Middle Readers

Everyone has a story. Even the ones who seem hardest to understand. In Through Their Eyes, three unforgettable kids tell their truth from the inside out. Marcus hides his drawings, and his fears, beneath a tough shell sharpened by pressure from his brother’s crew. Tara wears perfection like a costume, even as her parents’ divorce unravels everything she thought she could control. Devin scores goals on the field but can’t face the letters on the page, ashamed of a secret he doesn’t know how to name. Each of them is a bully. Each of them is hurting. And each of them is about to be ...

Stories are vanishing again—but this time, they’re not being erased. They’re being rewritten. Armed with her StoryScope, a stubborn journal, and an ever-growing crew of misfit legends, thirteen-year-old Juniper Quill must journey through a warped Neverland, a satirised empire of giants, a jungle ruled by silence, and a city where Arabian tales have fallen asleep. Along the way, she faces pirates who collect taxes, talking horses who quote poetry, hunter-kings afraid of joy, and the Redacto, a mysterious villain with the power to twist tales from the inside out. If Juniper can’t find...

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.

Twelve-year-old Zach Clark has some pretty common troubles: single mom, bully at school. But he's also got one problem all his own when he wakes up one morning on the ceiling. Gravity seems to have no effect, and one false step will send Zach toppling up into the sky, gone for good. Zach and his friend Sophie try to hide his condition and then cure it, but soon enough, their luck runs out and forces close in on them from all sides. A thrilling fantasy for fans of fast-moving and inspirational storytelling! A legendary "lost novel" finally made available to the public!

“The Most Dangerous Game” (1924) is the Richard Connell short story that continues to fascinate readers with its suspense and action. This is the original story—only word order and difficult vocabulary have been updated. Biographical information, end notes, and analysis of the major themes follow the text. AR Quiz No. 8634 EN Fiction Upper Grades - BL: 5.3 - AR Pts: 1.0. For other short stories in easy to understand modern English search the web for “George Lakon.”

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?

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!

“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 ...

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 Reddy Boys, Fred and Ned, were looking forward to the traveling fair coming to their town. After dealing with vampires and ghosts, they just wanted to have some fun. No such luck. Mysterious murders start to happen in their town. The victim’s bodies are shriveled up and partially frozen. The Chiller Killer was on the loose! With their friend, Nora Dale, they can’t resist trying to solve the bizarre deaths. The more they look into it, the stranger the case becomes, and the more danger they find themselves in.

In many ways, Frank Fratello is a typical teen. He plays baseball, hangs out with his friends at the mall and gets in trouble at home. But there’s something very different about this sixth-grader—he can read minds. And reading minds can cause problems. Like when Frank says what someone is thinking before they say it. Or answers a question before they ask it. Despite being telepathic, Frank must deal with everyday middle school life, which includes battling a bully who hates him. Nasty Nate and his flunkies live to get others in trouble—especially Frank. But Frank and his friends ...

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 ...

Moishe “Mushy” Luftmensch, age 10 and a half, has a big problem: He’s a very good kid...in a very bad world (and we mean very, very bad! We’re talking “tangerine peanut butter and garlic milkshakes” bad!). When Mushy proves to be too good for his, well...own good...he’s summarily shipped off to a special camp for “good eggs” like him. It’s no surprise we end up at a particularly unique camp where kids like Mushy are turned from really good to really bad...just like they’re supposed to be.

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 ...

Cole thought he had his school routine all figured out. He could muck around and draw all day in Mr. Jenkins' easygoing class. But when the teacher gets sick, everything changes. The substitute, Miss Evans, assigns a family tree art project that hits too close to home for Cole. Ever since losing his mum last year, Cole's family life has felt broken. So he hatches a plan to get Miss Evans to cancel class and avoid the painful assignment. But no matter what mischief Cole pulls, the unflappable new teacher remains calm. As Cole keeps trying and failing to rattle Miss Evans, he starts to ...

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?

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.

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?

Meet Kevin King, the middle school version of Donald Trump. He promises a wall to block transfer students, better food at lunch, and record test scores. From his first 100 hours to his reaction to the pandemic, Kevin’s leadership is controversial. Read about Kevin’s hilarious journey through middle school politics as you simultaneously learn about one of the most unique