Middle School Friendship

Charlotte Andrews is perfectly fine being quiet - in fact, she prefers it. When she doesn't speak, people can't make fun of her stutter. But when she witnesses bullying on the school bus and doesn't say anything, her silence comes between her and her best friend. As if that wasn't bad enough, her parents signed her up for musical theater. Charlotte doesn't want to speak onstage, but at least she doesn't stutter when she sings. Then, just as she starts to find her voice, the arts program is cut. Charlotte can't stay silent anymore.

Rylee Swanson is beginning eighth grade with zero friends. A humiliating moment at the end-of-seventh-grade pool party involving a cannonball, a waterlogged updo, and some disappearing clothes has Rylee halfway convinced she’s better off without any friends—at least friends like those. The one question Rylee can’t shake is . . . why? When a group assignment in journalism pairs Rylee with science geek DeNia Alonso, DeNia’s annoyingly know-it-all, nerdy personality is both frustration and fuel to Rylee’s search for answers.

Marie Lane has always been the girl with a wild imagination, but when the annual school talent show is announced, her daydreams take a turn for the nerve-wracking. With everyone buzzing about their acts, Marie can’t shake the feeling of stage fright creeping up on her. She loves making people laugh and has the perfect idea for a quirky act with her mischievous dog, Max—but the thought of standing in front of a sea of expectant faces makes her stomach twist into knots. As her friends eagerly prepare for their performances, Marie finds herself torn between her fear of failing and her ...

The Avery Diary: CHRISTMAS CHAOS BEGINS! A Hilarious Book for Kids 9-12! Christmas was supposed to be peaceful, but no one told my family that. Between glitter snow, Carl’s ninja elf costume, and a burnt turkey that could’ve been used as a doorstop, I’m just trying to survive. The Christmas musical? A total mess. The snowball fight? Complete chaos. And let’s not even talk about the marshmallow-covered tree. But somehow, even with all the craziness, my family made it fun. Maybe next year will be easier... but with a surprise trip to Hawaii on the way, I have a feeling the madness is ...

One snowstorm. One Golden Retriever. One unforgettable week of tech glitches, talent shows, and digital mayhem. Seventh-grader Marie Lane thought a week of virtual school would be easy—until the internet crashed, the chat exploded, and her Golden Retriever, Max, became the most chaotic Zoom Bomber the class had ever seen. Thrown into a whirlwind of frozen screens, mystery guests, and surprise breakout room disasters, Marie and her classmates scramble to make their snowbound week count. With a mismatched team of brainiacs, artists, and accidental comedians (plus one extremely determined ...

Run with Your Heart follows Holly, a shy 12-year-old who moves from a bustling city to a small town where running is everything. At first, she struggles to fit in, unsure of her place in this new world. But with the help of a new friend and a local running club, Holly discovers not only her talent for cross-country running but also the strength to overcome her self-doubt. As she trains for the season’s championship race, Holly navigates friendships, rivalries, and personal growth, learning that sometimes, the most important race is the one you run with your heart. This inspiring story of ...

Summertime Memories: My Years In Middle School This is Book No. 4, entitled Summertime Memories, in the six-part series My Years in Middle School. Follow the adventures of Nancy Jane and her two best friends, Helen Schunter and Karen Stamm, as they experience school, boys, bullying, getting even, dealing with Nancy Jane's nemesis, Lois Talker, and more. Other titles in this series include: Book #1: The Summer Before Book #2: Is This Love? Book #3: Scanner In My Neighborhood Book #5: Girl's Revenge Book #6: Lookout High School, Here We Come!Following is an excerpt from Book #4, Summertime ...

In BILLY RICHMOND AND THE SOMETIMES SCARY FANTASY ADVENTURE, Young Billy Richmond and his friends stumble upon a book hidden away for ages, going back to the days of warlocks, mummies, and other frightening spooksters. Opening the book accidentally set loose a horrible curse and now it’s up to Billy to put the evil back in its leather-bound prison before his town (and possibly the world) goes up in smoke!

Seeds: Polly has an idea that she can't stop thinking about, one that involves changing a few things about herself. She's setting her sights on a more glamorous life, but it's going to take all of her focus. At least that way she won't have to watch her friends moving so far ahead. Roots: Jo is spending the summer at her family's beach house, working as a busgirl and bonding with the older, cooler girls she'll see at high school come September. She didn't count on a brief fling with a cute boy changing her entire summer.

Enter the world of Ajay, Karan, and Sanjay, also known as AKS - the child prodigies and detectives of Great Mountain International School! Awarded by the Chief Minister of Karnataka for their thrilling adventures and maze-like case solving, these inseparable friends thrive on challenges. In "The Sivamudra Ghost Dance," the trio embarks on a seemingly ordinary school excursion to a power station near the small town of Sivamudra. But Sivamudra holds secrets, and what starts as a simple trip soon plunges AKS into a perplexing mystery. Whispers of ghosts and strange incidents surrounding the ...

What if you had the power to destroy the universe? An unimaginable power has awakened within Maia. As much as she wants to resume a regular life at ThulaSu, she realizes normalcy is an impossible quest. She has changed . . . forever. So has the world around her. As fifteen-year-old Maia battles a swiftly-strengthening storm of evil and struggles to regain her friends' trust, she understands the meaning of true strength. That real power is not about blasting everything that stands in her way just because she can, unless it serves the greater good. And sometimes, the greater good can demand ...

(Formerly released as "Alone in the Dark". Only the title has changed.) Live the Magic Love the Adventure It's been a rough month for David. The water and electricity in his house is shut off, and his dad is missing. When Mrs. Huffity asks David to house sit, he jumps at the chance. Her only request is that David stay inside at night, which would be fine, except a boy is out there making strange sounds and staring into the window. David calls Carrie and Ivy for help, but not all is as it seems. What will happen in this next great adventure? This book will have a guest appearance with Sparky...

Twelve-year-old Tahlia Wilkins is ready to start off her perfect summer when her dreamy crush invited her to his birthday pool party. But the Red Goddess of Panties, a.k.a. her first period, arrives 24 hours before the pool party and completely messes up all her plans. To make matters worse, her mom is out of town, and there’s no way she’s going to ask her awkward dad for help! Thalia was always afraid growing up would be tough, but this is just not fair.

Secrets always find their way out. Thirteen-year-old Maia thinks she has seen it all. She has survived a soul-extraction attempt, been threatened with death, and faced off with saboteurs trying to bring down her nation. She lets nothing get to her anymore—not even the memories of her dead mother's terrifying communique. All Maia wants is for the Alliance Initiative to resume. She longs to visit the under-ocean civilization of the Jjord, ride the underwater transport lines, and to learn about the Jjordic energy farms that could save her ruined planet. Most of all, she wants to goof off ...

After defeating the necromancers and bringing alchemy back to the Alexandria Academy, Shad Hadid is ready for an exciting second term at school. It doesn’t hurt that he’s being called a hero, but the new lessons are harder than he expected and his mentor, Kahem, is nowhere to be found. When Shad intercepts a letter from an informant with a possible clue for thwarting the necromancers’ evil plans once and for all, he's determined to help. Joined by his friends, Shad embarks on a perilous journey across Lebanon to track down this secretive stranger.

Via LaVie thinks she’s just an average fifth-grader. She has a mom and dad, an irritating older brother and a cat. She has friends (Molly Appleton is her bestie) and an enemy (bossy mean girl, Tailor Madison). And, she has plenty of worries about going to middle school in the near future. But Via also has a secret that makes her far from average: she’s an undercover genius who remembers just about everything she sees. It’s an ability that was encouraged by Via’s beloved grandmother while Via faced one of the biggest challenges in her life. And while her eidetic memory comes in handy...

Thirteen-year-old Coral Robertson is a popular eighth-grader at Bay Vista Middle School. Her classmate, Shay O'Brien, is a loner who lives in the shadows. The two girls have nothing in common until they become finalists in a speech contest. What begins as a friendly competition escalates into manipulation and bullying. As Coral struggles with pleasing people and Shay teeters on the edge, their worlds start to unravel. This story is about those moments in life that define who we are. Will Coral and Shay find the courage to face their fears? What is holding them back? Who wins the grand prize?

Fearless Paths: Inspirational Sports Stories of Self-Discovery for Teens to Build Courage, Resilience, Friendship, and Unity is a heartwarming and empowering collection of short stories crafted especially for boys. Each story dives into the real emotions, challenges, and triumphs that come with growing up and discovering who you really are. Whether it’s stepping up for a teammate, conquering stage fright, surviving a weekend without screens, or learning to forgive, the characters in Fearless Paths show that true strength often comes from the most unexpected places. These realistic, ...

The Land of Oz, decades before Dorothy, held many cities and many heroes. After the devastation of the Witch Wars, the stony North is now under the protection of the Good Witch. Hewing a new life out of the ruins challenges the survivors, including the Bandersnatch family. HE’S NOT BRAVE ENOUGH TO BE A HERO…YET. Ten-year old Candor wants to be strong, like the way he remembers his father before the accident, but instead of honor, all his attempts at bravery only earn him more bruises. Chased by bullies into the mountains, Candor discovers a gateway to a faraway place where no one can ...

Set in Zimbabwe, The Music Box is a heartwarming story about the power of friendship, kindness, and standing up to bullies. Eleven-year-old Busi dreads going to her school in Zimbabwe. Her classmates single her out because she was once considered the teacher’s pet, and the school bully, Doreen, continues to harass her. Together with Thabisa, the new girl in school, Busi proposes a Cinderella play as a way to raise funds for a class trip and is ecstatic when she lands the lead role. But Doreen is cast as the wicked stepmother—a role that would allow her to put Busi down. In an attempt to...