As her third-grade class makes its selections for the "Graveyard of Boring Words" and learns about "superb synonyms," slow-footed Nancy enthusiastically plays on the soccer team, with the goal of just being mediocre, or maybe even a little better than average.

"After getting bullied at Figueroa Elementary, Stix Hart wants nothing more than to fly below the radar at middle school. He's heard all the horror stories, but none involved ghosts. On Stix's first day of sixth grade, his anxiety is off the charts. It doesn't help when he spots a kid who reminds him of his old bully, Xander Mack. Soon after, he encounters two other students who take a keen interest in him. He quickly learns the spooky truth--the...

Devon and Chiamaka, two Black students at an elite prep school, compete for valedictorian until anonymous texts reveal their darkest secrets, forcing the pair to fight back, as the cyberbully's game soon turns deadly. All you need to know is . . . I’m here to divide and conquer. Like all great tyrants do. ―Aces When two Niveus Private Academy students, Devon Richards and Chiamaka Adebayo, are selected to be part of the elite school’s senior...

"It's almost time for school to start again, and Nikki is a little worried -- but, as always, she has her BFFS to help. Only, it turns out her friends need Nikki's help. Nikki quickly gets overwhelmed and even starts feeling sick... which is when her little sister, Brianna, takes her chance to steal Nikki's diary! How much damage can Brianna do before Nikki is back on her feet?" --

"Luchy Zapata is starting middle school, and she’s muy excited. She and her two best friends, Cami and Mateo, will finally be at the same school. Luchy and Mateo will be in art class together, and she and Cami can try out for the same soccer team! As long as they’re all together, Luchy can handle anything. But Cami has been acting weird ever since she got back from visiting family in Colombia. She’s making new, “cool” friends who just seem...

"Meet Astrid! She cannot wait to be the first astronaut with hearing aids, and she has the perfect Astronomically Grand Plan to make sure she does just that. The first part of the plan is to join the space club at school, Shooting Stars, with her best friend, Hallie -- and go to Space Camp together! But Astrid's plan isn't off to a great start. It turns out Hallie wants to join the art club, Petite Picassos, and draw stars rather than study them....

"Plum is facing the most difficult test of her Guardian powers yet. Lotus Island is in danger, and there's not much time to save this special place. Power-hungry Councilor Yurn is headed to the island with a ship full of hoverbots and a devious plan in mind: he means to take over Lotus Island and build a new city there. His plan will destroy the fragile ecosystem, including the island's precious lotus plants. When the Guardians learn that their unique...

"Twelve-year-old Ivy and the Evers return to West Archer for a new semester, but the events of the past months and the question of their immortality loom large"--

Jamie is a humorous and uplifting middle grade novel about making your own place in a world that doesn't think you fit in even if it means changing the system. Jamie Rambeau is a happy 11-year-old, nonbinary kid who loves hanging out with their two best friends, Daisy and Ash. But when the trio find out that their local middle schools separate into a school for boys and a school for girls, their friendship suddenly seems at risk. And when Jamie realizes...

"After a childhood in foster care, Bitter is thrilled to have been chosen to attend Eucalyptus, a special school where she can focus on her painting surrounded by other creative teens. But outside this haven, the streets are filled with protests against the deep injustices that grip the city of Lucille. Bitter's instinct is to stay safe within the walls of Eucalyptus but her friends aren't willing to settle for a world that's so far away from what...