Themes: basketball, curses, technology, science fiction Travis knew he had mad skills on the court. Off the court his life was pretty sweet too. Everything was chill until Travis dissed a chain email. Who believes in that stuff? Forward it immediately? Nah! Oops! Big mistake. White Lightning Books addresses a wide variety of themes and interests in a narrow range of reading levels, no higher than a 2.5. Middle school is a time of self-discovery, high energy, and hormonal change. It can also be a time of self-assertion and defiance. Students who struggle to read will often not recover from low reading achievement in elementary school if their particular interests are not addressed. Encouragement and finding the theme to “hook” them is key. There is a broad range of interest and abilities in this age group, even with struggling readers. These are not YA or elementary books—a fact younger teens will appreciate. Each book is approximately 100 pages with covers that will appeal to young teen readers. The titles in the White Lightning series are designed in a similar style. Students will know what to expect when they pick up a book: a fast-paced story, mature and age-appropriate topics, short chapters, and achievable reading success.

Drawing from disciplines as diverse as linguistics, cognitive science, psychology, and neuroscience, The Emoji Code explores how emojis are expanding communication and not ending it. For all the handwringing about the imminent death of written language, emoji—those happy faces and hearts—is not taking us backward to the dark ages of illiteracy. Every day 41.5 billion texts are sent by one quarter of the world, using 6 million emoji. Evans argues that these symbols enrich our ability to communicate and allow us to express our emotions and induce empathy—ultimately making us all better communicators. The Emoji Code charts the evolutionary origins of language, the social and cultural factors that govern its use, change, and development; as well as what it reveals about the human mind. In most communication, nonverbal cues are our emotional expression, signal our personality, and are our attitude toward our addressee. They provide the essential means of nuance and are essential to getting our ideas across. But in digital communication, these cues are missing, which can lead to miscommunication. The explosion of emojis in recent years has arisen precisely because it fulfills exactly these functions which are essential for communication but are otherwise absent in texts and emails. Evans persuasively argues that emoji add tone and an emotional voice and nuance, making us more effective communicators in the digital age.

Emojis used for the letters 'o' in title on title page and spine.

Themes: Africa, revolution, violence, war, child soldiers, survival Koji’s world is like any boy’s. He loves sports. Goes to school. Studies hard. Dreams big. But childhood ends quickly. Rebel forces enter his village. They ransack the school. Their teacher is beaten. Maybe even killed. The boys line up, guns to their backs. Koji’s group goes one way. His best friend’s another. What’s happened to his family? They are all dead, says a rebel. And you will be too if you don’t do what we say. They march for hours. Days. One boy drinks too much water. He is hit again and again. Then murdered. The boys watch and learn. That will not be their fate. It’s kill or be killed. So they kill...

When I asked for magic, this was not what I had in mind. Getting to be a part of an intricate secret celestial society of gods, nymphs, demigods, and everyone in between sounds great, doesn’t it? A fully developed magical kingdom with mythology turned into real life, magic powers, archery, swordplay, mace-fighting, talking animals, strategy, portals, technology, knowledge, tons of eye candy, explanation, being a part of something so much bigger: everyone dreams of that. But what most people don’t take into account? The casual murder attempts on a random Tuesday during a field trip, the drunk woodpeckers, the headstrong Governance & Administration not believing you to be competent enough to be a child of the god who claimed you, the demons challenging you to dance battles, the almost-dying three times a day, the blood-curdling secrets you wish you could forget, the nightmares, the visions, the owls that speak exclusively in out-of-date slang, the bloodthirsty monsters, the sleepless nights, and the lack of certainty about whether you’ll see tomorrow’s dawn. My name is Anusha Malhotra, and things have gotten real messy real quick. If you thought the Hindu gods were simply mythology… well, you were mythaken.

Themes: Fitting In, Differences, Bullying, Friendship, Fiction, Tween, Emergent Reader, Chapter Book, Hi-Lo, Hi-Lo Books, Hi-Lo Solutions, High-Low Books, Hi-Low Books, ELL, EL, ESL, Struggling Learner, Struggling Reader, Special Education, SPED, Newcomers, Reading, Learning, Education, Educational, Educational Books. Serena is the new girl in town, and she has snagged a cool boyfriend, who seems amazing ... until she learns the truth. White Lightning Books addresses a wide variety of themes and interests in a narrow range of reading levels, no higher than a 2.5. Students who struggle to read will often not recover from low reading achievement in elementary school if their particular interests are not addressed. Encouragement and finding the theme to –hook” them is key. These are not YA or elementary books„a fact younger teens will appreciate. Each book is approximately 100 pages with covers that will appeal to young teen readers. The titles in the White Lightning series are designed in a similar style. Students will know what to expect when they pick up a book: a fast-paced story, mature and age-appropriate topics, short chapters, and achievable reading success.

Themes: Girls Tackle Football, Friendship, Teamwork, Fiction, Tween, Emergent Reader, Chapter Book, Hi-Lo, Hi-Lo Books, Hi-Lo Solutions, High-Low Books, Hi-Low Books, ELL, EL, ESL, Struggling Learner, Struggling Reader, Special Education, SPED, Newcomers, Reading, Learning, Education, Educational, Educational Books. Jasmine wants to play tackle football with the boys. They refuse, but their coach says she can play against the boys if she can build a girls' team. White Lightning Books addresses a wide variety of themes and interests in a narrow range of reading levels, no higher than a 2.5. Students who struggle to read will often not recover from low reading achievement in elementary school if their particular interests are not addressed. Encouragement and finding the theme to –hook” them is key. These are not YA or elementary books„a fact younger teens will appreciate. Each book is approximately 100 pages with covers that will appeal to young teen readers. The titles in the White Lightning series are designed in a similar style. Students will know what to expect when they pick up a book: a fast-paced story, mature and age-appropriate topics, short chapters, and achievable reading success.