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Unsinkable Cayenne

By Jessica Vitalis
Edition

Hardcover edition

Publisher HarperCollins Imprint Greenwillow Bks. ISBN

9780063314450

Unsinkable Cayenne

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SKU
9780063314450J

CONTENT NOTIFICATIONS

Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco: Marijuana Use

When her unconventional parents finally agree to settle down in one place, twelve-year-old Cayenne’s dreams come true—but the reality of fitting in is much harder than she imagined. Acclaimed author Jessica Vitalis crafts an unforgettable historical novel-in-verse about belonging, family, and social class for fans of Lisa Fipps’s Starfish and Jasmine Warga’s Other Words for Home


Cayenne and her family drift from place to place, living in their van. It hasn’t been a bad life—Cayenne and her mother bird-watch in every new location, they have a cozy setup in their van, and most nights they sing and dance and bond over campfires. But they’ve never belonged anywhere.



As Cayenne enters seventh grade, her parents decide to settle down in a small Montana town. Cayenne hopes that this means she will finally belong somewhere and make some friends. But it turns out that staying in one place isn’t easy at all.

As her social studies class studies the Titanic tragedy (the wreckage has just been discovered and her teacher is obsessed), Cayenne sees more and more parallels between the social strata of the infamous ship and her own life. Will she ever squeeze her way into the popular girls’ clique, even though they live in fancy houses on the hill and she lives in a tiny, run-down home with chickens in the front yard? Is it possible that the boy she likes actually likes her back? Can she find a way to make room for herself in this town? Does she really want to? Maybe being “normal” isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.



Unsinkable Cayenne is a character-driven novel-in-verse about family, friendship, first crushes, and fitting in. Set in the mid-1980s, this literary novel is for readers of Megan E. Freeman’s Alone and Erin Entrada Kelly’s We Dream of Space.



Author's note.
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Upper Middle School Fiction (Grades 6-8)

Upper Middle School Fiction

Upper Middle School Fiction (Grades 6-8)

For Grades 6-8

This collection features fiction titles selected for older middle school readers who are ready for deeper, more complex stories that mirror a shift toward independence and broader viewpoints. Selections include character-driven narratives that explore identity, relationships, and change with greater emotional and thematic nuance, offering space for reflection as readers begin to see themselves in a wider world beyond their immediate experience. Some selections may explore identity, relationships, and real-world challenges, including LGBTQIA+ themes, moderate language, social issues, and other sensitive topics.

12 books per Year
$252.00 per Year
Interests

Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Coming-of-Age

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