It’s the first day of Eddie’s high school career, and he’s ready. At least he thinks he is. The older and more serious of the two boys in the family, Eddie has plans to make his time at high school memorable, and the most beneficial for him, you know, for getting into college. He is thinking about sports and clubs, and even joining the student government. As one of the few people of color at the school - heck, in the whole town - Eddie is more aware than most 14-year olds. So, in addition to figuring out his identity as a human, he also wants to be a good role model for his younger, less-aware, and sillier brother, James. But even with his heightened adolescent awareness, there is no way Eddie can prepare himself for what the next four years have in store for him, and how it affects all of the relationships he has: those with his family, his friends and classmates, and even the town.

Twins Alan and Arianna have been waiting for their next birthday for a LONG time. Not only will they be teenagers (finally!), their parents have promised to take them to the next World Cup wherever it is held. But before the parents make the arrangements for the trip from Verona, Italy to Doha, Qatar for the 2022 World Cup, the twins are tasked with completing a scavenger hunt to learn more about the region where the tournament is to take place - the first time that a Middle Eastern nation serves as the host country. Alan and Arianna are ardent supporters of England's national team, and they have been looking forward to this trip for four long years. What will they learn about Qatar? Will this new information affect their enthusiasm about the tournament?

Though it is a story that involves travel, it is not typical in any way… After living in Seville, Spain for some time and beginning to pay attention to some troubling signs, Chelsea determines that it is time to leave that city. As an artist and a creative, she finds that life in Seville is a little stale, affecting not only her art, but also every fiber of her being. So, she decides on a new life plan; one that will allow her to travel all over the world, practice her art, meet new people and build community with them. And she is going to do it all with her best pal, her motorcycle - Fenice. Feeling freer than she ever has, Chelsea and her trusty companion take the next big step by journeying to Salamanca and San Sebastian in Spain, later to Bordeaux and Lyon in France. Then through the Alps in Italy, she travels through Turin, Asti and Genoa, her hometown. They set off towards La Maremma in Tuscany, so excited for what the world has to offer. But, Chelsea’s new life and lifestyle are almost brought to an abrupt halt when a catastrophic event occurs while she and Fenice are riding - alone - in the Apennine mountains. Will Fenice come back to life or will Chelsea lose hers before it really has a chance to begin?

Beatrice is the new girl at the high school in town. She makes new friends easily, so it’s not a surprise when she starts hanging out with a boy named Cooper. Like Cooper and many of the students at the school, Beatrice is very involved in sports, which is just one of the ways she and Cooper connect. But issues arise with their newfound friendship (romance?) with Cooper when their differences are highlighted by the adults in their lives. How do the teens navigate their lives given the demands of their parents and society? This book is intended as a reader for students learning Italian. While the story has a plot similar to the classic story of Romeo and Juliet or Tony and Maria, the vocabulary and grammar are simple and comprehensible even for those whose Italian is at the novice level.

In Napoli, Italia... ...on the streets, in the market, in the different districts and in many homes live lots of dogs and cats. Some are gray, some brown and still some are white; each living in different regions of the old city, such as the market, and in the Ponticelli and Barra districts.. The most important of all of the animals in Napoli (even he would say so) is Uno il Gatto, a smart and pretty clever cat. Because he is able to escape the house where he lives, Uno acts as a messenger between all of the cani in the city. Though they are from different groups from different districts, these cani randagi, or street dogs, all rely on each other to stay safe. And, mostly, life is good for them. One day, however, Uno learns that a few of the dogs from the Barra district are missing and their cani friends that live there are very worried. Where are the cani randagi disappearing to? Which ones? How? And why? With the information that he learns on the streets, Uno il Gatto calls on all of his skills in order to help out his amici, the cani from Barra district. Is Uno really as brilliant as he thinks, or is he just another cute cat who thinks he’s ‘all that’?

Naby is a young boy who loves his family, pizza, and soccer. One day, he goes with his mother to buy socks for soccer. Learn how his confidence and choice of socks inspire those around him.

Students and readers of all ages are guaranteed to be amazed at Lucas's fascination with art and all he discovers about the Reina Sofia Museum and all that it has to offer. This reader is full of adventure and mystery! Guaranteed to spike your curiosity and keep you wanting more!! Plus it is full of cultural art references! Containing approximately 4800 words and 280 unique words. This advanced beginner reader is sure to capture one's attention and teach some culture and history of the Reina Sofia Museum.Lucas is a boy with a dream to one day visit the Reina Sofia museum. Of course, he wants to see all of the famous art, but he has read that there are other things that haunt the museum at night. Through research and asking questions, he gets an idea that is sure to make his first trip to the museum a memorable one. Will Lucas's idea pan out in the end, or will it be his worst idea yet?

A young girl from Santiago, Chile, Ava is sent to live with her aunt in Mendoza, Chile for reasons she doesn’t understand. In a year that brings many surprises, she attends a new school with new classmates and learns a secret about her family that challenges not only her happiness but also her trust. How will Ava learn to deal with her family secret?

Sofia has been training hard for a long time for an important competition coming up in a few months: the Special Olympics. Sofia is a weightlifter who spends three days a week (her favorite days!) in the gym. She is training to compete in the events of squats, bench presses and deadlifts. She likes it because she is good at it, but even more so, she loves going to the gym to spend time with all of her friends there. Yet one day, the easy-lifting vibe in the gym is upset with the arrival of a new girl, Blu. Blu is definitely strong, which is great for fending off the bullies she has to deal with. But along with her brightly colored hair, she is also sporting an enormous attitude - one that gets in the way of her moving forward on so many levels, and one that is going to be a potential problem for the folks at the gym. Will the weight of the new dynamic at the gym affect Sofia’s progress? Will Blu be able to lift herself out of her troubles?

It has been nearly a year since her grandfather has passed away. Sofía is not coping very well with his death or her recent move to Mexico. The Day of the Dead celebration is approaching and Sofía's mom is persistent in her efforts to get her to participate. Will Sofía learn things about her grandfather that she didn't know? Will she learn the true meaning of the Day of the Dead celebration?

Alexis has a secret about her-...er, himself. Well, it’s not really a secret—at least not outwardly - but it hasn’t been expressed aloud to anyone else, except the therapist. He hasn’t told anyone yet, but plans on telling Sofía first, mostly because she lives thousands of miles away in Buenos Aires. Alexis and Sofía have been pen pals since the 6th grade, and since they have never actually met IRL (in real life), Alexis feels more comfortable telling her first. Sofía, too, has just learned of a secret that her parents have been keeping from her, one that upends her life and changes the way she thinks about everything. In a letter that Sofía inadvertently finds in her father’s desk drawer, she learns that her abuelos - her mother’s parents - are not only not her real grandparents, but who they are and, more importantly, who they were, are in direct conflict with who Sofía is and what she believes. While Alexis struggles with identity, so too does Sofía. In this story, two virtual friends work together to solve their own mysteries, one intensely personal and the other about how she now relates to her own family as the secrets of the past - the family’s and the country’s - become even more real.

Three boys. Three stories. And one sport that unites them - and maybe not the one you’d expect. For as long as they can remember, best friends Mario and Carlos have talked about playing professional baseball one day like one of their idols, Rafael Soriano of the Yankees. Though they have only played the game on the streets of the neighborhood, growing up the boys often repeated the same conversation about someday wearing the pinstriped uniform and giving post-game interviews to the press - in English and Spanish! It was wishful thinking, to be sure, but common for many young boys raised in the Bronx. It’s not until one fateful day when the boys are on the block with Carlos’s older brother that the trajectory of each of their lives changes - one for the better, and the other...well, not so much. The third boy, Elvin, lives in a smaller town in Nicaragua and has dreams of playing baseball in La Liga Nicaragüense de Béisbol Profesional. At school one day he learns of an opportunity to hone his skills by participating in a free camp organized by a youth baseball academy. With the permission form in hand and the excitement of learning more about the sport he loves, he arrives home only to be confronted with a family issue that will surely prevent him from attending the camp. A dream deferred. Adolescence anywhere is already hard enough without additional pressures. Will the friendship between Mario and Carlos survive? Will the opportunity for Elvin materialize? Will the boys get to play the sport they love? Find out how each of them endures his own challenges and how the three get to know one another through the love of the game.