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Accelerated Reader Middle Grade Collection
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Radiance
by Alyson NoëlRiley has crossed the bridge into the afterlife--a place called Here, where time is always Now. She has picked up life where she left off when she was alive, living with her parents and dog in a nice house in a nice neighborhood. When she's summoned before The Council, she learns that the afterlife isn't just an eternity of leisure. She's been assigned a job, Soul Catcher, and a teacher, Bodhi, a possibly cute, seemingly nerdy boy who's definitely hiding something. They return to earth together for Riley's first assignment, a Radiant Boy who's been haunting a castle in England for centuries. Many Soul Catchers have tried to get him to cross the bridge and failed. But all of that was before he met Riley . . .
Sondok
by Sheri HolmanDuring the seventh century in the land which is now Korea, 14-year-old Sondok is the eldest daughter of King Chinp-yong, ruler of Silla. It is an era of political and religious intrigue for this princess living in a tumultuous time.
Audacity
by Melanie CrowderThe inspiring story of Clara Lemlich, whose fight for equal rights led to the largest strike by women in American history A gorgeously told novel in verse written with intimacy and power, Audacity is inspired by the real-life story of Clara Lemlich, a spirited young woman who emigrated from Russia to New York at the turn of the twentieth century and fought tenaciously for equal rights. Bucking the norms of both her traditional Jewish family and societal conventions, Clara refuses to accept substandard working conditions in the factories on Manhattan's Lower East Side. For years, Clara devotes herself to the labor fight, speaking up for those who suffer in silence. In time, Clara convinces the women in the factories to strike, organize, and unionize, culminating in the famous Uprising of the 20,000.Powerful, breathtaking, and inspiring, Audacity is the story of a remarkable young woman, whose passion and selfless devotion to her cause changed the world. Praise for AUDACITY: * "Crowder breathes life into a world long past....Compelling, powerful and unforgettable." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review * "This book stands alone....an impactful addition to any historical fiction collection."--School Library Journal, starred review* "With a thorough historical note, glossary of terms, and bibliography, this will make an excellent complement to units on women's rights and the labor movement, but it will also satisfy readers in search of a well-told tale of a fierce heroine."--BCCB, starred review* "This is an excellent title that can open discussions in U.S. history and economics courses about women's rights, labor unions, and the immigrant experience."--School Library Connection, starred review "Based on the true story of Clara Lemlich, Audacity throbs with the emotions of this exceptional young woman who fought for equal rights and improved labor standards in factories. Melanie Crowder's verses spit out Clara's rage, cradle her longing and soar like the birds that are her constant companions."--Bookpage "Crowder's (Parched) use of free verse in this fictionalization of Russian-Jewish immigrant Clara Lemlich's life brings a spare poignancy to a familiar history."--Publishers Weekly "Audacity is an evocative reimagining of a fascinating historical figure who should be remembered for her determination in the face of great odds and powerful opposition--and for her role in changing America. Melanie Crowder's powerful verse reveals a long-past world, but the combination of hope and outrage that Clara Lemlich brought to her struggle should be both recognizable and inspirational to teen readers longing to right the injustices of our day."--Margaret Peterson Haddix, critically acclaimed, bestselling author of UprisingFrom the Hardcover edition.
Kristina
by Carolyn MeyerMeyer offers a revealing look at Kristina, who was raised by the King and Queen of Sweden as a prince rather than a princess and assumed the throne as King at the age of 18.
When Will This Cruel War Be Over
by Barry DenenbergA Confederate girl growing up in the South during the Civil War reveals the hardships of southern life as the war tears her family and the nation apart.
Under the Royal Palms
by Alma Flor AdaThe author recalls her life and impressions growing up in Cuba.
Winner of the Pura Belpre Medal
The Hobbit
by J. R. R. TolkienBilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life, rarely traveling any farther than his pantry or cellar. But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard Gandalf and a company of dwarves arrive on his doorstep one day to whisk him away on an adventure. They have launched a plot to raid the treasure hoard guarded by Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon. Bilbo reluctantly joins their quest, unaware that on his journey to the Lonely Mountain he will encounter both a magic ring and a frightening creature known as Gollum.
The Story of Owen
by E. K. JohnstonListen! For I sing of Owen Thorskard: valiant of heart, hopeless at algebra, last in a long line of legendary dragon slayers. Though he had few years and was not built for football, he stood between the town of Trondheim and creatures that threatened its survival.
There have always been dragons. As far back as history is told, men and women have fought them, loyally defending their villages. Dragon slaying was a proud tradition.
But dragons and humans have one thing in common: an insatiable appetite for fossil fuels. From the moment Henry Ford hired his first dragon slayer, no small town was safe. Dragon slayers flocked to cities, leaving more remote areas unprotected.
Such was Trondheim's fate until Owen Thorskard arrived. At sixteen, with dragons advancing and his grades plummeting, Owen faced impossible odds armed only with a sword, his legacy, and the classmate who agreed to be his bard.
Listen! I am Siobhan McQuaid. I alone know the story of Owen, the story that changes everything. Listen!
This Side of Wild
by Gary Paulsen and Tim JessellThe Newbery Honor-winning author of Hatchet and Dogsong shares surprising true stories about his relationship with animals, highlighting their compassion, intellect, intuition, and sense of adventure.Gary Paulsen is an adventurer who competed in two Iditarods, survived the Minnesota wilderness, and climbed the Bighorns. None of this would have been possible without his truest companion: his animals. Sled dogs rescued him in Alaska, a sickened poodle guarded his well-being, and a horse led him across a desert. Through his interactions with dogs, horses, birds, and more, Gary has been struck with the belief that animals know more than we may fathom. His understanding and admiration of animals is well known, and in This Side of Wild, which has taken a lifetime to write, he proves the ways in which they have taught him to be a better person.
The Case of the Missing Marquess
by Nancy SpringerWhen Enola Holmes, sister to the detective Sherlock Holmes, discovers her mother has disappeared, she quickly embarks on a journey to London in search of her. But nothing can prepare her for what awaits. Because when she arrives, she finds herself involved in the kidnapping of a young marquess, fleeing murderous villains, and trying to elude her shrewd older brothers-all while attempting to piece together clues to her mother's strange disappearance. Amid all the mayhem, will Enola be able to decode the necessary clues and find her mother? .
Being Jazz
by Jazz JenningsJazz Jennings is one of the youngest and most prominent voices in the national discussion about gender identity. At the age of five, Jazz transitioned to life as a girl, with the support of her parents. A year later, her parents allowed her to share her incredible journey in her first Barbara Walters interview, aired at a time when the public was much less knowledgeable or accepting of the transgender community. This groundbreaking interview was followed over the years by other high-profile interviews, a documentary, the launch of her YouTube channel, a picture book, and her own reality TV series--I Am Jazz--making her one of the most recognizable activists for transgender teens, children, and adults.
In her remarkable memoir, Jazz reflects on these very public experiences and how they have helped shape the mainstream attitude toward the transgender community. But it hasn't all been easy. Jazz has faced many challenges, bullying, discrimination, and rejection, yet she perseveres as she educates others about her life as a transgender teen.
Through it all, her family has been beside her on this journey, standing together against those who don't understand the true meaning of tolerance and unconditional love. Now Jazz must learn to navigate the physical, social, and emotional upheavals of adolescence--particularly high school--complicated by the unique challenges of being a transgender teen. Making the journey from girl to woman is never easy--especially when you began your life in a boy's body.
Balcony on the Moon
by Ibtisam BakaratPicking up where Tasting the Sky left off, Balcony on the Moon follows Ibtisam Barakat through her childhood and adolescence in Palestine from 1972-1981 and chronicles her desire to be a writer. Ibtisam finds inspiration through writing letters to pen pals and from an adult who encourages her to keep at it, but the most surprising turn of all for Ibtisam happens when her mother decides that she would like to seek out an education, too. This memoir is a touching, at times funny, and enlightening look at the not often depicted daily life in a politically tumultuous area. A Margaret Ferguson Book
The Grim Grotto
by Lemony Snicket and Brett Helquist and Michael KuppermanWarning: Your day will become very dark - and possibly damp - if you read this book.
Plan to spend this spring in hiding. Lemony Snicket is back with the eleventh book in his New York Times bestselling A Series of Unfortunate Events.
Lemony Snicket's saga about the charming, intelligent and grossly unlucky Baudelaire orphans continues to provoke suspicion and despair in readers the world over.
In the eleventh and most alarming volume yet in the bestselling phenomenon A Series of Unfortunate Events, the intrepid siblings delve further into the dark mystery surrounding the death of their parents and the baffling VFD organisation.
Last December
by Matt BeamWritten in the form of a suicide note from a teenaged boy to his unborn sister, this tells the story of how a ninth-grader comes to accept his less than ideal life after witnessing the struggles of a friend with serious depression.
Voyage on the Great Titanic
by Ellen Emerson WhiteWritten from the point of view of a young passenger aboard the ill-fated Titanic, this title combines an award-winning series with the "disaster of the century".
Anacaona
by Edwidge DanticatDanticat brings Haiti's beautiful and heroic queen to life. Queen Anacaona's island was peaceful until the Spanish explorers conquered it in 1492. The conquistadors were cruel to Anacaona's people, and when they revolted, their queen was resigned to a tragic fate. Illustrations.
Anacaona, Golden Flower
by Edwidge DanticatThe New York Times–bestselling author and National Book Award finalist delivers a powerful Royal Diaries volume with the story of Haiti’s heroic queen.With her signature narrative grace, Edwidge Danticat brings Haiti’s beautiful queen Anacaona to life. Queen Anacaona was the wife of one of her island’s rulers, and a composer of songs and poems, making her popular among her people. Haiti was relatively quiet until the Spanish conquistadors discovered the island and began to settle there in 1492.The Spaniards treated the natives very cruelly, and when the natives revolted, the Spanish governor of Haiti ordered the arrests of several native nobles, including Anacaona, who was eventually captured and executed, to the horror of her people.“A gripping story that shows European invasion from a native Caribbean viewpoint . . . readers will connect with Danticat’s immediate, poetic language, Anacaona’s finely drawn growing pains, and the powerful, graphic story that adds a vital perspective to the literature about Columbus and European expansion in the Americas.” —Booklist“Explores the life of a proud, young Taíno woman as she grows into rulership, love, and motherhood . . . The arrival of Columbus’s explorers marks a major turning point in the novel, and Danticat shifts from a languid, poetic style to a tense, high gear that makes it difficult to put the book down.” —Historical Novel Society
Amos Fortune
by Elizabeth YatesWinner of the Newbery Medal!
When Amos Fortune was only fifteen years old, he was captured by slave traders and brought to Massachusetts, where he was sold at auction. Although his freedom had been taken, Amos never lost his dignity and courage. For 45 years, Amos worked as a slave and dreamed of freedom. And, at age 60, he finally began to see those dreams come true.
Anne Frank
by Anne FrankA teenage Jewish girl's recorded thoughts and impressions while she and her family were being hidden in a safe house during the Nazi occupation of Holland.
Blue Moon
by Alyson NoëlEager to learn everything she can about her new abilities as an Immortal, Ever turns to her beloved Damen to show her the way, but just as her powers are increasing, his are in decline.
School of Fear 3
by Gitty DaneshvariCheck out the laugh-inducing, phobia-reducing final book in the School of Fear trilogy! Is school out forever at the School of Fear? A nosy reporter is planning a scandalous expose on eccentric Mrs. Wellington and her unorthodox teaching methods, and the news is sure to put an end to the school. Madeleine, Theo, Lulu, Garrison, and the new student Hyacinth must convince Sylvie that their teacher and the school are perfectly normal. But how can they accomplish this when Mrs. Wellington is just so... odd? With the fate of their beloved school in their hands, the children now share a new fear--failure.
Divide and Conquer
by Carrie RyanScholastic's next multi-platform mega-event begins here! Dak, Sera, and Riq might be in over their heads when they attempt to stop a Viking invasion! Hundreds of ships carrying thousands of warriors are laying siege to medieval Paris. The Parisians are holding their own, but the stalemate can only last so long. And that's bad news -- especially since Dak has been captured, forced to work alongside the Vikings while Sera and Riq defend Paris from within. No matter which side wins, the kids lose!
Kaiulani
by Ellen Emerson WhiteMay 6, 1889
At Iolani Palace, Father and I met with Papa Moi and Mama Moi in the throne room. Papa Moi was solemn as he reminded me that it will be my responsibility to do as well as possible, and in that way, further the hopes of our nation. I was glad that I have never admitted to him how fearful I am about leaving. I think he would find that petty, as I go off not for myself, but for all of the Hawaiians I will someday lead.
"I will not fail, Papa, will I?" I asked Father, once we were in our carriage and on the way back to Ainahau.
"It is not even a possibility", he said, his voice full of confidence.
Survival in the Storm
by Katelan JankeIn 16-year-old Katelan Janke's first Dear America book, readers meet Grace Edwards, a little girl growing up in the heart of the Texas panhandle in the midst of the Dust Bowl. Fierce, dust-filled winds ravage the plains and threaten the town's agricultural livelihood. Will Grace's family's farm survive?
Theodore Boone
by John GrishamTheodore Boone is back in action! As all of Strattenburg sits divided over a hot political and environmental issue, Theo finds himself right in the thick of it.
The county commission is fighting hard to change the landscape of the town, and Theo is strongly opposed to the plans. But when he uncovers corruption beneath the surface, no one--not even Theo--is prepared for the risks--and potential harm--at stake. Torn between his conscience and the law, Theo will do whatever it takes to stand up for what is right.