Middle School Friendship

Meet Marie Lane: bookworm, master of awkward comebacks, and certified klutz. Gym class? A personal nightmare. Dodgeballs? Heat-seeking missiles. Ropes? Medieval torture devices. So when Oakwood Middle School announces a school-wide “Gauntlet Challenge” to crown the year’s top team, Marie has one goal: survive without face-planting in front of the entire school. But as she stumbles through obstacle courses, rope climbs, and dodgeball disasters, Marie discovers something surprising—teamwork is messy, bravery comes in weird shapes, and sometimes the best victories aren’t the ones you...

They say that mayhem can't buy love, but it can break it apart. Or at least they should say that, because with Valentine's Day rapidly approaching at Cherry Avenue Middle School, relationship trouble is brewing like a volcano about to erupt. When Austin and Sophie set their sights on winning Cupid's Cutest Couple Contest, a series of challenges and a secret admirer will put their relationship to the test. And they're not the only ones with their eyes on the love prize.

From a new coach's flagrant racism to a teammate's endless sabotage, best friends Andi Carillo and Jeff Michaels start basketball season mired in controversy. To make matters worse, the local media smells more than one juicy story. Will Andi and Jeff be able to help each other power through and find a way to put both their teams back on track?

Girl's Revenge: My Years In Middle School This is Book No. 5, entitled Girl's Revenge, 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 #4: Summertime Memories Book #6: Lookout High School, Here We Come! Following is an excerpt from Book #5: Girl's Revenge. ...

Scanner in My Neighborhood: My Years in Middle School This is Book No. 3, entitled Scanner in My Neighborhood, 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 #4: Summertime Memories Book #5: Girl's Revenge Book #6: Lookout High School, Here We Come! Following is an excerpt from Book #3, ...

Fearless Paths: Inspirational Sports Stories of Self-Discovery for Teens to Build Courage, Resilience, Friendship, and Unity is a heartwarming and empowering collection of short stories crafted especially for boys. Each story dives into the real emotions, challenges, and triumphs that come with growing up and discovering who you really are. Whether it’s stepping up for a teammate, conquering stage fright, surviving a weekend without screens, or learning to forgive, the characters in Fearless Paths show that true strength often comes from the most unexpected places. These realistic, ...

Charlotte “Charli” Wilson thought Alex Andropov would always be her best BFF in the whole wide world. From crushes to butterfly phobias to secret hidden blankies, there’s never been a secret they couldn’t share. Charli even showed Alex the supersecret hiding spot for her diary. But when school starts and Charli learns that Alex has betrayed her by sharing her biggest, most secretest secret, she realizes that maybe her bestie isn’t so great after all. Meanwhile, Alex has no idea what he's done wrong.

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 ...

Painfully shy Grace dreads starting fifth grade, now that her best friend has moved away. Jada hopes she'll stop feeling so alone if she finds the mother who left years ago. And Malia fears the arrival of her new baby sister will forever change the family she loves. When the girls each find a mysterious treasure box in their library and begin to fill the box with their own precious things, they start to feel less alone. But it's up to Grace, Jada, and Malia to take the treasures and turn them into something more: true friendship.

In BILLY RICHMOND AND THE APPLIANCE WARS, Young Billy Richmond and his friends stumble upon another dimension, one populated by walking and talking (and warring!) appliances, power tools, and other household items. It’s up to Billy to save the Toaster Rebellion from the clutches of the fiendish Refrigerator Empire, and then somehow get home before he’s grounded for missing dinner!

When Zack’s younger sister dies in a tragic accident, his family moves to a small town in the Northwest to try and heal from all the pain. Eleven-year-old Zack blames himself for his sister’s death, and he struggles to find any comfort in his new surroundings. Zack, at first, feels lost in Vista Point. Until he meets Ann, a girl who lives in the area and shows Zack all the special places to be discovered. But there’s something that seems a bit strange about Ann - and perhaps a secret she is keeping from him.

The Land of Oz, decades before Dorothy, held many cities and many heroes. After the devastation of the Witch Wars, the stony North is now under the protection of the Good Witch. Hewing a new life out of the ruins challenges the survivors, including the Bandersnatch family. HE’S NOT BRAVE ENOUGH TO BE A HERO…YET. Ten-year old Candor wants to be strong, like the way he remembers his father before the accident, but instead of honor, all his attempts at bravery only earn him more bruises. Chased by bullies into the mountains, Candor discovers a gateway to a faraway place where no one can ...

The Case of the Missing Homework follows the misadventures of Marie Lane, a clever and imaginative pre-teen, as she faces a crisis: her homework has mysteriously disappeared! On what should have been a regular morning, panic strikes when Marie discovers her hard work is missing just before it's due. Her usual confidence gives way to frantic searching, from her cluttered bedroom to her school locker, but the elusive assignment is nowhere to be found. Not one to give up, Marie enlists the help of her friends, Mia and Kevin. Together, they retrace Marie's steps, diving headfirst into a series ...

Max is about to find out that breakfast can change history -- and possibly save his best friend's life.

One snowstorm. One Golden Retriever. One unforgettable week of tech glitches, talent shows, and digital mayhem. Seventh-grader Marie Lane thought a week of virtual school would be easy—until the internet crashed, the chat exploded, and her Golden Retriever, Max, became the most chaotic Zoom Bomber the class had ever seen. Thrown into a whirlwind of frozen screens, mystery guests, and surprise breakout room disasters, Marie and her classmates scramble to make their snowbound week count. With a mismatched team of brainiacs, artists, and accidental comedians (plus one extremely determined ...

What could go wrong on a school field trip? A lot—especially when parrots are on the loose! Emma, Jack, Sebastian, and Mark are ready for a fun day at the zoo, but things go wild when Duke and Dylan’s parrots, Princess and Clarence, escape. With lions roaring and feathers flying, the friends are in for more excitement than they bargained for! As the search for the parrots takes surprising turns, the kids discover that the mischievous birds might be related to their Uncle Needles and his strange work with parrots. When they think they’re close to solving the mystery, a sneaky scientist...

Charlotte Andrews is perfectly fine being quiet - in fact, she prefers it. When she doesn't speak, people can't make fun of her stutter. But when she witnesses bullying on the school bus and doesn't say anything, her silence comes between her and her best friend. As if that wasn't bad enough, her parents signed her up for musical theater. Charlotte doesn't want to speak onstage, but at least she doesn't stutter when she sings. Then, just as she starts to find her voice, the arts program is cut. Charlotte can't stay silent anymore.

Enter the world of Ajay, Karan, and Sanjay, also known as AKS - the child prodigies and detectives of Great Mountain International School! Awarded by the Chief Minister of Karnataka for their thrilling adventures and maze-like case solving, these inseparable friends thrive on challenges. In "The Sivamudra Ghost Dance," the trio embarks on a seemingly ordinary school excursion to a power station near the small town of Sivamudra. But Sivamudra holds secrets, and what starts as a simple trip soon plunges AKS into a perplexing mystery. Whispers of ghosts and strange incidents surrounding the ...

Fifth grade is in full swing, and Norma Elliot is juggling it all; Mrs. Gookaw’s rambling lessons, Aunt Gail’s flashy new boyfriend, and the Porgys’ annoying, hairless chihuahua. Meanwhile, Pepper proposes to Miss Kelly with a rubber ring (probably from a vending machine), Boyd’s crush drama is spiraling, and Norma’s growing-up weirdness isn’t exactly smooth sailing. With her journal and faith, Norma faces awkward family moments, friendship chaos, and funky fall surprises--learning that life’s not about staying comfy, but about trusting God in the mess and the good times too. ...

The Avery Diary: CHRISTMAS CHAOS BEGINS! A Hilarious Book for Kids 9-12! Christmas was supposed to be peaceful, but no one told my family that. Between glitter snow, Carl’s ninja elf costume, and a burnt turkey that could’ve been used as a doorstop, I’m just trying to survive. The Christmas musical? A total mess. The snowball fight? Complete chaos. And let’s not even talk about the marshmallow-covered tree. But somehow, even with all the craziness, my family made it fun. Maybe next year will be easier... but with a surprise trip to Hawaii on the way, I have a feeling the madness is ...