Author Description

"Keep calm and carry on," Silver Athena Contos tells herself on the first day of school as she ascends the brick steps of Ralston Middle School. Silver wants it all: to be popular, have a boyfriend, and be a cheerleader. She even has a plan on how to do it. It's called Cousins, the must-have book every kid wants to read and every parent hides. Ever since the twins left for college, Silver has the run of the house, sharing it with a mother who yells when she talks, a loving dad who isn't too invasive about her life, and Yiayia, her grandmother, who lives close by, only wears black, curses in Greek, and is the size of a shrimp chip. Sheer luck plays a part in Silver's rise in social status when she overhears a conversation in a dressing room. The conversation leads to an outlandish outfit, cementing her status into the cool group. Meanwhile, her new best guy friend, Kent, is schooling her on how to get a boyfriend. The only problem is, she's falling for him, but it seems Kent has other plans for Silver. She finds herself in over her head and confused by Kent's master plan. So Silver turns to her own plan, bribing fellow classmates to get cheerleading votes. She'll let them read the juicy parts in the book Cousins if they vote for her. Will her plan work? Is it ethical? Does she like who she's becoming? Silver Contos debates all these questions and works them out among her classmates and her family in Ralston Rams.