Ready or Not! #1

From prolific author Megan E. Bryant comes the first book in a young middle-grade series about nine-year-old Abby, a girl trying to grapple with all the chaos that can come from growing up.For nine-year-old Abby McAdams, everything seems to be changing. Her cousin and best friend, Zoe, has moved across the country, her mom is going back to work, and Abby is stuck in the only after-school activity still available--running--which she absolutely loathes. Her perspective on the world is changing, too, after an encounter in her community sheds light on the issue of homelessness in her town. On top of everything, sudden changes in Abby's body mean she has to deal with things like deodorant, bras, and uncomfortable conversations. And without her best friend by her side, she's not sure she can handle it all. She's not a grown-up yet, but she definitely doesn't feel like a little kid anymore. She's Abby, in between. Ready or Not! is an accessible and positive exploration of the early stages of puberty, and is the perfect pairing to nonfiction guides like The Care and Keeping of You: The Body Book for Younger Girls.

* "Younger middle grade readers will identify with Abby’s journey in this series debut that can help them navigate the changes, big and small, that life presents." —School Library Journal, starred review"Bryant delicately captures the shock, embarrassment, and self-consciousness of a young girl at the onset of puberty and writes with true compassion for a preteen yearning for independence while still needing emotional support." —BCCB"This fast-paced series starter does a wonderful job of exploring the wide variety of changes that young readers face, as well as the topics of the unhoused, job loss, and financial insecurity, leaving readers with a sense of possibility for the future and inspiration that they can change the world for the better." —Booklist

Megan E. Bryant (she/her) has written many books for children, including several Strawberry Shortcake titles, as well as the Penguin Young Reader Shape Spotters. She graduated from New York University with a degree in Dramatic Literature, and worked as a children’s book editor for five years. She lives in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, with her family.