Move over Diary of a Wimpy Kid—there's a new journal in town and it belongs to Ratchet. "A book that is full of surprises...Triumphant enough to make readers cheer; touching enough to make them cry." —Kirkus, STARRED Review If only getting a new life were as easy as getting a new notebook. But it's not. It's the first day of school for all the kids in the neighborhood. But not for me. I'm homeschooled. That means nothing new. No new book bag, no new clothes, and no new friends. The best I've got is this notebook. I'm supposed to use it for my writing assignments, but my dad never checks. Here's what I'm really going to use it for: Ratchet's Top Secret Plan Turn my old, recycled, freakish, friendless life into something shiny and new. This Florida State Book Award gold medal winner is a heartfelt story about an unconventional girl's quest to make a friend, save a park, and find her own definition of normal.

Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 3 to 6 This heartwarming, coming of age story is the perfect book for middle school girls. Featuring a strong female character named Ratchet, who identifies as a motherless daughter, this relatable story with its illustrated format is particularly suited for 9-12 year old kids who love graphic novels. If only getting a new life were as easy as getting a new notebook. But it's not. It's the first day of school for all the kids in the neighborhood. But not for me. I'm homeschooled. That means nothing new. No new book bag, no new clothes, and no friends—old or new. The best I've got is this notebook. I'm supposed to use it for my writing assignments, but my dad never checks. Here's what I'm really going to use it for: Ratchet's Top Secret Plan Project Goal: turn my old, recycled, freakish, friendless, motherless life into something shiny and new. "I cannot imagine a middle grade classroom or library where this book wouldn't be popular."—Colby Sharp, teacher and co-founder of Nerdy Book Club "One of the freshest new voices I've heard in a while...this debut novel is a winner."—Augusta Scattergood, Author of GLORY BE, an Amazon Best Middle Grade Novel of 2012 "A book that is full of surprises...Triumphant enough to make readers cheer; touching enough to make them cry."—Kirkus, STARRED Review Great for parents, librarians and educators looking for: An illustrated format for middle grade readers, especially for reluctant readers and those who love graphic novels A narrative featuring environmentalism and a positive view on activism for kids A story featuring a strong female character A heartwarming story that combines coming of age and accepting one's identity A Florida Book Awards Gold Medalist A Black-Eyed Susan Book Award nominee A South Carolina Book Awards nominee A Maine Student Book Award title A Green Prize for Sustainable Literature winner Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award nominee

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 to 7 From the award-winning author of This Journal Belongs to Ratchet, a hilarious and heartwarming story about cheerleading, popularity, and middle school survival told exclusively through lists and letters. Always Abigail is the perfect growing up book for girls, and with its illustrated format, this book is perfectly suited for reluctant readers kids aged 9-12 who love graphic novels. Sixth Grade To Do List: Make the Pom Pom Squad! Be best friends forever with Alli and Cami Don't panic when #1 and #2 look like they're totally not going to happen Abigail and her two best friends are poised for a life of pom-poms and popularity. But not only does Abigail end up in a different homeroom, she doesn't make the squad. Then everyone's least favorite teacher pairs Abigail up with the school's biggest outcast for a year-long Friendly Letter Assignment. Abigail can hardly believe her bad luck! As her so-called best friends and dreams of pom pom fame start to slip away, Abigail has to choose between the little bit of popularity she has left or letting it go to be a true friend. A Texas Bluebonnet Nominee A South Carolina Book Awards Honoree "Brimming with honesty and heart."—Caroline Starr Rose, award-winning author of MAY B. "Told in the hyper-chatty, status-obsessed voice of your secretly sweet best friend, Always, Abigail is always adorable."—Tim Federle, author of Better Nate Than Eve Great for parents and educators looking for: A story told in a unique format, perfect for readers that love graphic novels and reluctant readers A good conversation starter for girls who are having trouble adjusting to a new grade or school A realistic story about a girl who struggles to balance social pressures and her own moral compass

Just Like Me is the perfect book for middle school girls and doubles as an adoption book for kids, as three adopted sisters navigate their relationship with one another while at summer camp. From the award-winning author of This Journal Belongs to Ratchet, comes a funny, uplifting summer camp story about unlikely friendships and finding your place in the world, making this the perfect growing up book for girls. Told through a mix of traditional narrative and journal entries, don't miss this funny, surprisingly sweet summer read! Who eats Cheetos with chopsticks?! Avery and Becca, my "Chinese Sisters," that's who. We're not really sisters—we were just adopted from the same orphanage. And we're nothing alike. They like egg rolls, and I like pizza. They wave around Chinese fans, and I pretend like I don't know them. Which is not easy since we're all going to summer camp to "bond." (Thanks, Mom.) To make everything worse, we have to journal about our time at camp so the adoption agency can do some kind of "where are they now" newsletter. I'll tell you where I am: At Camp Little Big Lake in a cabin with five other girls who aren't getting along, competing for a camp trophy and losing (badly), wondering how I got here...and where I belong. Told through a mix of traditional narrative and journal entries, don't miss this funny, surprisingly sweet summer read! "A tender and honest story about a girl trying to find her place in the world, and the thread that connects us all."—Liesl Shurtliff, author of Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin "A heartwarming story about the universal struggle of yearning to be an individual while longing to fit in."—Karen Harrington, author of Sure Kinds of Crazy

How an ordinary mammal manipulated nature to become technologically sophisticated city-dwellers -- and why our history points to an optimistic future in the face of environmental crisis Our species long lived on the edge of starvation. Now we produce enough food for all 7 billion of us to eat nearly 3,000 calories every day. This is such an astonishing thing in the history of life as to verge on the miraculous. The Big Ratchet is the story of how it happened, of the ratchets -- the technologies and innovations, big and small -- that propelled our species from hunters and gatherers on the savannahs of Africa to shoppers in the aisles of the supermarket. The Big Ratchet itself came in the twentieth century, when a range of technologies -- from fossil fuels to scientific plant breeding to nitrogen fertilizers -- combined to nearly quadruple our population in a century, and to grow our food supply even faster. To some, these technologies are a sign of our greatness; to others, of our hubris. MacArthur fellow and Columbia University professor Ruth DeFries argues that the debate is the wrong one to have. Limits do exist, but every limit that has confronted us, we have surpassed. That cycle of crisis and growth is the story of our history; indeed, it is the essence of The Big Ratchet. Understanding it will reveal not just how we reached this point in our history, but how we might survive it.

Elsie Mae Has Something to Say is the perfect book for middle school girls and summer reading book for kids. From the award-winning author of This Journal Belongs to Ratchet, comes a sweet and uplifting coming of age tale about friendship, sensitivity, and the importance of protecting our planet, making this the perfect growing up book for girls. Elsie Mae is pretty sure this'll be the best summer ever. She gets to explore the cool, quiet waters of the Okefenokee Swamp around her grandparents' house with her new dog, Huck, and she's written a letter to President Roosevelt that she's confident will save the swamp from a shipping company and make her a major hometown hero. Then, news reaches Elsie Mae of some hog bandits stealing from swamper families, and she sees another opportunity to make her family proud while waiting to hear back from the White House. But when her cousin Henry James, who dreams of one day becoming a traveling preacher like his daddy, shows up and just about ruins her investigation with his "Hallelujahs," Elsie Mae will learn the hard way what it really means to be a hero. Praise for Elsie Mae Has Something to Say: "Swamp magic."—Kirkus Reviews "An engrossing story."—Booklist Also by Nancy J. Cavanaugh: This Journal Belongs to Ratchet Always, Abigail Just Like Me

From NYT bestselling author Blue Balliett, the story of a girl who falls into Chicago's shelter system, and from there must solve the mystery of her father's strange disappearance. Where is Early's father? He's not the kind of father who would disappear. But he's gone . . . and he's left a whole lot of trouble behind.As danger closes in, Early, her mom, and her brother have to flee their apartment. With nowhere else to go, they are forced to move into a city shelter. Once there, Early starts asking questions and looking for answers. Because her father hasn't disappeared without a trace. There are patterns and rhythms to what's happened, and Early might be the only one who can use them to track him down and make her way out of a very tough place.With her signature, singular love of language and sense of mystery, Blue Balliett weaves a story that takes readers from the cold, snowy Chicago streets to the darkest corner of the public library, on an unforgettable hunt for deep truths and a reunited family.