Book excerpt: From prolific author Megan E. Bryant comes the first book in a young middle-grade series about nine-year-old Abby, a girl trying to grapple with all the chaos that can come from growing up. For nine-year-old Abby McAdams, everything seems to be changing. Her cousin and best friend, Zoe, has moved across the country, her mom is going back to work, and Abby is stuck in the only after-school activity still available--running--which she absolutely loathes. Her perspective on the world is changing, too, after an encounter in her community sheds light on the issue of homelessness in her town. On top of everything, sudden changes in Abby's body mean she has to deal with things like deodorant, bras, and uncomfortable conversations. And without her best friend by her side, she's not sure she can handle it all. She's not a grown-up yet, but she definitely doesn't feel like a little kid anymore. She's Abby, in between. Ready or Not! is an accessible and positive exploration of the early stages of puberty, and is the perfect pairing to nonfiction guides like The Care and Keeping of You: The Body Book for Younger Girls.