Frances O'Roark Dowell Boeken

The story centers on a sixth-grade class that unites to support a classmate facing challenges. Through the diverse perspectives of the students, the narrative explores themes of friendship, empathy, and community. Each character adds depth to the unfolding events, highlighting their individual experiences and insights as they navigate their collective journey of support and understanding.

The evolving friendship between Kate and Marilyn highlights the challenges of middle school as they navigate their diverging paths—Marilyn embracing cheerleading while Kate feels left behind. As they attempt to mend their relationship, they confront the realities of growing apart and the pressures of adolescence. This companion novel continues to explore themes of friendship, identity, and the impact of social dynamics on young girls.

In the final installment of the Secret Language of Girls trilogy, Marylin and Kate navigate the complexities of relationships as they discover that boys are as intricate as their friendships. As they face new challenges and emotional growth, the story explores themes of love, loyalty, and the evolving dynamics of their lives.

Told in a series of reports to his therapist, Hazard is resentful about being forced into counseling after being suspended from his school football team for unsportsmanlike conduct, angry that his father has served four tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, angry that his father has lost a leg when an IED blew up--but as his therapy progresses he begins to process what has happened to him and his family, including his father's psychological trauma that has made him refuse to see his sons.

The novel delves into the evolving friendship between sixth-graders Kate and Marylin, highlighting the challenges and nuances of their relationship as they navigate the complexities of growing up. Through keen insights and hopeful moments, it captures the awkward yet endearing dynamics of their bond, illustrating the struggle to maintain common ground amidst personal changes.

From bestselling author Frances O’Roark Dowell comes a “fresh, interesting, and unique” (Kirkus Reviews) guide to storytelling that breaks down the sometimes-daunting writing process into straightforward, doable steps, just right for budding writers! If you’ve written anything, ever, you’re already a writer—so, congratulations! As many aspiring authors know, though, telling an actual, complete story is, well, a different story. As unfinished drafts pile up and writers’ block strikes, it may start to feel like there’s a special formula to finishing a project that you’re just not getting. But crafting a story isn’t magic, if you have a little know-how! And here it is—know-how! In her witty, clever way, critically acclaimed author Frances O’Roark Dowell explains the storytelling process with simple, easy-to-understand steps. Follow along as she shares sample stories and identifies building blocks and obstacles to conquer—all hilariously illustrated, in a way that’ll have you typing all the way to the end of your own story. In addition to writing many books including Shooting the Moon and Dovey Coe, Frances O’Roark Dowell has over a decade’s experience teaching writing workshops for kids. Ready, set, write!

Twelve-year-olds Kate and Marylin, friends since preschool, draw further apart as Marylin becomes involved in student government and cheerleading, while Kate wants to play guitar and write songs, and both develop unlikely friendships with other girls and boys.