Special Collections
Accelerated Reader Middle Grade Collection
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December Secrets
by Patricia Reilly Giff and Blanche SimsEmily is stuck with crybaby Jill Simon as her "secret Pal" to be kind to for the whole month of December.From the Trade Paperback edition.
Lazy Lions, Lucky Lambs
by Patricia Reilly GiffThe children in Ms. Rooney's room are supposed to be writing about real people, but writing is Beast's worst subject.From the Trade Paperback edition.
Lily's Crossing
by Patricia Reilly GiffThis year, as in other years, Lily has planned a spectacular summer in Rockaway, in her family's cozy house on stilts over the Atlantic Ocean. But by the summer of 1944, World War II has changed almost everyone's life. Lily's best friend, Margaret, and her family have moved to a wartime factory town, and worse, much worse, Lily's father is on his way overseas to the war.
There's no one else Lily's age in Rockaway until Albert comes, a refugee from Hungary, a boy with a secret sewn into his coat. Albert has lost most of his family in the war; he's been through things Lily can't imagine. But when they join together to rescue and care for a kitten, they begin a special friendship. For Lily and Albert have their own secrets to share: they both have told lies, and Lily has told a lie that may cost Albert his life.
Newbery Honor Book
Pickle Puss
by Patricia Reilly GiffIt's August, and Emily has big plans at the library. She's going to read lots of books and tack a paper fish next to her name for each one.
Then Dawn Bosco says she can read more books than Emily. Not only that, both Emily and Dawn want to keep Pickle Puss, a stray cat they found. They decide that whoever reads the most books can keep cat.
When Emily adds a fish for a book she read along time ago, she has one more fish than Dawn. She knows she's cheating, but she wants to keep the cat. What a pickle she's in.
Snaggle Doodles
by Patricia Reilly GiffApril is invention month. "We're going to make our own inventions," says Ms. Rooney, "and work together in groups."Though Emily Arrow knows it's important for each group to think, listen, and share, she still wishes she were the leader of her invention group. Linda Lorca, the bossy leader, can't get anyone to cooperate. "Snaggle doodles," Emily says. If the group doesn't come up with an idea soon, they'll be the worst group in the class.Meanwhile, Emily is also busy thinking of a wedding present for Ms. Vincent, the student teacher. The wedding is only a few days away. Emily has a lot to do. Can she and her group learn to work together in time?From the Trade Paperback edition.
The Valentine Star
by Blanche Sims and Patricia Reilly GiffIt's time for everyone in Ms. Rooney's room to make cards for the Valentine box. Emily Arrow couldn't be happier when Dawn Bosco gives her some colored stars to decorate her cards. She plans to make a special one for Ms. Vincent, the new student teacher.
But things take a turn for the worse when Ms. Rooney asks Emily to be class monitor. Emily feels important sitting at the teacher's desk, until Sherri Dent leaves her seat without Emily's permission. Emily reports her. That's when Sherri tells Emily, "You'll be sorry."
Emily is really worried. What will Sherri do to get even?
Fancy Nancy
by Jane O'Connor and Robin Preiss GlasserNancy wants to do an interesting school report on her ancestor. (That's fancy for a family member who lived long ago.) But will she remember to stick to the plain truth?
Nancy Clancy, Super Sleuth
by Jane O'Connor and Robin Preiss GlasserNancy Clancy is growing up and ready for a whole new adventure . . . in her chapter book debut!
Nancy and her best friend, Bree, have everything they need to solve a mystery, from their totally professional trench coats to their top-secret code.
But when crime strikes in their classroom, will these super sleuths be able to crack the case?
Find out in the glamorous start to an all-new chapter book series featuring everyone's favorite fancy girl!
Lost in the Sun
by Lisa GraffFrom the author of A Tangle of Knots and Absolutely Almost, a touching story about a boy who won't let one tragic accident define him.
Everyone says that middle school is awful, but Trent knows nothing could be worse than the year he had in fifth grade, when a freak accident on Cedar Lake left one kid dead, and Trent with a brain full of terrible thoughts he can't get rid of.
Trent's pretty positive the entire disaster was his fault, so for him middle school feels like a fresh start, a chance to prove to everyone that he's not the horrible screw-up they seem to think he is.
If only Trent could make that fresh start happen.
It isn't until Trent gets caught up in the whirlwind that is Fallon Little--the girl with the mysterious scar across her face--that things begin to change.
Because fresh starts aren't always easy.
Even in baseball, when a fly ball gets lost in the sun, you have to remember to shift your position to find it.
Abraham Lincoln
by Seth Grahame-SmithIndiana, 1818. Moonlight falls through the dense woods that surround a one-room cabin, where a nine-year-old Abraham Lincoln kneels at his suffering mother's bedside. She's been stricken with something the old-timers call "Milk Sickness.""My baby boy..." she whispers before dying.Only later will the grieving Abe learn that his mother's fatal affliction was actually the work of a vampire.When the truth becomes known to young Lincoln, he writes in his journal, "henceforth my life shall be one of rigorous study and devotion. I shall become a master of mind and body. And this mastery shall have but one purpose..." Gifted with his legendary height, strength, and skill with an ax, Abe sets out on a path of vengeance that will lead him all the way to the White House.While Abraham Lincoln is widely lauded for saving a Union and freeing millions of slaves, his valiant fight against the forces of the undead has remained in the shadows for hundreds of years. That is, until Seth Grahame-Smith stumbled upon The Secret Journal of Abraham Lincoln, and became the first living person to lay eyes on it in more than 140 years.Using the journal as his guide and writing in the grand biographical style of Doris Kearns Goodwin and David McCullough, Seth has reconstructed the true life story of our greatest president for the first time-all while revealing the hidden history behind the Civil War and uncovering the role vampires played in the birth, growth, and near-death of our nation.
Refugee
by Alan GratzJOSEF is a Jewish boy living in 1930s Nazi Germany. With the threat of concentration camps looming, he and his family board a ship bound for the other side of the world . . . ISABEL is a Cuban girl in 1994. With riots and unrest plaguing her country, she and her family set out on a raft, hoping to find safety in America . . . MAHMOUD is a Syrian boy in 2015. With his homeland torn apart by violence and destruction, he and his family begin a long trek toward Europe . . . All three kids go on harrowing journeys in search of refuge. All will face unimaginable dangers -- from drownings to bombings to betrayals. But there is always the hope of tomorrow. And although Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud are separated by continents and decades, shocking connections will tie their stories together in the end. Alan Gratz delivers an action-packed novel that tackles topics both timely and timeless: courage, survival, and the quest for home. A New York Times Bestseller
Theodore Boone
by John GrishamTheodore Boone is back in action! As all of Strattenburg sits divided over a hot political and environmental issue, Theo finds himself right in the thick of it.
The county commission is fighting hard to change the landscape of the town, and Theo is strongly opposed to the plans. But when he uncovers corruption beneath the surface, no one--not even Theo--is prepared for the risks--and potential harm--at stake. Torn between his conscience and the law, Theo will do whatever it takes to stand up for what is right.
Theodore Boone
by John GrishamThe thrilling young mystery series from internationally bestselling author John Grisham!In the small city of Strattenburg, there are many lawyers, and though he’s only thirteen years old, Theo Boone thinks he’s one of them. Theo knows every judge, policeman, court clerk—and a lot about the law. He dreams of being a great trial lawyer, of a life in the courtroom. But Theo finds himself in court much sooner than expected. Because he knows so much—maybe too much—he is suddenly dragged into the middle of a sensational murder trial. A cold-blooded killer is about to go free, and only Theo knows the truth. The stakes are high, but Theo won’t stop until justice is served.From the Trade Paperback edition.
Theodore Boone
by John Grisham"Not since Nancy Drew has a nosy, crime-obsessed kid been so hard to resist." --The New York Times Thirteen-year-old Theodore Boone thought the danger had passed, but he's about to face off against an old adversary: accused murderer and fugitive Pete Duffy. On a field trip to Washington, DC, Theo spots a familiar face on the Metro: Duffy, who jumped bail and was never seen again. Theo's quick thinking helps bring Duffy back to Strattenburg to stand trial. But now that Duffy knows who he is, Theo is in greater danger than he's ever been in before. Even when everything is on the line, Theodore Boone will stop at nothing to make sure a killer is brought to justice. This smart, fast-paced legal thriller for young readers is the newest adventure for clever and determined kid lawyer Theo Boone.From the Hardcover edition.
Marley and Me
by John GroganJohn and Jenny were just beginning their life together. They were young and in love, with a perfect little house and not a care in the world. Then they brought home Marley, a wriggly yellow furball of a puppy. Life would never be the same. Marley quickly grew into a barreling, ninety-seven-pound streamroller of a Labrador retriever. He crashed through screen doors, gouged through drywall, and stole women's undergarments. Obedience school did no good -- Marley was expelled. And yet his heart was pure. Just as Marley joyfully refused any limits on his behavior, his love and loyalty were boundless, too. A dog like no other, Marley remained steadfast, a model of devotion, even when his family was at its wit's end. Unconditional love, they would learn, comes in many forms.
My Family Divided
by Diane Guerrero and Erica MorozBefore landing a spot on the megahit Netflix show Orange is the New Black; before wow-ing audiences as Lina on Jane the Virgin; and before her incredible activism and work on immigration reform, Diane Guerrero was a young girl living in Boston. One day, while Guerrero was at school, her undocumented immigrant parents were taken from their home, detained, and deported. Guerrero's life, which had been full of the support of a loving family, was turned upside down.Reflective of the experiences of millions of undocumented immigrant families in the United States, Guerrero's story is at once heartbreaking and hopeful.
Miss Daisy Is Crazy!
by Dan Gutman and Jim PaillotNever before has school been this mixed up-or this much fun! Miss Daisy, who teaches second grade, doesn't know how to add or subtract. Not only that, she doesn't know how to read or write, either. She is the dumbest teacher in the history of the world!
Mr. Docker Is Off His Rocker!
by Jim Paillot and Dan GutmanSomething weird is going on!
Mr. Docker must be a mad scientist! He does nutty experiments and he has an evil, demented, cackling laugh. Plus he invented a car that runs onto potatoes. Mr. Docker is the weirdest science teacher ever! Is he trying to take over the world?
Mr. Klutz Is Nuts!
by Dan Gutman and Jim PaillotNever before has school been this mixed up-or this much fun!
Principal Klutz was hanging upside down from the school flagpole! He kissed a pig on the lips and painted his bald head orange! And now he wants to bungee jump off the roof of the school dressed as Santa Claus!
Mr. Louie Is Screwy!
by Jim Paillot and Dan GutmanIt's Valentine's Day! And Mr. Louie, the hippie crossing guard, put a love potion in the water fountain. Now teachers are flirting with each other! Girls are asking boys out on dates! Will A.J. have to kiss Andrea? Not if he can help it. Yuck!
Mrs. Cooney Is Loony!
by Jim Paillot and Dan GutmanMrs. Cooney, the school nurse, is a knockout -- and A.J. has a crush on her! But are her charms just a cover for her secret identity as an international spy? Will A.J.'s love for Mrs. Cooney win out over his love for the good old USA?
Mrs. Yonkers Is Bonkers!
by Dan Gutman and Jim PaillotSomething weird is going on!Mrs. Yonkers, the computer teacher, is the nerdiest teacher in the history of the world. She can type with her feet! She buys foam cheeseheads off eBay! She even puts a Webcam on a turtle! Is she trying to take over the planet?
Ms. Krup Cracks Me Up!
by Jim Paillot and Dan GutmanA.J. thinks that nothing can possibly be as boring as a sleepover in the natural history museum. But anything can happen when Ms. Krup is in charge. The tour guide says that dinosaur skeletons come to life in the middle of the night. Is she right?
Into the Gauntlet
by Margaret Peterson HaddixThroughout the hunt for the 39 Clues, Amy and Dan Cahill have uncovered history's greatest mysteries and their family's deadliest secrets. But are they ready to face the truth about the Cahills and the key to their unmatched power? After a whirlwind race that's taken them across five continents, Amy and Dan face the most the difficult challenge yet- a task no Cahill dared to imagine. When faced with a choice that could change the future of the world, can two kids succeed where 500 years worth of famous ancestors failed?