These are the voices of a new generation – today’s teens expressing themselves in poems, stories, essays, painting, photographs, and other mediums. Chosen from the winners of the prestigious Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Completely uncensored. Completely real.

Elizabeth is a pickpocket and thief living on the edge in New York City. She and her foster sister, Alexi, are living with Sandra – a cruel woman who takes in foster children and then forces them to steal things for her.

Even though she’s sick of it, Elizabeth doesn’t really question her life...until Sandra takes in a third foster child, this time a boy. Dune is a completely lost soul, and Elizabeth doesn’t want him to share her fate. Sandra is not going to let either of them go– but Elizabeth knows she has to find a way out.

Over the hot Indiana summer, Nate's high school basketball team practices on a local court off a row of fraternities. One day after practice, one of the team members suggests breaking into a frat house and looting its contents. Nate goes along with it -- a move he instantly regrets. Soon all of his loyalties are being tested -- with his brother, a town outcast who might be blamed for the crime; with his girlfriend, who he tries to confide in; and from his teammates. A phenomenal novel in the tradition of Chris Crutcher, Rick Wallace, and Walter Dean Myers' SLAM!

It was just supposed to be a routine exam. But when the doctors snake the fiber-optic tube down Robert Smith's throat, what they discover doesn't make medical sense. Plastic casings. Silver filaments. Moving metal parts. In his naked, anesthetized state on the operating table, Robert hears the surgeons' shocked comments: "What the hell is that?"
"It's me," Robert thinks, "and I've got to get out of here." Armed with a stolen automatic and the videotape of his strange organs, he manages to escape, and to embark on an orphan's violent odyssey to find out exactly who--exactly what--he is.

Ruby's turning sixteen . . . but the day doesn't turn out to be as sweet as it's supposed to be. Her long lost father shows up, and Ruby doesn't want to have anything to do with him. Instead, she wants to hang out with her friends - loyal Beth, dangerous Katherine, and gossipy Maria. They have plenty of advice for her - about boys, about her dad, about how she should look and what she should be feeling. But really, Ruby doesn't know what to think or feel. Especially when a new boy comes into the picture . . . and Ruby discovers some of her friends aren't as truthful as they say.

Stephen hasn't had it easy. He's now in foster care because his mom is crazy and his dad is an ex-con. He's always in trouble or on his way to trouble. But none of these problems compare to the problem of The Beast.
Stephen has been taking care of The Beast for years. It is his biggest secret -- and also his biggest challenge. If it could, The Beast would eat Stephen alive. The only thing separating them is a rusty cage. And the bars are about to break. . . .

When Ruben’s sister Rachel is murdered, he can sense it. Even though he’s miles away. Even though he can’t explain it. He feels her fear. He feels her pain. And then – her death.
Ruben’s older brother Cole is different from him: darker, harsher, more direct. As soon as he finds out about Rachel’s death, he has a plan. Three days later, the two brothers set out to reclaim her body and uncover the cold truth behind her killing. It’s a long road that requires a hard and violent journey . . . with a brutal mystery at its end.

Caesar thinks he can’t be touched by anything or anyone. Boys idolize him. Girls lust after him. And he has power over them, because he doesn’t care about any of them . . . until the new girl comes along and turns Caesar’s world upside down.

Henry’s suffering. He’s suffering because his medication doesn’t always work. He’s suffering from indecision in his relationships with girls. He’s suffering because he’s got a new friend, Charlie, who likes to see him suffer. It’s all a part of life, Charlie says. Henry wants to believe it’s true. He wants to think that life and pain can be kept at a safe distance. He wants to be convinced that none of it matters. And yet…

Pushing truth. Pushing reality. This is what we do. These new stories show darkness – and the chance of escape. Love – and the risk of pain. Confusion – and the search for meaning. Fifteen of PUSH’s authors show us what life is like now.

Tyrell can’t get a break. His dad’s in jail, his mom’s no help, his brother’s just a kid, and his girlfriend, Novisha, wants more than he can give. He doesn’t want to be where he is for long. So he comes up with a plan. It should save him – or it could backfire completely.

This is a true story of growing up, breaking down, and coming to grips with a psychological disorder. When Samantha Schutz first left home for college, she was excited by the possibilities -- freedom from parents, freedom from a boyfriend who was reckless with her affections, freedom from the person she was supposed to be. At first, she revelled in the independence ... but as pressures increased, she began to suffer anxiety attacks that would leave her mentally shaken and physically incapacitated. Thus began a hard road of discovery and coping, powerfully rendered in this poetry memoir.

Benji has to escape his home. His mother's boyfriend has crossed the line, and Benji can't deal with it anymore. So he leaves behind everything he knows to go live with his father and stepmother in Portland. His stepmother is nice, but he doesn't trust her. His father is testy, refusing to trust Benji. And Benji ... he's just trying not to self-destruct..

Imagine: You’ve spent all day traipsing around London; lost in a maze of chaos, trying to find a hidden illusion; you’ve been living on hope, ignoring reality, fueled only by feelings you don’t understand.  You’ve been looking for a dream, never truly believing you’d find it, but now - incredibly - you have.  It’s right there in front of you – just behind that off-white door.  It’s there…

Johnny Hazzard's an American boy living in London for the summer. He's not used to being a foreigner, and even less used to fending for himself. Then he meets an older girl named January and suddenly his quest for experience is taking some unexpected turns.

This is a novel about growing up American, growing up in the world, and growing up in the face of love. Eddie de Oliveira writes with vim, vigor, and verve about coming of age in our very uncertain, complicated age.

Boy listens to lots of loud music and hangs with his friends. Boy meets girl. Boy falls dippy-happy-scared-as-hell in love with girl. Friends meet girl — and aren't impressed. Girl meets friends — and isn't impressed. Boy meets big dilemma. Boy plays music even louder. Big dilemma meets big, complicated resolution.

The best and the brightest — startling stories, poetry, essays, reportage, and artwork from across America, care of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.

Don't think for a second that you know Hava or her place in the world. Yes, she's an Orthodox Jew. But that doesn't mean she can't rock out. And yes, she has opinions about everything around her. But her opinions about herself can be twice as harsh.

Now Hava's just been asked to be the token Jew on a TV show about a Jewish family, trading one insular community for another. There is soon a collision of both cultures and desires - with one headstrong heroine caught in the middle.

It's about the aftermath. It's about what happens after a stranger breaks into a house and attacks a family. It's about the sisters who must barricade themselves behind a splintering door while tethered on the phone to 911. It's about the father who nearly dies. It's about the son who hides. And everything after.

Told in alternating perspectives, this is a powerful, moving story about a family that has its facade shattered by a random act of violence — and must deal with what is discovered underneath.

Moo Nelson likes to be alone. Overweight and shy, Moo is constantly mocked and bullied by his cruel classmates. He's happiest spending time on a secluded bridge above the highway, watching the cars go by. One day, from his special spot, Moo witnesses a crime that changes his life forever. He sees a car chase and a murder—and suddenly Moo's a celebrity of sorts. The police, the lawyers, and even the bullies are now really interested in Moo. But so is one shady character that seems intent on tracking Moo down. Now all Moo has to do is find out the truth behind the crime...before it's too late.

Lacie doesn't fit in. Not with her best friend Jenna, who wants to go fast when Lacie wants to go slow. Not with her family, whose quiet makes Lacie want to scream. And not with Benji, the boy she's been set up with...at least, not yet. Growing up should mean you have more places to go and more things to do. But what if it only means there are more places you don't belong? Lacie needs to escape her life. The question is how...

Twelve dates. Six weeks. Katie James has been dating Paul for almost five years. Then, as the prom approaches, he dumps her. The last times she was on her own, she was wearing a training bra. Now she's about to see what life is like without Paul - and what it's like to date. She makes a resolution: She will date twelve guys in six weeks, making up for all the time she wasted with Paul. But nothing goes the way Katie plans. Dating is difficult - and difficult can be both frustrating and fun. Katie's about to discover what she's been missing…and what she still needs to find.

Two Brothers. One girl. Cameron's always lived in the shadow of his older brother Ruben. Rube's a talker, a natural, an instant favorite with all the girls he meets. Cameron, on the other hand, is…quiet. Sweet. Confused.Cameron doesn't mind this. Not until Ruben starts dating Octavia. She's not like all the other girls Ruben's been with. She's got spark. And Cameron is full-out in love with her. But a girl like Octavia would never go for a guy like Cameron…Or would she?

Was there ever a moment that changed your life forever? There was for Caitlin . One unforgettable summer afternoon, she meets a boy names Lucas, and her world turns upside down. Lucas is everything Caitlin longs to be: Brave. Honest. Free. But Lucas is everything other people fear. As Caitlin grapples to find her true self amidst the unforgiving ways of her small town, she is inexplicably drawn to Lucas's mystery and strange power. But there are consequences. When the town suddenly turns on Lucas, Caitlin must make the most difficult choice of her life.

Sam is a teen boy who's attracted to both boys and girls. He doesn't know what to call himself or where he fits in. Then he meets Toby, another boy who likes both boys and girls. Are they destined to be just friends, more than friends, or less than friends? And what would happen if they were attracted to the same girl? Love comes in many shapes and sizes. Sometimes all at once. In his brilliant, funny, and heartfelt debut, Eddie de Oliveira shows us there's more to life than being a wallflower or being knocked out by nunga-nungas.

Sixteen year old Jay wants to throw a party to celebrate the start of the summer. He wants to spend time with his friends before they all drift apart. He wants to make himself known to Jo, the girl he's had a crush on for years. He wants to bring everyone together. But quickly things start to go wrong. Friends turn on each other. The past comes back with a vengeance. And the party is crashed by some locals who want to drag Jay to a place he vowed he'd never go again.

Life is lived in moments. The moments you know — when you see your parents' marriage dissolving, when you realize you're a boy who likes boys, when you speak the truth and have no way of knowing how it will be heard. The moments you don't recognize later — when you leave things unsaid (even to yourself), when you feel your boyfriend letting go, when you give up on love. And the moment you get love back.

Dimple Lala doesn't know what to think. Her parents are from India, and she's spent her whole life resisting their traditions. Then suddenly she gets to high school and everything Indian is trendy. To make matters worse, her parents arrange for her to meet a "suitable boy." Of course it doesn't go well -- until Dimple goes to a club and finds him spinning a magical web . Suddenly the suitable boy is suitable because of his sheer unsuitability. Complications ensue. This is a funny, thoughtful story about finding your heart, finding your culture, and finding your place in America.

Martyn Pig, has a messed up life. His father drinks. His mother is out of the picture. School isn't bad, but he has to come home from it every day. It looks like there's no escape. Then Martyn kills his father. He doesn't mean to, but it happens. Now he has to make a choice. Tell the police what happened — and be suspected of murder. Or get rid of the body and go on with the rest of his life. Simple, right? Not quite. One lie leads to another. Secrets become darker and darker. And Martyn is faced with twists and turns that leave him stunned and spinning.

Fifteen-year-old Chan lives on the streets. She's run away from home and has no intention to go back. She doesn't care about anyone or anything…until ten-year-old Elizabeth comes into her life. A rough world becomes even rougher when you have someone you care about.