middle school students

"My name's Darius James--but everyone calls me DJ. At my old school, I was the go-to guy for all kinds of tricky problems that needed creative solutions. But at my new school, Ella Fitzgerald Middle, I'm just trying to blend in. Well, I was, anyway, until my best friend Conor got himself transferred to the Fitz too. Now Conor owes 100,000 arcade tickets to the biggest bully around--and he only has two weeks to make it happen. Impossible? Not with my head in the game"--Provided by publisher.

Seventh-grader Percy Jackson has recently discovered that he is the son of Poseidon, making him half human and half god, and along with a demigod and a satyr friend, must save his beloved Camp Half-Blood from evil forces determined to destroy it.

Sixth-grader and self-proclaimed genius Nate Wright faces his all-time enemy Gina when they are paired to work on a research paper together and she also gets a position on his intramural team.

". . . when [Jilly's] sister, Emma, is born deaf, she realizes . . . the world is going to treat Jilly, who is white and hearing, differently from Emma, just as it will treat them both differently from their Black cousins. A big fantasy reader, Jilly makes a connection online with another fantasy fan, Derek, who is a Deaf, Black ASL user. She goes to Derek for help with Emma but doesn't always know the best way or time to ask for it. As she and Derek meet in person, have some really fun conversations, and become friends, Jilly makes some mistakes . . . but comes to understand that it's up to her, not Derek to figure out how to do better next time--especially when she wants to be there for Derek the most. Within a world where kids like Derek and Emma aren't assured the same freedom or safety as kids like Jilly, Jilly is starting to learn all the things she doesn't know--and by doing that, she's also working to discover how to support her family and her friends"--Provided by publisher.

"The adventures of the plucky Sakura Kinomoto are as adorably thrilling as ever, as she tracks down the magical Clow Cardsand plunges headlong into a world of sorcery beyond anything she could've imagined"--Provided by publisher.

"Mackenzie Miler has big goals. For instance, conquering seventh grade--with projects. There's the Mom Project (finding her mom a boyfriend--even if she says she's not interested), the Friend project (win back the BFFs who dumped her and make a new friend), and the Band project (so what if she's never planned a fundraiser? How hard can it be?) . . . She can do it all, can't she? Or do her big goals require something more--like a little help from her friends?"--Provided by publisher.

Before he became a first-round draft pick in the NFL, he had to survive middle school. Over one million boys play high school football every year. About 6.5% become collegiate players. Of those, only 1.5% reach the NFL. Those odds were daunting for a young Vontae Davis who endured many challenges as his parents battled addiction. At age 11, Vontae and his siblings faced living in separate foster homes, but Grandma Adaline refused to allow it--adopting and raising all seven children despite financial difficulties. With some guidance from his older brother Vernon (two-time Pro Bowl tight end) Vontae earned a college football scholarship, and after three years entered the NFL. The Middle School Rules of Vontae Davis features Vontae's defining childhood stories and lessons learned growing up in a rough Washington D.C. neighborhood. Young readers will see how Vontae thrived with the support of those around him--none more important than his grandmother. A two-time Pro Bowl selection, Vontae was named an NFL Players Association Community MVP during the 2015 season.

"Natalie has never felt that she's enough--athletic enough, stylish enough, or talented enough. And on the first day of middle school, Natalie discovers that things are worse than she thought--now she's not even cool enough for her best friend, Lily! As Natalie tries to get her best friend back, she learns more about her true self and natural talents. If Natalie can focus on who she is rather than who she isn't, then she might realize she's more than enough, just the way she is"--Amazon.com.

"Natalie has never felt that she's enough--athletic enough, stylish enough, or talented enough. And on the first day of middle school, Natalie discovers that things are worse than she thought--now she's not even cool enough for her best friend, Lily! As Natalie tries to get her best friend back, she learns more about her true self and natural talents. If Natalie can focus on who she is rather than who she isn't, then she might realize she's more than enough, just the way she is"--Amazon.

"The adventures of the plucky Sakura Kinomoto are as adorably thrilling as ever, as she tracks down the magical Clow Cards and plunges headlong into a world of sorcery beyond anything she could've imagined"--Provided by publisher.