A middle-grade debut novel in verse from Chris Baron about a boy struggling with body image and weight. "Beautifully written, brilliant, and necessary." --Matt de la Pena, Newbery Medalist on All of Me Ari has body-image issues. After a move across the country, his parents work selling and promoting his mother's paintings and sculptures. Ari's bohemian mother needs space to create, and his father is gone for long stretches of time on "sales" trips. Meanwhile, Ari makes new friends: Pick, the gamer; the artsy Jorge, and the troubled Lisa. He is also relentlessly bullied because he's overweight, but he can't tell his parents—they're simply not around enough to listen. After an upsetting incident, Ari's mom suggests he go on a diet, and she gives him a book to help. But the book—and the diet—can’t fix everything. As Ari faces the demise of his parents' marriage, he also feels himself changing, both emotionally and physically. Here is a much-needed story about accepting the imperfect in oneself and in life.

A sensitively told middle grade story from Chris Baron about living with anxiety and finding ways to cope. It’s been a tough year for Sasha—he’s been bullied at his middle school and his anxiety, which he calls the Gray, is growing. Sasha’s dad tells him to “toughen up”—and he does, but with unfortunate, hurtful results. His parents and therapist agree that a summer in the country with his aunt might be the best medicine, but it’s the last place he wants to be. He'll be away from his best friend, video games, and stuck in the house that reminds him of his beloved uncle who died two years earlier. His aunt is supportive, and there are lots of places to explore, and even some potential new friends. When Sasha is introduced at a local ranch to a horse coincidentally--incredibly--nicknamed the Gray, he feels he's found a kindred spirit. But his own Gray is ever-present. When one of his new friends disappears, Sasha discovers that the country is wilder and more mysterious than he imagined. He tries to muster enough courage to help in the search . . . but will the Gray hold him back?

For fans of Wonder, Chris Baron's The Magical Imperfect is an affecting middle grade story of two outcasts who become friends... Etan has stopped speaking since his mother left. His father and grandfather don’t know how to help him. His friends have given up on him. When Etan is asked to deliver a grocery order to the outskirts of town, he realizes he’s at the home of Malia Agbayani, also known as the Creature. Malia stopped going to school when her acute eczema spread to her face, and the bullying became too much. As the two become friends, other kids tease Etan for knowing the Creature. But he believes he might have a cure for Malia’s condition, if only he can convince his family and hers to believe it too. Even if it works, will these two outcasts find where they fit in?

A joyful middle-grade anthology centered around Passover--from an exciting array of bestselling and award-winning Jewish creators! Welcome to Passover, a Jewish holiday that has been celebrated for thousands of years. The heart of Passover is the seder--a meal full of rituals, special foods, and songs--where we gather together to retell the story of the Exodus, when the Jewish people achieved freedom from Egypt. And yet this story is about more than the ancient past. The seder's themes of freedom, joy, tradition, and more, are timeless and universal, for all. In this unprecedented collection of short stories, 14 bestselling and award-winning authors each reimagine a different step of the seder for today's young readers. Through historical and contemporary fiction, verse and prose, fiction and nonfiction, these gifted writers from different Jewish traditions and backgrounds gather around the seder table and invite everyone to join them. The full list of On All Other Nights contributors includes: Chris Baron (The Magical Imperfect) Ruth Behar (Lucky Broken Girl) Adam Gidwitz (A Tale Dark and Grimm, The Unicorn Rescue Society) Veera Hiranandani (The Night Diary) Amy Ignatow (The Popularity Papers, Jedi Academy) Sarah Kapit (Get a Grip, Vivy Cohen) Joshua S. Levy (The Jake Show) Mari Lowe (Aviva vs. the Dybbuk) Naomi Milliner (Super Jake & The King of Chaos) Soifya Pasternack (Black Bird, Blue Road) R. M. Romero (The Dollmaker of Kraków) A. J. Sass (Ana on the Edge) Laura Shovan (The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary) Laurel Snyder (Orphan Island, Charlie & Mouse)