Fires Burning Underground

Navigating middle school, identity, and friendship can be a trial by fire. It's Anny's first day of middle school, and after years of being homeschooled, her first day of public school ever. In art, Larissa asks what kind of ESP is her favorite: telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, or telekinesis? Tracy asks how she identifies: gay, straight, bi, asexual, pan, trans, or confused?

Thus kicks off a school year for Anny in which she'll navigate a path between childhood and adolescence, imagination and identity. In a year of turmoil and transition, with a new awareness of loss after the death of a friend, Anny struggles to find meaning in tragedy, to come to terms with her questions about her sexuality, and to figure out how to negotiate her own ever-shifting new friendships. And when her oldest friend's life is in danger, she must summon up her wits, imagination, and the ghosts that haunt her to save them both.

For middle-grade readers seeking coming-of-age stories that explore identity, friendship, and the supernatural, Fires Burning Underground offers a heartwarming and suspenseful journey. Can Anny find her place, or will the fires consume everything she holds dear?