Visnja Von Schrader, Eighth Grader

Visnja Von Schrader is coping with all the usual teen issues—popularity or lack thereof, grades, boys, friends who turn to enemies for no good reason. Isn’t that enough? But then there are all the issues kids aren’t supposed to have to worry about—violence, death, life-threatening disease. Some days her biggest challenge is not falling off her cute, chunky shoes, and landing on her keester when she collides with the biggest boy in school as they both come around a corner. Then other days she is scared for her safety and the safety of her fellow students. Follow Visnja as she weaves her way in and out of the usual adolescent pitfalls while also trying to make sense of a world that at times seems like it has gone totally crazy. Some lessons she can learn from others, while there are some things she just has to figure out for herself. Getting through this next year looks like it’s going to be one huge challenge. You’d think it’s boot camp, but it’s not. It’s just eighth grade.