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Pictures of Me
A fun read about 11-year-old word-loving Annie!
self-portrait n.: a torture device that will potentially humiliate you in front of the entire class.
It's the end of fifth grade, and eleven-year-old Annie is ready to move to middle school. But first, she must complete a self portrait for the end-of-year project-and present it to the class. Annie's fear of public speaking isn't her only problem. Two of the girls in her class seem determined to make her life miserable. And how is she supposed to create a self-portrait in the first place? She loves words, but how can words show who she is?
Meanwhile, Annie's best friend Taylor is caught up in a situation of her own. Her parents are anxious about Taylor's autistic little brother, leaving Taylor feeling left out. And the new girl, Lacey, seems like she could be a good friend, but Annie can't quite figure her out.
With forty-eight days until the end of the school year and the looming project, all three girls have to grow and be willing to face who they are-and who they want to be.
Ideal for ages 9-11.
Marilee Haynes was born and raised in Michigan and attended twelve years of Catholic school. After graduating college, she had a successful career in marketing and education. She married her husband in 2005 and shortly after, relocated to North Carolina. A lifelong lover of books, she finds great joy in both reading and writing for children. A full-time stay-at-home mom to three children, she writes middle-grade fiction in stolen quiet moments (in other words, when everyone else is asleep).
"In her debut novel, [aka Genius] Haynes?portrays the students and their problems with humor and empathy? each classmate brings something unique and essential to the team." -Publishers' Weekly
"a.k.a. Genius presents a cast of dynamic characters so genuine that any reader will find someone with whom they resonate. The struggles and triumphs of the book's middle school students and their parents are so real that you feel as if you know these very characters...I am looking forward to more from Marilee Haynes."
-Jenny Purtill, Media Specialist, Barnette Elementary School