Self Image Fiction

கு.அழகிரிசாமியின் கதைகள் எளிய நடை, சித்தரிப்பின் லாவகம், உள்ளோடும் துயர இழை, அல்லது மிதக்கும் நகைச்சுவை, கமழும் மண்ணின் மணம் என அழகுகள் கூடி வந்தவை. தமிழில் சிறுகதைக்காக சாகித்திய அகடாமி பரிசு பெற்ற முதல் எழுத்தாளர். 'ராஜா வந்திருக்கிறார்' என்ற அவரது இந்தத் தேர்ந்தெடுத்த கதைகளில் கு.அழகிரிசாமியின் கதைசொல்லும் பன்முக ஆற்றலின் கீற்றுகளை வாசகன் உணர முடியும்.

Ethan’s life couldn’t possibly get any worse. His mom’s job isn’t enough to pay the rent, let alone anything that could make life more bearable. And to make it worse, now she’s decided to move them both in with her brother—some boring guy who has nothing better to do than make Ethan’s life miserable. Uncle Garrett seems to be everywhere. Everyone knows him, everyone adores him, and it’s driving Ethan crazy. But when Ethan gets himself into trouble, those irritating things about Uncle Garrett start to make more sense.

This is the story of a brave and intelligent 12-year-old girl placed in a life and death situation and fighting for survival. It’s a story about a dog who understands some people need biting and other people need a fearless friend. It’s a story about perceptions, how people behave in their private lives versus how the news media and social media portray them. It’s funny and poignant, thoughtful and exciting, a harrowing adventure celebrating the tenacity of the human spirt.

Dancing with the Paris Opera ballet is 14-year-old Marie van Goethem's greatest joy. And yet she must honor her father's dying request to keep their poverty-stricken family together. She certainly can't count on the help of her drunken mother or selfish older sister. When famous artist Edgar Degas asks Marie to model for a sculpture, she welcomes the income - although she's hesitant to pose nude.

Fifteen year- old Lucas Swain hasn't seen his father for five years. One day, his dad just vanished - and nobody else seems too concerned. Things get even stranger when Lucas discovers an urn. The ashes inside are a woman named Violet, and she has messages from the beyond to share.

Dorf is all about skateboarding and so far that's worked out fine. But now that he's in a new city, the terrain has changed. He's no longer free to skateboard where he wishes, school is more difficult, and his passion for skateboarding garners him the nickname and reputation of a freak. With daring stunts he gains the grudging respect of local troublemakers, but he needs to tap into another kind of courage to effect real change.

This program is read by the author. Tiffany Pham, founder and CEO of Mogul, created one of the most successful platforms for girls worldwide, reaching millions of people to enact true change in their lives, after receiving thousands of emails asking for advice. In Girl Mogul, she speaks directly to teens and young adults, sharing insights from her own life as well as from the lives of the most incredible and inspiring women on Mogul. Tiffany has proven that with the right attitude, the right people, and the right vision, there’s nothing girls can’t do.

An Na has earned critical raves for her young adult fiction. She has won the Michael L. Printz Award and was a finalist for the National Book Award. In The Fold, she examines the complications surrounding teenage plastic surgery. Joyce is thrilled when her aunt becomes suddenly wealthy. But when her aunt decides Joyce needs a makeover, Joyce must decide if she is ready to go under the knife to become the popular swan she's always wanted to be.

Sixteen-year-old Rei Murata appears to have everything: good looks, brains, artistic skill, and admiring friends. But Rei is a survivor—of loss, neglect, and of self-isolation. Locked away from a world where she felt unwanted, Rei was one of the millions known as the hikikomori. A chance meeting leads Rei to discover the online world of the Dwellers. Astonished to find her former classmate Sho among their number, Rei is determined to rescue him. Rei learns she must come to terms with her past before she can face her future.

Piper Perish inhales air and exhales art. The sooner she and her best friends can get out of Houston and get to New York City, the better. Art school has been Piper's dream her whole life, and now that senior year is halfway over, she's never felt more ready. But in the final months before graduation, things are weird with her friends and stressful with three different guys, and Piper's sister's tyrannical mental state seems to thwart every attempt at happiness for the close-knit Perish family.

Central International School’s annual lock-in is legendary - and for six students, this year’s lock-in is the answer to their dreams. The chance to finally win the contest. Kiss the guy. Make a friend. Become the star of a story that will be passed down from student to student for years to come. But then a group of students, led by Marisa Cuevas, stage an eco-protest and chain themselves to the doors, vowing to keep everyone trapped inside until their list of demands is met.

A stunning audiobook collection of poetry containing 150 bold, brave and beautiful poems by women, perfect for listening to with all the family - from classic, well-loved poets to innovative and bold modern voices. From suffragettes to schoolgirls, from spoken word superstars to civil rights activists, from aristocratic ladies to kitchen maids, these are voices that deserve to be heard. This stunning collection is read and brought to life by iconic actor Adjoa Andoh.

Margaret "Cuckoo" Clarke recently had a brief stay in a mental institution following an emotional breakdown, but she's turning over a new leaf with her "Operation Happiness". She's determined to beat down the bad vibes of the Haters, the Terror Teachers, and all of the trials and tribulations of high school by writing and drawing in her diary. And when life gets really tough, she works through her own moments of uncertainty through imaginary conversations with her favorite literary characters.

Meet Sloane Emily Jacobs: A seriously stressed-out figure skater who choked during junior nationals. Now meet Sloane Devon Jacobs, a spunky ice hockey player who's been suspended from her team for too many aggressive hip checks. The two girls are on their way to skating camps in Montreal when a luggage mix-up causes them to meet. Pretty soon, the Sloanes realize that this is the opportunity they’ve been waiting for: the chance to escape their lives and switch places for the summer.

It isn't easy being able to read minds - guys' minds, especially. Gusty Peterson, the hottest bimboy in school, is always thinking I'm sick, as in totally gross to look at. Not that it matters, since I don't have a crush on him or anything. And Mallory, my first real friend since forever, has disturbing, romantic ideas about me bouncing in his brain. Even worse, scrawny Jacob has bizarre fantasies about decorating my ginormous gazungas with mascarpone cheese.

Iris Wang is having a bit of a rough start to her summer: Her boyfriend cheated on her, she didn’t get into any colleges, and she has no idea who she is or what she wants to do with her life. She’s always felt torn about being Chinese American, feeling neither Chinese nor American enough to claim either identity. In an attempt to snap her out of her funk, Iris' parents send her away to visit family in Beijing. With this trip, Iris gets swept up in the ridiculous, opulent world of Beijing’s wealthy elite.

Fat girls and boys and nonbinary teens are: friends who lift each other up, heroes who rescue themselves, big bodies in space, intellects taking up space and bodies looking and feeling beautiful. They express themselves through fashion, sports and other physical pursuits, through food, and music, and art. They are flirting and falling in love. They are loving to themselves and one another.

Ever since her acceptance to UCLA, 17-year-old Raya Liston has been quietly freaking out. Then her beloved grandmother dies, and Raya jumps at the chance to spend her last free summer at the ashram in India where her grandmother met and fell in love with her grandfather. Raya hopes to find her center and her true path. But she didn't expect to fall in love...with a country of beautiful contradictions, her fiercely loyal cousin, a local girl with a passion for reading, and a boy who teaches her that in Sanskrit, there are 96 different ways to say the word love.

At the age of 15, a girl who has spent most of her life moving around the country with her father and brother remembers her real name, Sherica, and is moved to search the Internet to learn the truth about her mother and her own past.

If Susie Jamieson can't take a selfie, she checks her reflection in windows, spoons, car chrome - anything available, really. So when her mother gives her an exquisite full-length mirror that once belonged to her grandmother, Sukie is thrilled. So thrilled that she doesn't listen to her mother's warning: "This mirror will be your best friend and worst enemy."