Breakout with Christina Wyman and Ruth McNally Barshaw

Name: Breakout with Christina Wyman and Ruth McNally Barshaw
Start: 2026-03-14T14:00:00-04:00
Location: Schuler Books (Okemos)

Schedule

Sat, 14 Mar, 2026 at 02:00 pm

UTC-04:00

Location

Schuler Books (Okemos) | Okemos, MI

Local bestselling author, Christina Wyman, is back with another relatable and encouraging middle grade novel! Christina’s characters have navigated braces and being the tall girl, and now they’ll confront acne.
Grab the middle schoolers in your life and join us for this author event! We’re told there will be cake….
We love seeing who is planning to join us! Your RSVP helps us prepare to host you. You can RSVP here: https://events.humanitix.com/christina-wyman-and-ruth-mcnally-barshaw-sbok
About the Book:
“The next great middle grade author.” —Colby Sharp, literacy advocate
From the USA Today–bestselling author of Jawbreaker and Slouch, Breakout is a fresh and funny middle-grade novel about a girl with chronic acne figuring out how to feel good in her own skin.
Ellis Starr likes learning about active volcanoes. She does not like having acne that resembles them. But it’s not just cosplaying as a pepperoni pizza that has Ellis on the verge of erupting. Her mom’s hot-and-cold moods have the two of them butting heads nonstop—especially now that her mom is dating for the first time since her parents’ separation. Then there’s Ellis’s best friend, Aggy, whose own life—and skin—seems perfect. And who could forget that Ellis still needs to decide on a research topic for a big school project.
With eighth grade proving to be every bit as pesky as a new pimple, Ellis’s only bright spot is the time she spends with her aunt Lydia, whose adorable puppy, Rocco, is a natural stress reliever. (And perhaps the perfect subject for her project.) Maybe this season of breakouts can lead to a breakthrough about what Ellis needs to truly feel good in her own skin.
Rising star author Christina Wyman takes on a quintessential middle-school experience—acne—with her trademark humor, honesty, and heart. Breakout is a must-read for kids ages 8-12 who love Raina Telgemeier, Terri Libenson, Kelly Yang, Gordon Korman, and other endlessly funny and deeply heartfelt books that tackle big topics and universal coming-of-age experiences alike.
About the Author:
Christina Wyman is a USA Today bestselling writer and teacher living in Michigan. Her middle grade debut Jawbreaker, a Publishers Weekly Best Book, follows a seventh-grader with a craniofacial anomaly that’s caught the attention of school bullies—including her own sister. Her sophomore novel, Slouch, is about a tall girl navigating friends, family, self-esteem, and boundaries. She grew up in a tiny apartment with her family in Brooklyn, New York, where she dreamed of becoming a writer. She’d written for New York Magazine, The Washington Post, Elle, Ms. Magazine and The Independent.
About the Conversation Partner:
Ruth McNally Barshaw wrote and illustrated six Ellie McDoodle Diaries, illustrated Grandpa Heaven, Grandma Heaven, There's No Base Like Home and Leopold the Lion, and wrote short stories for Amazon Rapids app. She and author-husband Charlie travel widely to schools. See more at http://ruthexpress.com