"I loved every page. This is middle grade fiction at its best."-- Ann Patchett From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Magicians comes a must-read, wholly original middle-grade debut perfect for fans of The Chronicles of Narnia and Roald Dahl. Dear Uncle Herbert, You've never met me, but I'm your niece Kate, and since it is my birthday tomorrow and you are super-rich could you please send me a present? Kate and her younger brother Tom lead dull, uninteresting lives. And if their dull, uninteresting parents are anything to go by, they don't have much to look forward to. Why can't Kate have thrilling adventures and save the world the way people do in books? Even her 11th birthday is shaping up to be mundane -- that is, until her mysterious and highly irresponsible Uncle Herbert, whom she's never even met before, surprises her with the most unexpected, exhilarating, inappropriate birthday present of all time: a colossal steam locomotive called the Silver Arrow. Kate and Tom's parents want to send it right back where it came from. But Kate and Tom have other ideas -- and so does the Silver Arrow -- and soon they're off to distant lands along magical rail lines in the company of an assortment of exotic animals who, it turns out, can talk. With only curiosity, excitement, their own resourcefulness and the thrill of the unknown to guide them, Kate and Tom are on the adventure of a lifetime . . . and who knows? They just might end up saving the world after all. This thrilling fantasy adventure will not only entertain young readers but inspire them to see the beautiful, exciting, and precious world around them with new eyes.

Han Solo and Chewbacca the Wookiee team-up for an all-new adventure in this thrilling upper middle grade novel. Set between Star Wars: A New Hope and Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, the story follows everyone's favorite pair of smugglers as they fly the Millennium Falcon on a top-secret mission for the Rebellion. Hidden in the story are also hints and clues about the upcoming film, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, making this a must-read for fans old and new!

Maverick Falconer is just starting middle school and he wishes he were a hero like his father because maybe then he could deal with his mother's drinking and series of abusive boyfriends, not to mention the kids who bully him in middle school (pretty much the same ones who bullied him in elementary school)--but as the year passes he begins to realize that other kids have problems too, and maybe if they can all survive sixth-grade things will get better.

Two friends venture out at night to see if a tree is really haunted in the fifth book in the Ghosts of Fear Street middle grade series from master of horror R.L. Stine—now with a brand-new look! No one ever goes into the Fear Street woods at night. Not if they want to come out again. But Dylan and Steve just found a cool tree house there—one that’s supposed to be haunted. Are the creepy stories true? Dylan and Steve are going to find out. They’re spending the night in the tree house in the woods. Just the two of them…and maybe a ghost.

For more than forty years, Harry Turtledove has been the acknowledged master of one of science fiction's most durable sub-genres: the tale of alternate history. In the course of an incredibly prolific career, Turtledove has created a host of brilliantly imagined revisionist histories on subjects ranging from the American Civil War to the Byzantine Empire to the Second World War (in which an alien invasion plays an unexpected role.) His work includes standalone novels and multi-volume epics, along with an impressive array of short fiction, the best of which has been gathered in this generous, irreplaceable volume. The Best of Harry Turtledove opens with "Peace is Better," the first of three stories featuring Bill Williamson, the nine-foot-tall Sasquatch who serves as governor of the fictional state of Jefferson, a place where "everyone gets along, regardless of race or size." Or species. "Bonehunters" posits a world in which the extinction event that ended the reign of the dinosaurs never took place. Two subsequent stories, "Junior & Me" and the Melville-inspired novella, "The Quest for the Great Gray Mossy," continue to develop this scenario. "The Eighth Grade History Class Visits the Hebrew Home for the Aging" imagines a world in which Anne Frank survived and emigrated to the United States, where she recounts her experiences to a visiting middle school class. "But It Does Move" is the account of a fictional confrontation between Galileo and a leader of the Holy Inquisition. These are only a few of the people, places, and historical epochs you will encounter in this magisterial collection. The twenty-four stories in The Best of Harry Turtledove constitute a master class both in the technique of alternate history and in the art of narrative itself. Longtime Turtledove readers will take this book to their hearts. Newcomers will find themselves searching for more of the author's inimitable--and highly addictive--fiction. They have a lot to look forward to.

Middle grade supernatural horror series takes young readers Just Beyond the reality they know ... Just Beyond their normal lives ... Just Beyond the real world to an always surprising place of fantasy and fright. Surviving middle school is hard enough but when Jess, Josh, and Marco encounter a strange and deadly creature wandering the halls of The Scare School, it leads them to a sinister secret in the boiler room ... As they leave their school behind, these three unsuspecting students enter a horrifying reality just beyond the one they know, one filled with supernatural terror and fright. Will they survive the harrowing journey and save the other children they find trapped there, or will they forever be trapped on the wrong side of The Scare School?

Master of the macabre David Lubar is back with Check Out the Library Weenies , his ninth collection of Weenies Stories. Here are thirty more scary stories for the middle grade audience--perfect for both avid and reluctant young readers who like a few chills and a lot of laughs. Don't be a weenie. Read these stories. If you dare! “Fans will be shivering and laughing...evilly." — Kirkus Reviews on Strikeout of the Bleacher Weenies “With its mix of humor and chills, this collection is a sure bet for fans of R. L. Stine's Goosebumps series and reluctant readers.” — Booklist on Wipeout of the Wireless Weenies “Whoever thinks the short story is dead, or that kids don't like short stories, hasn't talked to any real live kids and hasn't read the latest in this popular series.” — School Library Journal on Attack of the Vampire Weenies Weenies Stories #1 In the Land of the Lawn Weenies and Other Misadventures #2 Invasion of the Road Weenies and Other Warped and Creepy Tales #3 The Curse of the Campfire Weenies and Other Warped and Creepy Tales #4 The Battle of the Red Hot Pepper Weenies and Other Warped and Creepy Tales #5 Attack of the Vampire Weenies and Other Warped and Creepy Tales #6 Beware the Ninja Weenies and Other Warped and Creepy Tales #7 Wipeout of the Wireless Weenies and Other Warped and Creepy Tales #8 Strikeout of the Bleacher Weenies and Other Warped and Creepy Tales #9 Check Out the Library Weenies and Other Warped and Creepy Tales

"Shortly after spontaneously morphing into a giant mutant dinosaur, 12-year-old Charlie Drinkwater discovers he's not the only creature in town"--

Fast paced and funny, the second book of the Seelie Wars trilogy is the perfect middle grade fantasy read! In The Hostage Prince , Prince Aspen and midwife’s apprentice Snail tried to prevent a war—but started one instead. Chased by two armies, Aspen and Snail find refuge with the actors of Professor Odds’s traveling troupe, dodging soldiers, Border Lords, a hungry troll, assorted other faeries, and a cloaked spy. Will they make it out? Is any place safe for the two of them? And who, exactly, is the mysterious Professor Odds, who seems to have his own hidden powers and agenda?

From bestselling author Rich Cohen and award-winning illustrator Kelly Murphy comes a middle grade action-adventure novel, Alex and the Amazing Time Machine. Alex Trumble is a pretty ordinary kid—except for the fact that his IQ borders on genius, and he loves to read books on vortexes and time travel. But when two angry hit men kidnap his big brother Steven, Alex's life changes fast. Inventing a time machine (using an iPod, mirrors, duct tape, and a laser pointer) is only half the battle. With the help of the time-bending Dingus, Alex and his best friend Todd must travel back in time to collect clues, outwit the bad guys, and race against the clock to save his family from total oblivion.

Charlie Lewis goes on a roller coaster ride of risk, math, and gaming in this middle grade novel that parallels the New York Times bestselling Bringing Down the House , which inspired the movie 21 . Charlie Lewis is a nerd. All he’s ever been good at is math—and he’s really good at math. So good that he’s recruited by a group of kids determined to game the system at the biggest theme park in the world—and win the grand prize. Soon Charlie is caught up in the excitement and thrill of using his math skills for awesomeness…but what’s at stake may be more than he’s willing to risk. How far will Charlie go for a chance at the ultimate reward?

The path to victory starts on the sidelines, in this fast-paced new middle grade series from #1 New York Times bestselling sportwriting powerhouse John Feinstein. Twelve-year-old Jeff Michaels, son of a Philadelphia TV sports reporter, is just learning to play soccer on the new sixth-grade team at his middle school. Andrea Carillo has fought her way onto the squad, but the coach doesn’t think girls should play with boys, so she’s riding the bench with Jeff—even though she’s one of the best players. With Jeff’s help, the Philly media gets ahold of the story, and suddenly Andi is all over the news as she shows her worth on the soccer field. But amid bullies, threats, and a media firestorm, will Andi’s skills and Jeff’s perseverance be enough to save the season? An action-packed novel about two kids who may be "benchwarmers," but prove themselves naturals when it comes to teamwork, friendship, and finding a path to victory.

Internationally renowned author Jane Yolen has composed a sequence of tough, angry, and moving love poems that express grief and gratitude for her late husband David, as witness to his treatment for and passing from cancer, and the ongoing loss that is felt years after his death. In one poem, Yolen--a prize-winning poet, speaks of his "shallow bird breath/beating beneath the cage of his chest bones." In another: "Do not help me to forget./Help me to remember." And in a third: You have gone before me into winter, Into spring, into summer, somehow A consummate time traveler I can never catch up to, Always a season ahead. Jane Yolen , often called "the Hans Christian Andersen of America," is the author of over three hundred books, including Owl Moon , The Devil's Arithmetic , and How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight . The books range from rhymed picture books and baby board books through middle grade fiction, poetry collections, nonfiction, novels, and story collections for young adults and adults, and two books of adult poetry. Her books and stories have won two Nebula Awards, a World Fantasy Award, a Caldecott Medal, the Golden Kite Award, three Mythopoeic awards, two Christopher Medals, a nomination for the National Book Award, and the Jewish Book Award. She is also the winner (for body of work) of the Kerlan Award, the World Fantasy Association Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Catholic Library's Regina Medal.

"It's 1970's Chicago. Eleven-year-old Matasha Wax is in the sixth grade and just starting to feel the pressures of growing up. Her best friend Jean has been blowing her off, while her parents are in a standoff over her mother's desire to adopt a refugee from Vietnam. And while the bullies in school have started to grow breasts and inches, Matasha remains a puny four-foot-four--which means she will need growth hormone shots, and she is terrified of needles. Apart from her daily reading of the advice columns in the newspaper, keeping up with the Patty Hearst and Watergate scandals, and tracking her parents' deteriorating marriage, Matasha is fixated by the story of Martin Kimmel, a nine-year-old boy who disappeared a few months ago, and whose body has yet to be found. But none of these ongoing problems could have prepared Matasha for her mother's sudden disappearance. When the letters start coming from Switzerland, she knows something is very, very wrong--but no one will tell her what's going on, so Matasha has to figure it all out for herself."--Page 4 of cover

It has been said that the only warriors who do not suffer after combat are those who were killed. I cannot attest to that for all battle tested warriors but I certainly can for one---me. Some years ago a young, 13 year old eighth grade student from the Fairfield, Iowa Middle School once asked me, "Were you wounded in the war? I had been invited to speak in Mrs. Broz's class for many years to talk about my wartime experiences. I had been asked and answered many questions but this one was different. I paused, thought deeply and quickly, and replied. "Yes I was wounded, seriously wounded but not a wound that anyone could see and fix." His question gave me pause to quickly think about warriors in all the wars that have been fought, including mine, whose wounds were unseen, untreated and debilitating even though no blood was shed. I spent a sleepless night wondering if my answer had satisfied him...or me. What was there about my military service that left me so hopeless and so helpless when I returned home to civilian life? Was it me? The military itself? The combat? This is what I recalled; perhaps the answers would come as I wrote my experiences down. "I've been practicing Transcendental Meditation for 40 years. It's a great tool for reducing stress ... especially the stress our men and women of the Armed Forces are going through now." --Clint Eastwood, Academy Award-Winning Film Director "Stress causes, anxiety, depression, and violent behavior. Transcendental Meditation is a remarkable process for reducing stress-it can help people live a long and better life." --Mehemet Oz, MD, America's Doctor "In this riveting memoir, a true American hero describes how Transcendental Meditation changed his life for good. A must-read for those struggling with the aftershocks of combat, and their loved ones." --Norman Rosenthal, M.D. Author of Transcendence: Healing and Transformation Through Meditation "The hidden cost of war includes long-term pain and suffering for may veterans and their families. This wonderful book shows how meditation can be a practical, simple, and effective way for our returning warriors to find peace." --Professor Linda Bilmes, Harvard University, co-author of The Three Trillion Dollar War "The Resilient warrior is a riveting read. What is especially impressive is how Jerry Yellin conflates his own war and PTSD experiences, and those experiences of other veterans, with the powerful compelling evidence of the benefits of using meditation as a means to overcome this disorder. I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking relief from stress, regardless of the source of the trauma." --Donald Mikkleson, Vietnam Veteran "My son, Dory, was an eight-year Army veteran who committed suicide early this year and I have suffered terribly. On a really bad day, a few weeks after Dory's death, Jerry Yellin suggested that I read The Resilient Warrior and learn to meditate. Since starting to meditate I can feel the stress leaving me, and my days and nights are getting a little better day-by-day, week-by-week. I strongly recommend Jerry's book to veterans and families of veterans, and anyone who is looking for a way of the nightmare of PTSD." --Lin Klock, Vero Beach, Florida Author Jerry Yellin Jerry was a WW 2 fighter pilot from Hillside, NJ. He flew P-51's over Japan from Iwo Jima. Married to Helene for 60 years, they have four sons and six grandchildren. Jerry is the author of the award winning historical fiction book The Blackened Canteen and his memoir Of War and Weddings . The soldier above all other people prays for peace, for he must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war." --General Douglas Macarthur