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Perfect for fans of Dungeons & Dragons, Raina Telgemeier, and Jessica Kim, a heartfelt coming-of-age middle grade novel about finding your voice and believing in your best geeky self. Riley Henderson has never taken a bus to school in her entire life. Or made an afterschool snack, or finished her homework on her own, or—ewww—done her own laundry. That's what her older brother Devin was for.But now Devin's gone. He's off in California attending a fancy college gaming program while Riley is stuck alone in Florida with her mom. That is, until a cool nerd named Lucy gives Riley no choice but to get over her shyness and fear of rejection and become friends. The best part is... both girls are into Dungeons & Dragons. In fact, playing D&D was something Riley and Devin used to do together, with Devin as the dungeon master, guiding Riley through his intricately planned campaigns. So, of course, Riley is more than a little nervous when Lucy suggests that she run a campaign for them. For the chance at a friend, though, she's willing to give it a shot. Soon, their party grows and with the help of her new D&D friends, Riley discovers that not only can she function without Devin, she kind of likes it. She figures out that bus thing, totes the clothes down to the laundry room and sets up her D&D campaigns right there on the slightly suspect folding table, makes her own snacks and dinner— the whole deal. But when Devin runs into trouble with his program and returns home, it's pretty clear, even to Riley, that since he can't navigate his own life, he's going to live Riley's for her. Now she has to help Devin go back to college and prove to her mom that she can take care of herself... all before the upcoming Winter-Con.It's time to Roll for Initiative.

The story of one girl's quest for clarity and forgiveness after an awful, universe-gone-mad-mistake. From the internationally bestselling author of Girl in Pieces ‘Breathtaking and heartbreaking, and I loved it with all my heart.'Jennifer Niven I thought I was done with death, at least a little bit, but death wasn't done with me. It's always been Tiger and her mother against the world. Then, on a day like any other, Tiger's mother dies. Now it's Tiger, alone. And she must learn to make friends with the dark. ‘A rare and powerful novel...dives deep into the heart of grief and healing with honesty, empathy, and grace.'Karen M. McManus ‘Magnificent. A beautiful, heartbreaking alleluia to survival.'Brendan Kiely

Nikki wants to be a basketball star... but between school stress, friend drama, and babysitting woes, will she be able to make it on her new team? Judy Blume meets Mike Lupica in this pitch-perfect, action-packed, and funny novel. Thirteen-year-old Nikki Doyle's dreams of becoming a basketball great feel within reach when she's selected to play on an elite-level club team. But in a league with taller, stronger, and faster girls, Nikki suddenly isn't the best point guard. In fact, she's no longer a point guard at all, which leaves her struggling to figure out who she is and how she fits in.The stress piles on as Nikki's best friend spends more and more time with another girl on the team, and when her science teacher assigns a family tree project that will be impossible to complete unless Nikki reveals her most embarrassing secret. As if that's not enough to deal with, to cover the costs of her new team, Nikki has agreed to take care of her annoying younger brother after school to save money on childcare. As the stakes rise on the basketball court, at school, and at home, Nikki's confidence plummets. Can she learn to compete at this new, higher level? And how hard is she willing to work to find out?

A heartwarming tale about learning that sometimes telling the truth has consequences...Do you have a best friend? That's one easy. Yes!Have you ever had a fight with your BF? Ugh. Yes.Have you ever told your BF a major lie? Ugh again. Yes. (More than I'd like to count)Do you ever wish you were best friends with someone else? No! Well, um…Rachel Lee thought that ninth grade would be different. That she would be different. Holding hands with Evan in the hallway, future president of the baking club… but it feels like she and BFF Marisol are drifting apart. At first, Rachel thought the Truth Game app would be a great way to do a little anonymous confessing, to see how others handle their friendship fails. But when her painful truths become public, Rachel's in danger of losing her best friend—permanently.Praise for award-winning Author Anna Staniszewski's The Dirt Diary series:'Staniszewski keeps the focus on comedy... Gentle fun laced with equally gentle wisdom.'—Kirkus'Rachel's situation and feelings ring true...This realistic read is likely to appeal to middle schoolers and reluctant readers.'—School Library Journal'I LOVED it...sweet, sensitive, and delicious!'—Erin Dionne, author of Models Don't Eat Chocolate CookiesDon't miss the other books in this hilarious series about friendship, first crushes and sweet treats: The Dirt Diary, The Prank List, and The Gossip File.The Dirt Diaries Series is the perfect…gift for girls age 9-12middle grade summer reading book seriesdiary book series for girlsbook series for middle school girls who are reluctant readers

The third book in Anna Staniszewski's award-winning middle school book series: The Dirt Diaries!A gripping double identity book and delicious tale of gossip and its consequences, even if it's about someone else...The Gossip File:Chandra lets little kids pee in the pool.Melody stole $ from the café register.Ava isn't who she says she is…Ava is cool. Ava is confident. Ava is really Rachel Lee who is lying her butt off.Rachel is visiting her dad at a resort in sunny Florida and is ready for two weeks of relaxing poolside, trips to Disney World—and NOT scrubbing toilets. Until her dad's new girlfriend, Ellie, begs Rachel to help out at her short-staffed café. That's when Rachel kinda sorta adopts a new identity to impress the cool, older girls who work there. Ava is everything Rachel wishes she could be. But when the girls ask'Ava'to help add juicy resort gossip to their file, Rachel's not sure what to do...especially when one of the entries is a secret about Ellie.A perfect way to talk about kindness and the power words have over others.Praise for award-winning Author Anna Staniszewski's The Dirt Diary series:'Staniszewski keeps the focus on comedy… Gentle fun laced with equally gentle wisdom.'—Kirkus'Rachel's situation and feelings ring true...This realistic read is likely to appeal to middle schoolers and reluctant readers.'—School Library Journal'I LOVED it...sweet, sensitive, and delicious!'—Erin Dionne, author of Models Don't Eat Chocolate CookiesThe Dirt Diaries Series is the perfect…book series for girls aged 9-12growing up book for girlssummer reading book for reluctant readerspreteen gift for girls

Fadeaway: Book OneFrom the Tales from Foster High UniverseLooking like the perfect all-American boy—tall, handsome, and athletic—makes it easy for Danny Monroe to blend in with the in-crowd of a new high school. It's a trick he picked up moving with his father from one Marine base to the next. When you aren't going to be around long, it's better to give people what they want. And what they want are his quick hands and fast feet on the basketball court. On court, he can be himself and ignore certain strange developing urges. Everyone knows you can't like boys and be a jock, but for Danny his growing attraction is becoming overwhelming. At the thought of losing the only thing that matters, Danny starts to panic and realizes he has a choice to make: happiness or basketball.

Alice is starting high school, and everything is new. But it's the new girl, Penny, who's making ninth grade a real challenge for Alice. Penny is tiny and perky and a real flirt, and she seems to be focusing her attention on Patrick. Even worse, Patrick seems to be enjoying it. Alice and Patrick have been a couple so long, Alice can't imagine life without him. Suddenly she feels lost and unattractive and scared—not quite whole. How can Alice get back her confidence in herself, when she's not even sure who she is?

In Alice in April, Aunt Sally reminds Alice that she will be turning thirteen soon (like anyone could forget such a momentous occasion) and that she will be the “woman of the house.” Alice dives into her new role by planning her father's fiftieth birthday party—and telling everyone in the family to get a physical. But that means Alice herself will have to disrobe at the doctor's! Then there's the latest crisis at school, where the boys have begun to match each girl with the name of a state, according to its geography—mountains or no mountains! As Alice stumbles her way through the minefield of early adolescence in these six new repackages for Summer, there are plenty of bumps, giggles, and surprises along the way.

In Lucy Out of Bounds, Mora's gone boy-crazy for Lucy's best friend, and the town might sell the soccer field Lucy plays on. Lucy feels betrayed by everyone, but in the book of Ruth she just might find a role model for perseverance … and forgiveness.

Lucy has come a long way from that tomboy who wouldn't give pink the time of day. She's developed into an authentic tween who has learned that girls make great friends, that teamwork means more than stardom, and that God is real. But she's still Lucy. In the third book of the series, she runs headlong into some new—and some old—problems. Although Lucy has come to love and respect Inez and more than tolerate Mora, with school out for the summer, the three of them have more together time than anybody can stand! That worsens when the “monsoon” season keeps them cooped up in the house for three solid days without Dad to referee (he's stranded at the radio station).When Dad is stuck at the radio station without his assistant Luke, the new management finds out just how much Dad depends on his assistant and threaten to fire Lucy's father. Lucy is freaked out at the thought of moving.Plus it gives Aunt Karen more ammunition for her fight to have Lucy come and live with her in El Paso. That would be heinous enough, but Lucy just can't leave now, not with the soccer team making tremendous progress and Coach Auggy scheduling three unofficial games with neighboring teams during the summer to get them ready for the real soccer season in the fall.And not with Januarie getting into “iffy” territory with the new kids her own age that Lucy and her friends have encouraged her to hang out with so she'll leave them alone. Child Protective Services gets involved when Januarie gets in trouble, and Lucy has to be there for her, especially since this could affect her friend J.J. too.When the weather dries up, wild fires break out with a vengeance. A big one threatens Los Suenos. Myteriously, the only thing destroyed is the soccer field. The big developer who has tried to buy the property before swoops in for the kill. Lucy and her team have to convince the town to come together and restore the field, rather than give up and sell it.Meanwhile, Lucy, Mora, Dusty, Veronica, and Inez study Esther. Lucy grows even closer to God through her Book of Lists and her resonance with Esther, even though she was a girly-girl. That helps her not only save the soccer field, get Januarie out of trouble, and get herself an audition with the Olympic Development Program (without Aunt Karen's help), but it enables her to make a huge sacrifice for Dad and agree to live without him for six weeks while he goes to a special technology school for the blind in Alamogordo. That's going to mean having Aunt Karen come to live with her in the fall. But Lucy is the only one who can do this thing in this time and this place. Like Esther, she is willing to make the sacrifice.