High Middle

In over her head this junior higher will not quit. Can she find a way to finish the production? Aimi Wilby is loyal to a fault when it comes to her friends, new and old. The administrators overload her. Her mentor abandons the project and leaves this eighth grader to ‘figure things out.' Even the lawyers try to shut her down. But, she will not let her cast members and her newest friend down. Aimi discovers that not all witches wear pointy hats and ride brooms. Her new friend asks Aimi to do the unthinkable, to go where she has never gone before. Aimi’s devotion is tested beyond what she...

A stunning new talent in literary fiction, Nafissa Thompson-Spires grapples with black identity and the contemporary middle class in these compelling, boundary-pushing vignettes. Each captivating story plunges headfirst into the lives of new, utterly original characters. Some are darkly humorous while others are devastatingly poignant. Thompson-Spires fearlessly shines a light on the simmering tensions and precariousness of black citizenship.

Transform Your Thanksgiving into a Feast of Laughter, Learning, & Legendary Fun! 🦃🍁 Why settle for just turkey & pie when you can add a side of brain-boosting, belly-laughing trivia to your holiday table? This book is your ultimate Thanksgiving companion, packed with 50 trivia questions with incredibly fun and funny detailed answer explanations that will entertain kids, challenge adults, & spark hilarious debates over who really knows their Pilgrim history. From fascinating facts about the First Thanksgiving to funny turkey tidbits, this quiz is the perfect way to bond while stuffing ...

The death of Colonel Muammar Qadhafi freed Libya from 42 years of despotic rule, raising hopes for a new era. But in the aftermath, the country descended into bitter rivalries and civil war, paving the way for the Islamic State and a catastrophic migrant crisis. In a fast-paced narrative that blends frontline reporting, analysis, and history, Frederic Wehrey tells the story of what went wrong.

What happens when democracy produces "bad" outcomes? Is democracy good because of its outcomes or despite them? This "democratic dilemma" is one of the most persistent, vexing problems for America abroad, particularly in the Middle East. When Islamist parties rise to power through free elections, the United States has too often been ambivalent or opposed, preferring instead pliable dictators. With this legacy of democratic disrespect in mind, and drawing on new interviews with top American officials, Shadi Hamid explores universal questions of morality, power, and hypocrisy.

Start every class with energy, focus, and curiosity! 1000 Ideas: Bell Ringers & Brain Starters is the ultimate teacher resource for quick, purposeful activities that ignite thinking from the very first minute. Whether you teach language, math, science, social studies, or a bit of everything, this book equips you with daily warm-ups that require no prep, little time, and deliver big impact. From creative writing sparks and visual puzzles to movement-based icebreakers and critical thinking challenges, this collection helps you build routines, manage transitions, and set the tone for powerful ...

Here, National Book Award winner Richard Winston explores life in the Middle Ages - from the fifth to the 15th centuries - beginning with the fall of the Roman Empire and ending with the dawn of the Renaissance. In both countryside and cities, from the peasants to the bourgeoisie to the nobility, no aspect of life in this era is left unexplored.

Two years ago, Graham Robb moved to a lonely house on the very edge of England, near the banks of a river that once marked the southern boundary of the legendary Debatable Land. The oldest detectable territorial division in Great Britain, the Debatable Land served as a buffer between Scotland and England. It was once the bloodiest region in the country, fought over by Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, and James V. After most of its population was slaughtered or deported, it became the last part of Great Britain to be brought under the control of the state.

James Verini arrived in Iraq in the summer of 2016 to write about life in the Islamic State. He stayed to cover the jihadis' last great stand, the Battle of Mosul, not knowing it would go on for nearly a year, nor that it would become, in the words of the Pentagon, "the most significant urban combat since WWII." They Will Have to Die Now takes the listener into the heart of the conflict against the most lethal insurgency of our time. We see unspeakable violence, improbable humanity, and occasional humor.

When Queen Elizabeth was excommunicated by the Pope in 1570, she found herself in an awkward predicament. Now England's key markets would be closed to her Protestant merchants. To complicate matters, the staunchly Catholic king of Spain was determined to destroy her, bolstered by the gold pouring in from the New World. In a bold decision with far-reaching consequences, Elizabeth set her sights on the East.

Oliver was always a jerk. Now that he’s dead, he’s downright terrifying. Augie Doyle eats, sleeps, and breathes horror. Vampires? Real. Werewolves? Absolutely. Zombies? Don’t get him started. His best friend, Ethan, thinks it’s all nonsense—until Oliver Hackl shows up to school. Five days ago, Oliver fell off the Old Mill Bridge and broke his neck. The paramedics pronounced him dead. Now he’s back. Pale. Slow. Wrong. Augie’s convinced it’s the zombie apocalypse. Ethan’s sure there’s a logical explanation. Then Oliver’s friends start dropping like flies. One vanishes, ...

Fourteen-year-old Seth Wilcox has been admitted to the hospital forty-eight times, according to his mother’s latest social media posts, when Social Services steps in and takes Seth into care, believing his mother suffers from Munchausen by Proxy and Seth is not safe in her care. Gabriel Tate is now a veteran in dealing with medical kidnap and reuniting children with their families. He knows Seth and his mom, Leva, a tireless mitochondrial disorder advocate. He knows he needs to get Seth back to Leva as soon as he can. With the authorities hot on their trails, Gabriel and Renata face ...

My Brother's Keeper tells the behind-the-scenes story of how the American president and the Israeli prime minister clashed about peace, war, and the future of the region.

Through a blend of memoir and history, Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Kai Bird recounts the Western experience in the Middle East and just why it has been so turbulent. Through Bird ’s Zelig-like presence, the reader experiences the Suez War of 1956, the June 1967 War, and the Black September hijackings of 1970 that led to the Jordanian Civil War. Bird ’s memoir also shows how all of these momentous events led to the rise and tragic downfall of a secular Arab nationalist ethos.

In The Role of the Scroll, Thomas Forrest Kelly brings to life the most interesting scrolls in medieval history, placing them in the context of those who made, commissioned, and used them, and reveals their remarkably varied uses. Scrolls were the best way to keep ever-expanding lists, for example, those of debtors. Kelly explores the scroll's incredible diversity. A recipe for turning everyday metal into gold offers a glimpse into medieval alchemy, and a log of gifts for Queen Elizabeth I showcases royal flattery and patronage.

Shattered Horizons is a thrilling fictional dystopian novel. It starts out in the aftermath of a post apocalyptic event that leaves the world divided into two classes. The Apex is a well polished heartless community of people who value their dignity and property over everything else. While The Ashen, the lower-class, is a decaying city with hopelessness and despair flooding the streets. As the story progresses, a teenage boy from The Apex, Ryder, falls in love with a hardworking girl from The Ashen, Lena. But soon the tyrannical government discovers their relationship and sends enforcers ...

When Emma Sky, an intrepid young British woman, volunteered to help rebuild Iraq after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, she had little idea what she was letting herself in for: a tour that would last over a decade, longer than that of any senior military or political official. As the only adviser to the Coalition Provisional Authority in Kirkuk and the closest confidante to US General Odierno, Sky was valued for her controversial voice and outsider's point of view.

Princess Rosalynn is pretty, spoiled, and childish. She gives no thought to the men and women that protect her father's throne. Then one day, invaders from the enormous kingdom across the river storm across the Bridge and conquer the royal castle. Alone and in danger, Rosalynn sets out on foot to find her father. Driven by fear, she finds the Bridge and crosses it. In the enemy kingdom, she meets an unexpected friend--a woman who has discovered a secret way to save Rosalynn's kingdom. Together Rosalynn and the wise woman face enemy soldiers, wicked outlaws, and the wilds of the river on ...

Walking around in other people's heads can get messy... especially if those people are vampires. Learning that I have the powers to read vampires' minds might make me an invaluable part of the LIGHTS team, but it's a lot to swallow, especially now that I've moved to Kansas City full-time. I miss my friends, my parents, my old life, but I'm also excited about what's to come. Sometimes, it's hard for me to tell which of my sides is the true me--the hunter or the vampire--and it just takes one tricky hunt to get me all off kilter. Can I get myself back together again before my sister Cadence ...

A fifteen-year experience of day-by-day, year-by-year, learning how to create an authentic Montessori education at home through elementary, middle, and high school. The main guide or teacher during these years had taken AMI teacher training courses for 0-3, 3-6, and 6-12 and had taught for many years. Even though this is not to be thought of as an instruction manual for Montessori homeschooling it is hoped that the book will be helpful for parents and teachers wanting to understand the value of a unique educational path, rather than thinking that all children should be educated exactly the ...