Illinois Authors

Dutton, New York : ©2009.

Upon arriving at her dorm room, eighteen-year-old Cecily decides to postpone her freshman year of college and return to her Chicago home, where she spends a year pondering what went wrong while forging new relationships with family and friends.

So New Media, Austin, Tex. : ©2003.

As the title of this book should indicate, Claire Zulkey doesn't really care about gender stereotypes or the unspoken and sensitive rules of chick lit. After all, this book is named after a strip club slogan (and Motley Crue song). Claire Zulkey wants you to know that literary humor from and about women doesn't have to involve menstrual issues, floods of tears, retail therapy, over-consumption of tequila-based drinks, bonbon binging, or even the phrase "You go, girl!" In fact, even men enjoy her humor. Girls! Girls! Girls!, Zulkey's first book for So New Media, features sixteen short pieces that explore a variety of hard-hitting issues, such as Playboy Bunnies, spam email, women in Major League Baseball, shower caddies, and of course, the startling expose "Fat: The New Thin." Girls! Girls! Girls! encompasses genres from short story, interview, letter, and list, all in one fell, and very witty, swoop.

Being one half of a BFF heart necklace is serious business—and in the Picture Perfect series, each story tackles a tough friendship challenge. Through the ups and downs of life in middle school, through braces and boy bands, family feuds and fashion disasters, your best bud is there. But what happens when friendship suddenly gets complicated? Tween readers will adore these sweet, accessible stories about the power of friendship. Alice Kinney shouldn't be nervous about starting middle school. She's got her best friend, Cassidy, by her side, so it can't be that bad, right? Except, Cass isn't at her side. For the first time since kindergarten, Alice and Cassidy aren't in any of the same classes, and Alice is stuck with a brand-new crew in honors class! The girls try to stay in touch from across the hallway with the help of a shared notebook—but when Alice accidentally befriends not-so-nice Nikki from Cassidy's dance class, she keeps it to herself. Cass will never understand. Alice juggles both friendships, waiting for the right moment to tell everyone the truth. But then, disaster strikes: Cass's play and Nikki's math competition are fall on the same night. Neither girl will ever forgive Alice if she misses their big day. What is Alice supposed to do when her two best friends are total enemies?