What's the best day of the year? A birthday, of course! Stella Batts is turning nine, and she has big plans. Her family will be going to Pennsylvania to celebrate. That's where Stella's best friend Willa moved to, and Stella hasn't seen Willa for months. It's hard not to see your best friend for that long, so this is an important trip. But before Stella can get on the plane--DISASTER STRIKES! Now instead of a birthday weekend sleepover with Willa in Pennsylvania, Stella is stuck in a hospital room in her hometown of Somers, California, with a broken leg, doctors, nurses, and a roommate who is a stranger. What's the worst day of the year? You guessed it. Stella's birthday.

Author: Courtney Sheinmel

Courtney Sheinmel is a recovering attorney, chocolate-lover, mac and cheese expert, and the author of over a dozen highly celebrated books for kids and teens, including the young readers’ Stella Batts series, the middle grade Kindness Club series, and the young adult novel, Edgewater. In addition to writing, Courtney served as a judge on the national level for the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, and she received a National Scholastic Outstanding Educator Award for her work as a writing instructor at Writopia Lab, a non-profit organization serving kids ages 8 to 18. Courtney lives in New York City. You can find her on Twitter at @courtneywrites, on Instagram at courtneysheinmel, or on her website at www.courtneysheinmel.com.

Illustrator: Jennifer A. Bell

Jennifer A. Bell is a children's book and greeting card illustrator, and studied at the Columbus College of Art and Design. After several years of living in Minneapolis, she recently relocated to Toronto.