Book picks similar to
Nobodies and Somebodies by Doris Orgel


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Beginners


Elizabeth Levy - 1988
    Cindi, Lauren, Darlene and Jodi knew they'd be friends from the first day they met. Coach Harmon said they'd be in a real gymnastics meet right away, even if they were only beginners. Now they had to learn how to be a team.

All About Sam


Lois Lowry - 1988
    He's Anastasia's pesty but lovable younger brother.This is Sam's big chance to tell things exactly the way he sees them.  He has his own ideas about haircuts, nursery school, getting shots, and not eating broccoli.  Sam thinks a lot about being bigger and stronger, about secret codes and show-and-tell.Make way for your little brother, Anastasia.  Here for the first time is Sam Krupnik's life story.  What a life!

The Epic Documentary of a Not-Yet-Epic Kid


Robin Mellom - 2012
    Mostly, it was upper average along with moments of extreme average, highlighted by several minutes of total epicness. This is the story...Trevor Jones--perfect attendance award recipient, former neurotic (he hopes)--has been preparing for the start of seventh grade his entire summer.But he is NOT ready for the news his best friend, Libby (proud neurotic, in a color-coding sort of way), drops on him: he must ask a girl to the fall dance. By the end of the day.Trevor decides he would rather squirt hot sauce in his eyes than attend the dance. Everything changes when he meets mysterious new student Molly (excessive doodler, champion of unnatural hair colors). Trevor starts to think that going to the dance maybe wouldn't be the worst thing ever. But what if she says no to his invitation? More important, what if she says yes?!

Too Cool for This School


Kristen Tracy - 2013
    With her individual sense of style and nonconformist attitude, Angelina "Mint" Taraval is everything Lane isn't. And instead of branding her a loser the way Lane and her friends expect, people actually want to hang out with her. Including the boys Lane and her best friend, Ava, like. When Ava comes up with a plan to ruin Mint, Lane feels stuck. She doesn't want to be mean . . . but she doesn't really want to stick up for her weird cousin either. Why can't things go back to the way they were before Mint arrived? And don't miss Kristen's other cool books:CAMILLE MCPHEE FELL UNDER THE BUSTHE REINVENTION OF BESSICA LEFTERBESSICA LEFTER BITES BACK“Believable and drily funny . . . an empathetic and entertaining read.”—Publishers Weekly  “High drama so compelling middle school readers won't realize they're being exposed to a lesson in ethics.”--Kirkus Reviews “Snappy, intelligent prose . . . an excellent title.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books“Kristen Tracy reminds us of our best and worst moments in middle school, handling both the triumphs and the mortifying moments with just the right mix of surprise and worry.” —readergirlz.com

A Girl Called Al


Constance C. Greene - 1969
    A seventh-grade girl, her slightly fat girl friend, Al, and the assistant superintendent of their apartment building form a mutually needed friendship with the usual--and a few unusual--joys and sorrows.

Encyclopedia Brown Takes the Cake!


Donald J. Sobol - 1982
    With an updated cover look!Match wits with Encyclopedia Brown and see if you can solve these mysteries before he does, in this exciting compilation featuring Encyclopedia's favorite recipes that you can make at home!- Figure out if Willford's painting of the Liberty Bell is a fake, then celebrate with red, white, and blue shortcake.- Prove that Bugs stole Tim Gomez's pinata, then make a Mexican fiesta.- Solve the Case of the Secret Recipe, then serve up some Idaville Apple Pie.

The Primrose Railway Children


Jacqueline Wilson - 2021
    Nesbit's timeless classic, The Primrose Railway Children is a gorgeous, heartwarming story of family secrets and new adventures.Sit back and enjoy the journey!Phoebe Robinson loves making up stories - just like her wonderful, imaginative Dad. When he mysteriously disappears, Phoebe, Perry, Becks and their mum must leave everything behind and move to a small cottage in the middle of nowhere. Struggling to feel at home and missing her Dad terribly, Phoebe's only distraction is her guinea pig Daisy. Until the family discover the thrilling steam trains at the railway station and suddenly, every day is filled with adventure. But Phoebe still can't help wondering, what is Mum hiding and more worryingly is Dad okay?

Eight Keys


Suzanne LaFleur - 2011
    Elise has always lived in the big house with her loving Uncle and Aunt, because Elise's parents died when she was too young to remember them.  There's always been a barn behind the house with eight locked doors on the second floor. When Elise and Franklin start middle school, things feel all wrong. Bullying. Not fitting in. Franklin suddenly seems babyish.  Then, soon after her 12th birthday, Elise receives a mysterious key left for her by her father. A key that unlocks one of the eight doors upstairs in the barn...

Runaway Twin


Peg Kehret - 2009
    Sunny Skyland longs to be reunited with her twin sister, Starr. With only an old photograph, taken a few days before the girls were separated at age three, to guide her, Sunny begins the cross-country journey that she has dreamed of during her ten years in various foster homes. Sunny manages to locate her twin, only to be faced with a whole new challenge.Award-winning author Peg Kehret combines suspense and action with reflections on the true meaning of family as Sunny learns that sometimes we must let go of our dreams in order to embrace a different, better future.

Ten Kids, No Pets


Ann M. Martin - 1988
    Martin's funny, insightful take on pets and family -- now with a spectacular new cover.There are ten siblings in the Rosso family. Ten individuals with ten different ways of looking at things. But they all have one thing in common: Each of them wants a pet. The only problem is that their mom does not: "No pets," she has always said. "Ten kids is enough."But now that the Rosso family is moving from the big city to the country, there are big changes ahead, including a new farmhouse and lots of nature. But the Rosso kids will still need to figure out a plan to change mom's mind. . . .

Two Under Par


Kevin Henkes - 1987
    Instead, he has a brand-new stepfamily and a new house far away from his friends; and his bedroom window faces a seven-foot castle that marks the eight eenth hole of his stepfather's miniature golf course. Can Wedge really respect a man who wears a plastic crown and calls himself "King"? It's a lot to deal with, but Wedge may not have a choice. If he wants to be happy, he'll have to accept his new life -- crazy as it is.

The Secret Apartment


Natalie Fast - 2005
    First of all, her mother got remarried and they moved from their house in Pennsylvania to her new stepfather’s apartment in New York City. Second, her new stepfather has a daughter, which means Jillian now has a stepsister. An evil teenage stepsister who talks on the phone all the time and has a stupid dog. And finally, Jillian is being sent to camp for the summer where she has to endure Peace Circles and sack races. But Jillian gets a break when Mrs. W in the penthouse apartment asks her to catsit for the summer. Mrs. W’s apartment is full of art and art supplies, vintage dresses and hats, and cakes and soda, and most important, it offers a great view of the windows in the building across the street. Watching the neighbors is fun–until Jillian and her new friend Emily see something that doesn’t look right. And it’s up to them to save the day.From the Hardcover edition.

What Could Go Wrong?


Willo Davis Roberts - 1989
    But Gracie knows better. Now both kids have the chance to fly with their other cousin Eddie from Seattle to San Francisco without any adults. Gracie’s father isn’t sure the trip is a great idea, but Gracie’s not worried. What could go wrong? Then things begin to go wrong…very wrong! Is it just Charlie’s bad luck following them? Or have Gracie and her cousins stumbled into something more dangerous than they could have ever imagined?

Disney After Dark


Ridley Pearson - 2004
    Finn Whitman and four other teens have been hired as Disney World guides, but with an odd twist: With cutting-edge technology, they have been transformed into hologram projections capable of leading guests around the park. What begins as an exciting theme park job turns into a virtual nightmare as Finn and his pals attempt to thwart an uprising by a menacing group of Disney villains.

The Last Treasure


Janet S. Anderson - 2003
    That's all Ellsworth thought he wanted. But then the dreams start. Dreams of houses surrounding a beautiful green square. Suddenly a letter arrives, inviting Ellsworth to a home he doesn't remember: the Square in Smith Mills, New York. A home with a hidden treasure only a child can uncover, the last treasure of John Matthew Smith, the family's eccentric patriarch. But there are other things hidden in the Square. Can Ellsworth set these ghosts to rest and uncover the family's last treasure, or will the secrets of the past haunt him forever?