Half-Hazard is the Winner of the Emily Dickinson First Book Award from the Poetry Foundation for a debut by an American poet over forty.Half-Hazard is a book of near misses, would-be tragedies, and luck. As Kristen Tracy writes in the title poem, "Dangers here. Perils there. It'll go how it goes." The collection follows her wide curiosity, from growing up in a small Mormon farming community to her exodus into the forbidden world, where she finds snakes, car accidents, adulterers, meteors, and death-marked mice. These wry, observant narratives are accompanied by a ringing lyricism, and Tracy's knack for noticing what's so funny about trouble and her natural impulse to want to put all the broken things back together. Full of wrong turns, false loves, quashed beliefs, and a menagerie of animals, Half-Hazard introduces a vibrant new voice in American poetry, one of resilience, faith, and joy.

Lane Cisco loves, loves, loves her life at Rio Chama Middle School--until her offbeat cousin comes for an extended visit and turns everything upside down. With her individual sense of style and nonconformist attitude, Angelina "Mint" Taraval is everything Lane isn't. And instead of branding her a loser the way Lane and her friends expect, people actually want to hang out with her. Including the boys Lane and her best friend, Ava, like. When Ava comes up with a plan to ruin Mint, Lane feels stuck. She doesn't want to be mean . . . but she doesn't really want to stick up for her weird cousin either. Why can't things go back to the way they were before Mint arrived? Kristen Tracy has written a terrific novel about friendship, family, fitting in, and finding out who you are when no one's looking.

Sugar and spice and everything nice.  At sixteen, Sarah Trestle has a lot going for her. She's cute, funny, and a terrific alto. She's also great behind the wheel, which is why she drives the getaway car. But Sarah T doesn't complain; she loves being part of the best clique in Kalamazoo: The Sarahs.  Sarahs Aberdeen, Babbitt, Cody, and Trestle aren't out to hurt anyone - they're simply honing their craft. They start off their summer the usual way: interspersing petty crimes with nature walks, crushes, and volunteer work. Of course, everyone knows that a band of criminals is only as strong as its weakest link. When Sarah T botches a shoplifting attempt, her fate in The Sarahs is seriously called into question. And she's willing to do just about anything to prove that she's worthy...

The Breakfast Club meets Jaws?a high stakes romance/adventure where unlucky teens get lost at sea in a life-raft and have to battle sharks, the elements, and each other, while they wait to be rescued.

After an unfortunate incident at the hair salon, Bessica is not allowed to see her best friend, Sylvie. That means she's going to start middle school a-l-o-n-e. Bessica feels like such a loser. She wants friends. She's just not sure how to make them.It doesn't help that her beloved grandma is off on some crazy road trip and has zero time to listen to Bessica. Or that Bessica has a ton of homework. Or that gorgeous Noll Beck thinks she's just a kid. Or that there are some serious psycho-bullies in her classes. Bessica doesn't care about being popular. She just wants to survive--and look cute. Is that too much to ask when you're eleven?From the Hardcover edition.

Two middle school BFFs experience the highs and lows of friendship, boys, sixth-grade politics, sister drama, and popularity in this funny and smart sequel to Project (Un)Popular! Perry can't figure out what she's doing wrong. Her best friend, Venice, has a boyfriend, making her feel totally left out—especially when Venice doesn't seem to have time for Perry or her problems. Yearbook has gotten a little bit better, but Anya is still out to get her, and instead of getting to work on something fun, Perry's stuck covering the "What's Hot" section. Even her attempt to help the geeks is backfiring. And when her older sister takes one of the biggest dorks at school under her wing, Perry feels completely betrayed. Now Hayes, a boy she barely knows, is hanging around and giving her stuff, and Perry panics. She doesn't want a boy to be crushing on her—especially Hayes. And social media makes everything more complicated. Is it even...

Bessica's settled into middle school life . . . her friendship with Sylvie is back on, she's made some cool new friends, she's dealing with the psycho-bullies, and handling more homework than should ever be allowed. But what's worrying her most these days are her mascot duties. The pressure's on to be the funniest, wildest bear mascot her school's ever seen--and to make sure her rival tiger mascot doesn't humiliate her on the field. Is that even possible?From the Hardcover edition.

Popularity: who has it, who wants it, and who won't get it is the topic of this story about two middle school friends who want to make the lives of their classmates more equitable, to disastrous results. Middle school isn't a popularity contest. It's a war. Perry and her best friend, Venice, are excited to be yearbook photographers and tell the story of their school through their art. But that's before they find out the truth: the spontaneous moments they're supposed to capture are all faked.Yearbooks should include everybody—even the dorks. But Perry feels totally stuck. Until she starts taking flattering shots of popular people, none of her candids will ever be chosen. Fighting back isn't going to win her any friends—she might even lose some. It's time to decide what's more important: fitting in . . . or standing out. From the Hardcover edition.

After an unfortunate incident at the hair salon, Bessica is not allowed to see her best friend, Sylvie. That means she's going to start middle school a-l-o-n-e. Bessica feels like such a loser. She wants friends. She's just not sure how to make them.It doesn't help that her beloved grandma is off on some crazy road trip and has zero time to listen to Bessica. Or that Bessica has a ton of homework. Or that gorgeous Noll Beck thinks she's just a kid. Or that there are some serious psycho-bullies in her classes. Bessica doesn't care about being popular. She just wants to survive--and look cute. Is that too much to ask when you're eleven?From the Hardcover edition.

A hilarious and poignant YA novel about friendship, heartbreak, and boy-chasing abroad

At sixteen, Molly is a girl who has everything, but she feels like she never has enough. So she steals. At least there''s plenty of time to fix this last little problem. Except Fate has other plans for Molly. Like death. Suddenly dead and in denial, can Molly abandon her earthly ties or will she jeopardize her soul to stay close to her loved ones? From critically acclaimed author Kristen Tracy, Death of a Kleptomaniac is the heartfelt story of one girl''s search for redemption, a family''s encounter with grief, and love''s power to rise above even the most final of boundaries.