John Anderson

Do you ever feel like everything is going right in one part of your life, but messy in another? For Kassandra Conner, diving into the pool feels perfect and in control. But outside the water, things are a little trickier. Kass has just started at a new school, St. Lawrence Academy. It's supposed to be great, but her best friend, Aleah, isn't acting the same, and her family's restaurant is having a tough time. Even on the dive team, where she's with the amazing Amber Moore, Kass feels a bit lost. It's like she's trying to keep her head above water! Then Kass meets Miles. He's a diver too, and he understands what it feels like when things don't go your way. As they spend time together, Kass starts to wonder if she can find a way to break free from all the things that make her feel stuck. What will happen if she tries to change her life? Dive into Kassandra's story to find out how she navigates friendship, family, and finding her own way.

Rion Kwirk belongs to a family that redefines the word weird. His mother named him after a constellation, his father invents funky jellybean flavors, and his sisters are equally eccentric. But nobody tops Papa Kwirk, a grandfather who rides a motorcycle and hands out crossbows and stuffed squirrels for the holidays. He is mysterious, dangerous, and impossibly cool. When the family receives the sudden news of Papa Kwirk's passing, they pile into the car for a road trip to attend his funeral. But Rion quickly realizes that his grandfather's story is far from over. Papa Kwirk has left behind a bizarre trail of clues in a scavenger hunt designed specifically for his family. As Rion follows the chaotic path his grandfather laid out, he uncovers generations of secrets and learns unexpected truths about the predictable, nerdy dad he thought he knew so well. This unforgettable journey is filled with humor, heartbreak, and even singing clowns. It is a heartfelt adventure about the complicated bonds of family, the messy process of grieving, and the surprising ways we sometimes have to lose something to figure out exactly who we are meant to be.

Andrew Bean knows firsthand that training to be a superhero sidekick is not all leaping tall buildings and saving the day. As a member of H.E.R.O., a secret organization for sidekicks in training, Drew has to deal with his uniquely frustrating power. He possesses super senses, meaning his hearing, sight, taste, touch, and smell are the most powerful on the planet. This literally makes him the most sensitive kid in his entire middle school. Things only get more complicated when you factor in his superhero mentor, a washed up former legend who prefers sitting on barstools over fighting crime. Drew struggles to keep his dual identity hidden from his parents and his classmates, proving that middle school is a total drag even when you have superpowers. Everything shifts into high gear when a notorious supervillain, long thought to be dead, makes a shocking return to the city of Justicia. Superheroes begin vanishing without a trace, and Drew's two carefully separated lives threaten to crash into one another. He must step up, solve the mystery, and figure out what happens when the line between good and evil completely disappears.

Riley Flynn knows exactly what it feels like to be completely alone. Ever since her best friend traded her in for the popular crowd in sixth grade, Riley has been on the outside looking in. The same girls who took her best friend push things way too far one afternoon, locking Riley in the dark science closet after school hours. When Riley finally manages to push the door open, she realizes her nightmare is just getting started. The school is completely deserted, the doors are deadbolted from the outside, the phones are dead, and the lights refuse to turn on. Armed with nothing but the narrow beam of a flashlight, Riley wanders the dark, echoing hallways searching for an exit. It does not take long for her to realize she is not alone in the building. A haunting presence lurks in the deep shadows, forcing Riley to confront terrifying mysteries and relive painful memories from her own life. She has to find the courage to face the ghosts of the school and the ghosts of her own past if she ever wants to make it out alive.

Zeke Stahls is perfectly fine with being a thoroughly average twelve year old. He prefers pulling elaborate pranks over completing extra credit assignments, and he spends his free time tormenting his older sister and using his little brother as a test subject. Being good is a struggle on the best of days. That is why his entire family is completely shocked when Zeke receives a notification that he has been selected as a contestant in a massive online competition to be named the World's Greatest Kid. Zeke has no idea how his name ended up on a list alongside a saintly group of talented, charming, and selfless do gooders. He knows measuring up to the other contestants is practically hopeless. But there is a massive ten thousand dollar cash prize on the line, and Zeke knows his hardworking single mom desperately needs the money. He decides to give the competition everything he has. As he concocts hilarious schemes to prove his greatness to the internet, Zeke is forced to figure out what it actually means to be a good person, and what kind of kid he really wants to be.

Do you ever wish life was a grand adventure? For Colm Candorly, a simple cobbler's son with eight sisters, finding a way to make ends meet feels like a never-ending quest. Colm has a secret talent for pickpocketing, and he uses it to help his family, but one day, he gets caught! This surprising turn of events leads him face-to-face with Finn Argos, a mysterious rogue who offers Colm an incredible choice: punishment or a life as a dungeoneer.

Leo Fender is stranded in the middle of deep space with a crew of mercenary space pirates. After surviving an intergalactic alien attack that claimed his mother's life and watching his father get kidnapped by enemy forces, Leo is running out of options. His older brother is missing, his home planet is a distant memory, and he is floating through the galaxy on the Icarus alongside outlaws and traitors. His father left him with one final mission, handing over a highly classified data chip and the name of a mysterious contact who might be able to help. To make matters worse, that small data chip contains a dark, devastating secret capable of destroying hundreds of worlds in the blink of an eye. Captain Bastian Black and his ragtag pirate crew are surprisingly determined to help Leo see this dangerous mission through to the end. As they race across the galaxy to prevent further war, Leo has to figure out exactly what he is willing to risk to end the conflict, track down his missing family members, and find his way back home.

Malcolm is a middle schooler who feels like he is constantly falling short of expectations. With his parents constantly arguing and their marriage slowly fracturing at home, the pressure to figure out who he is and what he is actually good at is heavier than ever. He is tired of feeling like a disappointment and desperately wants to find a place where he truly belongs. Seeking an escape from the tension in his house, Malcolm unexpectedly discovers the quirky, challenging world of competitive miniature golf. The local mini golf course becomes his sanctuary, a place where geometry, focus, and a steady hand matter more than anything else. He joins a team of colorful misfits who are all searching for their own sense of purpose. As the championship tournament approaches, Malcolm pours his heart into mastering the trick shots and the tricky greens. But he quickly learns that sinking a perfect putt is only half the battle. He must navigate the shifting dynamics of his family, learn how to stand up for himself, and take his one last shot at proving his worth.

Bryan Biggins is a completely ordinary, freckle faced middle schooler who is a little too small for his age and terrible at dodgeball. But when he logs into his favorite video game, Sovereign of Darkness, he transforms into Kieran Nightstalker, a fearless, level fifty dark elf hero. Everything changes the morning Bryan wakes up and realizes his real life has inexplicably merged with a video game. He is not battling fire breathing dragons or exploring ancient dungeons. Instead, he is trapped in the treacherous levels of middle school, forced to survive geometry pop quizzes and navigate the brutal social hierarchy of the cafeteria, all while an actual health bar hovers in his vision. Stealing snacks from the teachers lounge is not enough to earn an extra life, and fighting off a mutated creature from the science lab drain his hit points dangerously fast. As Bryan gains levels and attempts to avoid a sudden Game Over, he realizes this digital nightmare is building toward a massive boss battle. He has to step up, solve the puzzle, and beat the game before his time runs out completely.

Middle school is a complicated maze of unwritten rules, shifting loyalties, and unexpected challenges. Finding your place is hard enough without carrying the heavy weight of a massive secret. But when the truth threatens to shake the foundation of everything you know, keeping quiet suddenly feels like the only option left. This heartfelt and deeply relatable story dives straight into the messy, hilarious, and sometimes painful realities of growing up. It explores the intense pressure of holding onto something you desperately want to share, and the terrifying realization that secrets have a funny way of demanding to be told. Navigating family dynamics, hallway drama, and the true meaning of loyalty, the journey ahead will test the limits of friendship. It takes absolute courage to admit when you are wrong and even more bravery to stand by the people who matter most. Packed with genuine emotion and quick wit, this is a powerful reminder that while the truth can change everything, facing it alongside your best friends makes all the difference in the world.

Fifteen year old Mason Quayle makes his living as a bard, singing songs about brave deeds and ancient battles. He lives in the sleepy, forgotten town of Darlington, a place where all the legendary heroes packed up and left a very long time ago. The peaceful quiet comes to a screeching halt when Mason uncovers terrifying news. A massive, heavily armed horde of orcs, goblins, ogres, and trolls is marching straight toward Darlington, determined to wipe the town off the map. With no mighty warriors left to defend the walls, the town faces total destruction. Mason realizes that singing about heroes is not going to save anyone. He has to pack his bags and embark on a desperate, high stakes quest to track down someone brave enough to fight the monster army. Plunged into a hilarious quasi medieval adventure filled with bizarre misadventures and magical mishaps, Mason just might discover that the hero his town desperately needs has been carrying a lute all along.

Words have power in middle school. They can be used as beautiful gifts to build friendships, or they can be wielded as sharp weapons to tear people down. When the principal suddenly bans all cell phones at Branton Middle School, Frost and his tightly knit group of friends Deedee, Wolf, and Bench have to figure out a new way to communicate. They start leaving sticky notes for each other on lockers and classroom doors. The idea catches fire, and soon the entire school is speaking through small squares of paper. But the hallway walls quickly turn into a battlefield. For every kind and uplifting message posted, there is a cruel, cutting note designed to cause damage. Right in the middle of this escalating sticky note war, a unique new girl named Rose arrives and pulls up a chair at Frost's lunch table. Her presence disrupts the unspoken rules of his friend group, pushing loyalties to the breaking point. Frost is forced to navigate the intense pressure of choosing sides, standing up for what is right, and learning exactly what true friendship requires.

Ophelia Delphinium Fidgets is a fairy with a very specific, highly important job. She is a Granter, tasked with venturing into the dangerous human world to grant the wishes made on shooting stars, birthday candles, and dandelions. But her home, the Haven, is in serious trouble. The magic that keeps their hidden world alive is running dangerously low, and time is running out. Ophelia is assigned her very first granting mission, and the stakes could not possibly be higher. She must navigate the terrifying hazards of the human world, dodging speeding cars, hungry cats, and unpredictable children to reach a very specific, powerful wish. Armed with only her wits, a handful of fairy dust, and a whole lot of courage, Ophelia has to prove she has what it takes to be a true Granter. If she fails her mission, the human will be left disappointed, and her beloved magical world will fade away forever. It is a brilliant, fast paced adventure about finding the magic inside yourself and fighting for the things you believe in.

Everyone knows there are different kinds of teachers. You have the hopelessly boring ones, the unnecessarily mean ones, and the ones who clearly stopped trying years ago. But Ms. Bixby is entirely different. She is the rare kind of teacher who actually makes coming to school feel worthwhile, who sees the absolute best in you even when you cannot see it yourself. Topher, Brand, and Steve know how incredibly lucky they are to have her. That is why they are completely devastated when Ms. Bixby unexpectedly announces she has to leave her classroom before the school year finishes because she is very sick. The three boys refuse to let her slip away without a proper goodbye. They team up to execute a highly risky, wildly elaborate plan to skip school, brave the city, and give Ms. Bixby the epic last day she truly deserves. Told through three distinct and unforgettable perspectives, this powerful quest reveals the deep struggles each boy carries, the unbreakable bond of their friendship, and the massive impact one amazing teacher can leave on your heart.

When human scientists uncover a mysterious, glowing mineral buried deep inside the Earth's crust, they have no idea they just unearthed the most valuable substance in the universe. It does not take long for an advanced alien coalition to arrive, promising incredible technology and protection in exchange for the resource. But this treasure is so fiercely coveted that brutal alien factions are willing to start a galactic war over it. Leo Fender knows the devastating cost of this war better than anyone. His mother was killed in a brutal attack, forcing his scientist father to evacuate their family from Earth forever. While trying to escape into the stars, their ship is violently ambushed, his father is kidnapped, and Leo is left completely stranded in deep space. Desperate and out of options, Leo stows away on a strange vessel crewed by ruthless mercenary space pirates. To save his kidnapped father and find his missing brother, Leo must outsmart warring alien races and decide if he can actually trust a crew of outlaws who would sell him out for the right price.

Michael Morn has a very unique family dynamic. He is the adopted son of a brilliant, highly dangerous criminal mastermind, which naturally makes Michael a supervillain in training. He has spent his entire life learning the ins and outs of the criminal underworld, understanding that the line between a hero and a villain is often blurry and complicated. His carefully constructed worldview is thrown into complete chaos when a brand new, impossibly powerful superhero arrives in his city. This new champion of justice is determined to clean up the streets and take down Michael's father once and for all. Caught squarely in the middle of an epic clash of superpowers, Michael is forced to question everything he has ever been taught about loyalty, family, and doing the right thing. He has to decide if he wants to follow in his adoptive father's dark footsteps or forge his own path. Packed with action, gadgets, and laugh out loud humor, this story flips the classic superhero narrative completely upside down.