When Denny "Donuts" Murphy's mother dies, he becomes the world's biggest class clown. But deep down, Donuts just wants a normal life -- one where his mom is still alive and where his dad doesn't sit in front of the TV all day. And so Donuts tries to get back into the groove by helping his best friend with their plan to get dates for the end-of-the-year school dance. When their scheme backfires, he learns that laughter is not the best medicine for all of his problems. Sometimes it's just as important to be true to yourself.
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374380651
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Print book
Texting the Underworld
By Booraem, Ellen
Perpetual scaredy-cat Conor O'Neill has the fright of his life when a banshee girl named Ashling shows up in his bedroom. Ashling is--as all banshees are--a harbinger of death, but she's new at this banshee business, and first she insists on going to middle school. As Conor attempts to hide her identity from his teachers, he realizes he's going to have to pay a visit to the underworld if he wants to keep his family safe."Got your cell?""Yeah . . . . Don't see what good it'll do me.""I'll text you if anything happens that you should know.""Text me? Javier, we'll be in the afterlife.""You never know. Maybe they get a signal."Discover why Kirkus has called Booraem's work "utterly original American fantasy .
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803737041
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Hardcover
13
By Brown, Jason Robert
13 Things to Know About 13 1. This book is about a guy named Evan. 2. Three months before his 13th birthday, he has to move from New York City 3. to Appleton, Indiana, 4. where nobody knows him. 5. He's not very happy about it. 6. His mom is k
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9780060787493
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Book
The Truth about Truman School
By Butler, Dori Hillestad
When Zebby and Amr create the website thetruthabouttruman.com, they want it to be honest. They want it to be about the real Truman Middle School, to say things that the school newspaper would never say.
Publisher: n/a
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9780807580950
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Hardcover
Where You'll Find Me
By Friend, Natasha
""Natasha Friend, I loved your book. I was hooked from the first page." -- Judy BlumeThe first month of school, thirteen-year-old Anna Collette finds herself...DUMPED by her best friend Dani, who suddenly wants to spend eighth grade "hanging out with different people." DESERTED by her mom, who's in the hospital recovering from a suicide attempt. TRAPPED in a house with her dad, a new baby sister, and a stepmother young enough to wear her Delta Delta Delta sweatshirt with pride.STUCK at a lunch table with Shawna the Eyebrow Plucker and Sarabeth the Irish Stepper because she has no one else to sit with. But what if all isn't lost? What if Anna's mom didn't exactly mean to leave her? What if Anna's stepmother is cooler than she thought? What if the misfit lunch table isn't such a bad fit after all? With help from some unlikely sources, including a crazy girl-band talent show act, Anna just may find herself on the road to okay.
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374302308
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Print book
How to Survive Middle School
By Gephart, Donna
Eleven-year-old David Greenberg dreams of becoming a TV superstar like his idol, Jon Stewart. But in real life, David is just another kid terrified of starting his first year at Harman Middle School. With a wacky sense of humor and hilarious Top 6 Lists, David spends his free time making Talk Time videos, which he posts on YouTube. But before he can get famous, he has to figure out a way to deal with:6. Middle school (much scarier than it sounds!)5. His best friend gone girl-crazy4. A runaway mom who has no phone!3. The threat of a swirlie on his birthday2. A terrifying cousin1. His # 1 fan, Bubbe (his Jewish grandmother)1/2. Did we mention Hammy, the hamster who's determined to break David's heartWhen David and his best friend have a fight, David is lucky enough to make a pretty cool new friend, Sophie-who just (gulp) happens to be a girl.
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385737939
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Lily and Dunkin
By Gephart, Donna
"Gephart has written a story that will speak not just to one specific community, but to humanity as a whole." --VOYAFor readers who enjoyed Wonder and Counting by 7's, award-winning author Donna Gephart crafts a compelling dual narrative about two remarkable young people: Lily, a transgender girl, and Dunkin, a boy dealing with bipolar disorder. Their powerful story will shred your heart, then stitch it back together with kindness, humor, bravery, and love.Lily Jo McGrother, born Timothy McGrother, is a girl. But being a girl is not so easy when you look like a boy. Especially when you're in the eighth grade. Dunkin Dorfman, birth name Norbert Dorfman, is dealing with bipolar disorder and has just moved from the New Jersey town he's called home for the past thirteen years. This would be hard enough, but the fact that he is also hiding from a painful secret makes it even worse. One summer morning, Lily Jo McGrother meets Dunkin Dorfman, and their lives forever change. A JLG Selection! An Indie Next Pick!Amazon Best Book of the Month! CBC's May Hot Off the Press! An NAIBA Seasonal Pick! A New York Public Library Best book for Kids, 2016!Another Indie Favorite Title! Amazon's Top 20 Children's Books of 2016 "Gephart clearly has a lot of heart, and she tells their stories with compassion."--Kirkus "A thoughtfully and sensitively written work of character-driven fiction that dramatically addresses two important subjects that deserve more widespread attention."--BOOKLIST , starred "Gephart sympathetically contrasts the physical awkwardness, uncertainty, and longings of these two outsiders during a few tightly-plotted months, building to a crescendo of revelation ... [A] valuable portrait of two teenagers whose journeys are just beginning."--PW "This would be a fantastic addition to any middle grade library collection, and is highly recommended for all ages."--VOYA "Lily and Dunkin is a delight. Here's a book for anyone who's ever struggled with being different--or anyone who's ever loved someone who bears the burden of difference. . . . Crucial, heart-breaking, and inspiring." - Jennifer Finney Boylan, author of She's Not There and Stuck in the Middle with You
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553536745
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Hardcover
Me and Miranda Mullaly
By Gerhardt, Jake
What's harder: eighth grade or your first crush?Meet Sam, the comedian; Duke, the intellectual; and Chollie, the athlete. Their fates converge at Penn Valley Middle as each falls desperately for the enigmatic Miranda Mullaly - the girl who smiles like she means it, the girl who makes Christmas truly magic when she sings, the girl who ... barely realizes her admirers exist!Small misunderstandings lead to big laughs, and alternating perspectives fuel this exciting, swiftly-paced story. And beneath the humor, every attempt to win Miranda's favor becomes a compelling look at the larger world of each guy's life. Me and Miranda Mullaly is perfect for fans of Flipped and The Swap.
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451475402
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Print book
Planet Middle School
By Grimes, Nikki
New York Times bestselling author of One Last Word and Coretta Scott King award-winning Bronx Masquerade Nikki Grimes offers fresh novel in verse story about young heartbreak and hope.. For twelve years, Joylin Johnsons life has been just fine. A game of basketball with the boys-especially her friend Jake-was all it took to put a smile on her face. Baggy jeans, T-shirt, and hair in a ponytail were easy choices. Then, everything suddenly seemed to change all at once. Her best girl friend is now flirting with her best guy friend. Her clothes seem all wrong. Jake is acting weird, and basketball isnt the same. And worst of all, there is this guy, Santiago, who appears from . . . where? What lengths will Joy go to--and who will she become--to attract his attention? . In short poems that perfectly capture the crazy feelings of adolescence and first crushes, award-winning author Nikki Grimes has crafted a delightful, often hilarious, heart-tugging story.
Publisher: n/a
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1599902842
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Hardcover
Courage for Beginners
By Harrington, Karen
Twelve-year-old Mysti Murphy wishes she were a character in a book. If her life were fictional, she'd magically know how to deal with the fact that her best friend, Anibal Gomez, has abandoned her in favor of being a "hipster." She'd be able to take care of everyone when her dad has to spend time in the hospital. And she'd certainly be able to change her family's secret.Seventh grade is not turning out the way Mysti had planned. With the help of a hot-hair balloon, her new friend Rama Khan--and maybe even the heroes of the Texas Revolution--can she find the courage to change?
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9780316210485
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Hardcover
Tut
By Hoover, P. J.
Tut: The Story of My Immortal Life is a funny, fast-paced novel for young readers by P.J. Hoover which chronicles the mischievous adventures of King Tut, now an immortal eighth-grader living in Washington, D.C..You’d think it would be great being an Egyptian demigod, but if King Tut has to sit through eighth grade one more time, he’ll mummify himself. Granted the gift of immortality by the gods—or is it a curse?—Tut has been stuck in middle school for ages. Even worse, evil General Horemheb, the man who killed Tut’s father and whom Tut imprisoned in a tomb for three thousand years, is out and after him. The general is in league with the Cult of Set, a bunch of guys who worship one of the scariest gods of the Egyptian pantheon—Set, the god of Chaos.
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765334682
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Hardcover
The Secrets of Tree Taylor
By Mackall, Dandi Daley
Thirteen-year-old Tree Taylor has two goals for the summer of 631. Experience her first real kiss. A kiss delivered by a boy. A boy who is not related to her. A kiss worth writing about.2. Become a famous writer. Or, at least, write an investigative article that will land her the freshman spot on the Blue and Gold staff.So when a gunshot is fired right across the street, Tree knows this is the big story shes been waiting for. But the more she goes digging, the more secrets she uncovers, and soon she begins to wonder When is it important to expose the truth And when is it right to keep a secretA simple story with surprising depth in its examination of truth and compassion. Kirkus Reviews,
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375868976
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Hardcover
Gracefully Grayson
By Polonsky, Ami
"Tenderly and courageously told, Gracefully Grayson is a small miracle of a book. Its story is so compelling I found myself holding my breath as I read it and so intimate I felt as if what was happening to Grayson was happening to me. Thank you, Ami Polonsky, for creating this memorable character who will open hearts and minds and very possibly be the miracle that changes lives." -James Howe, award-winning and best-selling author of The MisfitsWhat if who you are on the outside doesn't match who you are on the inside? Grayson Sender has been holding onto a secret for what seems like forever: "he" is a girl on the inside, stuck in the wrong gender's body. The weight of this secret is crushing, but sharing it would mean facing ridicule, scorn, rejection, or worse.
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1423185277
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Hardcover
Lenny Cyrus, School Virus
By Smith, Matt
It seemed so logical at first. Fourteen-year-old Lenny Cyrus had loved Zooey Andrews since third grade. All the boy genius needed to do to win her heart, surely, was shrink down to the size of an amoeba, ooze into a gelatin capsule, and have his friend Harlan slip it (him!) into Zooey’s Diet Coke. Told in three voices, this fantastical middle grade novel takes Lenny deep into Zooey’s loud, splashing innards, where a talking astrovirus named Astro has a bad attitude about white blood cells (“self-righteous pus-bags”) and aromatic hormones disco dance. The question is, will Lenny and Zooey survive his crazy experiment in nanotechnology?
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547893159
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Hardcover
Blue Jasmine
By Sheth, Kashmira
When twelve-year-old Seema Trivedi learns that she and her family must move from their small Indian town to Iowa City, she realizes she'll have to say good-bye to the purple-jeweled mango trees and sweet-smelling jasmine, to the monsoon rains and the bustling market. More important, she must leave behind her best friend and cousin, Raju. Everything is different in Iowa City, where Seema feels like an outsider to the language and traditions. As she begins to plant roots in the foreign soil, however, her confidence starts to bloom, and she learns she can build a bridge between two homes. With lyrical language and poignant scenes, Kashmira Sheth unearths the meaning of "home" and "family" in this tender debut novel. Kashmira Sheth's own experiences as a teenager who moved by herself from India to America inspired her to write this novel.
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9780786818556
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Hardcover
The Swap
By Shull, Megan
Coming soon as a Disney Channel Original Movie, Megan Shull's smart and funny twist on Freaky Friday is perfect for fans of Wendy Mass, Jerry Spinelli, and Jon Scieszka!With one random wish, Jack and Ellie are living life in each other's shoes. He's her. And she's him. ELLIE assumed popular guys didn't worry about body image, being perfect, or talking to girls, but acting like you're cool with everything is tougher than it looks. JACK thought girls had it easy - no fights with bullies, no demanding dads, no power plays - but facing mean girls at sleepovers and getting grilled about your period is way harder than taking a hit to the face at sports practice.Now they're dealing with each other's middle school dramas - locker room teasing, cliques, video game battles, bra shopping, and a slew of hilariously awkward moments - until they hopefully switch back! Told in both Jack's and Ellie's voices, The Swap offers a fresh and honest take on tween friendship, all while exploring more serious themes of family, loss, empathy, and what it really means to be yourself. And as Jon Scieszka says, it's "seriously, truly, fearlessly funny!"
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62311697
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Book
Scrawl
By Shulman, Mark
Tod Munn is a bully. He's tough, but times are even tougher. The wimps have stopped coughing up their lunch money. The administration is cracking down. Then to make things worse, Tod and his friends get busted doing something bad. Something really bad.Lucky Tod must spend his daily detention in a hot, empty room with Mrs. Woodrow, a no-nonsense guidance counselor. He doesn't know why he's there, but she does. Tod's punishment: to scrawl his story in a beat-up notebook. He can be painfully funny and he can be brutally honest. But can Mrs. Woodrow help Tod stop playing the bad guy before he actually turns into one . . . for real? Read Tod's notebook for yourself.
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9781596434172
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Print book
Falling Over Sideways
By Sonnenblick, Jordan
It's not easy being Claire. (Really.) Claire's life is a joke . . . but she's not laughing. While her friends seem to be leaping forward, she's dancing in the same place. The mean girls at school are living up to their mean name, and there's a boy, Ryder, who's just as bad, if not worse. And at home, nobody's really listening to her -- if anything, they seem to be more in on the joke than she is. Then into all of this (not-very-funny-to-Claire) comedy comes something intense and tragic -- while her dad is talking to her at the kitchen table, he falls over with a medical emergency. Suddenly the joke has become very serious -- and the only way Claire, her family, and her friends are going to get through it is if they can find a way to make it funny again.
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9780545863247
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Print book
Goodbye stranger
By Stead, Rebecca
"Masterly. . . . Sensitively explores togetherness, aloneness, betrayal and love." - The New York Times Book Review2016 Honor Book in Fiction, Boston Globe Horn Book AwardA NYT Editors' Choice and NYT Notable Children's Books of 2015This brilliant novel by Newbery Medal winner Rebecca Stead explores multiple perspectives on the bonds and limits of friendship. Bridge is an accident survivor who's wondering why she's still alive. Emily has new curves and an almost-boyfriend who wants a certain kind of picture. Tabitha sees through everybody's games - or so she tells the world. The three girls are best friends with one rule: No fighting. Can it get them through seventh grade? This year everything is different for Sherm Russo as he gets to know Bridge Barsamian. What does it mean to fall for a girl - as a friend? On Valentine's Day, an unnamed high school girl struggles with a betrayal. How long can she hide in plain sight? Each memorable character navigates the challenges of love and change in this captivating novel. Praise for Goodbye StrangerSix Starred ReviewsPublishers Weekly Best Books of 2015School Library Journal Best Books of 2015Booklist Editor's Choice 2015The Horn Book's Fanfare: Best Books of 2015The Washington PostBest Books of 2015The New York Times Notable Children's Books of 2015"This astonishingly profound novel is not your average middle-school friendship tale." - The Horn Book, Starred "Stead shows how strongly love of all kinds can smooth the juddering path toward adulthood. Winsome, bighearted, and altogether rewarding." - Booklist, Starred "[Stead] captures the stomach-churning moments of a misstep or an unplanned betrayal and reworks these events with grace, humor, and polish into possibilities for kindness and redemption. Superb." - Kirkus Reviews, Starred"This memorable story about female friendships, silly bets, different kinds of love, and bad decisions is authentic in detail and emotion." - Publishers Weekly, Starred "Filled with humor [and] delightful coincidences. . . . An immensely satisfying addition for Stead's many fans." - School Library Journal, Starred"The author as usual deftly interweaves her plot strands into an organic whole, and between the multifocal plot and the exploration on growth and self-recognition . . . deeply explores mistakes, and forgiveness, and growing away from people as well as toward them." - The Bulletin, Starred "This eloquent story of friendship, first love, and identity will resonate powerfully with readers." - VOYA, Perfect Ten"Stead raises questions about whether a relationship can survive change. If someone makes a mistake, can you forgive the person, if not the act? Can two people reconcile, if they are both willing to process what happened? Or is the change more systemic--has one of you become a stranger? . . . It's a question all of the characters ask themselves at some point in Stead's perfectly synchronized novel." - Shelf Awareness
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385743173
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Print book
Nothing
By Teller, Janne
When Pierre-Anthon realizes there is no meaning to life, the seventh-grader leaves his classroom, climbs a tree, and stays there. His classmates cannot make him come down, not even by pelting him with rocks. So to prove to Pierre-Anthon that life has meaning, the children decide to give up things of importance. The pile starts with the superficial - a fishing rod, a new pair of shoes. But as the sacrifices become more extreme, the students grow increasingly desperate to get Pierre-Anthon down, to justify their belief in meaning. Sure to prompt intense thought and discussion, Nothing - already a treasured work overseas - is not to be missed.
Publisher: n/a
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1416985794
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Hardcover
The Center of Everything
By Urban, Linda
Spring 2013 Kids' Indie Next ListFor Ruby Pepperdine, the "center of everything" is on the rooftop of Pepperdine Motors in her donut-obsessed town of Bunning, New Hampshire, stargazing from the circle of her grandmother Gigi's hug. That's how everything is supposed to be - until Ruby messes up and things spin out of control. But she has one last hope. It all depends on what happens on Bunning Day, when the entire town will hear Ruby read her winning essay. And it depends on her twelfth birthday wish - unless she messes that up too. Can Ruby's wish set everything straight in her topsy-turvy world?
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9780547763484
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Print book
Unfriended
By Vail, Rachel
In middle school, nothing is more important than friendship.When Truly is invited to sit at the Popular Table with the group she has dreamed of joining, she can hardly believe her luck. Everyone seems so nice, so kind to one another. But all is not as it seems with her new friends, and soon she's caught in a maelstrom of lies, misunderstandings, accusations and counter-accusations, all happening very publicly in the relentless, hyperconnected social media world from which there is no escape.Six eighth-graders, four girls and two boys, struggle to understand and process their fractured glimples into one another's lives as they find new ways to disconnect, but also to connect, in Rachel Vail's richest and most searching book.
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670013072
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Print book
The Revealers
By Wilhelm, Doug
Throwing light on a dark problemParkland Middle School is a place the students call Darkland, because no one in it does much to stop the daily harassment of kids by other kids. Three bullied seventh graders use their smarts to get the better of their tormentors by starting an unofficial e-mail forum at school in which they publicize their experiences. Unexpectedly, lots of other kids come forward to confess their similar troubles, and it becomes clear that the problem at their school is bigger than anyone knew. The school principal wants to clamp down on the operation, which she does when the trio, in their zealousness for revenge, libel a fellow student in what turns out to have been a setup. Now a new plan of attack is needed . . . This suspenseful story of computer-era underground rebellion offers fresh perspectives on some of the most enduring themes in fiction for young readers.
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9780312563745
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Paperback
Millicent Min, Girl Genius
By Yee, Lisa
Who would have thought being smart could be so hard (and funny)?Millicent Min is having a bad summer. Her fellow high school students hate her for setting the curve. Her fellow 11-year-olds hate her for going to high school. And her mother has arranged for her to tutor Stanford Wong, the poster boy for Chinese geekdom. But then Millie meets Emily. Emily doesn't know Millicent's IQ score. She actually thinks Millie is cool. And if Millie can hide her awards, ignore her grandmother's advice, swear her parents to silence, blackmail Stanford, and keep all her lies straight, she just might make her first friend.What's it gong to take? Sheer genius.
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Who would have thought being smart could be so hard (and funny)?Millicent Min is having a bad summer. Her fellow high school students hate her for setting the curve. Her fellow 11-year-olds hate her for going to high school. And her mother has arranged for her to tutor Stanford Wong, the poster boy for Chinese geekdom. But then Millie meets Emily. Emily doesn't know Millicent's IQ score. She actually thinks Millie is cool. And if Millie can hide her awards, ignore her grandmother's advice, swear her parents to silence, blackmail Stanford, and keep all her lies straight, she just might make her first friend.What's it gong to take? Sheer genius.
Sorry You're Lost
By Blackstone, Matt
When Denny "Donuts" Murphy's mother dies, he becomes the world's biggest class clown. But deep down, Donuts just wants a normal life -- one where his mom is still alive and where his dad doesn't sit in front of the TV all day. And so Donuts tries to get back into the groove by helping his best friend with their plan to get dates for the end-of-the-year school dance. When their scheme backfires, he learns that laughter is not the best medicine for all of his problems. Sometimes it's just as important to be true to yourself.
Texting the Underworld
By Booraem, Ellen
Perpetual scaredy-cat Conor O'Neill has the fright of his life when a banshee girl named Ashling shows up in his bedroom. Ashling is--as all banshees are--a harbinger of death, but she's new at this banshee business, and first she insists on going to middle school. As Conor attempts to hide her identity from his teachers, he realizes he's going to have to pay a visit to the underworld if he wants to keep his family safe."Got your cell?""Yeah . . . . Don't see what good it'll do me.""I'll text you if anything happens that you should know.""Text me? Javier, we'll be in the afterlife.""You never know. Maybe they get a signal."Discover why Kirkus has called Booraem's work "utterly original American fantasy .
13
By Brown, Jason Robert
13 Things to Know About 13 1. This book is about a guy named Evan. 2. Three months before his 13th birthday, he has to move from New York City 3. to Appleton, Indiana, 4. where nobody knows him. 5. He's not very happy about it. 6. His mom is k
The Truth about Truman School
By Butler, Dori Hillestad
When Zebby and Amr create the website thetruthabouttruman.com, they want it to be honest. They want it to be about the real Truman Middle School, to say things that the school newspaper would never say.
Where You'll Find Me
By Friend, Natasha
""Natasha Friend, I loved your book. I was hooked from the first page." -- Judy BlumeThe first month of school, thirteen-year-old Anna Collette finds herself...DUMPED by her best friend Dani, who suddenly wants to spend eighth grade "hanging out with different people." DESERTED by her mom, who's in the hospital recovering from a suicide attempt. TRAPPED in a house with her dad, a new baby sister, and a stepmother young enough to wear her Delta Delta Delta sweatshirt with pride.STUCK at a lunch table with Shawna the Eyebrow Plucker and Sarabeth the Irish Stepper because she has no one else to sit with. But what if all isn't lost? What if Anna's mom didn't exactly mean to leave her? What if Anna's stepmother is cooler than she thought? What if the misfit lunch table isn't such a bad fit after all? With help from some unlikely sources, including a crazy girl-band talent show act, Anna just may find herself on the road to okay.
How to Survive Middle School
By Gephart, Donna
Eleven-year-old David Greenberg dreams of becoming a TV superstar like his idol, Jon Stewart. But in real life, David is just another kid terrified of starting his first year at Harman Middle School. With a wacky sense of humor and hilarious Top 6 Lists, David spends his free time making Talk Time videos, which he posts on YouTube. But before he can get famous, he has to figure out a way to deal with:6. Middle school (much scarier than it sounds!)5. His best friend gone girl-crazy4. A runaway mom who has no phone!3. The threat of a swirlie on his birthday2. A terrifying cousin1. His # 1 fan, Bubbe (his Jewish grandmother)1/2. Did we mention Hammy, the hamster who's determined to break David's heartWhen David and his best friend have a fight, David is lucky enough to make a pretty cool new friend, Sophie-who just (gulp) happens to be a girl.
Lily and Dunkin
By Gephart, Donna
"Gephart has written a story that will speak not just to one specific community, but to humanity as a whole." --VOYAFor readers who enjoyed Wonder and Counting by 7's, award-winning author Donna Gephart crafts a compelling dual narrative about two remarkable young people: Lily, a transgender girl, and Dunkin, a boy dealing with bipolar disorder. Their powerful story will shred your heart, then stitch it back together with kindness, humor, bravery, and love.Lily Jo McGrother, born Timothy McGrother, is a girl. But being a girl is not so easy when you look like a boy. Especially when you're in the eighth grade. Dunkin Dorfman, birth name Norbert Dorfman, is dealing with bipolar disorder and has just moved from the New Jersey town he's called home for the past thirteen years. This would be hard enough, but the fact that he is also hiding from a painful secret makes it even worse. One summer morning, Lily Jo McGrother meets Dunkin Dorfman, and their lives forever change. A JLG Selection! An Indie Next Pick!Amazon Best Book of the Month! CBC's May Hot Off the Press! An NAIBA Seasonal Pick! A New York Public Library Best book for Kids, 2016!Another Indie Favorite Title! Amazon's Top 20 Children's Books of 2016 "Gephart clearly has a lot of heart, and she tells their stories with compassion."--Kirkus "A thoughtfully and sensitively written work of character-driven fiction that dramatically addresses two important subjects that deserve more widespread attention."--BOOKLIST , starred "Gephart sympathetically contrasts the physical awkwardness, uncertainty, and longings of these two outsiders during a few tightly-plotted months, building to a crescendo of revelation ... [A] valuable portrait of two teenagers whose journeys are just beginning."--PW "This would be a fantastic addition to any middle grade library collection, and is highly recommended for all ages."--VOYA "Lily and Dunkin is a delight. Here's a book for anyone who's ever struggled with being different--or anyone who's ever loved someone who bears the burden of difference. . . . Crucial, heart-breaking, and inspiring." - Jennifer Finney Boylan, author of She's Not There and Stuck in the Middle with You
Me and Miranda Mullaly
By Gerhardt, Jake
What's harder: eighth grade or your first crush?Meet Sam, the comedian; Duke, the intellectual; and Chollie, the athlete. Their fates converge at Penn Valley Middle as each falls desperately for the enigmatic Miranda Mullaly - the girl who smiles like she means it, the girl who makes Christmas truly magic when she sings, the girl who ... barely realizes her admirers exist!Small misunderstandings lead to big laughs, and alternating perspectives fuel this exciting, swiftly-paced story. And beneath the humor, every attempt to win Miranda's favor becomes a compelling look at the larger world of each guy's life. Me and Miranda Mullaly is perfect for fans of Flipped and The Swap.
Planet Middle School
By Grimes, Nikki
New York Times bestselling author of One Last Word and Coretta Scott King award-winning Bronx Masquerade Nikki Grimes offers fresh novel in verse story about young heartbreak and hope.. For twelve years, Joylin Johnsons life has been just fine. A game of basketball with the boys-especially her friend Jake-was all it took to put a smile on her face. Baggy jeans, T-shirt, and hair in a ponytail were easy choices. Then, everything suddenly seemed to change all at once. Her best girl friend is now flirting with her best guy friend. Her clothes seem all wrong. Jake is acting weird, and basketball isnt the same. And worst of all, there is this guy, Santiago, who appears from . . . where? What lengths will Joy go to--and who will she become--to attract his attention? . In short poems that perfectly capture the crazy feelings of adolescence and first crushes, award-winning author Nikki Grimes has crafted a delightful, often hilarious, heart-tugging story.
Courage for Beginners
By Harrington, Karen
Twelve-year-old Mysti Murphy wishes she were a character in a book. If her life were fictional, she'd magically know how to deal with the fact that her best friend, Anibal Gomez, has abandoned her in favor of being a "hipster." She'd be able to take care of everyone when her dad has to spend time in the hospital. And she'd certainly be able to change her family's secret.Seventh grade is not turning out the way Mysti had planned. With the help of a hot-hair balloon, her new friend Rama Khan--and maybe even the heroes of the Texas Revolution--can she find the courage to change?
Tut
By Hoover, P. J.
Tut: The Story of My Immortal Life is a funny, fast-paced novel for young readers by P.J. Hoover which chronicles the mischievous adventures of King Tut, now an immortal eighth-grader living in Washington, D.C..You’d think it would be great being an Egyptian demigod, but if King Tut has to sit through eighth grade one more time, he’ll mummify himself. Granted the gift of immortality by the gods—or is it a curse?—Tut has been stuck in middle school for ages. Even worse, evil General Horemheb, the man who killed Tut’s father and whom Tut imprisoned in a tomb for three thousand years, is out and after him. The general is in league with the Cult of Set, a bunch of guys who worship one of the scariest gods of the Egyptian pantheon—Set, the god of Chaos.
The Secrets of Tree Taylor
By Mackall, Dandi Daley
Thirteen-year-old Tree Taylor has two goals for the summer of 631. Experience her first real kiss. A kiss delivered by a boy. A boy who is not related to her. A kiss worth writing about.2. Become a famous writer. Or, at least, write an investigative article that will land her the freshman spot on the Blue and Gold staff.So when a gunshot is fired right across the street, Tree knows this is the big story shes been waiting for. But the more she goes digging, the more secrets she uncovers, and soon she begins to wonder When is it important to expose the truth And when is it right to keep a secretA simple story with surprising depth in its examination of truth and compassion. Kirkus Reviews,
Gracefully Grayson
By Polonsky, Ami
"Tenderly and courageously told, Gracefully Grayson is a small miracle of a book. Its story is so compelling I found myself holding my breath as I read it and so intimate I felt as if what was happening to Grayson was happening to me. Thank you, Ami Polonsky, for creating this memorable character who will open hearts and minds and very possibly be the miracle that changes lives." -James Howe, award-winning and best-selling author of The MisfitsWhat if who you are on the outside doesn't match who you are on the inside? Grayson Sender has been holding onto a secret for what seems like forever: "he" is a girl on the inside, stuck in the wrong gender's body. The weight of this secret is crushing, but sharing it would mean facing ridicule, scorn, rejection, or worse.
Lenny Cyrus, School Virus
By Smith, Matt
It seemed so logical at first. Fourteen-year-old Lenny Cyrus had loved Zooey Andrews since third grade. All the boy genius needed to do to win her heart, surely, was shrink down to the size of an amoeba, ooze into a gelatin capsule, and have his friend Harlan slip it (him!) into Zooey’s Diet Coke. Told in three voices, this fantastical middle grade novel takes Lenny deep into Zooey’s loud, splashing innards, where a talking astrovirus named Astro has a bad attitude about white blood cells (“self-righteous pus-bags”) and aromatic hormones disco dance. The question is, will Lenny and Zooey survive his crazy experiment in nanotechnology?
Blue Jasmine
By Sheth, Kashmira
When twelve-year-old Seema Trivedi learns that she and her family must move from their small Indian town to Iowa City, she realizes she'll have to say good-bye to the purple-jeweled mango trees and sweet-smelling jasmine, to the monsoon rains and the bustling market. More important, she must leave behind her best friend and cousin, Raju. Everything is different in Iowa City, where Seema feels like an outsider to the language and traditions. As she begins to plant roots in the foreign soil, however, her confidence starts to bloom, and she learns she can build a bridge between two homes. With lyrical language and poignant scenes, Kashmira Sheth unearths the meaning of "home" and "family" in this tender debut novel. Kashmira Sheth's own experiences as a teenager who moved by herself from India to America inspired her to write this novel.
The Swap
By Shull, Megan
Coming soon as a Disney Channel Original Movie, Megan Shull's smart and funny twist on Freaky Friday is perfect for fans of Wendy Mass, Jerry Spinelli, and Jon Scieszka!With one random wish, Jack and Ellie are living life in each other's shoes. He's her. And she's him. ELLIE assumed popular guys didn't worry about body image, being perfect, or talking to girls, but acting like you're cool with everything is tougher than it looks. JACK thought girls had it easy - no fights with bullies, no demanding dads, no power plays - but facing mean girls at sleepovers and getting grilled about your period is way harder than taking a hit to the face at sports practice.Now they're dealing with each other's middle school dramas - locker room teasing, cliques, video game battles, bra shopping, and a slew of hilariously awkward moments - until they hopefully switch back! Told in both Jack's and Ellie's voices, The Swap offers a fresh and honest take on tween friendship, all while exploring more serious themes of family, loss, empathy, and what it really means to be yourself. And as Jon Scieszka says, it's "seriously, truly, fearlessly funny!"
Scrawl
By Shulman, Mark
Tod Munn is a bully. He's tough, but times are even tougher. The wimps have stopped coughing up their lunch money. The administration is cracking down. Then to make things worse, Tod and his friends get busted doing something bad. Something really bad.Lucky Tod must spend his daily detention in a hot, empty room with Mrs. Woodrow, a no-nonsense guidance counselor. He doesn't know why he's there, but she does. Tod's punishment: to scrawl his story in a beat-up notebook. He can be painfully funny and he can be brutally honest. But can Mrs. Woodrow help Tod stop playing the bad guy before he actually turns into one . . . for real? Read Tod's notebook for yourself.
Falling Over Sideways
By Sonnenblick, Jordan
It's not easy being Claire. (Really.) Claire's life is a joke . . . but she's not laughing. While her friends seem to be leaping forward, she's dancing in the same place. The mean girls at school are living up to their mean name, and there's a boy, Ryder, who's just as bad, if not worse. And at home, nobody's really listening to her -- if anything, they seem to be more in on the joke than she is. Then into all of this (not-very-funny-to-Claire) comedy comes something intense and tragic -- while her dad is talking to her at the kitchen table, he falls over with a medical emergency. Suddenly the joke has become very serious -- and the only way Claire, her family, and her friends are going to get through it is if they can find a way to make it funny again.
Goodbye stranger
By Stead, Rebecca
"Masterly. . . . Sensitively explores togetherness, aloneness, betrayal and love." - The New York Times Book Review2016 Honor Book in Fiction, Boston Globe Horn Book AwardA NYT Editors' Choice and NYT Notable Children's Books of 2015This brilliant novel by Newbery Medal winner Rebecca Stead explores multiple perspectives on the bonds and limits of friendship. Bridge is an accident survivor who's wondering why she's still alive. Emily has new curves and an almost-boyfriend who wants a certain kind of picture. Tabitha sees through everybody's games - or so she tells the world. The three girls are best friends with one rule: No fighting. Can it get them through seventh grade? This year everything is different for Sherm Russo as he gets to know Bridge Barsamian. What does it mean to fall for a girl - as a friend? On Valentine's Day, an unnamed high school girl struggles with a betrayal. How long can she hide in plain sight? Each memorable character navigates the challenges of love and change in this captivating novel. Praise for Goodbye StrangerSix Starred ReviewsPublishers Weekly Best Books of 2015School Library Journal Best Books of 2015Booklist Editor's Choice 2015The Horn Book's Fanfare: Best Books of 2015The Washington Post Best Books of 2015The New York Times Notable Children's Books of 2015"This astonishingly profound novel is not your average middle-school friendship tale." - The Horn Book, Starred "Stead shows how strongly love of all kinds can smooth the juddering path toward adulthood. Winsome, bighearted, and altogether rewarding." - Booklist, Starred "[Stead] captures the stomach-churning moments of a misstep or an unplanned betrayal and reworks these events with grace, humor, and polish into possibilities for kindness and redemption. Superb." - Kirkus Reviews, Starred"This memorable story about female friendships, silly bets, different kinds of love, and bad decisions is authentic in detail and emotion." - Publishers Weekly, Starred "Filled with humor [and] delightful coincidences. . . . An immensely satisfying addition for Stead's many fans." - School Library Journal, Starred"The author as usual deftly interweaves her plot strands into an organic whole, and between the multifocal plot and the exploration on growth and self-recognition . . . deeply explores mistakes, and forgiveness, and growing away from people as well as toward them." - The Bulletin, Starred "This eloquent story of friendship, first love, and identity will resonate powerfully with readers." - VOYA, Perfect Ten"Stead raises questions about whether a relationship can survive change. If someone makes a mistake, can you forgive the person, if not the act? Can two people reconcile, if they are both willing to process what happened? Or is the change more systemic--has one of you become a stranger? . . . It's a question all of the characters ask themselves at some point in Stead's perfectly synchronized novel." - Shelf Awareness
Nothing
By Teller, Janne
When Pierre-Anthon realizes there is no meaning to life, the seventh-grader leaves his classroom, climbs a tree, and stays there. His classmates cannot make him come down, not even by pelting him with rocks. So to prove to Pierre-Anthon that life has meaning, the children decide to give up things of importance. The pile starts with the superficial - a fishing rod, a new pair of shoes. But as the sacrifices become more extreme, the students grow increasingly desperate to get Pierre-Anthon down, to justify their belief in meaning. Sure to prompt intense thought and discussion, Nothing - already a treasured work overseas - is not to be missed.
The Center of Everything
By Urban, Linda
Spring 2013 Kids' Indie Next ListFor Ruby Pepperdine, the "center of everything" is on the rooftop of Pepperdine Motors in her donut-obsessed town of Bunning, New Hampshire, stargazing from the circle of her grandmother Gigi's hug. That's how everything is supposed to be - until Ruby messes up and things spin out of control. But she has one last hope. It all depends on what happens on Bunning Day, when the entire town will hear Ruby read her winning essay. And it depends on her twelfth birthday wish - unless she messes that up too. Can Ruby's wish set everything straight in her topsy-turvy world?
Unfriended
By Vail, Rachel
In middle school, nothing is more important than friendship.When Truly is invited to sit at the Popular Table with the group she has dreamed of joining, she can hardly believe her luck. Everyone seems so nice, so kind to one another. But all is not as it seems with her new friends, and soon she's caught in a maelstrom of lies, misunderstandings, accusations and counter-accusations, all happening very publicly in the relentless, hyperconnected social media world from which there is no escape.Six eighth-graders, four girls and two boys, struggle to understand and process their fractured glimples into one another's lives as they find new ways to disconnect, but also to connect, in Rachel Vail's richest and most searching book.
The Revealers
By Wilhelm, Doug
Throwing light on a dark problemParkland Middle School is a place the students call Darkland, because no one in it does much to stop the daily harassment of kids by other kids. Three bullied seventh graders use their smarts to get the better of their tormentors by starting an unofficial e-mail forum at school in which they publicize their experiences. Unexpectedly, lots of other kids come forward to confess their similar troubles, and it becomes clear that the problem at their school is bigger than anyone knew. The school principal wants to clamp down on the operation, which she does when the trio, in their zealousness for revenge, libel a fellow student in what turns out to have been a setup. Now a new plan of attack is needed . . . This suspenseful story of computer-era underground rebellion offers fresh perspectives on some of the most enduring themes in fiction for young readers.
Millicent Min, Girl Genius
By Yee, Lisa
Who would have thought being smart could be so hard (and funny)?Millicent Min is having a bad summer. Her fellow high school students hate her for setting the curve. Her fellow 11-year-olds hate her for going to high school. And her mother has arranged for her to tutor Stanford Wong, the poster boy for Chinese geekdom. But then Millie meets Emily. Emily doesn't know Millicent's IQ score. She actually thinks Millie is cool. And if Millie can hide her awards, ignore her grandmother's advice, swear her parents to silence, blackmail Stanford, and keep all her lies straight, she just might make her first friend.What's it gong to take? Sheer genius. Show more Show less #outer_postBodyPS { display: none; } #psGradient { display: none; } #psPlaceHolder { display: none; } #psExpand { display: none; } Who would have thought being smart could be so hard (and funny)?Millicent Min is having a bad summer. Her fellow high school students hate her for setting the curve. Her fellow 11-year-olds hate her for going to high school. And her mother has arranged for her to tutor Stanford Wong, the poster boy for Chinese geekdom. But then Millie meets Emily. Emily doesn't know Millicent's IQ score. She actually thinks Millie is cool. And if Millie can hide her awards, ignore her grandmother's advice, swear her parents to silence, blackmail Stanford, and keep all her lies straight, she just might make her first friend.What's it gong to take? Sheer genius.