Then a growing darkness threatens the kingdom and uncovers the lie at the centre of her whole life--a single pact that changes everything.Throwing off convention, she joins Rafe, a handsome, charming newcomer, on a quest to save her kingdom. Except he doesn't know she has a mission of her own--to discover the truth about her identity. Increasingly drawn to Rafe's strength and good humour, Marie is torn by her double purpose. With time running out and death and destruction looming, Marie will have to unravel the bargains that surround her and choose where her true allegiance lies.In this twist on the classic fairy tale, Rumpelstiltskin, a hidden identity is just one of the things Marie will have to unravel. Novella 3.5 - A Midwinter's Wedding: A Retelling of The Frog Prince Princess Cordelia is used to being overshadowed by her many brothers and sisters. So when she's offered the chance to attend her brother's wedding in a faraway kingdom, she leaps at it. In Northhelm, she'll finally have the chance to stand out. And maybe, just maybe, she'll even find romance.But not everything in the Northhelmian court is as it appears. With her brother distracted by the wedding, only Ferdinand, the ugliest man at court, will listen to Cordelia's concerns. An observant princess and a strangely amphibious soldier may be the only thing standing between all Four Kingdoms and disaster.Cordelia will have to overcome prejudice, deceit, and danger if she wants to save the day and find romance at A Midwinter's Wedding.A Midwinter's Wedding is a novella of approximately 35,000 words. Book 4 - The Princess Game: A Reimagining of Sleeping Beauty They call her the Sleeping Princess, but Celeste is far from asleep...Celeste has been cursed since her sixteenth birthday--just not in the way the rest of the kingdom thinks. All they see is her breath-taking beauty, marred by her foolishness. Only she knows that she retains her brilliant mind. And it's a secret she must keep at all costs.Over the years she's grown accustomed to the necessary deception. After all, her life depends on it. And she's even found a way to protect her kingdom, working from the shadows. But now a dangerous new threat has emerged, one that Celeste can't defeat alone. She needs the help of a newly-arrived prince. One who's altogether too handsome and too charming. Somehow she needs to keep her secret, save her kingdom, and find a way to free herself from the curse. The last thing she has time to do is sleep.In this reimagining of the classic fairy tale, Sleeping Beauty, it's only the princess' mind that is asleep. And sometimes appearances can be deceiving.If you enjoy clean romance, adventure and intrigue, then try The Four Kingdoms series now! Each of these young adult fairy tale retellings can be read as a standalone story. However, for greatest enjoyment, they should be read in order.

    Her father thinks the best stories are the funniest. And Aunt Jane tells her that the best stories have to make people cry. A story that does all these things doesn't seem quite right, though, and the one thing the whole family can agree on is that the best story has to be your own.Anne Wilsdorf's hilarious illustrations perfectly capture this colorful family and their outrageous stories in Eileen Spinelli's heartfelt tale about creativity and finding your own voice.

    But when the other schools and town facil-ities ask for recycling barrels too, their businesstakes off. They earn much more than pocket change.And the funny thing is, nobody but the janitors knowthe recycling barrels are owned by the two young en-trepreneurs. The money rolls in…but trouble follows.The principal suspects they’re up to something. Theeighth grade bully tries to capitalize on their new-found wealth. And the competition, the town’s largestrecycling contractor—tries to put them out of business.Their real trouble begins though, when the principal,superintendent of schools, and mayor learn the recyclingbarrels are owned by two middle school students. Theythink they’ve been misled; a suspension hearing ensues.Everything Kirk and Tommy have worked so hard for isin jeopardy. They’re on the brink of loosing it all—but ifthey can survive the ordeal, they just might become…Middle School Millionaires.

    Told in four voices, this heartfelt and sometimes hilarious story chronicles the ups and downs of a unique group of city kids learning to cope with their complicated lives.

    Good-Bye, Stacey, Good-Bye 14. Hello, Mallory 15. Little Miss Stoneybrook...and Dawn

    Cooper’s class is having a talent show. But A.J. has a problem—he doesn’t have a talent! What will he do when the big day comes? Join A.J. and the gang from Ella Mentry School as they show young readers why they attend the weirdest—and most fun!—school around.My Weird School: Talent Show Mix-Up is a Level Two I Can Read book, geared for kids who read on their own but still need a little help.

    Nate is the star of Big Nate, the daily and Sunday comic strip that made its debut in 1991. Nate’s a sixth-grade chess prodigy, a self-described genius, and the all-time record holder for detentions in school history. He’s often in hot water with his teachers and classmates, but Nate’s winning personality and can-do attitude always make him a big hit with readers.

    But she can't escape the realities. At home there's a depressed mother who often won't emerge from bed. And a dad who's not in the picture. There are two best friends but a stifling pack of aspiring glamour girls. Fortunately there's Zoetrope Zallulah Moon, modish older sister extraordinaire, living a bus ride away in New York City.Visiting Moon one summer weekend when the heat won't relent, Anooshka hears rock singer Orpheus's music. She's immediately entranced by his sound. His lyrics seem to echo her mood and light a spark in her core. After meeting the shy, approachable Orpheus by chance, Anooshka can't shake him from her head. And his Internet diaries keep signaling that they share a magnetic synchronicity. Soon Orpheus expresses an interest in her, and like the Greek mythological heroine Eurydice, Anooshka descends deep into a mesmerizing underworld -- until she reaches a place where fantasies topple and the unspoken finally makes itself heard.Dakota Lane's tantalizing, allegorical tale follows a teen's obsession as it transforms into empowering self-discovery.

    Achieving success in this more challenging world requires knowing many more words. 100 Words Every Middle Schooler Should Know helps students in grades 6 to 8 (ages 11-14) to express themselves with distinction and get the most out of school.The 100 words are varied and interesting, ranging from verbs like muster and replenish to nouns like havoc and restitution to adjectives like apprehensive and imperious. Knowing these words enables students to express themselves with greater clarity and subtlety. Each word has a definition and a pronunciation and appears with at least one quotation—a moving or dramatic passage—taken from a book that middle schoolers are assigned in the classroom or enjoy reading on their own.Both classic and contemporary works of fiction and nonfiction are represented. Among the authors are young adult favorites and award-winners such as Kate Di Camillo, Russell Freedman, Neil Gaiman, E.L. Konigsberg, Lois Lowry, Walter Dean Myers, Katherine Paterson, J. K. Rowling, and Gary Soto. Readers can see for themselves that the words are used by the very best writers in the very best books. It stands to reason that they will see them again and again in higher grades and throughout their lives.100 Words Every Middle Schooler Should Know helps students to gain useful knowledge and prepares them to step into a broader world.

    BECAUSE FOR THREE DAYS, THEY LIVE IN AN ELEVATOR. For the Wilson family, only the best will do! So when they arrive at the San Francisco Hotel and discover that there are no available rooms, they decide to stay in the place that suits them best of all: a room that has its ups . . . and its downs—a room called Otis, the hotel elevator.   Staying in the elevator is absolutely “fantabulous!” After all, where else would Mr. Walter Wilson, Mrs. Winona Wilson, 10-year-old Winslow Wilson, and his twin sister, Whitney Wilson get to meet: ·         A weary traveling salesman of kids' fads ·         A British rock group with a funny name ·         A lovesick bellhop ·         A society lady and her pampered poodle ·         And a slew of other surprising visitors!   For fans of middle-grade giants like Andrew Clements, Jerry Spinelli, Louis Sachar, and Judy Blume, The Elevator Family is a funny and heartwarming story about an eccentric family who’ll be remembered long after they check out of Otis. Drop in on them for an elevator ride filled with adventure and zany humor!

    Starting as single-celled yellow organisms, Minions evolve through the ages, perpetually serving the most despicable of masters. Continuously unsuccessful at keeping these masters-from T. rex to Napoleon-the Minions find themselves without someone to serve and fall into a deep depression.But one Minion named Kevin has a plan, and he-alongside teenage rebel Stuart and lovable little Bob-ventures out into the world to find a new evil boss for his brethren to follow.The trio embarks upon a thrilling journey that ultimately leads them to their next potential master, Scarlet Overkill (Academy Award® winner Sandra Bullock), the world's first-ever female super-villain. They travel from frigid Antarctica to 1960s New York City, ending in mod London, where they must face their biggest challenge to date: saving all of Minionkind...from annihilation.Featuring a soundtrack of hit music from the '60s that still permeates our culture today, Minions is produced by Illumination's Chris Meledandri and Janet Healy, and is directed by Pierre Coffin and Kyle Balda. Brian Lynch has written the screenplay for the 3D-CG comedy adventure, and Chris Renaud serves as executive producer of the film. A retelling of the new feature film in paper-over-board!

    But what is he even good at? The only thing he truly loves is his team of dogs, and so Matt’s Sled Dog School is born. Teaching dogsledding should be easy, right? But people, just like dogs, can be unpredictable. And sometimes the bravest thing a person can do is admit they need help.

    Things are evening out among people everywhere. Tennyson Fontaine and her sister Hattie live in a rickety shack of a house with their mother and father and their wild dog, Jos. There is no school, only a rope swing in the living room and endless games of hide-and-seek in the woods on the banks of the Mississippi. But when their mother disappears and their father sets off to find her, the girls find themselves whisked away to Aigredoux, once one of the grandest houses in Louisiana, and now a vine-covered ruin. Under the care of their austere Aunt Henrietta, who is convinced the girls will save the family’s failing fortunes, Tennyson discovers the truth about Aigredoux, the secrets that have remained locked deep within its decaying walls. Caught in a strange web of time and history, Tennyson comes up with a plan to bring Aigreoux’s past to light. But will it bring her mother home?

    But after he wrecks his chances at the trials, the pressure's on to prove himself.

    But when the impact of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic becomes apparent, everyone, not just the students, has to learn to adjust to their new reality. Quinn’s father is an ER doctor and has to self-isolate to protect his family from the virus. Isaac’s mother is the chief of police and now has to enforce new physical-distancing bylaws. Reese can’t visit her grandmother in her care home anymore. And their entire school has moved to online classes. Sacrifices have to be made to keep everyone safe, but there’s more to life than rules and scary news reports. In an effort to find some good in all this uncertainty, Quinn comes up with an idea that she hopes will bring the entire community together.