Every Body Shines

An intersectional, feminist YA anthology from some of today's most exciting voices across a span of genres, all celebrating body diversity and fat acceptance through short stories. A Junior Library Guild Selection 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. With stories that feature fat main characters starring in a multitude of settings, and written by authors who live these lives too, this is truly a unique collection that shows fat young people the representation they deserve. With a foreword by Aubrey Gordon, creator of Your Fat Friend, and with stories by: Nafiza Azad, Chris Baron, Sheena Boekweg, Linda Camacho, Kelly deVos, Alex Gino, Claire Kann, amanda lovelace, Hillary Monahan, Cassandra Newbould, Francina Simone, Rebecca Sky, Monique Gray Smith, Renée Watson, Catherine Adel West, Jennifer Yen

Beautiful, necessary, and deeply personal. This powerful coming-of-age story about teen mental health and navigating grief will ressonate with fans of You'd Be Home Now and The Way I Used to Be. Ten years ago, the Scar Squad promised each other nothing would tear them apart. Even when Casey Jones Caruso lost her twin brother Sammy to an overdose, and their foursome became a threesome, the squad picked each other up. But when Casey’s feeling for the remaining members—Francesca and Benjamin—develop into romantic attraction, she worries the truth will dissolve them. Casey tries to ignore her heart, until Ben kisses her at a summer party, and Frankie kisses another girl. Now Casey must confront all the complicated feelings she’s buried—for her friends and for the brother she’s totally pissed at for dying. Since Sammy’s death, Casey has spilled all the things she can no longer say to him in journals, and now more than ever, she wishes he were here to help her decide whether she should guard her heart or bet it all on love, before someone else decides for her. Cassandra Newbould's stunning and deeply personal debut novel follows a teen girl struggling to find herself in life and in love after losing her twin brother to the opioid crisis.

About the AuthorJanel D. Jordan is married to Maurice Jordan; mother to two sons, Courtney and Maurice Jr., grandmother to Hailey Grace, daughter to Mildred L. Johnson and sister to Pam, Kim, and David. Above all things, I am a child of the King and an ordained minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. To God be the glory. I currently attend Calvary Broken Vessels Ministry in St. Louis, MO. My daily prayer and desire in found in Psalm 119:133 which says, "Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me." The LORD has ordered my steps to be of encouragement to those in need. It started with a devotional e-mail sent out on June 6, 2007. Something I thought was a one-time occurrence. Three years later the Praise The LORD Everybody! E-mail ministry is going strong and has now evolved into the "Praise The LORD Everybody! (366 Exhortations To Start Your Day In The Presence Of The LORD)" inspirational, devotional book. To God be the glory. I have worked in the St. Louis Public School District for 20 years mainly in the Preschool capacity. I work very diligently with a charity the LORD has placed in my husband, Maurice's, heart called the "Secret Santa Club," which grants up to 3 Christmas wishes to Pre-k -1st grade under privileged students in the SLPS school district. To date we have been a blessing to our families by granting over 1400 students their Christmas wishes. To God be the glory. One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple, Psalm 27:4. Amen!