colorado, during the early 1980s, twelve-year-old Samuel Gerard relates his school adventures and deals with his own prejudices towards Mexican immigrants.

Fifteen-year-old Georgia learns a great deal about herself and her troubled best friend Riley when they become part of a group of suburban Pennsylvania teenagers that go to Anapra, a squatters village in the border town of Juarez, Mexico, to undertake a community construction project.

The 1988 World Series win by the Los Angeles Dodgers sets off a chain of life-changing events for thirteen-year-old Ruby Tuesday as she travels to Las Vegas and learns some surprising truths about her family members and their careers as gamblers and musicians. Plenty of girls have trouble relating to their parents. Few have to turn to a dictionary for help. Ruby Tuesday Sweet keeps a battered webster's by her side -- but when her dad tunes in to...