Even though her family calls her Emma Bemma, Emma knows she is really just a dilEmma because she is just medium. That’s because she’s the middle kid between her two brothers, who everyone calls Big and Little. Big thinks he's the coolest kid on the planet now that he's 10. That means he doesn’t want to play with LEGOs, or play anything with Emma anymore. And everyone thinks Little is just adorable even when he picks his nose and eats it! Ugh! What’s a middle child to do? What if she could get out of being the middle by taking on a new role? What if she acted BIG? Or even bigger than that? Will things go as planned? Or will she have another huge dilemma?
Kirby is a pessimistic kid. He's a good student with some close friends. But he’s intimidated by schoolmate Lee, who always seems to have better grades and more friends. On the way home from school one day, Kirby saves a man from being hit by a truck. The man gives him a magic stone. You make a wish and rub the stone, the man tells Kirby. Your wish will come true. Kirby is skeptical, but then his wishes start to come true!
When Mike Longridge gets himself in trouble yet again, he is given a choice: juvenile detention or an outdoor program called Explore. He opts for Explore, but soon finds himself wondering how he is going to survive ten months with the hippies and keeners in the program. He's never felt so out of place and is certain he will never get the hang of the outdoor activities. Will Mike go back to his old trouble-making ways or will he finally find a place to belong?
Life in 1880 Tenmile, Colorado, isn't easy. But it's all that 12-year-old Sissy Carlson knows. She's lived here her whole life, watching her father, the local doctor, tend to the town's citizens. And while the mountain setting is gorgeous, Tenmile is a rough gold mining town. It often feels like there's just a thin line between life and death. Mining is a hard job; men are hurt or even killed. Sissy sees the same thin line between the haves and the have-nots as she assists her father in his practice, seeing firsthand the personal and not-always-private struggles of his patients. Now that she's older, Sissy is starting to think of the world beyond Tenmile and where she might fit in. What opportunities might she find if she could just get away? What kind of future does Tenmile offer, especially for a girl? A poignant coming-of-age middle grade novel by New York Times-bestselling author Sandra Dallas.
Ana has never been far from her home in California, but now she has a chance to travel to New Orleans with her gran. Along the way, the two see some interesting sights and eat good food. They also have a chance to help search for a missing boy who has set off in search of aliens.
The family treasure has caused a rift between sisters. Isa's mom proudly shows Grandma's picture above the mantel in the Rodriguez living room. It's the last gift that Isa's grandfather ever gave. And it is proudly displayed, infuriating Isa's aunt. Then it is stolen. But why? Isa learns that to keep a valued friendship, sometimes it's better to think of others before yourself.
Tommy loves MMA. He and his friend Ben are the best at Stars MMA Fight School. They both compete to represent the fight school at a MMA competition in the city. As usual, Tommy chokes. Ben is the winner, even though Tommy is the better fighter. But Ben breaks his leg, and Tommy has to learn to tune out and focus to win.
Dan and Pete are excited to have a sleepover at Dan's house while their parents are away. Their excitement turns to fear when the dam breaks and a killer flood smashes through town. The boys decide to stay put until they realize that Dan's elderly neighbors may be in danger. When they reach the neighbors' house, they find one of them near death. His lifesaving medicine is under water, and his wife is too old to make her way to town to get more. Both boys brave the flood to go find help.
Sometimes a person with epilepsy might start to twitch or fall down. Uh-oh, it’s an emergency! Prepare young learners to empathetically understand and care for a friend with an epileptic seizure. Learn what’s happening, how to be a helper, and ways to keep your friend safe. A bright design and carefully crafted text takes fear out of emergencies to make them easier to understand.
Kenyan orphans, Kitoo and Nigosi, spend their days studying, playing soccer, helping their elders with chores around the orphanage and reading from the limited selection of books in their library. When the librarian gives Kitoo a copy of Sports Around the World he becomes fascinated by an image of the Canadian national men's ice hockey team. Then one day the fates align and Kitoo finds a pair of beat up old roller blades, he teaches himself to skate and dreams of one day playing hockey like the men in his book. But you can’t play ice hockey in Kenya, can you?
It is 1945, and thirteen-year-old Gwen has been a prisoner at the Weihsien Internment Camp in northern China for nearly two and a half years. Gwen is one of 140 children who were enrolled at a boarding school in Chefoo when the Japanese Imperial Army invaded China. Life in the camp is difficult. There is not enough food or water, and even the children are forced to do hard labor. But Miss E., one of their teachers from Chefoo, has come up with an unusual scheme: she will follow the Girl Guide Code, treating Gwen and her friends as if they are part of a Girl Guide troop. Girl Guides promise not only to stay positive in the most challenging situations but also to do good turns, meaning they must be kind to others without any expectation of reward. Gwendolyn hopes that when she grows up, she will be as courageous and optimistic as Miss E. But then Gwen learns that Miss E. is not as full of answers as she seems, and she realizes that in order to protect a friend, she will have to do something that could never be considered a good turn.
Tyler is a good, solid hockey player, but not a great one. That honor belongs to the obnoxious Riley, a sixteen-year-old spoiled superstar who makes Tyler's life miserable. When Tyler and Riley are sent to volunteer at a local youth program, Tyler finds the passion and commitment he needs to step up his game on ice and off.
Kaylee used to love to fly. With two pilots for parents, how could she not? But when her father's plane goes down and neither the wreckage nor his body is found, she develops a terror of flying. She is too afraid to convince her mother to take her back to the Caribbean to search for her father. And she is haunted by fear whenever her mother goes up to fight fires in a water bomber. Kaylee escapes her fear and her grief on treks with her dog, Sausage, through the forest, the Big Tangle, near her home. But, one day, fire follows her into the forest and events conspire against her until the only escape is resting on pontoons at the dock on Booker Bay.
In this book, early fluent readers will learn how writing can help us focus, examine emotions, and increase mindfulness. Step-by-step instructions help readers write poetry, record thoughts and observations in a nature journal, and practice gratitude and mindfulness by creating a journaling habit. Social and emotional learning (SEL) concepts support growth mindset throughout, while Try This! and Grow with Goals activities at the end of the book further reinforce the content. Fun, full-color photos and carefully leveled text engage young readers as they learn more about increasing focus and practicing mindfulness through writing. Includes helpful hints, sidebars, a table of contents, glossary, index, and tips for educators and caregivers.
When ten-year-old Roosevelt Banks discovers that his two best friends are planning a bike and camping trip, he wants more than anything to go along. There’s just one problem—he doesn’t have a bike. Roosevelt’s parents agree to buy him a bike if he can manage to be good for two whole weeks. How can Roosevelt be good and be the same fun guy his friends want on the camping trip? Trying to be good leads to more trouble than expected—and to the discovery that being a good friend is more important than any bicycle.
Carson Schwartz is used to being the best at everything. When he gets the hottest new toy, a Cube Spinner, all he can think about is becoming the best spinner in the world. But something about this Cube Spinner is different. Each time Carson uses it, strange things happen. People even get hurt. Can Carson put aside being the best in order to keep his friends and family safe?
Joey Tran and his best friend, Max, love technology. When Joey’s dad comes home with a car that safely drives itself, they are thrilled and amazed. Their friends from school want to take a ride. This leads to a very unexpected adventure.
Dax Davis loves candy. He eats it every day and posts on a social media site for candy fans. But when he steals a rare piece of candy so he can be the first to try it, he has a very strange reaction. Before long, he finds himself in desperate need of help.
When Eric Peters learns that a once famous World War II pilot has a P-51 Mustang stored at the local airstrip, he knows he must see it. So he goes to the nursing home to introduce himself to the now ninety-five-year-old pilot, Leo Foster. Now too old to see his dream of restoring the Mustang to flying shape, Mr. Foster encourages Eric to find someone who can fulfill his wish. But Eric's dad balks at having his son anywhere near danger. Will Eric be able to convince him otherwise?
Zuze's is a fan of the great Rufus Roth, a superstar musician from the past. And she is thrilled when her music class gets to go on a time traveling field trip. The class will visit five rock concerts. They will listen to two songs at each concert. Then they will return to class to write their reports. Zuze hopes Rufus Roth will sing her favorite song, "Susie Girl." Will she be disappointed?
When Squirrel watches the birds, he sees something he desperately wants: the ability to fly. Even though his family tells him to give up his dreams, Squirrel refuses to stay on the ground. With the help of his friend Bear, Squirrel is able to soar, but will the birds share their skies? Squirrel and Bear Take to the Air is a story about overcoming adversity and leaping for your dreams.
Eva and Carmen want spending money for ice cream at Chill. They want to treat their friends. They want to do more things with their free time than the money they get from their parents allows. But their parents tell them to think of a way to earn it themselves, because they won't waste their cash on extras. So the girls come up with a plan to make extra cash over the summer. But they don't realize how hard having a job can be.
Tracy decides to enter the Little Miss Miss pageant when she hears the winner will get a free trip to Washington, D.C. Her best friend, Liza, decides to keep her company. And their new camp counselor, beauty queen and college student Ashley, will be their coach. They are in it to win it. Then they meet pageant pro Jordi and her super mean mom.
Luke Lawson is raising two couch potatoes, and that does not sit well with him. So he decides he's going to toughed up his two boys, Winston and Nelson, with an adventure in the great outdoors. At first, the boys are grumpy and upset, but as they explore nature, they become more curious and interested in the world around them. And Winston experiences a life-changing event when he meets the ghost of a Native American teen and takes a mellow midnight ride on horseback.
Kemba feels like the lamest kid in school. If only he could be cool like the computer game superhero Underdog. But he can’t even save himself from the biggest bully in the sixth grade, let alone protect the weakest of the weak like Underdog does. He has zero friends. Or so he thinks. Kemba hasn’t even had the courage to try until one act of cruelty pushes him over the edge.
