Being in the middle can be hard. Evan is in the middle of his family and he doesn’t know where he fits in. He’s too small to play with his older brothers but too big to play with his younger brother and sister. He just wants to be big. Being big will make everything better – right? Paired to the nonfiction title Your Family Tree.
Jocelyn and Kami have been best friends ever since they could play in the mud. Even though they don’t always agree or like the same things, these two have done everything together. When Kami’s parents go out of town for business on her birthday, Jocelyn knows just how to cheer her up: a birthday party! With these best friends what could possibly go wrong as they plan a birthday together? But Jocelyn didn’t expect her friend to find a new BFF. Kami didn’t realize that Jocelyn could be so bossy. Will the birthday party still happen? Can Kami and Jocelyn still be friends even though they are so different? Paired to the nonfiction title How to Bake a Cake.
Barrett is going to have the best day ever. He gets to go on a field trip to the farm and his best friend is his field trip buddy. Nothing can go wrong today. Or can it? Barrett comes out of the bathroom to find everyone has disappeared. Has Barrett been left behind? After checking every inch of the farm, Barrett must venture into the corn maze. Will he find his class in there? Can Barrett make it through the maze that he is so scared of? Paired to the nonfiction title School Uniforms Yes or No.
Even though Rocket is the fastest kid in third grade, his dyslexia makes him a slow reader. When he finds coded notes, Rocket knows he needs the help of his friends, the Gumshoe Gang. Together they try crack the secret messages but kind they are stuck. Can the Gumshoe gang crack this case? Is Mrs. Flores in danger? And is the new computer teacher really an alien? These mysteries are perfect for your early fluent reader. With longer sentences and fewer illustrations, these are suited to keep readers guessing as they solve for clues. Paired to the nonfiction title Wining by Working.
Klaude is the class clown. He likes to make people laugh but not everyone finds him funny. The Golden Spoon Award is given to students who display proper lunchroom behavior and Klaude is one of the winners! He’s never won anything in his life! But not everyone is excited and they are showing it. During the special luncheon someone sabotages his spaghetti, takes a bite out of his cake, and breaks his first trophy ever. Who would be so mean to him? Why is someone so mad at Klaude for winning the Golden Spoon Award? More importantly, will he get a new slice of cake? These mysteries are perfect for your early fluent reader. With longer sentences and fewer illustrations, these are suited to keep readers guessing as they solve for clues. Paired to the nonfiction title STEM Guides to Food and Nutrition.
All the girls in class are talking about Kayla’s party. It will be Jasmine and Annie’s first sleepover and they have mixed feelings, so when Jasmine overhears a conversation about a plan to play tricks on her and Annie, things take a turn for the worse. But sometimes what you hear isn’t what you think. Will Kayla and her friends play tricks on Annie and Jasmine? What tricks do Annie and Jasmine have up their sleeves? Paired to the nonfiction title Cheerleading.
Luis knows he is the best soccer player at his school because he always scores the most goals. Now he gets to play on a really team! He can’t wait to show his teammates and coach how good he is. The problem is, no one seems impressed. In fact, they seem like they don’t want him on the field. Can Luis show his team that he’s a team player before the big game? Paired to the nonfiction title Winning By Teamwork.
The Gumshoe Gang has their next case and it hits close to home. One of their own detectives is missing his RC race car and has to crack the ransom note! Caleb needs his car back in order to compete in the school’s RC race car race on Sunday and he has no time for these nonsense riddles. Can his friends help him crack the notes? Who would steal a RC race car anyway? And why does it smell like rotten eggs? These mysteries are perfectly suited to keep readers guessing as they solve for clues. With longer sentences and fewer illustrations, they are just the right fit for your early fluent reader. Paired to the nonfiction title STEM Jobs with Cars.
What do glitter snowflakes, aliens, and singing have in common? Join the Gumshoe Gang at Watson Elementary as they solve the latest mystery. Lyra is so excited for the Christmas concert that she has a hard time focusing on anything else. That is until someone starts sabotaging the decorations needed for the concert. Who would want to get the concert canceled? Why are the teachers acting so strangely? Paired to the nonfiction title Skills for Social Success.
Jaylah’s family is thrilled that everyone will be together soon in Florida. Except Jaylah. Thinking about what will happen when she gets there is making her tummy feels like it’s full of buzzing bees. That’s why she decides to make a plan that will get her out of the whole scary affair. But will her plan ruin everything for the people she loves? Paired to the nonfiction title Everyone Visits Family.
Queeneka loves fashion, and a good mystery. So when there were missing kickball at Watson Elementary she was on the case! Who would take the kickballs? Why is Mr. Hambrick giving her the evil eye? And why are fourth graders so mean? Making a new friend along the way, Queeneka and Keely question suspects, encounter giant fourth graders, and learn that everyone is embarrassed about something. These mysteries are perfectly suited to keep readers guessing as they solve for clues. With longer sentences and fewer illustrations, they are just the right fit for your early fluent reader. Paired to the nonfiction title Everyone Goes to School.
Charlie’s gymnastic team earned the top spot in the Blueberry Festival parade. Better yet, Charlie was picked to lead the whole parade! It’s all she can think about. That is, until Charlie breaks her leg. Now everything is ruined! At least she has her best bud Leo to keep her company for the next six weeks. Or does she? Leo is avoiding her and Charlie doesn’t understand why. Leo doesn’t stay with her at recess or take her calls. Are they still friends? Why doesn’t Leo want to hang out anymore? Paired to the nonfiction title Dealing With Defeat.
Deano was a star soccer player at her old school in Jamaica but she’s in a new school now, and things are so different. What’s this No Girls Allowed rule during recess? Jay is different from the other kids in her class. He reads with his fingers and has a cool dog he gets to bring to school! As Deano gets to know Jay, they realize they have a common interest: soccer. But how can Jay play soccer if he is blind? Will Deano ever be accepted by the soccer players even though she’s a girl? These relatable books with simple sentences and illustrations in every chapter, make them the perfect first chapter books for young readers. Paired to the nonfiction title Respecting Diversity.
Maddie’s mom told her she could have a pet! She’s always wanted a pet and loves all kinds of animals but she cannot make up her mind. Should she get a giraffe? A mermaid? A hippo? Ugh! Choosing a pet should be fun but Maddie is having a difficult time. Maddie reaches out to her friends, family, and local veterinarian for advice. What helpful advice does Maddie get? Will Maddie ever find the perfect pet? Paired to the nonfiction title Sugar Glider.
For as long as he can remember, Matt has wanted to play basketball. Now, as he tries out for the team at his new middle school, he realizes that the easy days of elementary ball are over and that this is a much more serious game. Dealing with a hard-driving coach, competitive teammates and his own insecurities in a new school, Matt needs to call on all his skills, both on and off the court, to make the team and keep his head above water. When he is involved, albeit unwittingly, in tagging a store with racist graffiti, Matt finds himself in more trouble than he bargained for. And when he fights back against an aggressive teammate and is threatened with suspension from the team, he learns that it is not only game-time decisions that count, but also the choices made after the crowd has gone home and the gym is silent.
Nick and Kia get excited when their school gym teacher announces a "three-on-three" basketball tournament. The two most dedicated players in grade three, they know they'll be tough to beat. But when Nick finds out they'll be up against teams in grade four and five, he is ready to throw in the towel before they start. How can shrimps like them ever hope to beat the older kids? Kia, however, is undaunted. They need a third player for their team anyway, she reasons, so why not go after the best player in the school? Marcus is bigger, tougher and in grade five. But it's not as easy as Kia thinks to convince Marcus to join their team. And there's no guarantee the older boy won't change his mind before the tournament begins. Marcus is often uneasy around them, but worse, Kia and Nick find themselves making enemies of some of the kids in the upper grade. Nick realizes it's going to take more than skill at basketball to win this tournament and make friends with Marcus without becoming targets for the older kids off the court. Book 1 in the series.
Murphy and his three friends, Danny, Jeff and Albert, are making the transition from the tribal elementary school to the community middle school. They are all trying out for the middle school's soccer team, and they're pretty confident that The Formidable Four will all make the team. But once the tryouts begin, Albert, the tribal-school superstar, plays like a second stringer. Murphy's new friend, Molly, is determined to help the boys find out what's wrong with Albert, but when they discover the truth, they realize that Albert is playing a whole different game.
Max knows his mom can't afford to send him to summer camp. But he really, really wants to go. He needs a break from looking after his autistic brother, Duncan. And from his mom's new boyfriend. He is surprised when his mom says that he can go after all. But there's a catch. There are spots available at the camp for families with special needs. A grant would cover Duncan's fees, and Max could attend at no charge. If he goes as Duncan's escort. This is the second story featuring Max and Duncan after Maxed Out.
Sam and Annabel are on vacation with Annabel's parents in Italy. While visiting the small hilltop town of Civita, they hear rumors of looted gold from World War II buried somewhere in the town's network of underground tunnels and caves. Once again the two friends cross paths with their old nemesis, Humphrey Battleford, but he is not the only one in pursuit of the gold. An intimidating man named Kurt, the grandson of a ruthless Nazi, is also snooping around. After Annabel is kidnapped, Sam must solve the mystery of the hidden treasure to save his friend. This is the fourth mystery featuring Sam and Annabel, after Stolen, Bones and Lost.
In 1930 nine-year-old Miriam travels by train from Brooklyn to her grandparents' farm in upstate New York. Her grandparents are kind, generous people, but they aren't exactly ideal playmates for a lonely girl. When Miriam is not doing homework in the kitchen with Bubby or helping prepare meals for the migrant workers that Zayde hires to help out on the farm, she plays with the barn kittens born just before she arrived. Those kittens are her only friends, until the day Miriam discovers a young girl hiding in the barn. Cissy and her brother, Joe, who's one of Zayde's farm hands, are on the run from an abusive uncle back in Mississippi. Miriam and Cissy hit it off immediately. But their friendship is tested when Miriam is forced to choose between keeping a promise and doing the right thing.
After attending her school’s pet show, Libby is inspired to teach her goat, Elvis, some tricks. But Elvis won’t catch a Frisbee. He nibbles on socks, rather than folding them. And he can’t speak French. Then Libby has an idea. She realizes Elvis is already great at making friends and making people laugh. Elvis will make the perfect therapy goat! Aligned to Common Core standards and correlated to state standards.
Junior Canadian Ranger Tommy Toner has a terrible secret. During the annual JCR summer camp in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, he plays a prank which has unexpected and destructive results. Ashamed and afraid of what people will think, he keeps quiet, even though the guilt eats away at him. Tommy and his old friends Colly and Jaz team up to take part in a JCR competition at camp. They decide to search on horseback for the legendary Bushman, a Sasquatch-like creature who has been sighted near Whitehorse. But is the Bushman real or is he simply a terrifying creature of myth and legend? What Tommy and his friends discover puts all their lives in danger, and only the truth can save them.
More than anything, twelve-year-old Max wants to play hockey like he used to. But since the death of his dad, his mom does more crying than mothering, and Max has to take his special-needs brother, Duncan, with him everywhere he goes. The team needs Max to win the upcoming game against the Red Eagles, but one practice with Duncan makes it evident that it's not safe to leave him unattended on the sidelines. With only a week to figure out how he can play in the big game, Max is feeling the pressure. Will he find a way to be a good teammate, a good brother and a good son, or is it too much for one kid?
Meet Justine McKeen, the Queen of Green. She talks a little too much, bosses a little too much and tells the truth, just not all at once. She's trying to save the planet, one person at a time, and when she decides to get something done, it's a lot of fun. In the fourth book of the Justine McKeen series, Justine finds a stray cat and her kittens living off food in the school Dumpster. Eager to reduce waste and save animals in need, Justine comes up with a plan. Can she convince grumpy Mr. Raymond, the cafeteria manager, to put her plan into action?
When Renata is chosen to play the lead role in the school musical, students who used to ignore her start saying hello and congratulating her in the hall. She is happy until it becomes evident that Karin, a wealthy girl who expected to get the lead role, will go to great lengths to ruin Renata's reputation.
