{"title":"Contemporary Fiction - Middle Grade","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"melissa-previously-published-as-george","title":"Melissa","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhen people look at Melissa, they think they see a boy named George. But she knows she's not a boy. She knows she's a girl.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMelissa thinks she'll have to keep this a secret forever. Then her teacher announces that their class play is going to be Charlotte's Web. Melissa really, really, REALLY wants to play Charlotte. But the teacher says she can't even try out for the part... because she's a boy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith the help of her best friend, Kelly, Melissa comes up with a plan. Not just so she can be Charlotte -- but so everyone can know who she is, once and for all.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReader Fit:\u003c\/strong\u003e An excellent choice for readers who enjoy heartfelt stories about friendship, identity, and finding the courage to be yourself.\u003cspan class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy We Carry It:\u003c\/strong\u003e We carry \u003cem\u003eMelissa\u003c\/em\u003e because it gives young readers an authentic window into the experience of a transgender child navigating friendship, family, and self-understanding. It encourages empathy by affirming that every child deserves to be seen and respected for who they are.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ingram","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49315103506691,"sku":"9781338843415","price":8.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/7573\/5555\/files\/9781338843415.jpg?v=1784935618"},{"product_id":"front-desk-front-desk-1-scholastic-gold","title":"Front Desk","description":"\u003cp\u003eMia Tang has a lot of secrets. Number 1: She lives in a motel, not a big house. Every day, while her immigrant parents clean the rooms, ten-year-old Mia manages the front desk of the Calivista Motel and tends to its guests. Number 2: Her parents hide immigrants. And if the mean motel owner, Mr. Yao, finds out they've been letting them stay in the empty rooms for free, the Tangs will be doomed. Number 3: She wants to be a writer. But how can she when her mom thinks she should stick to math because English is not her first language? It will take all of Mia's courage, kindness, and hard work to get through this year. Will she be able to hold on to her job, help the immigrants and guests, escape Mr. Yao, and go for her dreams? \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReader Fit:\u003c\/strong\u003e Recommended for readers who enjoy stories about determination, family, and standing up for what is right.\u003cspan class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy We Carry It:\u003c\/strong\u003e We carry \u003cem\u003eFront Desk\u003c\/em\u003e because it introduces young readers to the realities of immigration, economic hardship, and discrimination through an optimistic and compassionate lens. It encourages empathy while highlighting the importance of courage and community.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ingram","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49315106160899,"sku":"9781338157826","price":8.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/7573\/5555\/files\/9781338157826.jpg?v=1784935667"},{"product_id":"ghost-1-track","title":"Ghost","description":"\u003cp\u003eGhost wants to be the fastest sprinter on his elite middle school track team, but his past is slowing him down in this first electrifying novel of the acclaimed Trackseries from Coretta Scott King - John Steptoe Award–winning author Jason Reynolds.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGhost. Lu. Patina. Sunny. Four kids from wildly different backgrounds with personalities that are explosive when they clash. But they are also four kids chosen for an elite middle school track team—a team that could qualify them for the Junior Olympics if they can get their acts together. They all have a lot to lose, but they also have a lot to prove, not only to each other, but to themselves.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRunning. That’s all Ghost (real name Castle Cranshaw) has ever known. But Ghost has been running for the wrong reasons—it all started with running away from his father, who, when Ghost was a very little boy, chased him and his mother through their apartment, then down the street, with a loaded gun, aiming to kill. Since then, Ghost has been the one causing problems—and running away from them—until he meets Coach, an ex-Olympic Medalist who sees something in Ghost: crazy natural talent. If Ghost can stay on track, literally and figuratively, he could be the best sprinter in the city. Can Ghost harness his raw talent for speed, or will his past finally catch up to him?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReader Fit:\u003c\/strong\u003e Perfect for readers who enjoy fast-paced stories about perseverance, friendship, and discovering strengths they never knew they had.\u003cspan class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy We Carry It:\u003c\/strong\u003e We carry \u003cem\u003eGhost\u003c\/em\u003e because it shows how mentorship, opportunity, and determination can help young people move beyond difficult circumstances. It reminds readers that no one should be defined solely by their past.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ingram","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49315106193667,"sku":"9781481450164","price":7.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/7573\/5555\/files\/9781481450164.jpg?v=1784935667"},{"product_id":"both-can-be-true-1","title":"Both Can Be True","description":"\u003cp\u003eJules Machias explores identity, gender fluidity, and the power of friendship and acceptance in this dual-narrative story about two kids who join forces to save a dog, but wind up saving each other.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAsh is no stranger to feeling like an outcast. For someone who cycles through genders, it’s a daily struggle to feel in control of how people perceive you. Some days Ash is undoubtedly a girl, but other times, 100 percent a guy. Daniel lacks control too—of his emotions. He’s been told he’s overly sensitive more times than he can count. He can’t help the way he is, and he sure wishes someone would accept him for it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo when Daniel’s big heart leads him to rescue a dog that’s about to be euthanized, he’s relieved to find Ash willing to help. The two bond over their four-legged secret. But when they start catching feelings for each other, things go from cute to complicated. Daniel thinks Ash is all girl . . . what happens when he finds out there’s more to Ash’s story?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith so much on the line—truth, identity, acceptance, and the life of an adorable pup named Chewbarka—will Ash and Daniel forever feel at war with themselves because they don’t fit into the world’s binaries? Or will their friendship help them embrace the beauty of living in between?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 dir=\"auto\" class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003eReader Fit\u003cspan class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"auto\"\u003eFor young readers exploring identity, friendship, gender expectations, and what it means to make room for someone else's way of being.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 dir=\"auto\"\u003eWhy We Carry It\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eBoth Can Be True\u003c\/em\u003e gives middle-grade readers two perspectives on gender, identity, friendship, and vulnerability while showing that understanding someone does not require sharing their experience.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ingram","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49661559406851,"sku":"9780063053908","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/7573\/5555\/files\/9780063053908.jpg?v=1789880743"}],"url":"https:\/\/newhorizonsbooks.com\/collections\/contemporary-fiction-middle-grade.oembed","provider":"New Horizons Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}