The Beautiful List is a timely conversation starter for middle grade girls longing to know that they are worthy just as they are, as well as a great resource for parents, teachers and caregivers who seek to support today's tween girls as they struggle to find what makes them uniquely beautiful.

Twelve-year-old Serah Reynolds is living the dream life in suburbia until a chance encounter with confident seven-year-old Rachel awakens insecurities she never knew she had. Desperate to learn about real beauty, and whether she measures up, Serah creates a list of beautiful things-but finds her own name impossible to add to it.

As inquisitive as she is determined, Serah seeks to find where she does belong and embarks on a journey of self-discovery with the help of her best friend, Courtney, and her school counselor, Mrs. Caldwell. Along the way, her parents and siblings aren't much help as she struggles with her appearance, intelligence, friendship, girl drama, boys, and even bathing suits. And just when it seems like things can't get any worse, an accident leaves Serah scarred in more ways than one. Feeling betrayed and alone, Serah leans into her questions, faces her fears, and finds the answers she's been seeking all along.

• Focus on connecting with tween girls and their moms
• Blog regularly and guest write on blogs in parenting and women health space
• Promote t-shirt and sticker merchandise at events and online giveaways
• Work with a professional book publicist
• Grow email list and develop social media presence
• Connect with influencers on social media
• Speak at conferences, churches, and retreats
• Speak as a guest on podcasts and radio shows
• Submit to major industry reviewers, including Publishers Weekly and Foreword Reviews
• Leverage hobby on the racetrack to promote the book to parent drivers

About the Author
A former Charles Kuralt Fellow at Voice of America, Christine Virgin's story-telling background comes from various print and broadcast media. After unsuccessfully launching a niche magazine for teen girls and working for Discovery Communications, Christine began blogging about parenting at peeinpeace.com, and, more recently, about fiction writing and her new hobby of racecar driving at christinevirgin.com. She's been honing her craft as a writer for two decades, with The Beautiful List as her debut novel. She currently resides in the Washington D.C. area with her husband and their three children, as well as their dog Baxter and an aquarium of constantly rotating residents.

Reviews

"I highly recommend The Beautiful List for every young tween and mother who wants to have meaningful conversations that will deepen their relationship. In today's world with so many conflicting messages, we need girls to know that they are worthy and beautiful inside and out. This book is a great start to last a lifetime."- Lidia Soto-Harmon, Chief Executive Officer, Girl Scouts Nation's Capital

"A delightful coming-of-age story that enters into the journey (and thought process) of twelve-year-old Serah Reynolds as she searches to define, categorize, and embrace what is truly beautiful. From her developing body to her maturing character, Serah grows deeper and stronger as she encounters friend issues, sibling dynamics, and several unexpected encounters that alter her, inside and out. Whether you are twelve or, in my case, 45, this story invites you to be on the lookout for beauty that's more than skin deep."- Katie M. Reid, author of Made Like Martha and A Very Bavarian Christmas, mother to 5 with a Master's Degree in Secondary Education

"Once I started to love Serah - somewhere around page 1 - I couldn't close the cover. This novel has everything: original concept, timely theme handled with authenticity, characters I wanted to either bring home or smack (which is a good thing) and a voice that convinced me that Christine Virgin actually is a 12-year-old MENSA candidate with a heart as big as Montana. Tween readers are in good hands with this author. I can only hope she's creating another story in her beautiful mind."- Nancy Rue, author of The Lily Series, The Sophie Series and The Lucy Collection

Book Information
ISBN 9781631958649
Author Christine Virgin
Format Paperback
Page Count 200
Imprint Morgan James Publishing llc
Publisher Morgan James Publishing llc