Most Popular Books by Cecil Castellucci

Alternating chapters of prose and comics are interwoven in this extraordinary YA novel about grief and how it cuts us off from the ones we love.

Set in 1932, this is the story of two misfits with no place to call home, who build a relationship during a train hopping journey from the cold heartbreak of their eastern homes toward the sunny promise of California Pearl Plankette ran away from her abusive father, but has nowhere to go until she stumbles upon a disguise that gives her the key to a new identity. Reborn as a boy named Soupy, she hitches her star to Remy "Ramshackle" Renault, a hobo who takes her under his wing. Ramshackle''s kindness and protection go a long way to help Soupy heal from her difficult past. But Ramshackle has his own demons to wrestle with, and he''ll need Soupy just as much as she needs him. Now includes an Educator''s guide written by Meryl Jaffe, PhD.

A startling, wonderful novel about the true meaning of being an alien in an equally alien world."We are specks. Pieces of dust in this universe. Big nothings.""I know what I am."Mal lives on the fringes of high school. Angry. Misunderstood. Yet loving the world -- or, at least, an idea of the world. Then he meets Hooper. Who says he''s from another planet. And may be going home very soon.

Critcal Role’s The Mighty Nein Origins is collected for the first time! This first of two volumes collects the whimsical, tragic, and sometimes haunting backstories of Jester Lavorre, Caleb Widogast, Yasha Nydoorin, and Nott the Brave. Delve deep into their pasts and witness what led them to the Mighty Nein. This hardcover collection features stories and art by fan-favorite Critter creators, in direct consultation with the cast of Critical Role! It’s a must for any fan’s library. Collects: Critical Role: Mighty Nein Origins: Jester Lavorre Critical Role: Mighty Nein Origins: Caleb Widogast Critical Role: Mighty Nein Origins: Yasha Nydoorin Critical Role: Mighty Nein Origins: Nott the Brave

Meet the Plain Janes--artist activists on a mission to wake up their sleepy suburban town. This cult classic graphic novel is perfect for fans of The LumberJanes and Awkward. When artsy misfit Jane Beckles is forced to leave her beloved city life behind for the boring suburb of Kent Waters, she thinks her life is over. But then she finds where she belongs: at the reject table in the cafeteria, along with fellow misfits Brain Jayne, Theater Jane, and sporty Polly Jane. United by only two things-a shared name and frustration with the adults around them--the girls form a secret club dedicated to fighting suburban apathy with guerrilla works of art scattered around their small town. But for Main Jane, the group is more than simple teenaged rebellion; it''s an act of survival. She''s determined not to let fear rule her life like it does her parents'' and neighbors'' lives. Armed with her sketchbook and a mission of resistance, the PLAIN Janes are out to prove that passion, bravery, and a group of great friends can save anyone from the hell that is high school. With each installment printed in its own distinct color, this volume includes the original two stories--The Plain Janes and Janes in Love--plus a never-before-seen third story, Janes Attack Back. The Janes are back, and better than ever.

Jane had to move from the arty, urbane world of Metro City to the suburbs. She thought her life was over, until she found three friends to form a secret art gang called ''People Loving Art in Neighborhoods''.

In a not-so-distant future, a freak particle storm has landed botanist Dr. Maeve Lindholm on an idyllic yet strange parallel Earth, with no way back home. Here, two moons rule society, and nature outshines science. But just like her own climate ravaged planet, this verdant Earth has a sinister side. Children are rare. Humans must serve a purpose or pay an unthinkable price. Astronomer Zuzi battles this underlying darkness every day—just like Maeve did at home. Both women are fighters, and both face a choice: forge new paths, or save the worlds they''ve always known? Maeve will have to decide, and fast—because she''s fighting for more than just herself. “I happily burrowed into these worlds and their questions and how they mirror so many of our questions and worries these days, all of it brought to life so vividly and alluringly in story and image. A great combination of big issues and appealing tiny zesty detail."—Aimee Bender (The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake, The Girl in the Flammable Skirt) “Shifting Earth is a necessary reminder that it''s not our future under discussion, but our futures. A very engaging and intelligent read.”—Mark Russell (Second Coming, Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles) “Escaping a dying planet could be the end of the story. But in this beautiful tale of hope and science powering through unimaginable loss, it''s only the beginning."—Jody Houser (Stranger Things, Doctor Who) "Shifting Earth is a gorgeous and moving adventure through the end of the world—through the end of worlds—powered by the hope that every endangered planet might still be saved. What will it take? Belief and science, love and beauty, luck and perseverance—all of which Shifting Earth has in unlimited supply."—Matt Bell (Appleseed, How They Were Found) “Shifting Earth takes seriously the call for science fiction to imagine different and better futures, while having the intellectual honesty to consider them critically. It asks not how we reach a future without sacrifice, but what sacrifices we are willing to make.”—Madeline Ashby (VN, iD, Company Town) "Shifting Earth made me think about sustainability and the future in a new way. You might just find yourself returning from this gorgeous journey with the seeds of new ideas and a new commitment to building a better world."—Charlie Jane Anders (All the Birds in the Sky, The City in the Middle of the Night)

Brother Blue. His name, even the color, filled me with a furious fire of pure hatred. Years ago, Tula Bane was beaten and left for dead on a remote space station far from Earth, her home planet. She started with nothing and had no one, but over time, she found a home, a family, and even love. When it''s discovered that the abandoned planet beneath the station is abundant with a rare and valuable resource, aliens from across the galaxy race over to strike it rich. With them comes trouble, like the man who nearly killed Tula years ago—the man she has dreamed of destroying ever since. In this sequel to Tin Star, Cecil Castellucci takes readers on an extraordinary adventure through space in a thrilling and thoughtful exploration of what it means to love, to hate, and to be human.

Princess Leia returns for an all-new adventure in this thrilling upper middle grade novel. Set between Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: The Return of the Jedi, the story follows the warrior princess as she leads a ragtag group of rebels on a dangerous mission against the evil Galactic Empire. Hidden in the story are also hints and clues about the upcoming film Star Wars: The Force Awakens, making this a must-read for fans old and new!

"Castellucci mixes details of the L.A. punk scene with memorable characters and witty dialogue. . . . Consider this pure Nirvana." -- BOOKLIST Exiled from Canada to Los Angeles, Katy can''t believe she is spending the summer with her father--punk name: the Rat--a recovered addict and drummer for the band Suck. Even though Katy feels abandoned by her mom, even though the Rat''s place is a mess and he''s not like anything she''d call a father, Kathy won''t make a fuss. After all, she is a girl who is quiet and polite, a girl who smiles, a girl who is, well, beige. Or is she? From the author of BOY PROOF and THE QUEEN OF COOL comes an edgy L.A. novel full of humor, heart, and music.

Download the first five chapters of TIN STAR by Cecil Castellucci. On their way to start a new life, Tula and her family travel on the Prairie Rose, a colony ship headed to a planet in the outer reaches of the galaxy. All is going well until the ship makes a stop at a remote space station, the Yertina Feray, and the colonist''s leader, Brother Blue, beats Tula within an inch of her life. An alien, Heckleck, saves her and teaches her the ways of life on the space station. When three humans crash land onto the station, Tula''s desire for escape becomes irresistible, and her desire for companionship becomes unavoidable. But just as Tula begins to concoct a plan to get off the space station and kill Brother Blue, everything goes awry, and suddenly romance is the farthest thing from her mind.

A Time Magazine 100 Best Young Adult Books of All Time Selection "This novel''s funny first-person narrative will grab teens (and not just sci-fi fans) with its romance and the screwball special effects."– Booklist Meet Egg. Her real name is Victoria Jurgen, but she''s renamed herself after the kick-ass heroine of her favorite sci-fi movie, Terminal Earth. Like her namesake, Egg dresses all in white, colors her eyebrows, and shaves her head. She always knows the right answers, she''s always in control, and she''s far too busy — taking photos for the school paper, meeting with the Science Fiction and Fantasy Club, and hanging out at the "creature shop" with her dad, the special-effects makeup wizard — to be bothered with friends, much less members of the opposite sex. As far as Egg is concerned, she''s boy proof, and she likes it that way. But then Egg meets a boy named Max, a boy who''s smart and funny and creative and cool . . . and happens to like Egg. Could this be the end of the world — at least as Egg knows it?

"Albert Camus meets Mariah Fredericks in this smart, edgy take on one adolescent’s search for identity and meaning in life." — Kirkus Reviews On the outside, Libby Brin is the most popular girl in school. But on the inside, Libby is dying — of boredom. In a moment of desperation, Libby signs up for an internship at the Los Angeles Zoo, much to the dismay of her friends, who’d prefer she spend her time with them, shopping, partying, and making fun of everyone else. Oddly, Libby realizes that she actually enjoys her new job and that she may even like the two "nerds" she works with. Will the Queen of Cool be forced to give up her crown?

This sweetly snarky, romantic YA novel follows Edan as she tries to gather the strength to be the hero in her own real life even as she connects with her dream boy at a costume competition. When Edan Kupferman dresses up like her favorite character, Gargantua, she feels tall and powerful. That''s important right now, because her family is a mess, her best friend is gone for the summer, her crush is confusing, and Edan''s feeling small and not sure which end is up. When Edan''s cosplaying, she can be angry, loud, and not the good girl everyone thinks she is. And when she''s at conventions, she feels like she''s found her own Team Tomorrow. But when her personal life starts to spiral out of control, Edan has to figure out whether she needs a sidekick, or if she has the strength to be the hero of her own story.

From the creators of the hit show Critical Role comes Jester, Caleb, Yasha, and Nott the Brave’s origin stories, now available in a softcover Mighty Nein Origins omnibus graphic novel! Experience the whimsical, tragic, and sometimes haunting backstories of a mishmash party of misfits—now in softcover! Jester Lavorre’s unconventional upbringing full of mischief with the Traveler, Caleb’s troubled survival alongside Eadwulf and Astrid at the Soltryce Academy, Nott’s journey to escape her goblin captors and return to her family and herself, and Yasha’s emotional trauma after a loved one’s unfair death are all chronicled in this omnibus edition of Critical Role: The Mighty Nein Origins. Delve deep into each character’s past and witness what led these unlikely friends to form the party known as the Mighty Nein. Collects Critical Role: The Mighty Nein Origins--Jester Lavorre, Critical Role: The Mighty Nein Origins--Caleb Widogast, Critical Role: The Mighty Nein Origins--Yasha Nydoorin, and Critical Role: The Mighty Nein Origins--Nott the Brave. This is the first of two softcover collections featuring Mighty Nein Origins stories by Critter creators in direct consultation with the cast of Critical Role. This edition is great for fans and new readers alike!

"Batman created by Bob Kane with Bill Finger."

Trying to settle into her new life as an Earth girl, Shade finds the body she has taken over doesnÕt have the same skills as it did when its previous inhabitant was in charge. ItÕs bad enough that her swim team hates her, but now she canÕt perform in the water at all. Can Shade find anyone she can trust to give her guidance before the madness takes over and exposes her as an alien to the entire school?

Partly based on the author''s own experiences at the famous Manhattan high school for the performing arts, this novel explores friendship, freedom, and the art of challenging convention.Set in New York in the 1980s, this story of two ballet dancers (one American, one Russian) recounts the unforgettable night they spend in the city, and celebrates the friendship they form despite their cultural and political differences.

Experience the tale of Disney''s The Little Mermaid through the voice of Ariel herself in this comic retelling. The inspiring story of love, hope, and sacrifice is told through the perspective of the mermaid Ariel herself! Ariel is a free spirit. She is curious and adventurous with the desire to learn about everything the world has to offer--especially the world above her ocean home. When she hears a celebration on the surface of the ocean, it is love at first sight when she sees human Prince Eric travelling homeward aboard his ship. When there is an accident and the sailors are forced to abandon their ship, Ariel rescues Eric from drowning. Saved, he awakens to Ariel''s beautiful voice and is immediately in love. But the possibility of romance seems hopeless as visiting the surface of the ocean and even being seen by humans is forbidden by her overprotective father. Ariel makes a risky deal with the sea witch Ursula for a chance at true love--she will become human! Faced with the manipulation of the evil sea witch, and the challenges of being human for the first time, will Ariel realize her love with Eric . . . and be human forever? Written by award-winning author Cecil Castellucci (Disney Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Shade, The Changing Girl, The Plain Janes, Soupy Leaves Home), this graphic novel invites you to be a part of Ariel''s world as she experiences the hardships of growing up, the power of love, and dreams of being . . . human.