Middle Grade Reader

This is no prestigious private academy--they've been enrolled at South Side Middle School in the heart of Chicago. Despite being given a high-tech suit and a Vibranium ring to use only in case of an emergency, T'Challa realizes he might not be as equipped to handle life in America as he thought. Especially when it comes to navigating new friendships while hiding his true identity as the prince of a powerful nation, and avoiding Gemini Jones, a menacing classmate who is rumored to be involved in dark magic.

When strange things begin happening around school, T'Challa sets out to uncover the source. But what he discovers in the process is far more sinister than he could ever have imagined.

In order to protect his friends and stop an ancient evil, T'Challa must take on the mantle of a hero, setting him on the path to becoming the Black Panther.


Complete your middle grade collection with these best-selling fan favorites:

Or are they? Three kids on a remote island seem immune to the toxic plants. Anaya, Petra, Seth. They each have strange allergies--and yet not to these plants. What's their secret? Can they somehow be the key to beating back this invasion? They'd better figure it out fast, because it's starting to rain again....

The first installment of Andrew Lang's widely read classics and arguably his best known, The Blue Fairy Book has been admired time and time again, enchanting readers with its carefully crafted prose and eclectic assortment of fairy tales. Originally published in 1889, this collection of celebrated tales has stood the test of time. Some of the famous stories included are:

The imaginations of children throughout time have been formed and nurtured by stories passed down from generation to generation. Of the countless genres of stories, fairy tales often conjure the most vivid fantastical worlds and ideas, which cultivate creativity and bring elements of magic back into the real world. Many of these fairy tales have been collected over time into hundreds of memorable collections. However, the ones commonly considered most notable are the Fairy Books compiled by famous Scottish novelist and poet Andrew Lang.

Gather close and let the Wizard tell you all of his secrets, for contained within these enchanting pages is everything you need to know to become the next great wizard, including directions for crafting a selection of marvelous gear, room decorations, concoctions, and good-luck spells. Silently disappear and reappear in a hooded cloak as light as butterfly wings. Time the simmering of potions with an hourglass pendant. Broaden your powers by whipping up such hard-to-find wizardly supplies as Mermaid Gas Bubbles and Eye of Newt, plus potent slimes and potions. And just for fun and a few shivers, the Wizard shares myths and legends of centuries past along with spine-tingling adventures of his own.

"A novel about a soccer-obsessed tween boy written entirely in verse? In a word, yes. Kwame Alexander has the magic to pull off this unlikely feat, both as a poet and as a storyteller. " -- The Chicago Tribune

Can't nobody stop you
Can't nobody cop you...

In this follow-up to Newbery-winner The Crossover, soccer, family, love, and friendship take center stage. Twelve-year-old Nick learns the power of words as he wrestles with problems at home, stands up to a bully, and tries to impress the girl of his dreams. Helping him along are his best friend and sometimes teammate Coby, and The Mac, a rapping librarian who gives Nick inspiring books to read.

This electric and heartfelt novel-in-verse by poet Kwame Alexander bends and breaks as it captures all the thrills and setbacks, action and emotion of a World Cup match! Now in paperback.

There used to be an empty chair at the back of Mrs. Khan's classroom, but on the third Tuesday of the school year a new kid fills it: nine-year-old Ahmet, a Syrian refugee. The whole class is curious about this new boy--he doesn't seem to smile, and he doesn't talk much. But after learning that Ahmet fled a Very Real War and was separated from his family along the way, a determined group of his classmates band together to concoct the Greatest Idea in the World--a magnificent plan to reunite Ahmet with his loved ones.

Balancing humor and heart, this relatable story about the refugee crisis from the perspective of kids highlights the community-changing potential of standing as an ally and reminds readers that everyone deserves a place to call home.

Overall Winner of the 2019 Waterstones Children's Book Prize
Winner of the 2019 Blue Peter Book Award

Tearjerking and chuckle-inducing. . . . Above all it celebrates the power of kindness. --The Sunday Post (Scotland)

Inspiring and sweet. . . . This is a beautiful, open-hearted debut from Onjali Q Raúf that should help children be the best they can be and realise the power of kindness. --BookTrust (UK)

An engaging exploration of the refugee crisis through the eyes of a child. --Readings (Australia)

Billy Plimpton has a big dream: to become a famous comedian when he grows up. He already knows a lot of jokes, but thinks he has one big problem standing in his way: his stutter.

At first, Billy thinks the best way to deal with this is to . . . never say a word. That way, the kids in his new school won't hear him stammer. But soon he finds out this is NOT the best way to deal with things. (For one thing, it's very hard to tell a joke without getting a word out.)

As Billy makes his way toward the spotlight, a lot of funny things (and some less funny things) happen to him. In the end, the whole school will know --

If you think you can hold Billy Plimpton back, be warned: The joke will soon be on you!

From his own life, of course! As full of excitement and the unexpected as his world-famous, best-selling books, Roald Dahl's tales of his own childhood are completely fascinating and fiendishly funny. Did you know that Roald Dahl nearly lost his nose in a car accident? Or that he was once a chocolate candy tester for Cadbury's? Have you heard about his involvement in the Great Mouse Plot of 1924? If not, you don't yet know all there is to know about Roald Dahl. Sure to captivate and delight you, the boyhood antics of this master storyteller are not to be missed!

Having saved Imagination twice now, Indira is on a well-earned vacation when she is kidnapped by the Anti-Heroes. The covert group has one goal: overthrow the tyrannical leader of Fester and Antagonist Academy. After they plead their case, Indira agrees to join their secret mission and go undercover as a student at the legendary school for villains-in-training--where she gets drawn into a virtual warfare competition known as the Badlands.

Facing monster teachers, plotting classmates, distracting love interests, and combative old foes is all second nature to a hero like Indira. But what happens when that heroic nature is turned against her like a weapon? Can Indira get to the bottom of what's going on in Fester before this virtual battlescape spills over into a real war for ultimate control of Imagination?

Meet the girl who ABSOLUTELY EVERYONE is trying to avoid!

The completely unreliable and totally irrepressible Ivy Pocket must orchestrate a most daring and brilliant rescue in the wickedly funny conclusion to the Ivy Pocket trilogy. Neil Gaiman meets Lemony Snicket and the Series of Unfortunate Events in this hilarious series that the Huffington Post called "a must-read." Perfect for middle school readers!

Since she came into possession of the Clock Diamond, Ivy Pocket has been chased, tricked, kidnapped, locked in an institution, and subjected to a truly terrible set of adoptive parents. Luckily, Ivy Pocket always lands on her feet--having all the natural instincts of a frightened feline. With the Clock Diamond in hand, she hurries to rescue her best friend, Rebecca, who is being held prisoner in a parallel world. But Ivy Pocket has fallen ill, there's a man in a white suit following her everywhere, and the Butterfields seem to be behind yet another plot to lock her away. With a few tricks and all the natural instincts of a master of disguise, Ivy Pocket is sure she can dodge her enemies long enough to pull off the most daring rescue anyone has ever seen.

The fast-paced conclusion to the Ivy Pocket trilogy, which School Library Journal called a "gripping-and laugh-out-loud-adventure." Featuring extensive and hilarious black-and-white interior art by Barbara Cantini. "Please, nobody stop Ivy Pocket." --Kirkus Reviews

Christopher Rowe has no idea who he is. After being shipwrecked in Devonshire, he wakes up alone, his memories gone. Villagers tell him he was possessed by an unseen evil, and only became conscious after being visited by the local witch.

As Christopher tries to get his bearings, he realizes his current state may be far from coincidence. Dark events have been happening in this corner of Britain--village children are disappearing without a trace. There are whispers that the malevolent ghost of the White Lady has returned to steal the children away, one by one, and consume their souls.

Thankfully, friends Tom and Sally find Christopher and help him reconnect with his unique skills and talents, even as his memories elude him. But as motives and secrets are revealed, Christopher finds himself in a desperate race to reclaim his memories and discover the missing children before it's too late.

Hidden Figures meets Wonder Woman in this action-packed, comic-inspired adventure about a brilliant girl puzzler who discovers she's part of a superhero team--the first in a new series!

Josie O'Malley does a lot to help out Mam after her father goes off to fight the Nazis, but she wishes she could do more--like all those caped heroes who now seem to have disappeared. If Josie can't fly and control weather like her idol, Zenobia, maybe she can put her math smarts to use cracking puzzles for the government.

After an official tosses out her puzzler test because she's a girl, it soon becomes clear that an even more top-secret agency has its eye on Josie, along with two other applicants: Akiko and Mae. The trio bonds over their shared love of female superhero celebrities, from Hauntima to Zenobia to Hopscotch. But during one extraordinary afternoon, they find themselves transformed into the newest (and youngest!) superheroes in town. As the girls' abilities slowly begin to emerge, they learn that their skills will be crucial in thwarting a shapeshifting henchman of Hitler, and, just maybe, in solving an even larger mystery about the superheroes who've recently gone missing.

Inspired by remarkable real-life women from World War II--the human computers and earliest programmers called "the ENIAC Six"--this pulse-pounding adventure features bold action and brave thinking, with forty-eight pages of comic book style graphic panels throughout the book. Readers will want to don their own capes for an adventure, and realize they have the power to be a superhero, too!