The Cousins' Club Collection

Before there was The Cousins' Club... Before the birthday sleepovers... Before the belly raspberries... There was a family learning how to grow together. When Sophia and Rocco receive a life-changing phone call about a baby boy in need of a home, they begin a journey that will forever change the Hawthorne family. Soon afterward, twin girls arrive, another surprise grandson joins the family, and four cousins begin a friendship that will shape their childhoods.

Kai has always known who he is. He's the kid who loves making people laugh. The cousin who never misses a family gathering. The boy who knows he's surrounded by people who love him. But when teasing at school turns into bullying, Kai begins to see himself through other people's eyes. The hurtful words follow him everywhere—into the classroom, onto the playground, and even into his own thoughts. Soon, the confident boy everyone knows starts pulling away from the people who care about him most.

RJ has always known he is loved. But knowing you are loved doesn't always mean understanding where you belong. When a school assignment asks RJ to create a family tree, he is faced with questions he doesn't know how to answer—questions about identity, origin, and what it truly means to be part of a family.

RJ never imagined that sharing his favorite family tradition would change everything. What began as a simple school project soon turns into something much bigger when classmates discover the Hawthorne family's beloved Birthday Raspberry Tradition. At first, the questions seem harmless. Then come the jokes. The whispers. The teasing. Before long, RJ, Kai, Katie, and Danielle find themselves facing mockery from their classmates—and the pressure begins to pull them apart.