Description

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When anxiety threatens to derail a homeschooled girl's attempt to make new friends, she finds support in an unlikely source . . . a herd of adorable alpacas!

To some kids, Amelia's life sounds like the ultimate fantasy. She and her brothers are homeschooled by their adventurous parents, and the family travels around the country in an RV, scaling mountains, rappelling down canyons, and skiing down double black diamond slopes.There's just one problem -- Amelia didn't inherit the family's daredevil gene. She's terrified of heights and would give anything to be reading instead of careening down a mountain. She's also desperate for the chance to attend a regular school and make real friends. So when her parents decide to temporarily move to Colorado, Amelia's delighted by the chance to settle down.However, starting at a conventional school is much harder than Amelia imagined, and her anxiety makes meeting new friends extra challenging. Everything about her feels wrong, from her clothes to her hobbies to her complete lack of pop culture knowledge.So when Amelia's given the chance to volunteer at an alpaca ranch, she's delighted by the chance to do something she's good at -- take care of animals. And soon, the alpacas and their owners start to feel like real friends.But when a cruel classmate's prank puts the alpacas in mortal peril, Amelia will have to summon strength she never knew she possessed to save the only place that's ever felt like home.

About the Author

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Jenny Goebel is the author of Grave Images, The 39 Clues: Mission Hurricane, and Fortune Falls. She lives in Denver with her husband and three sons.

Praise For…

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Praise for Out of My Shell:"Liv is a reflective, compassionate, and self-aware narrator, and she juggles myriad conflicting emotions, struggling especially with how to express her feelings while being considerate of those of the people around her. A strong story about growing up." -- Kirkus Reviews"A comforting book for fans of Ali Benjamin and Suzanne LaFleur." -- BooklistPraise for Fortune Falls:* "Rich language, well-paced plotting, and rounded characters create an enchanting, hard-to-leave world. Sadie is a clever, resourceful, and brave heroine who is unwilling to abandon her family and friends, even when facing insurmountable odds. Make space on your shelves for this one." -- Booklist, starred review"Bad luck has never been so interesting; hand this to middle grade readers who enjoy tales with a touch of magic and a plucky underdog." -- School Library Journal