The amazing New York Times bestseller about what you can do when life gives you a second chance.

Chase's memory just went out the window.

Chase doesn't remember falling off the roof. He doesn't remember hitting his head. He doesn't, in fact, remember anything. He wakes up in a hospital room and suddenly has to learn his whole life all over again . . . starting with his own name.

He knows he's Chase. But who is Chase? When he gets back to school, he sees that different kids have very different reactions to his return.

Some kids treat him like a hero. Some kids are clearly afraid of him.

One girl in particular is so angry with him that she pours her frozen yogurt on his head the first chance she gets.

Pretty soon, it's not only a question of who Chase is--it's a question of who he was . . . and who he's going to be.

From the #1 bestselling author of Swindle and Slacker, Restart is the spectacular story of a kid with a messy past who has to figure out what it means to get a clean start.

In her debut novel, Starfish, Lisa Fipps confronts diet culture and fat phobia head-on. . . . The book reads as if Ellie herself is writing these poems, which are accessible and engaging.--The New York Times Book Review

Ever since Ellie wore a whale swimsuit and made a big splash at her fifth birthday party, she's been bullied about her weight. To cope, she tries to live by the Fat Girl Rules--like no making waves, avoid eating in public, and don't move so fast that your body jiggles. And she's found her safe space--her swimming pool--where she feels weightless in a fat-obsessed world. In the water, she can stretch herself out like a starfish and take up all the room she wants. It's also where she can get away from her pushy mom, who thinks criticizing Ellie's weight will motivate her to diet. Fortunately, Ellie has allies in her dad, her therapist, and her new neighbor, Catalina, who loves Ellie for who she is. With this support buoying her, Ellie might finally be able to cast aside the Fat Girl Rules and starfish in real life--by unapologetically being her own fabulous self.

Mason lives in 2023. His parents have just split up, and there's a guy at school who won't get off his case. As part of an assignment, he writes a letter to Albert Einstein and it ends up getting a little too personal. He throws the letter into his closet...

...and the next day he gets a letter back from a girl named Talia, who lives in 1987. She has problems of her own, including classmates who make jokes because she's Jewish. She thought her friends would have her back. But it ends up the only person she really has to talk to is... a random boy from the future?

In the tradition of such beloved novels as When You Reach Me and Save Me a Seat, Carolyn Mackler has written a funny, all-too-relatable story about finding the friend you need... even if that friends happens to live in another year.

The wannabe-cool, Tamil-nerd vibes of Never Have I Ever meet the hidden life of Stand Up, Yumi Chung! by Jessica Kim in this funny, poignant coming-of-age middle grade debut from Maria Marianayagam. A Sri Lankan boy's life spirals out of control when he wins a prize in a stolen candy bar, pushing him to navigate his identity amid his ever-watchful family.

Ajay Anthonipillai has a million-dollar problem.

Ajay has lived his life dutifully following the rules set by his Tamil parents.

Rule #3: Straight As only

Rule #5: There is no such thing as a no-homework day.

Rule #10: Never watch scary movies.

However, moving to a new school gives Ajay a new rule to follow: Get on seventh-grade all-star Jacob Underson's good side.

When Jacob asks him to steal a Mercury bar from Scary Al's convenience store, Ajay feels this is his chance to finally get cool and stop eating alone. But Jacob rejects the stolen chocolate bar, leaving Ajay to unwrap it and discover that it contains Mercury's Twenty-fifth Anniversary Grand Prize...one million dollars.

Faced with an extreme dilemma, Ajay will have to bear the weight of his actions and battle his morality in deciding whether to claim the prize that may change the life of his family forever.

No Purchase Necessary has four starred reviews!

The novel's plot twists will especially entrance and surprise younger audiences and those able to suspend disbelief and go with the flow of this completely age-appropriate and appealing story. Utter fun. --Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

A wonderful -middle school story about family, friendship, and determining the right path. --School Library Journal (starred review)

A warm and thought-provoking tale that explores thorny ethical issues and the pressures of belonging to a strict immigrant family. --ALA Booklist (starred review)

An entertaining thought-provoking read rife with suspenseful twists and turns and well-drawn characters, and enlivened by the witty, appealing voice of its protagonist. --BookPage (starred review}

56^th NAACP Image Award Winner for Outstanding Literary Work - Children (2025)

#1 New York Times Bestseller!

From award-winning actress and mental-health advocate Taraji P. Henson, You Can Be a Good Friend (No Matter What!) shows kids the great things that can happen when we approach others and ourselves with empathy, patience, and love.

In this debut picture book from Taraji P. Henson, quirky, stylish and a bit off-the-cuff Lil TJ is ready for her first day of school. But when she gets there, TJ finds that everything she does is a little different than everyone else and she's standing out in all the wrong ways. Once TJ's classmate Beau notices, he relentlessly teases her. TJ is filled with anxiety and doubt until she recalls some important words of wisdom from her Grandma Patsy. When she looks inside to her own creativity and personality, she figures out how to help herself make new friends! --and helps someone else too!

You Can Be a Good Friend (No Matter What!) is the perfect read for:

• Easing back-to-school jitters and setting a course for the new school year
• Helping children ages 4-8 to overcome anxieties and embrace what makes them unique
• Classroom and library story time, as well as bedtime reading
• Promoting mental wellness and learning socialization skills, embracing the importance of standing in their own uniqueness, and promoting friendship over bullying.

Includes author's note with references for parents and teachers.

Taraji P. Henson is an Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe winning actress, writer, and producer. She started the Boris Lawrence Henson foundation in 2018, which promotes mental health awareness and provides resources and services aimed at tackling the mental health crisis.

With multiple starred reviews, don't miss this humorous, poignant, and original contemporary story about bullying, broken friendships, social media, and the failures of communication between kids. From John David Anderson, author of the acclaimed Ms. Bixby's Last Day.

In middle school, words aren't just words. They can be weapons. They can be gifts. The right words can win you friends or make you enemies. They can come back to haunt you. Sometimes they can change things forever.

When cell phones are banned at Branton Middle School, Frost and his friends Deedee, Wolf, and Bench come up with a new way to communicate: leaving sticky notes for each other all around the school. It catches on, and soon all the kids in school are leaving notes--though for every kind and friendly one, there is a cutting and cruel one as well.

In the middle of this, a new girl named Rose arrives at school and sits at Frost's lunch table. Rose is not like anyone else at Branton Middle School, and it's clear that the close circle of friends Frost has made for himself won't easily hold another. As the sticky-note war escalates, and the pressure to choose sides mounts, Frost soon realizes that after this year, nothing will ever be the same.

Millie Magnus has huge love for many things--her mom, her friends, her baby chicken, Extra Spicy, and even her hot pink rain boots. She loves school, too, and can't wait for Field Day, when her mom--the mayor of Washington, D.C.--will be her partner in the three-legged race.

Millie Magnus DOESN'T love it when Buckley, a boy from school, makes fun of her curly hair, or her name, or her friends. And she can't believe it when Buckley is assigned to compete against Millie and her mother at Field Day! But then things get even worse. When Millie's plan to talk to Buckley about his bullying is ruined, SHE ends up in the principal's office.

But Millie's can-do spirit is hard to keep down and her big feelings come in handy when she learns something new about Buckley. She may even find a way to call him a friend.

A USA TODAY BESTSELLER

The next great middle grade author. --Colby Sharp, literacy advocate

An Indies Introduce and Kids' Indie Next List Pick

A Best Book of the Year from: Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Amazon.com, and the American Booksellers Association

A New York Times Books for Kids Starting Middle School Selection

Nerdy Book Awards Middle Grade Fiction Winner

Judy Lopez Memorial Award Winner

Mark Twain Readers Award Nominee

William Allen White Children's Book Award Nominee

South Carolina Children's Book Award Nominee

Indiana Young Hoosier Book Award Nominee

Kids All Iowa Reads selection

This USA Today bestseller is a funny and fresh middle-grade debut novel about jawbreaking dental drama.

Max Plink's life just got a lot more complicated. Trouble at home? Check--with money tight, her parents haven't been getting along lately. School bullies? Double check--especially if you count her sister, who is the worst bully of them all. Dental drama? Oh, you have no idea. With a mismatched puzzle of a jaw, Max has a Class II malocclusion, otherwise known as a severe overbite. She already has braces, which means she lives on Advil and soft foods after each orthodontist appointment. But now Max has to wear totally awkward orthodontic headgear nicknamed the jawbreaker. Could things get any worse?

Yes, they could. The journalism competition Max wants to enter has a video component. But being on camera means showing her face not just to her junior high classmates, but possibly the whole city. Going viral is the last thing Max needs, but winning this competition is what she wants most. Turns out, following her dreams is complicated, too.

Inspired by Christina Wyman's own experience with a Class II malocclusion, Jawbreaker is a humorous and refreshingly honest story perfect for readers ages 8-12 who love Raina Telgemeier, Terri Libenson, Kelly Yang, Gordon Korman, and other endlessly funny and deeply heartfelt books that tackle big topics and universal coming-of-age experiences alike.

If you enjoyed Jawbreaker, then you'll also love Christina Wyman's USA Today bestseller, Slouch, and her forthcoming book Breakout. Order your own copy today!

More praise for Jawbreaker:

A courageous story about developing 'brace' under pressure. --The New York Times

★ Smile meets Wonder. --Publishers Weekly, starred review

★ A hugely relatable must-read. --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Jawbreaker is the novel you wish you had read as a kid and are grateful that kids get to read today. --Betsy Bird, A Fuse #8 Production, A School Library Journal Blog

Don't miss the book behind the major motion picture! In the hilarious and awkward start to this mega-bestselling series, beloved misfit Rafe Khatchadorian takes on his first year of middle school...by breaking all the rules!

Rafe Khatchadorian has enough problems at home without throwing his first year of middle school into the mix. Luckily, he's got a foolproof plan for the best year ever, if only he can pull it off: break every rule in his school's oppressive Code of Conduct. Chewing gum in class--5,000 points! Running in the hallway--10,000 points! But when Rafe's game starts to catch up with him, he'll have to decide if winning is all that matters, or if he's finally ready to face the rules, bullies, and truths he's been avoiding.

Beloved #1 bestselling author James Patterson's debut middle-grade novel addresses some of middle schoolers' biggest issues: bullies, first crushes, and finding out what makes each of us special, all with a hilarious main character and fantastic in-text illustrations that will have young readers begging for more!

★ Patterson artfully weaves a deeper and more thought-provoking tale of childhood coping mechanisms and everyday school and family realities.―School Library Journal (starred review)

When Tyler is teased by the other boys, his good friend, Danae, encourages him to give the boys A Bug and a Wish. When Tyler finds a ladybug and a dandelion seed, he is convinced that this is what Danae means. As his friend helps him learn the true meaning of her advice, Tyler soon discovers the solution to his problem.

Bully B.E.A.N.S. teaches children how to speak up when it comes to bullying.

Bullying continues to be an ongoing problem for children everywhere. Children from every race, culture, and socioeconomic group are susceptible to bullies. Most children are unprepared for how to handle it when bullying happens to them or someone they know. Bully B.E.A.N.S helps children identify bullying, and offers clear and impactful action strategies for both targets and bystanders.

Maxine liked to pick on kids... especially Winston. Winston is the smartest kid in our whole school. Maxine made him do all of her homework and give her all of his lunch money. Maxine liked to make Winston cry... then she'd call him a crybaby.

If you don't do exactly what I tell you to, I'll knock you into next week!

Nobody liked the way Maxine treated Winston, but we were too afraid to do anything about it.

Written by bestselling author Julia Cook, Bully B.E.A.N.S. reminds children of the power of their voice and how to use it effectively when standing up against bullying.

Bullies Everywhere Are Now Stopped!

Gilroy laughs at everything.

Llama sings out just the same.

Gilroy says a not-nice name.

Teacher has some things to say:

calling names is not OK.

Llama Llama is learning lots of new things at school and making many friends. But when Gilroy Goat starts teasing him and some of their classmates, Llama Llama isn't sure what to do. And then he remembers what his teacher told him--walk away and tell someone. It works But then Llama Llama feels badly. Can he and Gilroy try to be friends again?

Taking on a difficult but important part of children's lives, Anna Dewdney gives readers a way to experience and discuss bullying in a safe and comforting way.

Millie Magnus has huge love for many things--her mom, her friends, her baby chicken, Extra Spicy, and even her hot pink rain boots. She loves school, too, and can't wait for Field Day, when her mom--the mayor of Washington, D.C.--will be her partner in the three-legged race.

Millie Magnus DOESN'T love it when Buckley, a boy from school, makes fun of her curly hair, or her name, or her friends. And she can't believe it when Buckley is assigned to compete against Millie and her mother at Field Day! But then things get even worse. When Millie's plan to talk to Buckley about his bullying is ruined, SHE ends up in the principal's office.

But Millie's can-do spirit is hard to keep down and her big feelings come in handy when she learns something new about Buckley. She may even find a way to call him a friend.

Daisy has been working on invisibilizing herself--ever since living with her mother's violent ex-boyfriend, and now to avoid the school bullies who are targeting her. She keeps a low profile, eating lunch with the librarian instead of in the Lunchroom of Terror and secretly counting whenever she's anxious.

But things are looking up. A new boy has befriended her and seems able to stand up to the bullies, and the stray cat she's been feeding is starting to almost trust her. Maybe she can finally focus on futurizing rather than invisibilizing.

Don't miss the companion book, I Forgive Alex, about the importance of compassion and forgiveness.

Inspired by real events, I Walk with Vanessa explores the feelings of helplessness and anger that arise in the wake of seeing a classmate treated badly, and shows how a single act of kindness can lead to an entire community joining in to help. By choosing only pictures to tell their story, the creators underscore the idea that someone can be an ally without having to say a word. With themes of acceptance, kindness, and strength in numbers, this timeless and profound feel-good story will resonate with readers young and old.

A New York Public Library Best Book of the Year

This beautifully illustrated story shows young readers how to become caring and supportive upstanders. Love it! --Trudy Ludwig, bestselling author of The Invisible Boy

Award-winning creators Laurel Croza and Matt James have come together once again to tell the story of what happens when a bullying seagull and a rock meet on the beach.

When a seagull mistakes a small rock for food, it angrily spits it out. What do you think you are? the seagull demands. I am a rock, the rock responds. But the seagull refuses to accept this, insisting that the rock is more like a pebble, or a stone. It predicts that the rock will be thrown into the water and sink, and even if it manages to be washed ashore, the same thing will happen again and again, until the rock is worn down to a mere speck. After all, the rock has no shine, color, crystals or speckles ... In short, it is nothing special.

But a child enjoying a day at the beach sees the rock differently, and their creation in the sand affirms what the rock has known about itself all along.

A quirky, vibrant and very memorable picture book about staying true to yourself.

Key Text Features

dialogue;illustrations

Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.2

Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.4

Ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text.

Mr. Fish and all his friends
Love to play down at the park.
But that ends when they're bullied
By a misbehaving shark

Mr. Fish wants to help.
He knows bullying is wrong
But he's just one fish--
Is he really that strong?

In this board book conversion of the jacketed hardcover, the New York Times-bestselling Pout-Pout Fish teaches a bully shark about kindness and being a friend. Swim along as he discovers the strength of his community, and the power of his own voice.

Sometimes middle school can make you feel like you're totally alone in the universe . . . but what if we aren't alone at all?

Thanks to her best friend, Reagan, Mallory Moss knows the rules of middle school. The most important one? You have to fit in to survive. But then Jennifer Chan moves in across the street, and that rule doesn't seem to apply. Jennifer doesn't care about the laws of middle school, or the laws of the universe. She believes in aliens--and she thinks she can find them.

Then Jennifer goes missing. Using clues from Jennifer's journals, Mallory goes searching. But the closer she gets to answers, the more Mallory has to confront why Jennifer might have run . . . and face the truth within herself.

Tae Keller lights up the sky with this insightful story about shifting friendships, right and wrong, and the power we all hold to influence and change one another. No one is ever truly alone.

Blubber is a good name for her, the note from Caroline said about Linda. Jill crumpled it up and left it on the corner of her school desk. She didn't want to think about Linda or her dumb report on whales just then. Jill wanted to think about Halloween.

But Robby grabbed the note and before Linda stopped talking it had gone halfway around the room. There was something about Linda that made a lot of kids in her fifth-grade class want to see how far they could go...but nobody, Jill least of all, expected the fun to end where it did.

In an honest exploration of childhood bullying, this story is told from the perspective of the bully. While she's not the worst in her class, Jill still participates in bullying Linda, and it takes a drastic turn of events for Jill to understand the consequences of her actions. Written in Judy Blume's celebrated candid style, Blubber is a story of bullying, self-discovery, and what makes a true friendship.