Perennial Girl

Book excerpt: She's scared. She's hungry. She's exhausted. How much longer can she hold on? Randi Lewis is a month into seventh grade, and things definitely aren't going as planned. After a terrible sixth-grade year, she was hoping to really turn her life around. But the same old problems are still haunting her: Bullying, middle school girl drama, teachers who don't want her around, an incarcerated father, an abusive mother, acute poverty, a home with no food... Just to name a few... But after her life is threatened during a late-night home invasion, Randi is left with a choice: Finally open up and seek help or add one more thing to a long list of painful secrets. As she struggles with the choice, she knows she can't take much more before she finally breaks... Written by a public school educator, this book is a touching, entertaining, "I read it in one sitting"-worthy look at the issues of childhood trauma and adverse childhood experiences. Read the book series that readers tout as a "must read for all students, parents, and teachers." You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll emerge with a new perspective and a fresh empathy. Get it today. You'll be glad you did.