“Written with gentle candor, practical strategy, and a healthy dose of humor, Healing Honestly reminds survivors that healing may be an unpredictable journey, but it is not one any of us should have to walk alone.”—Sonya Renee Taylor, author of the New York Times bestselling The Body Is Not an Apology

Healing Honestly is a candid, poignant, and often funny survivor-to-survivor guide to navigating the salty waters of untrue stories and victim-blaming narratives that survivors of child sex abuse hear every day. It's the first surivor-to-survivor guide for healing from child sexual abuse since 1988.

Healing Honestly is a guide for survivors, written by a survivor, helping to break through the negative self-talk and debunk the myths that impact victims of CSA, such as:  

  • There is a “real” survivor out there, and we are not it.
  • It happened so long ago that we should be over it by now.
  • We are having too much sex because of our trauma, and also, we are having too little sex because of our trauma.

With an approachable style that makes heavy topics not so damn scary, this book shows how trauma survivors can learn to identify these untrue stories that often come up in dating, in friendships, in families, at work, and more. Readers will discover strategies for turning down the volume on the bullshit so that they can hear their own wisdom and inner truth more clearly.  Full of wit and humor, Healing Honestly offers practical strategies for survivors of sex abuse to support themselves in living full and vibrant lives.

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Happy publication day to THE MANY FORTUNES OF MAYA by Nicole D. Collier, out today from Clarion/Versify books! 

★"Collier masterfully delivers a multidimensional protagonist with a clear and relatable voice. . . . Maya’s journey as she learns to adjust to life’s curveballs and listen to her inner truth will keep readers hooked from start to finish." — Kirkus Reviews

★"Beginning each chapter with a fortune, Collier (Just Right Jillian) delivers another immersive novel, and its emotionally tinged first-person voice offers fresh observations about parental tensions and changing friendship dynamics." — Publishers Weekly

In this lyrical novel that will appeal to fans of Meg Medina, Maya turns to her trusty "wheel of fortunes" for guidance on the toughest questions—like why her best friend suddenly feels far away, or when her Daddy will move back home. But can Maya find the courage to write her own fortune?

Maya J. Jenkins is bursting with questions:

  • Will she get the MVP award at this year’s soccer banquet?
  • Who will win the big grill off between Daddy and Uncle J?
  • When will she pass the swim test and get a green bracelet?

For answers and a dose of good luck, 12-year-old Maya turns to her Wheel of Fortunes, a cardboard circle covered with the small slips of wisdom she’s collected from fortune cookies.

But can the fortunes answer her deep-down questions? The ones she’s too scared to ask out loud? Like, where did Mama’s smile go, the real one that lit up everything around her? When will Daddy move back home? And most of all, does she have enough courage to truly listen to the voice in her heart?

Congratulations, Nicole!

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Nicole D. Collier's latest middle grade novel, The Many Fortunes of Maya, receives starred reviews from Kirkus and Publisher's Weekly

★“Collier masterfully delivers a multidimensional protagonist with a clear and relatable voice … Maya’s journey as she learns to adjust to life’s curveballs and listen to her inner truth will keep readers hooked from start to finish.” —Kirkus Reviews

★“Collier delivers another immersive novel, and its emotionally tinged first-person voice offers fresh observations about parental tensions and changing friendship dynamics.” —Publishers Weekly

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We're crowing about a new book deal for Matt Myklusch!  THE IMAGINATION ADVENTURES will be published by Aladdin Books.

Kara Sargent at Aladdin has acquired a middle grade graphic novel series, The Imagination Adventure by Matt Myklusch, set in the world of his popular Jack Blank and the Imagine Nation series. In the first book, The Blood of Kings, young swordsman Skerren must save his king, face the truth of his parents’ death, and discover if he has what it takes to wear the crown himself. Illustrations are by Glass HouseGraphics, with designs by Ornella Greco; publication is set for Fall 2024. Danielle Chiotti of Upstart Crow Literary did the three- book deal for North American rights

Congratulations, Matt! 

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We are crowing for Nicole D. Collier's newest novel, The Many Fortunes of Maya (Clarion/Versify 2023), which has been named a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection!

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OUT NOW!
May 3, 2022

THE REAL RILEY MAYES by Rachel Elliott—her debut MG graphic novel—is out today!

“Full of heart.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

“A hit for readers who enjoy Raina Telgemeier’s books and Jennifer Holm’s “Sunny” series” —School Library Journal

“A fun, funny story that rings true." —Booklist

Funny and full of heart, this debut graphic novel is a story about friendship, identity, and embracing all the parts of yourself that make you special.  

Fifth grade is just not Riley’s vibe. Everyone else is squaded up—except Riley. Her best friend moved away. All she wants to do is draw, and her grades show it.

One thing that makes her happy is her favorite comedian, Joy Powers. Riley loves to watch her old shows and has memorized her best jokes. So when the class is assigned to write letters to people they admire, of course Riley’s picking Joy Powers!

Things start to look up when a classmate, Cate, offers to help Riley with the letter, and a new kid, Aaron, actually seems to get her weird sense of humor. But when mean girl Whitney spreads a rumor about her, things begin to click into place for Riley. Her curiosity about Aaron’s two dads and her celebrity crush on Joy Powers suddenly make more sense.

Readers will respond to Riley’s journey of self-discovery and will recognize themselves in this character who is less than perfect but trying her best. And creative kids will recognize themselves in her love of art and drawing.

While often funny and light, Riley’s exploration of what it feels to be an outsider and how hard it can be to make a friend break your heart in the best way. And with all of Riley’s hijinks and missteps, this story is laugh-out-loud funny from start to finish.

Congratulations, Rachel!

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HARLEY QUINN: RECKONING, book one in Rachael Allen’s new DC Icons series is out today from Random House Children’s Books!

One of 10 Books Feminists Should Read in April via BITCH MEDIA

A Buzzfeed New LGBTQA+YA Novel You Need This Spring

Experience the origin story of a Super-Villain: this is the Harley Quinn backstory fans have been waiting for.

When Harleen Quinzel scores an internship in a psych lab at Gotham University, she’s more than ecstatic; she’s desperate to make a Big Scientific Discovery that will land her a full-ride college scholarship and get her away from her abusive father. But when Harleen witnesses the way women are treated across STEM departments—and experiences harassment herself—she decides that revenge and justice are more important than her own dreams. 

Harleen finds her place in an intoxicating vigilante girl gang called the Reckoning, who creates chaos to inspire change. And when Harleen falls for another girl in the gang, it finally seems like she’s found her true passions. But what starts off as pranks and mischief quickly turns deadly as one of the gang members is found murdered–and a terrifying conspiracy is uncovered that puts the life Harleen has worked so hard for at stake. Will she choose her future–or will she choose revenge?

In this refreshingly feminist spin on the story of our favorite villainess, Harley Quinn: Reckoning traces Harleen’s journey from precocious, revenge-obsessed teenage girl to a hardcore justice-seeker on her way to becoming the most captivating Super Villain of all time. This is one story that you won’t be able to put down.

Congratulations, Rachael!

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The 2022 Guggenheim Fellows were announced on April 7, 2022. Out of more than 2500 applicants, 180 outstanding individuals were chosen for work of exceptional promise. We are thrilled for all of this years fellows, and especially thrilled to see client Yona Harvey on the list. Congratulations to Yona and all of the amazing fellows!

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Paul Acampora’s latest middle grade novel, In Honor of Broken Things, receives starred review from Publishers Weekly

★ "Three students united by their respective family troubles form a supportive friendship circle in Acampora’s (Danny Constantino’s First (and maybe last?) Date) earnest narrative, which encourages vulnerability and acceptance. Ninth grader Oscar Villanueva, who is Mexican American, has just lost his younger sister to cancer; previously homeschooled eighth grader Noah Wright, who is white, decides to enroll in public school, spurred by his parents’ divorce; and fellow eighth grader Riley Baptiste, also white, has just moved to their small town of West Beacon, Pa., after her mother was held up at gunpoint. Though the students are outwardly very different—Oscar is a popular starting line backer on the football team, Noah is extremely academically advanced, and Riley is quick to anger and thinks her fists can solve all her problems—they bond after meeting in a mixed-grade introductory clay class. Told in distinct and alternating POVs, the group grows closer over misshapen pottery as they admit weakness, navigate new experiences, and learn to accept help from others. Acampora approaches the characters’ struggles with levity and intentional thoughtfulness, making for a tender tale." Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

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Congratulations to Brian Broome, whose debut memoir Punch Me Up to the Gods is a Lambda Finalist in Gay Memoir/Biography! Punch is a raw poetic story of Blackness, masculinity, and addiction. Cleverly framed around Gwendolyn Brooks’s poem “We Real Cool,” the iconic and loving ode to Black boyhood, Punch Me Up to the Gods is at once playful, poignant, and wholly original. Broome’s writing brims with swagger and sensitivity, bringing an exquisite and fresh voice to ongoing cultural conversations about Blackness being gay in America.

Cheers to Brian and all the amazing finalists.

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