In this hilarious, coming-of-age novel that's "Ready Player One for the middle grade crowd" (School Library Journal), twelve-year-old Bryan Biggins wakes up to find that his life has become a video game. Meet Bryan Biggins. Most of the time he's a freckle-faced boy, small for his age, who attends a school known for its unwritten uniform of North Face jackets and Hollister jeans. The rest of the time he is Kieran Nightstalker, the level-fifty dark-elf hero of his favorite video game, Sovereign of Darkness. Until one day Bryan wakes up to find out his life has become a video game. Sort of. Except instead of fighting dragons or blasting bad guys, he's still doing geometry and getting picked last for dodgeball. It's still middle school. Only now there's much more at stake. Stealing the Twinkie from underneath the noses of those dieting teachers isn't enough to earn him another life. And battling the creature that escaped from the science lab doesn't seem to cut it either. And who knew Romeo and Juliet would turn into a zombie bloodbath?! All the while he's losing hit points and gaining levels, and facing the truth that GAME OVER might flash before his eyes at any minute. It all seems to be building to something...something that has been haunting Bryan since way before his life turned into an X-Box nightmare, a challenge that only he can face. Will Bryan find a way to beat the game before it's too late?

Orange Is the New Black meets Walter Dean Myer's Monster in this gritty, twisty, and haunting debut by Tiffany D. Jackson about a girl convicted of murder seeking the truth while surviving life in a group home. Mary B. Addison killed a baby. Allegedly. She didn't say much in that first interview with detectives, and the media filled in the only blanks that mattered: a white baby had died while under the care of a churchgoing black woman and her nine-year-old daughter. The public convicted Mary and the jury made it official. But did she do it? There wasn't a point to setting the record straight before, but now she's got Ted-and their unborn child-to think about. When the state threatens to take her baby, Mary's fate now lies in the hands of the one person she distrusts the most: her Momma. No one knows the real Momma. But does anyone know the real Mary?

Stop Picking On Me looks at the causes and the effects of both physical and verbal bullying and encourages communication of fears and worries to those that can help. The superb A First Look At series consists of a number of reassuring picturebooks that give advice and promote interaction between children, parents, and teachers on a wide variety of personal, social and emotional issues. Notes for parents and teachers at the back of the book provide valuable advice for how to share this book with your child or class. Suitable for Key Stage 1 (ages 5-7), occasional prompts throughout the text give a chance to discuss the issue being raised. Written by trained psychotherapist, journalist and parent, and illustrated by an experienced children's book artist, this is a part of an acclaimed and successful, long-running series of picture-book non-fiction books for Early Years. Books in the series give advice and promote interaction between children, parents and teachers on a wide variety of personal, social and emotional issues. They are excellent tools for teachers to use during classroom discussions.

There s a lot more going on in this town than meets the eye. This blended fiction mystery is served with a side order of the supernatural or is it science? All of this changes when his interest in robotics lands him an invitation to join four of his classmates in a secret group called The League of Scientists. John and his new friends Malene, Dev, Natsumi and Kimmey, pool their knowledge of biology, technology, logic, and chemistry to unravel mysteries that haunt the quiet town of East Rapids. The League is in a race against time to uncover the secret of the ghost who is terrorizing the middle school swimming pool. Join the League as they run out the clock in Ghost in the Water, the first adventure in this new and exciting The League of Scientists science mystery series "

Jesse knows it will be difficult making friends at his new school. When he gets invited to sit at the cool kids' lunch table, Jesse feels on top of the world. But the feeling doesn't last long when the cool kids start pulling pranks on teachers and other students. Will Jesse go along with the crowd or do what is right? With full-color illustrations, this 32-page chapter book will capture the interest of reluctant readers who enjoy realistic fiction stories that deal with bullying, cliques, and peer pressure.

A brave, beautifully told story of an Afro-American teen dealing with colourism, racism and bullying - but given hope by the power of an inspirational and kind teacher. Maleeka suffers every day from the taunts of the other kids in her class. If they're not getting at her about her homemade clothes or her good grades, it's about her dark, black skin. When a new teacher, whose face is blotched with a startling white patch, starts at their school, Maleeka can see there is bound to be trouble for her too. But the new teacher's attitude surprises Maleeka. Miss Saunders loves the skin she's in. Can Maleeka learn to do the same? Features a new introduction by New York Times bestselling author Jason Reynolds. A powerful, unflinching and hopeful story that redefined young adult literature by presenting characters, voices, and real world experiences that had not been fully seen before See Sharon G. Flake's The Life I'm in if you liked this!

Prequel to No Shame, which has been nominated for the CILIP CARNEGIE MEDAL 2019 From the author of the critically acclaimed, LOOKING FOR JJ, shortlisted for the Whitbread Prize in 2004 and the Carnegie Medal in 2005. A raw, powerful, moving tale about a girl attempting to deal with the aftermath of a sexual attack. My name is Stacey Woods and I was raped. Stacey is the victim of a terrible sexual attack. She does not feel able to go to the police, or talk about it to anybody other than her best friend, Patrice. Patrice, outraged, when she cannot persuade her to go to the police, encourages Stacey to write everything down. This is Stacey's story. A tautly told and important book, perfect for readers of Asking for It by Louise O'Neill.

The wonderful sequel to the fairytale-inspired fantasy THORN by an exciting new author.

Children have been disappearing from across Menaiya for longer than Amraeya ni Ansarim can remember. When her friend's sister is snatched, Rae knows she can't look away any longer - even if that means seeking answers from the royal court, where her country upbringing and clubfoot will only invite ridicule.

Yet at court she discovers an ally in the foreign princess, who recruits her as an attendant. So Rae begins to seek answers in the dark city streets, finding unexpected help in a thief with secrets of his own. But treachery runs deep, and the more Rae uncovers, the more she endangers the kingdom itself.

It's not always easy to stand out from the crowd, especially if you're a teenager. There's a lot of information out there on how to deal with bullying, but a lot of it is contradictory or seems like it won't work... But this guidebook is different! Helping you sort fact from fiction, the book looks at the different forms bullying can take and debunks commonly held myths such as 'bullying makes you stronger' and 'ignore it and it will stop'. You'll learn techniques to clear your mind so that you can respond to bullying situations calmly and confidently and be positive about who you are. Finally, it's packed with self-empowering strategies for coping with being autistic in a neurotypical world, and practical tips so you can handle any bullying scenario.

A thought-provoking and exciting start to a riveting new dystopian trilogy.
As an obedient orphan of the U.N.A. (the super-country that was once Mexico, the U.S., and Canada), Alenna learned at an early age to blend in and be quiet--having your parents taken by the police will do that to a girl. But Alenna can't help but stand out when she fails a test that all sixteen-year-olds have to take: The test says she has a high capacity for brutal violence, and so she is sent to The Wheel, an island where all would-be criminals end up.
The life expectancy of prisoners on The Wheel is just two years, but with dirty, violent, and chaotic conditions, the time seems a lot longer as Alenna is forced to deal with civil wars for land ownership and machines that snatch kids out of their makeshift homes. Desperate, she and the other prisoners concoct a potentially fatal plan to flee the island. Survival may seem impossible, but Alenna is determined to achieve it anyway.

The sound of Sam's life was like the best piece of music you have ever heard. Everyone liked Sam, and Sam liked himself. But then one day the mud words begin and they get inside his head - and Sam can't hear the music anymore. Mud Boy is an illustrated book for ages 5-11, showing how children can go from being joyfully buoyant to totally deflated when being bullied and teased, and offering advice to get them back to their best. Mud, music and a family cat are used to conjure up the story to children in a very new and real way, showing that recovery happens through talking to others about our problems. The book also includes a guide for further talking points by Dr Pooky Knightsmith on how to discuss the topic, and the emotions that come up on reading the book, with children.

Wilbur is sure he's a loser: he spends his life being bullied, his best friend is 85 years old, and his only talent is playing the triangle in the school band. But things start to look up when he gets the chance to be part of the French exchange. Wilbur's billet Charlie arrives to spend the week with him and his two moms . . . and it turns out that Charlie is a girl. An amazing, sophisticated, French girl who Wilbur instantly falls in love with. Keen to win her heart, Wilbur agrees to a total life makeover before he sees Charlie again on the return trip to Paris. But the course of true amour never did run smooth . . .