Middle Grade

by Marilyn Q

He came for Thanksgiving. He just didn't know what was on the menu! When Tucker, a plump and rather self-important turkey, arrives at a cozy little farm just before Thanksgiving, he's absolutely convinced he's the guest of honor! With his magnificent tail feathers, proud strut, and enormous opinion of himself, Tucker is certain the entire celebration is being planned in his honor. But when his new barnyard friends start acting strangely, and he discovers what Thanksgiving dinner might actually mean for a turkey, Tucker decides it's time to make a run for it! Suddenly, our brave (well, mostly brave) turkey finds himself lost in the woods, facing frightening creatures, unexpected adventures, and the realization that being on his own isn't nearly as wonderful as he imagined. Will Tucker find his way home before Thanksgiving? And will he discover that being loved is far better than being important? Filled with laughter, lovable characters, and a heartwarming surprise, The Turkey Who Came for Thanksgiving is a delightful holiday adventure about friendship, family, courage, and finding where you truly belong.

by Marilyn Q

Pip has one very important Halloween job: say “BOO!” But every time he tries, something completely different comes out. MOO! TOOT-TOOT! YEE-HAW! Even… POTATO! Pip is sure he’s the worst Halloween pumpkin ever—until he meets Lucy, a little girl who thinks Halloween is just a little too scary. Together, Pip and Lucy discover that Halloween doesn’t have to be frightening to be fun. A silly, sweet story about being yourself, finding courage, and discovering that sometimes laughter is the very best kind of Halloween magic.

by Marilyn Q

Gus is a ghost. He can float through walls, make doors groan, and even give a pretty good “WooooOOOOoooo!” There’s just one little problem… Gus is afraid of the dark. So when the Annual Midnight Haunt sends him into the darkest room in the whole house—the creepy old attic—Gus is sure he’s in for the scariest night of his life. But when a strange little noise leads him to someone who might be just as frightened as he is, Gus discovers that being brave doesn’t mean you’re never scared. Sometimes, it just means you don’t have to be scared alone. A sweet and funny Halloween story about friendship, courage, and one very lovable little ghost.

by Marilyn Q

Mikey knows there’s something under his bed. He just never expected it to be a monster who’s scared of him!   Meet Boogle—a fuzzy little monster with crooked horns, purple feet, and one very wobbly fang. He’s supposed to be terrifying, but kids, teeth, teddy bears, and even broccoli are enough to send him running.   When Halloween arrives, Mikey and Boogle discover that even kids and monsters get scared.   A silly, sweet Halloween story about bravery, friendship, and the funniest monster under the bed.

by Penny Miller

**The Kitchen Lab Fair Experiment — Summary** Professor Reuben surprises the Kitchen Lab crew with a trip to the state fair aboard a bright red biplane! The flight is full of laughter and mischief. Duncan struggles with his flapping ears, Rosie can barely contain her excitement, and Sadie worries about everyone following the rules. At the fair, the crew meets Clover, a friendly dairy cow, who introduces them to a delicious scientific challenge: How can liquid cream become spreadable butter? Through curiosity, teamwork, and hands-on experimentation, the animals discover that science is everywhere—even in the foods we eat. The story combines humor, friendship, food science, and adventure while encouraging children to ask questions and investigate the world around them. It’s designed for young readers who love animals, discovery, and a little bit of chaos! 🐴🐾

by Paul Blakemore

**During a severe thunderstorm, twelve-year-old Lila Santiago and four other middle-schoolers—tough Marcus Rivera, anxious overachiever Emma Li, class clown Jack Mercer, and quiet outsider Tyler—are trapped overnight in their school gym under a tornado warning. When the lights die and a strange green lightning erupts inside the building, the five kids are ripped from their ordinary lives and flung through time.** **They land first in a sterile white laboratory of the future, where a frantic scientist warns them they are the “five watchers” and begs them not to break the hour. Before he can explain, the tether snaps and they return—only for the jumps to continue. One moment they are scrambling through the mud and artillery fire of a World War I trench; the next they are racing down sand dunes toward the pristine pyramids of ancient Egypt as bronze-tipped spears close in.** **Each jump lasts only minutes in their own time, but the danger is real, the injuries linger, and objects carried back refuse to vanish when reality resets. Adults remember nothing. The storm ends. The gym returns to normal. Yet the five kids retain every terrifying second—and a new countdown timer appears on Tyler’s wrist: seventy-two hours until the next displacement.** **Bound together by a glowing shard from the future and a wooden horse carved by a dying soldier, Lila and her unlikely allies form the Clock Watchers Club. With only three days to prepare, they stockpile supplies, map possible destinations, and race to understand the rules of the broken hour before the green light claims them again. One wrong move could strand them forever in history’s deadliest moments. One right move might finally let them go home.** **The Broken Hour is a pulse-pounding middle-grade adventure about friendship forged under impossible pressure, the weight of seconds that refuse to stay still, and five ordinary kids who discover that watching time is only the beginning—surviving it is the real test.**

by A.M Isle

Kathera always thought she was destined to be a warrior. Trained from a young age to serve the throne, she poured everything into her swordplay until her parents returned from a journey with a quiet girl in a Seer's cloak. That was the day the truth was revealed: Kathera wasn't meant to fight on the front lines. Her father’s vision foretold she would be Celentra’s next Empress, the very ruler her people would fight for.  Amiranthia loved her home in Paesuna, where she spent her days under the desert sun. Everything changed when two powerful strangers arrived at her door and demanded her service as a royal Seer. Bound by the Pact of Hithis, sealed by the God of Agreements himself, she was torn from her family and whisked away to the cold, distant mountains of Arynthia.  Cyrus is a scholar at heart and, unfortunately, telekinetic. He has spent years ignoring the strange ability to move objects with his mind, preferring the safety of ancient books and forgotten lore. But when he is thrust into the Academy of Mages for a placement test, his past becomes impossible to hide, and his powers far too dangerous to ignore.  Three souls, Three distinct paths, one intertwined fate. Together, they hold the pieces of an ancient puzzle, and an empire’s future hangs in the balance.

by Taylor Michelé

<u>No AI was used in the writing of this work of purely human imagination.</u> In Dominion, you don’t know whether you are pretty or ugly until you are fifteen. Not officially, anyway. It comes as no surprise to Rissa Marlow when she rated AP—Aesthetically Prohibited. She’s ugly, after all. Not stupid. The surprise comes when she arrives at ARC Three—Ugly Camp—to begin training for either a life of labor in the Corporations or a much shorter life in her nation’s endless war with the Enemies. Everything changes though when Rissa finds herself the unwilling leader of a group of fellow Aps ordered on a mission to find a madman operating without official sanction deep in the Forbidden Zone. But one more surprise awaits: Cannen Ramsey, a beautiful Aesthetically Optimal boy will be joining this impossible mission. Their journey down the Desert Sea is fraught with peril. Violent weather, dangerous animals and even more dangerous people greet them around every bend. But for the first time in her life, Rissa finds friendship. With cheerful Birdie, stoic Tree, and even with the arrogant Ettie and the unpredictable Shora. And as the reluctant adventurers are drawn deeper into the desert something even stronger seems to be growing between Cannen and her Only when Rissa finally comes face-to-face with the man whose command she has been ordered to terminate does she begin to learn the terrible truth. About him. About her country. About herself. While virtually everything Rissa thought she knew turns out to be lies perpetrated by the government, the corporations and even by her own parents, now she learns that the madman has found something here in the wasteland. Something ancient. Something horrific. Something deadly. On this journey into the very heart of darkness Rissa may have to sacrifice everything including those she has come to trust, respect—and love.

by Lola Blackwell

After being robbed by the caravan meant to guide him across the vast desert, an affluent man is left to die beneath an indifferent sun. As starvation, dehydration, and isolation erode his body, his mind begins to fracture alongside it. To survive the unbearable agony, he recounts the life he left behind: a refined home, a kind wife, and a brilliant but cruel son whose arrogance he believes he cultivated through years of emotional distance. The desert strips him apart piece by piece. Hallucinations blur the boundaries between memory and imagination. He agonizes over the man he should have been and for the son he believes he destroyed. Part survival story, part psychological horror, and part tragedy, this story follows a dying man whose journey across the unforgiving desert becomes a devastating confrontation with memory, guilt, and identity. Exploring the way shame reshapes memory, the stories we tell ourselves to survive our own failures, and whether redemption remains possible once every illusion has been stripped away.

by L J Temple

To the seekers of wisdom, the tireless questioners of existence, and the diligent builders of a more enlightened world. This work is a testament to the enduring power of foundational principles, gleaned from the echoes of antiquity and offered as a compass for our contemporary journey. May these Articles of Life illuminate your path, sharpen your discernment, and inspire you to contribute your unique verse to the grand, unfolding narrative of human civilization. May your inner kingdom be well-governed, your community bonds strengthened by unwavering morals, and your understanding of the cosmos deepened by the profound mysteries that lie both within and beyond. To those who tirelessly strive to balance the scales of justice, to preserve the sanctity of knowledge, and to learn from the grand tapestry of history, this book is humbly offered. It is for the scholars who humbly begin their quest, the masters who grapple with the complexities of ethical living, and the seekers who gaze into the infinite possibilities of existence, daring to understand our place within the celestial dance. May you find within these pages not mere information, but illumination; not simply knowledge, but wisdom; and not just guidance, but the courage to embody the timeless truths that have guided humanity towards meaning, order, and enduring prosperity since the dawn of time. This is a tribute to the enduring spirit of inquiry, the profound capacity for growth, and the unyielding human desire to live a life of purpose, integrity, and transcendence. This book is for the following: Readers interested in philosophy and ethics. Those who enjoy exploring foundational moral and societal principles, the nature of good governance, and the pursuit of a meaningful life will find the in-depth exploration of the Articles of Life compelling. Students of comparative religion and mythology. Individuals fascinated by the blend of biblical narratives (Enoch), ancient legal codes (Hammurabi), and mythological references will appreciate the synthesis of these elements. Readers seeking a structured and wisdom-driven narrative. The book's organized structure of articles and progression levels will appeal to readers who enjoy clear frameworks for understanding complex concepts and a journey towards self-improvement and transcendence. Academics and researchers of ancient law and governance. The detailed inclusion and analysis of Hammurabi's Code, alongside other historical and philosophical underpinnings of civilization, make it valuable for scholarly exploration.

by J.D.Milligan

**What if the most powerful girl on the island was the one who couldn’t use magic?** Rose Grey is a 205-year-old sea nymph who looks twelve—and she has a problem. On the mysterious Isle of Lumiere, magic is everywhere, pirates hunt magical beings, and Rose is the only one of Poseidon’s daughters who seems to have been born without powers of her own. But Rose is far from ordinary. Armed with an invisibility cloak, a stubborn streak, and a talent for finding trouble, she is drawn into an adventure filled with dangerous pirates, a mischievous elf, ancient secrets, a mysterious sorceress—and one cigar-smoking monkey named Smokey. As pirates close in on the elusive sea nymph, they have come to call the **Phantom Nymph**, Rose begins to discover that the truth about who she is may be far stranger—and far more powerful—than anything she imagined. ***Rose Grey and Pirates, Nymphs, and A Smoking Monkey*** is a whimsical middle-grade fantasy adventure filled with mystery, humor, pirates, mythology, friendship, and a heroine searching for where she belongs. Written by **J. D. Milligan**.

by Fred Koehler

To whoever finds this notebook… This is what really happened to Jim Hobbins, the boy lost out of Cedar Key. I’m drifting somewhere in the Gulf of Mexico. Out of food. Only a couple sips left of water. And, well… I don't write a lot of stories so I might get my order mixed up.  Still, don’t let nobody tell it different. I just hope that whoever finds this notebook also finds the *Montauk* and figures out how to get it back to my family.  It's a good boat.

by D. K. Dowdy

*The Awkward Formula for Growing Up* is an honest portrait of early adolescence. It captures the moment when childhood ends in a slow, inevitable bend toward adulthood. The novel stands alone while also opening a multi‑volume cycle that traces Chris’s life. Sometimes funny, exciting, emotional, or tragic.

by D. K. Dowdy

The Awkward Formula follows Chris through the messy, tender years between childhood and adulthood. He stumbles through first crushes, shifting friendships, family tensions, and the quiet moments that end up mattering more than he ever expected. Set in early‑1990s Florida, the series captures adolescence in all its contradictions. This is growing up the way it really happens: slowly, awkwardly, and in pieces.

by Dj Robbins

Billy's stomach growled. He reached into the refrigerator and found an unmarked jar of peanut butter. He pulled out a knife and a couple of slices of bread and began spreading the peanut butter across the bread. Grandma and the dog, Petey, walked in. ''Good morning,'' Grandma said. ''Good morning, Grandma,'' Billy replied. The peanut butter bubbledin thee jar, and the dog barked his head off. Grandma noticed the bubbling peanut butter and gasped as it pooled out of the jar and climbed out of the garage and grew as tall as Grandma and devoured her in seconds. Next, the goopy stuff turned its sights on Petey. The dog started to eat, but its eyes bulged, and it vomited and fell over from peanut butter poisoning, and then the stuff devoured Petey's corpse. Dad walked in and gasped. ''Backyard, now!'' Dad exclaimed. Billy followed his dog into the backyard, where the pool was. Dad walks into the pool. '' Dad, what are you doing?'' Billy shrieked. ''Trust me, son,'' Dadd said. He allowed the goopy stuff to follow him into the pool. Grab the tarp, son,'' Dad ordered. Billy grabbed it. Dad hopped out of the pool and helped Billy cover the stuff with the tarp. The peanut butter writhed and moved under the tarp. They watched in wide-eyed horror as the tarp floated away and the peanut butt devoured the father and son in seconds. The peanut butter crawled back into the house, through the living room, and back up the stairs. It crawled toward Mom's room. She was still sleeping, and it made a wet sucking noise, and it crawled toward the bedroom door. It sucked up family photos and opened the door. It crept toward mom's sleeping form. Mom's eyes popped open and stretched, and she let out a loud yawn. Her eyes were still blurry. She saw something hazy but thought it was her husband. ''Hi, honey,'' Mom said. The peanut butter obviously did not say a word. ''Something smells good,'' mom said. ''Did you make peanut butter toast again?'' Her eyes adjusted,t and she shrieked when she saw the peanut butter hovering over her. It consumed her, and her bones snapped, and she suffocated in the gunky stuff. Peanut butter filled her eyes and nostrils. She dissolved,d and the peanut butter headed back to the kitchen and placed itself back in the jar and even managed to put the lid back on somehow. Jill, Billy's teenage sister, er walked in and found the jar of peanut butter sitting on the counter. Her stomach grows. ed, She grabbed a couple of slices of bread and placed them on the kitchen table. She grabbed a butter knife, took off the lid, and stuck the knife into the peanut butter. She spread it over the bread and licked her lips. The hunger inside her belly began to grow larger. Her belly rumbled. She placed the sandwich to her lips and saw it squirming. She lifted the bread and saw the peanut butter squirming like maggots. Her stomach lurched, and she dropped the bread. The bread squirmed over to Jill. She backed up and did not notice that the rest of the peanut butter was right behind her. It was as tall as she was. It bubbled and made wet smacking noises. She turned around and gasped as the peanut butter lurched forward. She screamed as it covered her like a tight blanket. Bones snapped and popped as the stuff filled her eyes, mouth, and nose. She choked and gagged as it devoured her. Once she had been eaten and digested, the peanubutter loutttt a loud and satisfied belch.

by Maria Linn

Twelve-year-old brown bear Cara Dyson has always been drawn to Homo sapiens: dangerous creatures who roamed the planet long ago. Cara inherited this dark, unusual fascination from her father Buick, Animalia’s most renowned historian. He set out on a secret mission two years ago to gather definitive evidence that climate change was humanity’s undoing, and no one’s seen hide nor hair of him since. When Cara finds a clue to her father’s last known whereabouts, she runs away to find him.  But the sheltered young bear isn’t prepared for life outside the gates of her highly regulated, vegetarian society. In the wilds, animals react to Cara in baffling ways: fish flee, rabbits rebuff, hyenas tease. When a starving snake tries to steal her provisions, Cara realizes food—something she never had to think twice about back home—is scarce. Standing between Cara and the truth about her father is a herd of zealots led by Dunkin, a cruel predator who’s trying to bring back a more natural, animalistic way of life. If Cara can’t stop him and expose the shocking secret her father uncovered about humanity’s extinction and the rise of the animals, history will repeat itself. Before Cara can stand up to Dunkin, though, she must conquer an even more vicious enemy: the nasty voice inside, whispering that her famous, brilliant father abandoned her because she wasn’t worthy of his love.

by LESLIE ANN HOWARD

Darcie Reynolds never wants to be picked on again. If she can just get into the Peaks—the most popular group at Silver Pines Middle—no one will dare make fun of her.  So when Amelia Davis, the girl everyone wants to impress, finally notices her, Darcie will do anything to prove she belongs—even follow a mysterious invitation into the woods.  At sundown, Darcie—her little brother Andrew in tow—hikes to an abandoned cabin in the Bitterroot forest, expecting a party. Instead, she walks into a prank that turns deadly when a man covered in animal hides bursts in and disappears with Andrew.  Darcie is convinced it’s the Shadow Man—an urban legend she’s been researching for her civics project, blamed for kidnapping local children. She’d always believed he was innocent.  Clearly, She was wrong.  Now, lost in a snowstorm, Darcie is forced to team up with Amelia to find Andrew. But the deeper they get into the mystery of the Shadow Man, the less the story adds up—and the harder it becomes for Darcie to decide what’s more dangerous: being wrong about the Shadow Man… or being right.

by T Rolan

TOO FAR TO WALK.TOO SMART TO QUIT. Siul just wanted to egg an old lady in Brooklyn. Instead, he ends up on a starship 2.5 million light-years from Earth. Chazlyn just wanted to avoid people. Now, she's the second-in-command of an Earth-based international crew of twenty. Twenty children with three things in common: They are all eleven years old. They are all on the Autism Spectrum. They are the only ones who can see the broken pattern. Recruited by an Al named Protocol, Team Twenty (T-20) has been brought to the Andromeda Galaxy for a mission that shouldn't exist: navigate the Möbius Loop while avoiding the Vessel Protection and Interception Force. But the police aren't the only threat. Orbiting the massive planet Big Papa, the crew must survive static-charged aliens, sentient floating turnips, Mr. Jiggles, enemies that won't die, and a glitch in reality that suggests their whole mission might be a lie. Armed with gravitic nanites, hyper-focused genius, and a penchant for chaos, T-20 must master the Pattern to survive. Because out here in the void, being different isn't a disability-it's a superpower.Welcome to the Cutlass. Don't forget to feed the cat.

by Michelle Luise

Shana is on a mission to become a famous Christmas squirrel, so she can eat all the hazelnut Christmas cupcakes she desires. But when she discovers she's not actually a squirrel, her dream is in jeopardy. A joyful holiday adventure about identity, belonging, and the magic of embracing who you are meant to be. I love reading the reviews! They mean so much to me!

by Judah Ray

INSPIRED BY A TRUE STORY! Madison thought she was the only sane one in the house.\ \ Fourteen and isolated in a remote farmhouse ruled by her mother Faith’s rigid devotion, Madison is convinced the madness belongs to the adults around her. Aunt Hope urges patience. Aunt Grace sees demons in everything. Faith stands between doubt and doctrine.\ \ Certain she is being suffocated by religious extremism, Madison secretly launches a livestream channel to expose her mother to the world. The followers grow. The comments validate her. And no one in the house knows they are being broadcast live.\ \ When Grace convinces Faith that Madison’s rebellion is something darker, prayer turns to accusation. Accusation turns to restraint. An exorcism unknowingly unfolds live as viewers watch religious fanaticism spiral out of control.\ \ This may seem like just another story about a rebellious teenager and her controlling mother.  Another story about faith gone too far.\ \ But the footage tells a different story.\ \ UNORTHODOX is a claustrophobic psychological horror about faith, rebellion, and a mother who refuses to abandon her child, even when the world calls her crazy.