Middle Readers

Libby and her big sister, Bella, used to be close, but lately Bella's become sarcastic and mean and obsessed with her boyfriend. Then there's six-year-old Grace, the baby of the family. Whenever Mum and Dad aren't at work, it's all about Grace. So where does Libby fit in? Things change suddenly when the girls move to the tiny village where their dad grew up - and go to a posh new school. Libby doesn't mind, but Bella can't bear to leave her boyfriend behind. Soon there are secrets everywhere.

“The Tell-Tale Heart” is the Edgar Allan Poe gothic short story that continues to fascinate readers with its murder, beating heart, and insanity. -The language of over 170 years ago has been updated making Poe’s difficult language easily understood by today’s readers. -Every effort has been made to keep the story as close to the original as possible--only word order and difficult vocabulary have been changed. -End notes, interpretation, and discussion of major themes follow the text. -Biographical information on Edgar Allan Poe is included.-Accelerated Reader AR Quiz No. 7946 EN ...

Space Station Oberon is expecting a Very Important Person, and Hal Junior has been given a choice: he must look after the VIP's snotty little kid, or miss out on a camping trip to planet Gyris. Bear in mind Hal Junior has spent his entire life aboard a space station, and he'll do anything to go camping. Well, almost anything. No homework, no chores ... and absolutely no babysitting! It turns out the kid is the least of Hal's problems, because together they uncover a terrible secret which could mean the end of the space station!

A family road trip is supposed to be a lot of fun...unless, of course, you're the Heffleys. The journey starts off full of promise, then quickly takes several wrong turns. Gas station bathrooms, crazed seagulls, a fender bender and a runaway pig - not exactly Greg Heffley's idea of a good time. But even the worst road trip can turn into an adventure - and this is one the Heffleys won't soon forget.

The Best Life Stories by Reader's Digest are 150 of the best hand-picked real-life tales of resilience, joy, and hope - all in 150 words or less! People think I'm crazy for teaching middle schoolers.

This is your pilot speaking. We have a problem in the engine bay. It's nothing to worry about, but please make your way to the escape pods. Hal Junior and Stephen 'Stinky' Binn live aboard a high-tech space station, far from the nearest planet. The rules are strict, and their lives are carefully regulated. That's why they're so excited about the camping trip to Planet Gyris ... imagine a whole week of fishing, swimming, sleeping in tents and running wild! Unfortunately, the boys crash land in the middle of a forest, and there's little chance of rescue. Is this the end of the camping trip .....

Space Station Oberon is on high alert, because a comet is about to whizz past. All the scientists are preparing for the exciting event, and all the kids are planning on watching. All the kids except Hal Junior, who's been given detention. Unfortunately the comet passes a whole lot closer than expected. Fortunately nobody is hurt, but the kids are trapped in one half, the adults in the other. Never mind. They have air and supplies, and they can all sit tight and wait for rescue. Or can they? The scientists discover Space Station Oberon is now falling towards Gyris, faster and faster, and ...

In Because My Destiny Awaits, readers will step into the compelling world of Jojo, a young girl admired for her radiant kindness. Next door resides Ruby, an insightful elder who navigates life from a wheelchair. As their story weaves together, Ruby unveils to Jojo that kindness is more than simply a virtue--it's a transformative force linked to the energy that pervades us in nature, air, and within animals. With its heartfelt characters, the book serves as a reminder that even the smallest gestures of kindness can shape our destiny, guiding us toward a future enriched by mutual respect and ...

Twelve-year-old Danny Warner is supposed to spend Christmas with his dad in Sand Coulee, Montana, but all that changes when his mother moves Danny and his sister, Becky, to Red Rock, Arizona instead. Danny, who hasn’t seen his dad since his parents’ divorce six months earlier, is now more determined than ever to get to Montana. He devises a plan, a daring and dangerous one, to be carried out in the cloak of night under the winter Arizona skies. But his plan doesn’t go as intended, and Danny finds himself on the journey of a lifetime—too far to go back, and uncertain on how to move ...

Growing up as the child of former sharecroppers in a segregated Baltimore, Elijah Cummings saw firsthand how injustice could run rampant, even in a democracy that promises fairness and equality. But with a strong support system and fiery self-discipline, Elijah utilized the momentum of the civil rights movement to overcome the obstacles of poverty and racism to effect change at a time when our country so badly needed it.

When a group of sixth graders visits the Chaldean Museum, they discover more than just ancient artifacts. As they wander through the vibrant Ancient Mesopotamia Gallery, mosaic lions roar to life, cuneiform tablets whisper secrets, and the towering Code of Hammurabi seems to hold a mysterious power. With each step, history awakens, and the stories of powerful rulers and incredible inventions spark their imaginations like never before.

As Violet Sidhu and her friends prepare to sell hats at the Halloway Hills Middle School Christmas fair, they discover their hats have gone missing! In book two of the Halloway Hills Middle School Mysteries, after a box of crocheted hats goes missing, Violet and her friends must come up with an alternative plan to raise money at the annual Christmas fair. When Violet discovers what’s happened to her hats, thanks to the new guy at school, getting them back turns out to be harder than she thought. Will Violet get her hats back in time for the school’s Christmas fair?

Indulge in this cozy fantasy mystery, where magic and wonder await. When storms sweep the town, the strange little chocolate shop transforms into a portal to other worlds, and a baby monster slips through. It forms an unlikely bond with a young customer. Can they find a way to return the monster to its world, or is it doomed to stay in this human world forever?

Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up. Allie has had her share of adventures, and today she just wants to celebrate her birthday. A nice, quiet day with her grandparents on Whidbey Island. Unfortunately, when balls of fire rain down from the sky, she's reminded of her duties. Setting out to connect with her friends and join the fight, Allie makes a couple friends and learns of a new power in play. Will she be able to get her friends to safety? This is a short story in the BRINGER OF LIGHT universe. For Middle Grade fantasy readers, age 9-12.

“The System of Dr. Tarr and Prof. Fether” is an Edgar Allan Poe short story that expertly blends his dark perspective with the comic. -This is the original story—only word order and difficult vocabulary have been updated. -End notes, interpretation, and discussion of major themes follow the text. -Biographical information on Edgar Allan Poe is included. -For other classic short stories in easy to understand updated English search for “Simplified for Modern Readers Series.”

The Great Christmas Rescue! When Jack Frost tries to take over Christmas, Santa and his friends must come up with a plan to stop him! Join Adair, Herman, and a tiny mouse named Junior on a thrilling adventure to save Christmas. With teamwork, kindness, and a little bit of magic, can they rescue Santa and Mrs. Claus and make Christmas morning merry and bright again?

It is the month before Christmas, and Roman's class is preparing for the Christmas fete and the school pantomime. The new teacher at the helm - the awful Mr Le Salle, a flamboyant, theatrical and downright nasty piece of work - is the least of Roman's worries. He also has to contend with the most rubbish role in the panto (being a box) as well as organising the Santa's grotto stall at the Christmas fete with loose cannon Darren Gamble. As the panto nears, it seems that everything that could possibly go wrong is about to. It is left to Roman to save the panto and the day....

Griffith, Graham, and Ruby's father passed away in the war. And now they must join their mother and their father's wartime traveling baseball team, The Travelin' Nine, on a a tour of America to raise money. No one will tell the kids why the team needs money so badly. Their only clue is a baseball with a hole the size of an acorn in it that their Uncle Owen gave to them the night of their father's funeral. When all three kids hold the ball, strange things begin to happen.