Christina Wyman – författare

Max Plink’s life is complicated. Her parents aren’t getting along. The school bullies are relentless - and her own sister is the cruelest of them. Worst of all, her mouth is a mess. Max has a Class II malocclusion, otherwise known as a severe overbite. She already has braces, but now Max has to wear painful (and totally awkward) orthodontic headgear called “the jawbreaker.” Could things get any worse?Yes. The journalism competition Max wants to enter has a video component. But being on camera means showing her face to her junior high classmates, and possibly the whole city. Turns out, following her dreams is complicated, too.Inspired by Christina Wyman’s own experience with a Class II malocclusion, Jawbreaker is a humorous and heartfelt story that will break you apart only to put you back together again.

Ellis Starr likes learning about active volcanos. She does not like having acne that resembles them. But it’s not just cosplaying as a pepperoni pizza that has Ellis on the verge of erupting. Her mum’s hot-and-cold moods have the two of them butting heads nonstop - especially now that her mum is dating for the first time since her parents’ separation. Then there’s Ellis’s best friend, Aggy, whose own life - and skin - seem perfect. And who could forget that Ellis still needs to decide on a research topic for a big school project.With school proving to be every bit as pesky as a new pimple, Ellis’s only bright spot is the time she spends with her aunt Lydia, whose adorable puppy, Rocco, is a natural stress reliever. (And perhaps the perfect subject for her project.) Maybe this season of breakouts can lead to a breakthrough about what Ellis needs to truly feel good in her own skin.In her newest novel, bestselling author Christina Wyman tackles a quintessential school experience - acne - with her trademark humour, honesty, and heart.

Stevie Crumb doesn’t want to stand out. But when you’re nearly 5’10” in secondary school, it’s kind of hard not to. All anyone wants to talk about is Stevie’s height - even Stevie’s parents, who would just love for her to be an athlete like her basketball-star older brother. Sure, Stevie wants to be good at something - maybe even great at something. She’d just prefer it didn’t draw even more attention to her lanky frame.A chance encounter leads Stevie to the school’s debate team instead, where she meets cute fellow debater Cedric. He’s shorter than she is, and Stevie doesn’t think anything of it - until her best friend points it out. Then strange guys on the subway start making comments about Stevie’s body, too - which is not only annoying, but scary and unsafe. It’s time for Stevie to ask for help, set some boundaries, and realise that standing up (and standing out) isn’t such a bad thing after all.