Janae Marks will be visiting Norwood-Fontbonne Academy on October 26, 2026 with Starting Now
This offer is only available to students of Norwood-Fontbonne Academy.
Please order by October 12, 2026 to ensure personalization and event-day availability.
Books will be delivered to your school for distribution, so please be sure to fill out the student name, grade, and teacher fields.
About Janae Marks
Janae Marks is the New York Times bestselling author of the Zoe Washington series, A Soft Place to Land, A Split Second, Starting Now, and 3 in a Million (co-written with Lorien Lawrence and Adrianna Cuevas). Her work can also be found in the middle grade anthologies Hope Wins, edited by Rose Brock, and Black Girl Power, edited by Leah Johnson. Her novels have been named Best Book of the Year by Parents Magazine, Chicago Public Library, the Boston Globe, the Bank Street College of Education, and others.
Visit her at https://www.janaemarks.com.
About Starting Now
Addy Thompson’s life is untangling: Her mom is in a coma following a car accident, and now she’s in the custody of her estranged half-brother–although Julian feels more connected by DNA than real family. On top of that, her two best friends, Thea and Luz, are fighting, and she’s not sure she’s ready for her first ever swim meet. Addy feels helpless in the middle of everything.
As Addy gets to know Julian better, more questions arise. Why haven’t they spent time together before now? And why won’t he visit their mom in the hospital? When Addy discovers an old journal in her mom’s closet, it sends her on a journey to uncover the truth.
But revealing the past comes with big feelings and bigger secrets, and when Addy gets Thea and Luz involved in her scheme, the ties of their friendship stretch to their limit. Even worse, Julian refuses to talk about their mom, and Addy’s search for the truth threatens their growing relationship.
All Addy wants is to knit the people she loves back together. But what if she’s the one tearing them apart?