"Cody knows there are many mysteries in the big, wide universe. Like why it hurts so bad to get stung by a yellow jacket. Or the exact moment when her best friend, Spencer, will arrive with his parents and move into her neighborhood for good. But the biggest mystery of all may be Mr. Meen, Grandma Grace's next-door neighbor. No one has ever seen him, and when a 'Welcome home' sign appears in his window, Cody and Spencer can hardly wait to see who shows up"--

Middle-grade readers drawn to Judy Moody or Clementine will find a funny and charismatic companion in Cody, star of this delightful new series. For whimsical Cody, many things are beautiful, especially ants who say hello by rubbing feelers. But nothing is as beautiful as the first day of summer vacation, and Cody doesn’t want to waste one minute of it. Meanwhile, teenage brother Wyatt is moping over a girl, Mom is stressed about her new job as Head of Shoes, Dad is off hauling chairs in his long-distance truck, and even camp has been closed for the summer. What to do? Just when all seems lost, Cody bumps into a neighborhood boy named Spencer who is looking for a runaway cat. With a new friend and a soon-to-be-found cat, Cody is on her way to the fountain of happiness.

The Dead Gentleman is a wild ride between parallel New York City timestreams—1901 and today. Eleven-year-old Tommy Learner is a street orphan and an unlikely protege to the Explorers, a secret group dedicated to exploring portals—the hidden doorways to other worlds. But while investigating an attercop (man-eating spider) in the basement of an old hotel, Tommy is betrayed—and trapped. And it's then that his world collides with that of modern-day Jezebel Lemon, who, until the day she decides to explore her building's basement, had no bigger worries than homework and boys. Now, Jezebel and Tommy must thwart the Dead Gentleman, a legendary villain whose last unconquered world is our own planet Earth, a realm where the dead stay dead. Until now. Can two kids put an end to this ancient evil and his legions of Gravewalkers?

“Written with verve and style, this nicely illustrated chapter book delves into Cody’s emotions as she wrestles with her conscience.” — Booklist In Cody’s life, many things seem to follow rules that Cody just can’t figure out. Like why her older brother, Wyatt, is obsessed with his new bicycle, or why her best friend Pearl suddenly wants to trade favorite toys. And when prized possessions start going missing, Cody gets a crash course in the most important rules of all — the rules of life.

Readers of Kate DiCamillo and Sheila Turnage will love Moonpenny Island, a middle grade novel of friendship and secrets by the beloved and acclaimed Tricia Springstubb. Moonpenny is a tiny island in a great lake. When the summer people leave and the ferries stop running, just the tried-and-true islanders are left behind. Flor and her best, her perfect friend, Sylvie, are the only eleven-year-olds for miles and miles—and Flor couldn’t be happier. But come the end of summer, unthinkable things begin to happen. Sylvie is suddenly, mysteriously, whisked away to school on the mainland. Flor’s mother leaves to take care of Flor’s sick grandmother and doesn’t come back. Her big sister has a secret, and Flor fears it’s a dangerous one. Meanwhile, a geologist and his peculiar daughter arrive to excavate prehistoric trilobites, one of the first creatures to develop sight. Soon Flor is helping them. As her own ability to see her life on this little lump of limestone evolves, she faces truths about those she loves—and about herself—she never imagined.

Perfect for fans of Andrew Clements and The Borrowers, By the Grace of Todd is the laugh-out-loud answer to what happens if you leave dirty laundry on the floor . . . and don’t follow your mother’s instructions to clean your room. Twelve-year-old Todd has created life through sheer grossness. How did he become an accidental god? Ingredient A: A worn athletic sock Ingredient B: Dirt from the Great and Powerful Todd himself Instructions: Leave under bed for months. Do not clean room. Yields: 50 ant-sized Toddlians BUT WATCH OUT! When school bully Max Loving puts the future of the tiny Toddlians in jeopardy, Todd will have to do everything in his power to save the race his very negligence created.

The first book in an exciting new middle grade mystery series from actress, artist, and social star Hayley LeBlanc! In Hayley Mysteries: The Haunted Studio, when Hayley is cast as the lead in a Nancy Drew like kids TV show, strange things start happening around the studio and she becomes a real-life sleuth. Hayley needs YOU to help her solve a terrifying ghost mystery in this fun-filled, action-packed story. Plus, get a behind-the-scenes look at what it's like to be an actress IRL! When Hayley gets the lead role in a new TV show called Sadie Solves It, she's so excited...even if there are rumors of hauntings surrounding the Silver Screen Studios. It's LA, she thinks—there are ghost stories everywhere! But to her surprise, strange things actually start happening as production ramps up. Lights flicker, cold blasts of air come out of nowhere, and one day the electricity is cut to the studio entirely with no clear cause. Can Hayley and her two best friends solve the mystery of the haunted studio...before it means curtains for their show? The perfect choice for anyone looking for mystery books for kids 9-12!