Book picks similar to
Surf's Up! by Chrissie Perry


go-girl
children
fiction
middle-grade

Back to School


Meredith Badger - 2008
    She has to get used to a new teacher and harder work. But she didn't expect to be the only one to find the new math so difficult.   Is everyone else really smarter than Chloe?

Sister Spirit


Thalia Kalkipsakis - 2005
    Snip!  Snip!  Cassie is convinced her big sister hates her.  First, Hillary cuts off Cassie’s hair (so she won’t look like such a “baby!”).  Then she stops talking to her.  But Cassie knows a secret about Hillary’s biggest fear.  And she’s going to use it to win her big sister back!   Over 600,000 GO GIRL! copies in print in Australia!

Lunchtime Rules


Vicki Steggall - 2007
    Friendship fumble!  Ant (short for Samantha) loves playing sporty games with her friends at lunchtime.  But when one of the boys decides she’s too slow to play, Ant feels completely left out.  Can she come up with a plan to turn things around?  Or is Ant doomed to spend a lifetime of lunchtimes alone on the playground?   Over 600,000 GO GIRL! copies in print in Australia!

Sleepover!


Rowan McAuley - 2008
    She’s thought up a hundred different things that could go wrong—and they’re all totally embarrassing! Olivia doesn’t want to cancel on her best friend at the last minute, BUT… maybe she should just stay home?

Gangsta Granny


David Walliams - 2011
    A story of prejudice and acceptance, funny lists and silly words, this new book has all the hallmarks of David’s previous bestsellers.Our hero Ben is bored beyond belief after he is made to stay at his grandma’s house. She’s the boringest grandma ever: all she wants to do is to play Scrabble, and eat cabbage soup. But there are two things Ben doesn’t know about his grandma.1) She was once an international jewel thief.2) All her life, she has been plotting to steal the Crown Jewels, and now she needs Ben’s help…

Diary of a Wimpy Kid


Jeff Kinney - 2007
    But when Rowley's star starts to rise, Greg tries to use his best friend's popularity to his own advantage. Recorded in his diary with comic pictures and his very own words, this test of Greg and Rowley's friendship unfolds with hilarious results.

Moving Day


Meg Cabot - 2008
    The book jacket unfolds into an oversized poster. Consumable.

The Contest


Gordon Korman - 2002
    One mountain.They come from all across America to be the youngest kid ever to climb Everest. But only one will reach the top first. The competition is fierce. The preparation is intense. The challenge is breathtaking. When the final four reach the higher peaks, disaster strikes -- and all that separates the living from the dead is chance, bravery, and action.A thrilling adventure trilogy from Gordon Korman about a number of kids competing to be the youngest person to ever reach the top of Mt. Everest.

Flying Solo


Ralph Fletcher - 1998
    "Fab" Fabiano's sixth-grade class. Mr. Fab is absent and a substitute never arrives. The class wants to prove that KIDS RULE, so they decide to run the class on their own. Super smart Karen leads the way in the class routines and most of the kids join in. But for Rachel White, this isn't just any other day. Rachel's been silent for six months and communicates by writing notes. Rachel knows today is exactly six months since their classmate Tommy Feathers died. In her own way, Rachel reminds the class about this--and for the first time, Mr. Fab's students reveal their true and sometimes hurtful thoughts. Where is Mr. Fab's class headed now? The school day isn't over yet. Will they keep flying solo or crash?

Auggie & Me: Three Wonder Stories


R.J. Palacio - 2014
    Thought-provoking, surprising, infuriating, heartbreaking and heartwarming, AUGGIE & ME is a must-read for the thousands of readers who loved WONDER.

Mitch and Amy


Beverly Cleary - 1967
    Amy is good at reading. Mitch is a math whiz. Amy likes to play pretend. Mitch would rather skateboard. They never want to watch the same television show. And they always try to get the better of each other.Then the school bully starts picking on Mitch -- and on Amy, too. Now the twins have something rotten in common: Alan Hibbler. This twosome must set aside their squabbles and band together to defeat a bully!

Follow My Leader


James B. Garfield - 1957
    With the help of a determined therapist, he learns to read Braille and to use a cane. Then he's given the chance to have a guide dog. Learning to work with Leader is not easy, but Jimmy tries harder than he ever has before.

The Pinballs


Betsy Byars - 1977
    Stuck in a foster home with two other kids, Harvey and Thomas J, she's just a pinball being bounced from bumper to bumper. As soon as you get settled, somebody puts another coin in the machine and off you go again. But against her will and her better judgement, Carlie and the boys become friends. And all three of them start to see that they can take control of their own lives.

The Toothpaste Millionaire


Jean Merrill - 1972
    He just wants to save on toothpaste. Betting he can make a gallon of his own for the same price as one tube from the store, Rufus develops a step-by-step production plan with help from his good friend Kate MacKinstrey. By the time he reaches the eighth grade, Rufus makes more than a gallon -- he makes a million! This fun, breezy story set in 1960s Cleveland, Ohio contains many real-life mathematical problems which the characters must solve to succeed in their budding business. Includes black-and-white illustrations by Jan Palmer.This 35th anniversary edition includes an exclusive author interview and reader's guide with book summary and discussion questions.

The Report Card


Andrew Clements - 2004
    She's managed to make it to the fifth grade without anyone figuring out that she's not just an ordinary kid, and she wants to keep it that way. But then Nora gets fed up with the importance everyone attaches to test scores and grades, and she purposely brings home a terrible report card just to prove a point. Suddenly the attention she's successfully avoided all her life is focused on her, and her secret is out. And that's when things start to get really complicated....