Merissa Czyz

In the new country, Shirley and her family all have big dreams. Take the family store: Shirley has great ideas about how to make it more modern! Prettier! More profitable! She even thinks she can sell the one specialty no one seems to want to try: Mama's homemade gefilte fish. But her parents think she's too young to help. And anyway they didn't come to America for their little girl to work. "Go play with the cat!" they urge. This doesn't stop Shirley's...

Marco Polo is a mouse Christmas ornament that the librarian thought was too cute to be put away. Marco Polo pretends he's a brave adventurer because he often finds himself in tight spaces, like behind the refrigerator. But really, he's afraid of being lost. He's borrowed by Seth, who has been invited to his first sleepover at a friend's house. Seth is excited, but also afraid of spending the whole night away from home. They face their fears together...

Madeline Finn and Star are back, and now Star is old enough to become a therapy dog. Will our beloved team be able to pass the test? Madeline Finn and Star are off to Walker Oaks, a retirement community where Star will take his tests to become a therapy dog. Accompanied by Mom, Mrs. Dimple, and Bonnie, she and Star make their way through a variety of challenges and meet several new friends. But Madeline Finn can't stop thinking about an elderly man...

It's early September 2001, and twelve-year-old Abbey is the new kid at school. Again. I worry about people speaking to me and worry just the same when they don't. Tennessee is her family's latest stop in a series of moves based on her dad's work in the Army, but this one might be different. For the first time, Abbey has found a real friend: loyal, courageous, athletic Camille. And then it's September 11. The country is under attack, and Abbey's...

A dirty, skinny dog shows up in Sam and Katie’s neighborhood. They start to follow it, and they don’t like what they see: the Wilson sisters yell at the dog because it is digging in their garden and the Tracy twins chase it on their bikes and throw things at it. Sam and Katie want the dog to know they’ll be its friends. They think it should have a name. Most of all, they want it to like them. But they make a big mistake, and after that, it’s...

Sixteen extraordinary authors subvert mental health stereotypes in this powerful and uplifting mix-genre collection of fiction. A boxer whose strength is tested more outside the ring than in it. A hiker who develops magical powers when her serotonin is finally balanced. A teen activist wrestling with protest-related anxiety and PTSD. A boy whose uncontrollable tears help enable another's healing ... In this inspiring, unflinching, and hope-filled...