Take It From the Top
Set at a camp over the course of six summers, this novel dives into the falling-out of two girls from different backgrounds who thought they'd be friends forever. Claire Swinarski, regional indie bestseller of the ALA Notable What Happened to Rachel Riley?, tackles privilege, perspective, and the power of friendship in this thrilling puzzle that listeners will devour.
Eowyn Becker has waited all year to attend her sixth summer at Lamplighter Lake Summer Camp. Here, she’s not in the shadow of her Broadway-star older brother; she’s a stellar performer in her own right. Here, the pain of her mom’s death can’t reach her, and she gets to reunite with her best friend, Jules Marrigan—the only person in the world who understands her.
But when she gets to camp, everything seems wrong. The best-friend reunion Eowyn had been dreaming of doesn’t go as planned. Jules will barely even look at Eowyn, let alone talk to her, and Eowyn has no idea why.
Well, maybe she does…
There are two sides to every story, and if you want to understand this one, you’ll need to hear both. Told in a series of alternating chapters that dip back to past summers, the girls’ story will soon reveal how Eowyn and Jules went from being best friends to fierce foils. Can they mend ways before the curtains close on what was supposed to be the best summer of their lives?
Starred reviews from Kirkus and Publisher’s Weekly!
““Brimming with heart and musical theater fun, Eowyn and Jules’s journey will leave readers cheering for the healing power of friendship.””
““This is a story about more than theater camp—it’s about how jealousies big and small can wiggle their way into any relationship, the lifelong pain of losing someone you love, and the anxiety of feeling out of place.” ”
What Happened to Rachel Riley
Anna Hunt may be the new girl at East Middle School, but she can already tell there’s something off about her eighth-grade class. Rachel Riley, who just last year was one of the most popular girls in school, has become a social pariah. But no one, including Rachel herself, will tell Anna why.
As a die-hard podcast enthusiast, Anna knows there’s always more to a story than meets the eye. So she decides to put her fact-seeking skills to the test and create her own podcast around the question that won’t stop running through her head: What happened to Rachel Riley?
With the entire eighth grade working against her, Anna dives headfirst into the evidence. Clue after clue, the mystery widens, painting an even more complex story than Anna could have anticipated. But there’s one thing she’s certain of: If you’re going to ask a complicated question, you better be prepared for the fallout that may come with the answer.
A 2024 Edgar Award nominee
A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
A Jan/Feb 2023 Indie Next pick
An Amazon Editors’ Pick + Book of the Month
An Indie Bestseller
An ALA Notable Book
Starred reviews from BookPage, Booklist, and School Library Journal
““What Happened to Rachel Riley has every single thing a middle grade reader could want: a twisty mystery; relatable, authentic teen characters; and the kind of demonstrated courage that seeps into our souls and leaves us feeling brave. This book is going to change lives.””
““In a quietly suspenseful book, Swinarski shows how frequently written-off behavior can constitute sexual harassment, and how individuals can create change by having the courage to question the narrative.””
The Kate In Between
Twelve-year-old Saves Best Friend’s Life.
Well, that’s what the headline says. The reality? Kate McAllister hasn’t been friends with Haddie Marks in months. And the reason Haddie fell through the ice the first place? It was Kate’s fault.
Nothing has been the same since Kate’s mom abruptly moved to Utah without her. Kate thought a change would help—something to make her outsides look and feel better than her insides—but joining Taylor Tobbit’s clique has come with a price: leaving her best friend Haddie in the dust. If Kate’s mom could turn her back on her old life so easily, why can’t Kate? But being friends with a girl like Taylor isn’t easy. Especially when Taylor decides that her next target is Haddie. And when things get out of hand that day on the frozen pond—with Haddie plunging into artic-cold water and Kate rescuing her—Kate’s life becomes even more unrecognizable: she’s hailed as a hero. But Kate knows the truth…and it’s eating her up inside. With so much at stake—her past friendship with Haddie, her present friendship with Taylor—Kate must decide who she wants to be in the future: a liar, a follower, or something greater?
A 2021 Mighty Girl Book of the Year
“This messy middle-school drama shines a light on what it means to develop identity. Illuminating.”
“An engaging and inspiring novel about standing up for what’s right, being your authentic self, and finding the strength to use your voice.”
“Well written and on point, Swinarski’s middle-grade take on the mean-girls novel will resonate with readers looking for a realistic story that doesn’t gloss over choices or consequences, giving them complex ideas to contemplate.”
What Happens Next
Can a star be put back in the sky even after it’s fallen? In this heartfelt, entertaining, and accessible middle grade novel perfect for fans of The Truth About Jellyfish, one girl makes it her summer mission to find out. Astronomy-obsessed Abby McCourt should be thrilled about the solar eclipse her small town of Moose Junction is about to witness, but she’s not. After her older sister Blair was sent away for an eating disorder, Abby has been in a funk. Desperate to dull the pain her sister’s absence has left, she teams up with a visiting astronomer, Dr. Leo Lacamoire, to help track down his long-lost telescope. Though this is supposed to take Abby’s mind off the distance between her and Blair, what she finds may bring her closer to her sister than she ever thought possible.
““Well drawn. A promising debut novel.””