COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, March 3, 2025—WaterBrook, an imprint of PRH Christian Publishing Group, is delighted to share that Here Be Dragons: Treading the Deep Waters of Motherhood, Mean Girls, and Generational Trauma (Feb. 18, 2025) by Melanie Shankle, author and co-host of the Big Boo Cast, debuted at #5 on The New York Times Hardcover Nonfiction Bestseller list and at #8 on the Nonfiction Print and E-book Combined Bestseller List.
In Here Be Dragons, Shankle—now a four-time New York Times bestselling author—presents a poignant, deeply personal story about trusting God to heal generational wounds so you can be a strong, loving presence for your teenage daughter.
Like a lot of moms, Shankle found herself in need of a parenting map when her teenage daughter, Caroline, entered her sophomore year of high school where she encountered relentless mean girls and brutal heartache. While trying to equip her daughter to deal with the toxic social dynamics of high school, Melanie was hit with a cruel realization: The shame, criticism, and verbal abuse she had endured throughout her own life was wrought by one particular mean girl—her own mother.
“Amazingly, this is not the book Melanie set out to write . . . yet it’s the message that poured out of her. It’s even better than what any of us—including Melanie—were expecting!” said Susan Tjaden, WaterBrook VP/Executive Editor. “We are thrilled it is resonating with readers in the way we had hoped.”
Reader reviews showcase their enthusiasm calling Here Be Dragons Shankle’s best book yet. With more than 120 reviews on Goodreads and a 4.86 rating, readers are saying “I devoured it,” “I love this book from start to finish,” and “there is so much truth, wisdom and encouragement to be found here.”
In celebration of Here Be Dragons, Shankle is doing a nine-city book tour visiting stores across her home state of Texas, as well as in the South. Upcoming events include Monday, March 3, at Little Professor Bookshop in Birmingham, AL, with her podcast co-host Sophie Hudson; Tuesday, March 4, at Books-A-Million in Nashville, TN, with Sissy Goff and David Thomas; and on Thursday, March 6, at Blue Willow Bookshop at St. Thomas Presbyterian Church in Houston, TX, with Beth Moore.
Melanie Shankle is a four-time New York Times bestselling author of Here Be Dragons, Sparkly Green Earrings, The Antelope in the Living Room, and Nobody’s Cuter Than You. She speaks at events nationwide and co-hosts the wildly popular podcast, The Big Boo Cast. Melanie and her husband, Perry, live in San Antonio, Texas, and are the parents of Caroline. www.melanieshankle.com
WaterBrook is an imprint of PRH Christian Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC.
Contact: Beverly Rykerd, VP/Publicity Director, brykerd@penguinrandomhouse.com
