Showing results by narrator "Angel Pean" in All Categories

I'm safe here. That's how Sadie feels, on a perfect summer day, wrapped in her girlfriend's arms. School is out, and even though she’s been struggling to manage her chronic anxiety, Sadie is hopeful better times are ahead. Or at least, she thought she was safe. When her girlfriend reveals some unexpected news and the two witness a violent incident of police brutality unfold before them, Sadie’s whole world is upended in an instant.

In the early 2000s, 13-year-old Katie Van Heidrich has moved more times that she can count, for as long as she can remember. There were the slow moves where you see the whole thing coming. There were the fast ones where you grab what you can in seconds. When Katie and her family come back from an out-of-town funeral, they discover their landlord has unceremoniously evicted them, forcing them to pack lightly and move quickly. They make their way to an Extended Stay America Motel. Within the four walls of their new home, Katie and her siblings, Josh and Haley, try to live a normal life.

Lamb's family strives to better their lives in Jackson, Mississippi, in the late 1930s. Lamb’s mother is a hard-working, creative seamstress who cannot reveal she's a lesbian. Lamb’s brother has a brilliant mind and has even earned a college scholarship for a black college up north—if only he could curb his impulsiveness and rebellious nature.

It’s the first day of school for Zoe, a young girl with hearing loss who dreams of playing on her school’s soccer team. But, self-conscious of her hearing aids, Zoe is too nervous to try out. With the help of and perspectives from new friends, what begins as a bumpy, anxiety-filled start for Zoe, soon transitions into an eye-opening experience about what it means to be different—and what it means to be extraordinary. I Am Extraordinary teaches kids how to look inside themselves to find self-acceptance and the confidence to achieve any goal.

Fletcher Denali's entire life is based on a lie. Namely, that his name is not Fletcher Denali. Hidden in plain sight, Fletcher must live his life with the weight of his secret past on his shoulders. When he meets Vaida, a quiet girl with dark eyes, he can't help but be intrigued. But Vaida has secrets too—secrets that could destroy all that Fletcher has worked to protect himself from. Vaida Williams has to remain unnoticed. The wrong person seeing her could cost her her life.

It’s been years since the fragmented Mayweather clan was all in one place, but the engagement of Addison and Mason’s mom to the dad of their future stepbrother, Theo, brings the whole family to sunny Cancún, Mexico, for winter break. Add cousin Natalia to the mix, and it doesn’t take long for tempers to fray and tensions to rise. A week of forced family “fun” reveals that everyone has something to hide, and as secrets bubble to the surface, no one is safe from the fallout.

What exactly is it to be Black in America? Well, for some, it’s learning how to morph the hatred placed by others into love for oneself; for others, it’s unearthing the strength it takes to continue to hold one’s swagger when multitudinous factors work to make Black lives crumble. For some, it’s gathering around the kitchen table as Grandma tells the story of Anansi the spider, while for others it's grinning from ear to ear while eating auntie’s spectacular 7Up cake.

Since the first day of high school, Simon and I have competed. Top grades? Simon wins. Better manners? Simon wins. Irresistible stare? Simon definitely wins. So when the bossy billionaire suggests an enemies with benefits arrangement, I dive in headfirst. No feelings. No strings. No falling in love. It's perfect...in theory. Only the Simon who shares my bed isn't cutthroat and arrogant.

I was a prodigy. A grieving sister. A girl falling for him. I died, and now I’m reborn. Stronger. Deadlier. Angrier. I’m determined to punish those that turned me into a monster. The curse kept me alive, but at what cost? I’m at war with my nature. I refuse to ever accept my fate. Once a prodigy, now a curse. Once love, now hate.

The start of the school year is bringing a lot of changes for Rain: New school. No Circle Group. No Dr. McCalla. No Miss Walia. No step team. And Xander, her older brother and superhero, is away at college. Although everyone else seems okay with change, Rain struggles to open up to her new counselor, her mom, Umi, Alyssa, and even Xander, who seems to have forgotten all about her while away at college. But when an older boy starts giving Rain more attention than she asked for—will she be able to open up again before things go too far?

I was the average daughter. The troublemaker. The side character in my sister's story. My sister was a Prodigy; endowed with exceptional skills and bonded with a guardian. In a world where all leaders, scientists, and artists are selected and pledged to shifters, she was born for greatness. I was born to live in her shadow. In a moment of rebellion, I trespassed on pack lands and an alpha guardian shifter, Theo, bonded to me. Tragedy makes me reject the pairing. They say I am a Prodigy now—someone special. I think they’re wrong.

I was an alpha. A loving mate. A girl swept up in a cruel world. I escaped, but not without casualties. A determined force of nature, I’ve learned how to use my gifts. I’ve got an army of wolves willing to fight under my command. They call me their queen. My loved ones are in trouble, and it’s going to take everything I’ve got to bring them home. I’ve accepted my fate. Once a curse, now a leader. Once fear, now forever.