Middle School English

The Best Life Stories by Reader's Digest are 150 of the best hand-picked real-life tales of resilience, joy, and hope - all in 150 words or less! People think I'm crazy for teaching middle schoolers.

After scoring big on national TV in the semifinals contest, everyone back home is jumping on the Jamie Grimm bandwagon, and all the attention might be going to his head. Not only are his friendships starting to suffer, but the pressure of coming up with his best material ever for the ultimate standup act to snag the final win in Hollywood is pushing Jamie to the brink. Suddenly, life isn't looking very funny anymore. Can Jamie take the grand prize without pushing away his fans, friends, and family?

Jamie Grimm has finally accomplished his dream of proving himself the Planet's Funniest Kid Comic, and the sky's the limit from there. Enter a couple of TV executives with a huge plan for Jamie: a new show about Jamie and his oddball friends! But when Jamie struggles to learn the acting ropes, will it be an early curtain call for the biggest show of the decade?

Matt is the new kid—again. His attempt to blend in at school quickly unravels when a cafeteria scuffle with two bullies lands him in hot water. Making new friends is never easy, but he soon finds allies in Gina, his photography classmate with a knack for uncovering surprising tidbits, and Rob, who shares Matt's fascination with snakes. Rob’s half-finished swimming pool promises cool summer fun. The discovery of valuable historical artifacts on Rob's property seems like a stroke of luck at first. These centuries-old tools, once used in the construction of nearby Fort Hawkins, become the ...

Bloated Goat is a fantasy cartoon that comes to life in your head. Get ready to enjoy a gut-busting adventure full of crazy forest animals and hijinks galore. You’ll meet Granny Hammy, Cocky Doodle, Bloated Goat, and a wide assortment of wacky characters as they romp around the forest in this ill-conceived (but humorous!) plot. Watch in horror as the author tries to tie everything together with an explosive ending that you'll probably see coming a mile away.

Summertime Memories: My Years In Middle School This is Book No. 4, entitled Summertime Memories, in the six-part series My Years in Middle School. Follow the adventures of Nancy Jane and her two best friends, Helen Schunter and Karen Stamm, as they experience school, boys, bullying, getting even, dealing with Nancy Jane's nemesis, Lois Talker, and more. Other titles in this series include: Book #1: The Summer Before Book #2: Is This Love? Book #3: Scanner In My Neighborhood Book #5: Girl's Revenge Book #6: Lookout High School, Here We Come!Following is an excerpt from Book #4, Summertime ...

Ken is an EngiNerd: one of a super-smart group of friends - all nerds - who have been close since kindergarten. They may be brainiacs, but they're just like everyone else: They fight with one another, watch too much TV, eat Chinese food, and hate walking their dogs. Well, maybe not just like everyone because Ken's best friend Dan has been building robots. He then secretly sent one to each of the EngiNerds, never letting them know he's the mastermind. At first Ken is awed and delighted: What kid hasn't dreamed of having a robot all their own?

The Summer Before: My Years In Middle School This is Book No. 1 entitled The Summer Before in the 6 part series My Years In Middle School. Follow the adventures of Nancy Jane and her two best friends Helen Schunter and Karen Stamm as they experience school, boys, bullying, getting even, dealing with Nancy Janes' nemesis Lois Talker and more. Other titles in this series include: Book #2: Is This Love? Book #3: Scanner In My Neighborhood Book #4: Summertime Memories Book #5: Girl's Revenge Book #6: Lookout High School, Here We Come!Following is an excerpt from Book #1 The Summer Before. "...

Rescue on Crescent River When fear meets faith, an unforgettable adventure begins! Nick is a 14-year-old boy who dreams of exploring the world by boat. Fearless and full of courage, he’s always ready for an adventure. Monica, also 14, is confident and popular, but there’s one thing she can’t face: water. She’s terrified of it. They couldn’t be more different, but when Monica’s beloved dog, Max, is swept into the dangerous waters of Crescent River, Nick is the only one who can help. To rescue Max, Monica must face her greatest fear and join Nick on his small boat. Together, they ...

Welcome to Crayton Middle School—where the vending machines eat your change, the janitor closet leads to another dimension, and one kid’s sketchbook might be the only thing standing between the school and total reality-erasure. Dexter “Doodle” Dalton isn’t your average sixth grader. Armed with a magical pencil that brings his drawings to life—and an attitude somewhere between sarcastic and snack-obsessed—Dexter finds himself at the center of a mystery no one else even realizes is happening. When Ms. Pine, the school’s quirky art teacher, vanishes in the middle of class, the ...

There is something wrong with education in America. No. Belay that. There is something wrong with education in the world. Year after year, in different ways and using different methods, schools churn out and chew up millions of children who possess only a generalized relatively useless body of knowledge, pass a few standardized tests, and can’t seem to function in the real world. Something needs to change. It's time we switch over to a functional education that will train our kids for success rather than set them up for failure. Dr. David Powers is a Cultural Architect, combining the ...

Kenny Wright is a kid with a secret identity. In his mind he's Stainlezz Steel, superpowered defender of the weak. In reality he's a chess club devotee known as a grandma's boy, a label that makes him an easy target for bullies. Kenny wants to bring a little more Steel to the real world, but the question is: Can he recognize his own true strength before peer pressure forces him to make the worst choice of his life?

Clonk is a caveman. He thinks he is smart, but he is not. He didn't even invent the Internet yet. Great pictures and silly fun for children ages 6 to 9.

Unleash your storytelling passion and bond with your child like never before with "The Giant Forest - Making of a Preteen Novel." Authored by an inspiring father-daughter duo, this book is more than a guide—it's an adventure into the heart of collaborative storytelling. Experience the thrill of creating a captivating six-book series, from the first idea spark to the final touches of proofreading and illustration. But there's more: enjoy an exclusive alternate ending and choose your side—Team Mia or Team Dad. This journey is about strengthening family bonds, unlocking creativity, and ...

Marie Lane never asked to lead. She’s perfectly fine scribbling in the margins, thank you very much. But when she’s chosen to helm the school’s new “collaborative” book club, she’s dropped straight into the eye of a creative storm—where bold ideas crash, personalities clash, and nothing stays inside the lines. Max dreams in plot twists and mayhem. Lily paints worlds before the words exist. Jake demands structure, flowcharts, and logic. And Zoe? Zoe sees everything—and says just enough to keep Marie guessing. What starts as a chaotic collision of color, voice, and vision ...

What if your childhood daydream wasn’t just a fantasy—but a doorway to the unimaginable? For three years, Jonas Shay has tried to forget Extraordinary, the imaginary world he once escaped to after his mother’s disappearance. With his dad’s help, he buried the daydream, convinced himself it wasn’t real. But now, just shy of thirteen, the whispers are back—talking seagulls, meddling elfins, a world that refuses to stay forgotten. Soon, Jonas learns the impossible: his mother is alive, trapped somewhere inside Extraordinary. Reality slips away as Jonas plunges back into the world ...

Heidi is both excited and nervous to start at her new boarding school, Broomsfield Academy! She can't wait to start magical classes but her first day takes a turn for the worse when Heidi discovers her roommate (or "broommate" as they are known here) is none other than her old rival, Melanie Maplethorpe. Melanie is less than thrilled too, and the two find themselves engaged in an epic prank war. But when magic enters the mix, will the reluctant roommates go too far?

Hey, what happened to my dog? Did you eat it? Where'd it go? And what's with all that juicy stuff around your lips? Okay, pal, we better talk this out. You can read the rest of the story to find out what happens. Approximately 1,100 words and 10 pictures.

It's eighth grade and Christina and her besties, Megan and Leanne, are once again going through the brutal trials of cheerleading tryouts. This year, Christina feels more confident: She dresses in her own style and has amazing friends, even her first crush. But what if the girls don't all make the squad? Worse than that, Christina learns her parents' marriage is collapsing. Suddenly, her family, her future, and her identity seem in total freefall. Can she keep it together and still make her cheerleading dreams come true?

She grew up in a world where women were supposed to be quiet. But Malala Yousafzai refused to be silent. Discover Malala's story through this powerful narrative telling, and come to see how one brave girl named Malala changed the world.