Golden Ticket

Explore friendship, academic anxiety, and what it means to be special, in this story that "offers young readers a hopeful way of looking at failure and mistakes..." according to The New York Times

Eleven-year-old Ash McNulty is one of the "gifted and talented" kids at her school, spending most of her day in a special class with a few other advanced students. As the end of fifth grade rolls around, she should be on top of the world. According to everyone, she's going to rock junior high!

But Ash has a secret: She can't keep up with her advanced classmates anymore. The minute she asks for help though, everyone will know she's not who they think she is. She's not so smart. She might not even be that special. And her parents will be crushed to discover the truth.

If Ash can win the Quiz Bowl, though, that will show everyone that she is still on top. If she gets a lucky break ahead of time, all the better.

Except that "lucky break" backfires . . .

And Ash is left to question everything she thought she knew about school, friends, and success.