The award-winning author of Stones and Zack brings us a collection of original stories that will captivate teens as completely as his bestselling novels. With these eight absorbing tales, acclaimed storyteller William Bell explores the highs and lows of characters struggling to belong. In “Chumley,” a high school boy’s comical eccentricities mask his true, more complicated self. Fourteen-year-old Albert’s sudden sense of shame at the grandfather he adores leads to a surprising realization in “Beer Can Man.” In “The Staircase,” the aftermath of a horrible incident exposes an ugly reality at the heart of a high school. In “Window Tree,” a girl grapples with her shattered expectations over a crush she felt certain was requited. Bell’s protagonists are individuals and outsiders, often on the margin of their peers or their family. Finding their own place in the world takes them on journeys that are by turns funny, fantastical, and moving. These perceptive, empathetic, and engaging stories show again why William Bell commands such a loyal readership among young adults, teachers, and parents.