Joy McCullough

For readers of Know My Name by Chanel Miller and fans of Broadway’s John Proctor Is the Villain, a stunning memoir in verse about sexual abuse, survival, and sisterhood from the New York Times bestselling author of Blood Water Paint. Joy McCullough’s earliest memories are of time spent in church, moments when she climbed the steps to recite from the pulpit, just like her preacher father. But when she was a teenager in San Diego in the 1990s, her connection to her family and church were forever altered when a youth pastor groomed and sexually assaulted Joy. In her debut memoir, McCullough pairs achingly raw poems recalling her abuse and its aftermath with hopeful, challenging verses about her life today as she seeks healing and justice in a country that rewards men for sexual abuse and still insists “girls these days will say anything.” Among the poems, McCullough also weaves prose letters to historical girls and women—from Joan of Arc to Abigail Williams—whose lives and stories were ignored when they were caught in the maelstrom of witchcraft accusations. Suffer a Witch shines a bright, unsparing light on one woman’s experience—and on those of generations of women who came before her.

Early Seventeenth-Century Rome. For as long as she can remember, Carmela Tofana has desperately wanted one thing: to be a part of La Tofana’s, her mother’s apothecary in Campo Marzio, Rome. When she finally turns sixteen, she’s allowed into the inner sanctum: the workroom where her mother and two assistants craft renowned remedies for their customers. But for every sweet-smelling flower extract in the workroom, there’s another potion requiring darker ingredients. And then there’s Aqua Tofana, the apothecary’s remedy of last resort. In all Carmela’s years of wishing to follow in her mother’s footsteps, she never realized one tiny vial could be the death of them all. Everything Is Poison is a story of a deadly secret hiding in plain sight and of the women who risk everything to provide care for those with nowhere else to turn.

Two orphan siblings with truly terrible luck battle an evil celebrity chef in this “bitingly humorous and appealingly weird” (Publishers Weekly) illustrated middle grade romp in the vein of A Series of Unfortunate Events.It’s hard to imagine things could get worse after one’s parents die in a greenhouse explosion. But that is precisely what happens to Basil and his younger sister, Dahlia. They escape from the social worker who wants to split them up to different foster homes by jumping off a moving train, only to find themselves wounded (Dahlia) and bedraggled (Basil) and without a soul to care for them. What’s more, they’re lost in the wilds of New York City. Famished and alone, they wander into Cravings, the delectable bakery owned by Laurel Fox, disgraced celebrity chef with a soft spot for poor, hungry orphans. When she offers them luxurious accommodations and all the éclairs they can eat, Basil and Dahlia dare to hope their luck has changed at last. But the savvy reader will know it can’t be as simple as all that! Laurel Fox is out for redemption, and she’ll do anything to get the sinister secret ingredient she requires.

Leah’s ambitious extracurricular plans cause trouble in this second book in the Team Awkward middle grade series that’s The Baby-Sitters Club meets Dork Diaries.How organized, driven Leah was born into her family, she’ll never know. They’re as different as can be. For example, while she’s trying to finish unpacking boxes from their move and get to bed at a decent time, her parents are listening to indie rock records and eating ice cream sundaes. Sometimes it feels like she’s the only responsible one in the house! So when her parents sign her up for art club—to “loosen her up” and “get her creative juices flowing”—Leah decides to ditch in favor of Quiz Bowl, which meets at the same time. But as she secretly attends Quiz Bowl and lies to her parents, her competitive spirit begins to take over, threatening her scheme and her friendships.

Leah’s ambitious extracurricular plans cause trouble in this second book in the Team Awkward middle grade series that’s The Baby-Sitters Club meets Dork Diaries.How organized, driven Leah was born into her family, she’ll never know. They’re as different as can be. For example, while she’s trying to finish unpacking boxes from their move and get to bed at a decent time, her parents are listening to indie rock records and eating ice cream sundaes. Sometimes it feels like she’s the only responsible one in the house! So when her parents sign her up for art club—to “loosen her up” and “get her creative juices flowing”—Leah decides to ditch in favor of Quiz Bowl, which meets at the same time. But as she secretly attends Quiz Bowl and lies to her parents, her competitive spirit begins to take over, threatening her scheme and her friendships.

After having hilariously terrible first days of sixth grade, four girls vow to ride out the super highs and cringe-worthy lows of middle school together, no matter how awkward it gets, in this first book in the Team Awkward middle grade series. Jojo has everything planned out for the perfect first day of middle school, down to her outfit and hairstyle. But when Mom, distracted by her new live-in boyfriend, Paul, forgets to wake Jojo up, she oversleeps and has to make do with leggings, a t-shirt, and her brother's hoodie. The day still goes okay until Jojo realizes that she has a hole in her leggings thanks to Purrito, the kitten Paul "gifted" her. Because Paul isn't just Paul; he's Mr. Meow, a mega-famous cat-fluencer. Nearly everything in Jojo's life is now cat-themed--including the underwear that the hole in her leggings is now showcasing to the whole school Embarrassed and unable to show her face in the cafeteria, Jojo spends her lunch period in an abandoned locker room. But she isn't the only one hiding to cope with some major awkwardness. Maybe, with friends by her side, middle school won't be so bad after all.

After having hilariously terrible first days of sixth grade, four girls vow to ride out the super highs and cringe-worthy lows of middle school together, no matter how awkward it gets, in this first book in the Team Awkward middle grade series. Jojo has everything planned out for the perfect first day of middle school, down to her outfit and hairstyle. But when Mom, distracted by her new live-in boyfriend, Paul, forgets to wake Jojo up, she oversleeps and has to make do with leggings, a t-shirt, and her brother's hoodie. The day still goes okay until Jojo realizes that she has a hole in her leggings thanks to Purrito, the kitten Paul "gifted" her. Because Paul isn't just Paul; he's Mr. Meow, a mega-famous cat-fluencer. Nearly everything in Jojo's life is now cat-themed--including the underwear that the hole in her leggings is now showcasing to the whole school Embarrassed and unable to show her face in the cafeteria, Jojo spends her lunch period in an abandoned locker room. But she isn't the only one hiding to cope with some major awkwardness. Maybe, with friends by her side, middle school won't be so bad after all.

Early Seventeenth-Century Rome For as long as she can remember, Carmela Tofana has desperately wanted one thing: to be a part of La Tofana’s, her mother’s apothecary in Campo Marzio, Rome. When she finally turns sixteen, she’s allowed into the inner sanctum: the workroom where her mother and two assistants craft renowned remedies for their customers. But for every sweet-smelling flower extract in the workroom, there’s another potion requiring darker ingredients. And then there’s Aqua Tofana, the apothecary’s remedy of last resort. In all Carmela’s years of wishing to follow in her mother’s footsteps, she never realised one tiny vial could be the death of them all. Everything Is Poison is a story of a deadly secret hiding in plain sight and of the women who risk everything to provide care for those with nowhere else to turn.

Two orphan siblings with truly terrible luck battle an evil celebrity chef in this uproarious illustrated middle grade romp with the dark humor of A Series of Unfortunate Events and The Beast and the Bethany. It’s hard to imagine things could get worse after one’s parents die in a greenhouse explosion. But that is precisely what happens to Basil and his younger sister, Dahlia. They escape from the social worker who wants to split them up to different foster homes by jumping off a moving train, only to find themselves wounded (Dahlia) and bedraggled (Basil) and without a soul to care for them. What’s more, they’re lost in the wilds of New York City. Famished and alone, they wander into Cravings, the delectable bakery owned by Laurel Fox, disgraced celebrity chef with a soft spot for poor, hungry orphans. When she offers them luxurious accommodations and all the éclairs they can eat, Basil and Dahlia dare to hope their luck has changed at last. But the savvy reader will know it can’t be as simple as all that! Laurel Fox is out for redemption, and she’ll do anything to get the sinister secret ingredient she requires.

In the spirit of Judy Blume, this "character-driven, thought-provoking, often funny, and, above all, timely" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) middle grade novel celebrates finding yourself, making new friends, and standing up for what's right as a girl becomes involved in menstrual activism. Ever since a career-ending injury, former elite gymnast Eden has been feeling lost. To add insult to actual injury, her mom has been invited to present at her middle school's career day, which would be fine except Mom's company produces period products like pads and tampons. Having the whole school hear about it is total humiliation. And when Eden gets into a fight with a boy who won't stop mocking her for it, she and her classmate Maribel both end up getting suspended. Mom's corporate executive job means she doesn't have time to look after Eden while she's suspended, so Eden is sent to volunteer at the food bank Maribel's mom runs. There, she meets new friends who open her eyes to period poverty, the struggle that low-income people with periods have trying to afford menstrual products. Eden even meets a boy who gets periods. Witnessing how people fight for fair treatment inspires Eden to join the advocacy work. But sewing pads to donate and pushing for free access to period products puts Eden at odds with her mom. Even so, Eden's determined to hold onto the one thing that's ignited her passion and drive since gymnastics. Can she stand her ground and make a real difference?

Enter the Body gives voice to a cast of the young women who die in Shakespeare's plays. Focusing on the stories of Juliet, Ophelia, and Cordelia, bestselling author of Blood Water Paint Joy McCullough brilliantly weaves retellings of Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, and King Lear into a larger story about how young women can support each other and reclaim their stories in the aftermath of trauma.

A gorgeous, joyful picture book following the lifespan of a book as it comes across different readers—and creates a kind of magic along the way.A new book is fresh ink on crisp pages never opened the words inside just waiting to be read. An incredible journey begins for every person who turns the pages. Together, book and reader make a special kind of magic—a magic that’s even sweeter when you share it!

In this "entertaining and moving" (Kirkus Reviews) middle grade novel that's perfect for fans of Tim Federle and Gordon Korman, Zadie is determined to spend the summer helping at the community theater--but things go hilariously awry Zadie loves Tae Kwon Do, comic books, and outer space. She also loves visiting the community theater that her mom runs, especially the lighting grid over the stage and the stage manager's booth, which is filled with levers and buttons like a spaceship control panel. So when the family's finances suffer a blow and Zadie has to give up her usual activities to spend the summer at the theater, she doesn't mind too much. After all, she's always wanted to tech a show. She knows she'd be great at it, but her mom and the new stage manager are totally opposed to the idea of having a kid do tech. Instead, Zadie's stuck handing out snacks and folding flyers. But the future of the theater rides on this show, and Zadie is determined to help. She's going to make Spinderella the hit of the season--unless she accidentally turns it into a disaster.