Simone Breaks All the Rules

Simone Breaks All the Rules
Author: Debbie Rigaud
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Total Pages: 264
Release: 2021-06-01
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 1338681737

Perfect for fans of You Should See Me in a Crown and Never Have I Ever, this hilarious and heartfelt rom-com from bestselling author Debbie Rigaud is pure Black girl joy. Simone Thibodeaux is about to switch things up. Check her life: It’s sealed in a boy-proof container. Her Haitian immigrant parents send Simone to an all-girls high school and enforce strict no-dating rules. As for prom? Simone is allowed to go on one condition: Her parents will select her date (a boy from a nice, Haitian immigrant family, obviously). Simone is desperate to avoid the setup -- especially since she has a serious crush on another boy. It's time to take action. Simone and her fellow late-bloomer friends make a senior year bucket list of all the wild things they haven't done yet. Like: going out dancing, skipping class (what), and oh yeah -- deciding their own prom destinies. But as the list takes on a life of its own, things get much messier than Simone expected. Can she figure out which rules are worth breaking and which might save her from heartbreak?

Truly Madly Royally

Truly Madly Royally
Author: Debbie Rigaud
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Total Pages: 235
Release: 2019-07-30
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 1338332732

"The Princess Diaries meets Meghan and Harry in this swoony rom-com!" -- In Touch Magazine Zora Emerson is not here to play. She's enrolled in a prestigious summer program, and is ready to use what she's learning to change the world (or at least her corner of New Jersey, for now).Zora's not expecting to vibe with any of her super-privileged classmates. So she's shocked to find she's got chemistry with Owen Whittelsey, who is charming, funny, undeniably cute...and turns out to literally be a prince. As in, his parents are the king and queen of a small European country. What?Suddenly, Zora's summer is looking a lot more complicated -- especially when Owen asks her to be his date at his older brother's wedding. Can her feelings for Owen, not to mention her sense of self, survive the royal chaos?Debbie Rigaud brings sparkling humor and insight to this empowering romantic comedy that's all about ruling your own destiny.

Sugar and Spite

Sugar and Spite
Author: Gail D. Villanueva
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Total Pages: 177
Release: 2021-04-20
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1338630946

Can a bully be defeated by a magical love potion? Jolina can't take Claudine's bullying any longer! The taunts and teasing are too much. Though Jolina knows she's still in training to use her grandfather's arbularyo magic, she sneaks into his potions lab to get her revenge. Jolina brews a batch of gayuma, a powerful love potion. And it works. The love potion conquers Claudine's hateful nature. In fact, Claudine doesn't just stop bullying Jolina -- now she wants to be Jolina's BFF, and does everything and anything Jolina asks. But magic comes with a cost, and bad intentions beget bad returns. Controlling another person's ability to love -- or hate -- will certainly have consequences. The magic demands payment, and it is about to come for Jolina in the form of a powerful storm... Magic and reality mingle in this brilliant new middle-grade novel by Gail D. Villanueva that asks whether it's ever okay to take away someone's free will.

The Turnover

The Turnover
Author: Mike Lupica
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 272
Release: 2021-05-11
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1534421599

"When a young basketball star decides to research his grandfather--and coach--for a school project, he uncovers a decades-old scandal that changes everything he thought he knew about his grandfather"--

Summer of Brave

Summer of Brave
Author: Amy Noelle Parks
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company
Total Pages: 202
Release: 2021-03-01
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 0807576611

Kirkus Best Middle-Grade Family Stories of 2021 School Library Journal Best Middle Grade Books 2021 The Best Children's Books of the Year 2022, Bank Street College STARRED REVIEW! "With compassion, wry humor, and pinpoint accuracy, Parks weaves the multiple challenges facing adolescent girls into a compelling, seamless narrative. Timely, insightful, and highly recommended."—Kirkus Reviews starred review STARRED REVIEW! "A first purchase for middle grade collections as well as book clubs for this age range."—School Library Journal starred review A heartfelt coming-of-age story set in the time of academic pressure, divorce, and the #MeToo movement. Twelve-year-old Lilla Baxter-Willoughby doesn't lie. She's just a little bit...selective. So when Vivi dares Lilla to start telling the truth as part of their Summer of Brave, Lilla hesitates. Because if she says out loud what she really wants, her whole life might crash down around her. And she doesn't need that. Except maybe she does.

Project Middle School (Alyssa Milano's Hope #1)

Project Middle School (Alyssa Milano's Hope #1)
Author: Alyssa Milano
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Total Pages: 212
Release: 2019-10-15
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1338329448

From actor and lifelong activist Alyssa Milano comes Hope Roberts, a girl who's determined to change the world. Hope is eleven years old, and she wants to be an astrophysicist. She loves swimming, Galaxy Girl comic books, her best friend Sam, and her two rescue dogs.Hope believes it's always a good day to champion a cause, defend an underdog, and save the future. And most of all, she believes in dreaming big. That's why she's enrolled in all of the advanced classes at her new middle school. She's smart and confident in her abilities. But though Hope seems super strong on the outside, there's another side of her, too. She's just a regular girl trying to survive middle school.It's the beginning of sixth grade, and Hope's BFF quickly meets a new group of friends in her classes. Hope doesn't know how to handle it. She and Sam have always been inseparable! Things don't go as well for Hope. She embarrasses herself in front of her whole class, and then she gets off on the wrong foot with her new classmate, Camila. Even science club doesn't go as planned. None of the boys in the club will listen to the girls' ideas, and Hope and Camila get stuck doing the boring part of their science project, even though it was their idea. But Hope is determined to prove herself to the boys -- even if it means doing a lot of extra work on her own. She knows that sometimes changing the world starts small. So now Hope has a mission! Can she turn the science club into a place that's welcoming for everyone -- and make some new friends along the way?Hope's relatability, kindness, empathy, and can-do attitude will inspire a generation of do-gooders. This new series is a response to the very palpable feeling that not only can young people save the world -- they will!

A Batch Made in Heaven: A Wish Novel

A Batch Made in Heaven: A Wish Novel
Author: Suzanne Nelson
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Total Pages: 191
Release: 2021-10-19
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1338640518

Scrumptious recipes... a family secret... and one smart cookie ready for a challenge! Mina is excited to start her mentorship at A Batch Made in Heaven, the bakery in her hometown that's famous for their inventive cookies. Mina dreams of becoming a baker herself someday. But there's a problem. Flynn, the (undeniably cute) son of the owner, won't let Mina into the kitchen: the top secret Cookie Vault. If Mina can't bake, then she can't enter the big cookie competition... and if she can't enter, she'll never win the money to help her dad open the restaurant he's always wanted. What secret is Flynn hiding? And will Mina's entire plan crumble like an overbaked cookie, or can she find a way to help her family and her heart?

The Disaster Days

The Disaster Days
Author: Rebecca Behrens
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.
Total Pages: 177
Release: 2019-10-01
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1492673323

Hatchet meets The Babysitters Club in this epic and thrilling survival story about pushing oneself to the limit in the face of a crisis. We were all alone, in a shaken and shattered house, in the dark. And I was in charge. Hannah Steele loves living on Pelling, a tiny island near Seattle. She's always felt totally safe there. So when she's asked to babysit after school one day, it's no big deal. Zoe and Oscar are her next-door neighbors, and Hannah just took a babysitting class, which she's pretty sure makes her an expert. She isn't even worried that she left her inhaler at home. Then the shaking begins. The terrifying earthquake only lasts four minutes, but it changes everything—damaging the house, knocking out the power, and making cell service nonexistent. Even worse, the ferry and the bridge connecting the kids to help—and their parents—are both blocked, which means they're stranded alone. And Hannah's in charge as things go from bad to worse. Praise for The Disaster Days: "A realistic, engrossing survival story that's perfect for aspiring babysitters and fans of John Macfarlane's Stormstruck!, Sherry Shahan's Ice Island, or Wesley King's A World Below."—School Library Journal "The strength of this steadily paced novel that stretches over four days of a scary disaster scenario is that Hannah doesn't figure everything out; she stumbles, doubts, and struggles throughout it all."—The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books "Fans of survival thrillers in the vein of Gary Paulsen's Hatchet will enjoy this tense, honest tale of bravery...an excellent (and refreshingly not didactic) teaching tool on natural-disaster preparedness."—Booklist "The relentless progression of a variety of disaster scenarios will keep readers turning pages...equally suspenseful and informative."—School Library Connection "Behrens uses immersive details and situations effectively viewed from Hannah's perspective to create a suspenseful, vivid story filled with lessons about responsibility and overcoming adversity."—Publishers Weekly The Disaster Days is a perfect... gift for preteen survival story fans earthquake fiction chapter book for tween girls ages 11-14 survivalist fiction book for middle grade girls summer reading book for preteens preteen gift for girls

World in Between

World in Between
Author: Kenan Trebincevic
Publisher: Clarion Books
Total Pages: 389
Release: 2021-07-27
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 0358439876

"Kenan loves drawing and playing soccer with his friends. He wants to be a famous athlete, hates it when his classmates trash his buck teeth by calling him 'Bugs Bunny,' and fights with his big brother, who's too busy and cool for him lately. Sometimes his parents drive him crazy, but he feels loved and protected--until the war ruins everything. Soon, Kenan's family is trapped in their home with little food or water, surrounded by enemies. Ten long months will pass before they finally make it out of the country alive, with help from friends and strangers. And that's only the beginning of their journey. A riveting story of a Muslim boy's exile from war-torn Bosnia to the United States, World in Between celebrates the power of community and resilience, hope and kindness"--Dust jacket.

Serena Says

Serena Says
Author: Tanita S. Davis
Publisher: HarperCollins
Total Pages: 288
Release: 2020-11-03
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 0062936999

Award-winning author Tanita S. Davis delivers a heartwarming and humorous middle grade tale about a young Black girl who finds her own voice through vlogging and learns to speak out. Perfect for fans for Sharon M. Draper and Lisa Greenwald. JC shines like a 4th of July sparkler. She has the best ideas, the biggest, funniest laugh, and the party starts when she arrives. Serena St. John is proud to be known as her best friend. Everything changes when JC returns from the hospital with a new kidney—and a new best friend. Out of the spotlight of JC’s friendship, suddenly things aren’t quite so sparkly in Serena’s world. Lonely Serena works on perfecting her vlogs, hoping to earn a shot at becoming a classroom reporter. If she can be smart and funny on video, why can’t she manage that in real life? If only she could always pause, edit, or delete conversations. It would be so much easier to say the right thing at the right time . . . instead of not saying what she should, or, even worse, blurting out a secret that wasn’t hers to share. Life doesn’t have a pause button—but as Serena discovers her voice through vlogging, she learns that she’s not just there to reflect JC’s light—she’s fully capable of shining on her own.