Brooke has always been popular, but now that her family has moved and she's "the new girl" at Mark Twain Middle School, she's finding out how hard it can be to fit in and make new friends. When Mona—who has lots of friends—takes her under her wing, Brooke is relieved at first. But the first time she hangs out with everyone, she realizes she may have stumbled into a tricky situation. Brooke doesn't smoke or drink, but it seems to her that everyone in Mona's group does. Can she go against the tide and stay true to herself? Ages 11–14. Comprehensive Health Education Foundation (CHEF), 2004; 27 pages; ISBN 1-57021-029-2.

This book is part of CHEF's Youth Matters program for Grades 6–9. To order individual copies of the book, please call the distributor at 1-866-882-5701 or click here. Ask for item number 505114A.

Excerpt from Chapter 1

Sooner or later, I am going to have to get off this bench and keep walking. Mona invited me to hang out with her friends this afternoon, and that's where I'm headed.

You know, I want to go, but I am taking my time getting there. I actually have a few jitters. This is the first time anyone has invited me anywhere since we moved into the city. My social skills are out of practice. . . .

. . . I started Mark Twain Middle School as "the new girl" who was behind in every class. Not that I had time to notice with all the schoolwork I needed to catch up on, but talk about being an outsider! Those first few days, I felt like an alien walking through the halls. Saying hi to people was pointless because I was obviously invisible. It was unreal.

Nothing about my school experience is the same as it used to be. I had no idea how great I had it back at Washington. Now I wish I had paid more attention and enjoyed things more. As long as I'm wishing, though, I might as well go ahead and wish for what I REALLY want more than anything else on earth: to just go back.

Excerpt © 2004 CHEF.

A note for users of older versions of Internet Explorer, Netscape, or AOL:
This site will look a lot better in a newer browser. Download one for free!
Internet Explorer: Windows Mac | Netscape: Windows Mac Other
For AOL users, please choose Internet Explorer above.