Most Popular Books by Susan Beth Pfeffer

The eagerly awaited addition to the series begun with the New York Times best-seller Life As We Knew It, in which a meteor knocks the moon off its orbit and the world changes forever. It''s been more than two years since Jon Evans and his family left Pennsylvania, hoping to find a safe place to live, yet Jon remains haunted by the deaths of those he loved. His prowess on a soccer field has guaranteed him a home in a well-protected enclave. But Jon is painfully aware that a missed goal, a careless word, even falling in love, can put his life and the lives of his mother, his sister Miranda, and her husband, Alex, in jeopardy. Can Jon risk doing what is right in a world gone so terribly wrong?

New York Times bestseller! A heart-stopping post-apocalyptic thriller that''s "absorbing from first to last page."* When a meteor knocks the moon closer to earth, Miranda, a high school sophomore, takes shelter with her family. Told in a year’s worth of journal entries, Life as We Knew It chronicles the human struggle to hold on to the most important resource of all—hope—in an increasingly desperate and unfamiliar world. As August turns dark and wintery in northeastern Pennsylvania, Miranda, her two brothers, and their mother retreat to the unexpected safe haven of their sunroom, where they subsist on stockpiled food and limited water in the warmth of a wood-burning stove. I guess I always felt even if the world came to an end, McDonald’s still would be open. Like one marble hitting another, when the moon slams closer to earth, the result is catastrophic. Worldwide tsunamis wipe out the coasts, earthquakes rock the continents, and volcanic ash blocks out the sun. Life as We Know It is an extraordinary series debut. The companion novels are: The Dead and the Gone, This World We Live In, and The Shade of the Moon. (*Publishers Weekly, starred review)

Relates ten-year-old Beth''s exciting trip to pre-Civil War New York City with Marmee and Father.

The darker the truth, the deeper you hide it—but what happens when you can''t hide anymore? Innocence, I guess, is not my image. Sixteen-year-old Iris knows that between her bohemian playwright father who lives off the grid in the New Mexican desert and her mother, to whom getting married (but not staying married) is a full-time job, she''s led an unorthodox life, which hasn''t left with her with a lot of childhood illusions. So it''s no surprise when her mom sends her to spend the summer with her aunt, uncle, and cousin. Iris''s younger cousin Caryn is different. She''s only fourteen, and much more sheltered. Aunt Elaine hopes that Iris will be good company for Caryn, and when the girls meet an appealing young man at the pool and all three become friends, it seems her plan just might be working. But for Iris, making things work means keeping secrets from Caryn. If Iris can''t pretend to be someone she isn''t all summer long, will she still be all right?

The highly anticipated follow-up to Life As We Knew It and The Dead and the Gone

It seems incredible that a call-in TV show featuring pictures of missing children could change her life so drastically, but when a 16-year-old recognizes her father in the photo on the screen, she discovers that the family who''s been searching for their daughter is looking for her. But who is she? Brooke or Amy? She''s been living with her father and now learns he''s taken her illegally. Who do you love when everyone says they love you? How can anyone know which parent loves you most? Susan Beth Pfeffer delivers yet another hard-hitting novel that delves into the issues that confront real teens today. "Lively narration, peppered with wry, insightful wit, and the story''s balanced resolution make it enjoyable reading...."--School Library Journal "Pfeffer perfectly conveys Brooke''s hurt and resentment.... Readers will share Brooke''s anxiety as she tries to adapt to a new family while remaining loyal to her father, and they''ll understand her anger when she finally realizes the cost of her father''s actions."--Booklist "The emotions are raw...but the story combines the draw of sensational headlines with an understanding of teenage struggles."--The Bulletin of the Center for Children''s Books "The author maintains so brisk a pace and so appealingly plumbs her heroine''s emotional life that the reader will want to believe in the story."--Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

When her best friend’s parents separate, a seventh grader struggles to keep their friendship alive When Carrie and Jill are alone together, they can be anyone in the whole world. Whether they’re pretending to be movie stars, environmental activists, or the leaders of the free world, there is one thing they don’t have to imagine: They are as close as any friends could be. Going into seventh grade, there is a lot that Carrie is afraid of, but she knows Jill will be by her side forever—until, suddenly, she’s not. When Jill’s father announces that he wants a divorce, it puts a distance between the two friends that never used to be there. As Jill’s life falls apart around her, Carrie must find a way to talk to her friend again and save her from a problem that’s anything but make-believe.

An incurable gossip tries to learn how to keep secrets to herself Sometimes Cass just can''t help herself. Tell her something personal, even something embarrassing, and before you know it, the whole school will have heard. It''s not that Cass doesn''t want to keep secrets—she just doesn''t know how. After her bad habit lands her in a fight with one of her friends, Cass asks her family for help. Mom proposes a psychological experiment. Every time Cass manages to keep a secret, she''ll get a dollar—and a lesson worth far more than that. It''s easy at first, but pretty soon Cass is so full of gossip, she feels like she''s going to burst. When an earth-shattering secret traps her in the middle of her two best friends, she learns that sometimes it''s more important not to keep your mouth shut.

The truth isn''t the most comfortable choice, but it''s the only one with any future Sloan Fredericks can still remember the weeks she spent in the hospital when she was nine, the only survivor of the accident that killed her parents and little brother. Now she lives with her grandmother in the kind of grand old house you''d expect from a family known for both their wealth and their political prowess. It''s also the kind of house that has a music room, which is where Sloan goes searching for a little peace and quiet during her gran''s annual party, until an older man with a important reputation corners her long enough to say some things that Sloan doesn''t want to hear. She quickly brushes past him, hoping that no one saw them. But someone did—one of Sloan''s own friends—who confesses that the man did the same thing to her, only much, much worse. Although meant to be private, the confession doesn''t stay that way, and soon the secret is all anyone can talk about. Can the truth save their family, or will it just dig up even uglier secrets?

When Paula falls for the bad boy down the street, what she thought would be a silly summer romance becomes anything but It''s Paula''s last summer at home, and in need of an affectionate distraction, she decides now is the perfect time to get involved with one of the two brothers from down the road, Jonny and Jordon. But which one? Likable, well-mannered Jonny? Or Jordon, who''s been kicked out of every school that would take him and who tells her up front that he wants her to have to choose—and wants her to choose him? Who can say no to a bad boy? Underneath it all, Paula knows Jordon is the kind and gentle person she''s falling in love with—something his parents can''t, or won''t, see. And better yet, Jordon says he loves her back and promises to always be honest with her. But sometimes the truth isn''t what we want to hear . . .

When her close friend since childhood murders his adoptive parents and kills himself, 17-year-old Lynn is haunted by the tragedy.

Tending to a veteran''s grave leads a boy on a search for his father The battlefield at Gettysburg is a landscape of rolling hills, thickly wooded forests, and monuments to men who died here long ago. When Joey looks at this peaceful landscape, he sees it through the eyes of Joshua Gibbs, a soldier from his hometown who came to Gettysburg to save the Union. Joey comes here with his stepfather hoping to learn more about the soldier whose story has captured his imagination, but he will leave obsessed with another person''s history: his own. Joey doesn''t know much about his biological father, who left his mother long ago, and he has never been all that curious. But during the trip to Gettysburg, his stepfather announces that he wants to adopt him. This surprising declaration sends Joey on a frantic search for his birth father—a search that uncovers truths even harder to understand than those of Gettysburg, and just as painful as any battle ever fought.

Alison, Molly, TJ, Miranda, Rafe, and Bill have been on Hard Time High for five months—but real life is a lot more complicated than any TV script could make it seem Things are changing on the set of prime time''s new hit series. For starters, the producer''s daughter, bratty twelve-year-old Susie Goldstein, now has a role on the show. Sixteen-year-old Alison Blake, a former Miss Young America, has been wowing audiences since she was three . . . and supporting her family on her looks. Now she wants to be judged on her own merits. She gets a welcome reality check when her high school boyfriend, Seth Lewin, shows up on the set and announces he''s moving to Los Angeles to be near her. Alison has to fight for the right to date Seth while keeping a secret that could get Molly fired from the show. Seasoned TV veteran Bill Douglas is vice president of his junior class. He wants to have it all—success, celebrity, and love. But his longtime girlfriend, Calista Hasbrouck, doesn''t seem to see things his way. They''re all on their way to stardom. But will the limelight translate into lasting fame—or leave them with broken dreams?

Having kept the secret that their family VCR can send people back in time, eleven-year-old twins Scott and Kelly continue to search for the best way to use that power and make an amazing new discovery. Sequel to "Rewind to Yesterday."

When Melodie’s glamorous parents split up, all she needs is a friend—but can Elaine be there for her? Elaine Zuckerman’s parents are definitely not glamorous—her dad does something boring with computer chips, and her mom is a dentist whose office is in their house. They’re nothing like her friend Melodie’s family. Melodie’s mom, Constance King, is a beautiful Broadway star, and her dad, Trevor Ashford, has a thrilling British accent. Even Melodie’s name is glamorous! And Elaine would trade her oblivious older brothers for Melodie’s little sister in a heartbeat. But glamour won’t keep Constance and Trevor’s marriage together or make them stop fighting in front of their daughters. And Elaine isn’t sure how to help the friend who’s always had everything, especially when the Zuckermans get caught in the middle. What will it take for Melodie’s parents to behave like the grown-ups they’re supposed to be?

You can buy a lot of things with enough money, but you can’t buy the truth After Val skips one Sunday dinner with her cousin Michelle’s family, everything changes. Val and Michelle’s fathers aren’t getting along, and she just wanted to avoid the tension that she knew would be on the menu. Val’s mom died of cancer two years ago, and now her father’s love and her mother’s memory are all she has. But Michelle can’t let it go, and in her anger she drops a bombshell: “You’re not really family. You don’t really count.” Is it true? How come no one—not her teachers, not her classmates, not their parents—seems surprised? Other kids at school are adopted; it’s not a secret. So why hasn’t anyone told Val? Slowly Val starts to see that things are different for her. Other kids don’t have bodyguards or a dad who gives them whatever they want with his piles of money. Up till now, Val has repaid her father’s love by being the obedient daughter he expects, but now she needs something else: She needs the truth.

To save her business, a young entrepreneur dreams bigger than ever before When she wanted a new bike, Janie started doing odd jobs around the neighborhood for a dollar an hour. She promised her clients that no job was too big or too small—and Kid Power was born. By the end of the summer, she had regular clients, employees, and a steady stream of income—all the makings of a tiny business empire. But after Labor Day, summer work vanished, and Kid Power was no more. Janie is about to give up on the business when she realizes that there will be snow on the ground soon—snow that needs shoveling. She reinvents Kid Power as a cold-weather company, doing all the winter chores that people will pay her to do. But when the money starts rolling in, so does trouble. Kid Power may be headed for the deep freeze.

Robin doesn''t want to be perfect, but it would be nice to be more than perfectly average Robin can''t believe it: Out of the thousands of girls who applied for the Image magazine summer internships, she''s one of only four winners who will be spending the summer in New York City. Robin knows she''ll be working hard at the popular teen magazine, but she hopes there will be plenty of time for shopping, eating out, and living the fabulous life. Her excitement is only a little dulled when she hears her cousin Annie got one of the other spots. Robin and Annie used to be close, but now that their mothers compare them to each other all the time, both girls feel like they can''t win. So when they meet at their hotel, the cousins agree: All they want is to be themselves and have a perfect summer. Along with their roommates, Ashley and Torey, Robin and Annie dive into their new responsibilities—and into the parties, makeovers, and social lives they''ve always dreamed of. But while their friendships are getting stronger, life in the public eye is harder than it looks, and all four girls know that only one intern can be chosen for the cover of the special Image issue. Will Robin''s dream of the perfect summer survive reality?