Guest blog post by Vaishali Nayak, Trade Marketing
Great stories are gold mines, which is why we’re celebrating some of our bestselling, award-winning, and critically acclaimed middle-grade stories in a new line of paperback editions called Scholastic Gold! Filled with bonus material, each title is a treasure trove you won’t want to miss.
Reach for gold with these great reads, perfect for kids ages 8-12.
For even more details, click here!
Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan
After a sudden tragedy, a wealthy Mexican girl and her mother lose everything and are forced to flee to the United States, where they must work as migrant workers during the Great Depression.
BONUS MATERIALS INCLUDE:
Extended About the Author • Q&A with Pam Muñoz Ryan • Activities • Echo Excerpt
A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd
Felicity finally thinks she’s found a home in Midnight Gulch. But first she’ll have to break a curse, bring back the town’s magic—and convince her mom to finally settle down.
BONUS MATERIALS INCLUDE:
Extended About the Author • Q&A with Natalie Lloyd • Activity • The Key to Extraordinary Excerpt
Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett, illustrated by Brett Helquist
When Petra and Calder end up in the middle of an international art scandal, the clever duo must track down a stolen Vermeer painting—and solve a case even the FBI can’t crack.
BONUS MATERIALS INCLUDE:
Extended About the Author and Illustrator • Q&As with Blue Balliett and Brett Helquist • Activities and Puzzles
George by Alex Gino
People look at Melissa and think they see a boy named George, but she knows she’s a girl. When she’s told she can’t play Charlotte the spider in the class play, she and her best friend come up with a plan to show everyone who she is, once and for all.
BONUS MATERIALS INCLUDE:
Extended About the Author • Frequently Asked Questions (And Other Things Alex Wants to Say)
Rules by Cynthia Lord
Catherine longs for a normal life, but her brother’s autism makes that seem impossible—until some new friends turn Catherine’s life upside down and force her to wonder: What is normal?
BONUS MATERIALS INCLUDE:
Extended About the Author • Q&A with Cynthia Lord • Activities and Puzzles
Save Me a Seat by Sarah Weeks and Gita Varadarajan
Joe and Ravi—one born in America, one born in India—might seem very different, but they have a common enemy (the middle school’s biggest bully) and a common mission: to take control of their lives.
BONUS MATERIALS INCLUDE:
Extended About the Authors • Glossaries • Recipes
A Dog’s Life by Ann M. Martin
In this poignant tale of survival and friendship by a Newbery Honor author, a stray dog separated from her mother and brother is forced to make her own way in the world.
BONUS MATERIALS INCLUDE:
Extended About the Author • Q&A with Ann M. Martin • Ways to Get Involved
A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielsen
A young girl must escape to freedom with her brother after the Berlin Wall divides her family between east and west.
BONUS MATERIALS INCLUDE:
Extended About the Author • Q&A with Jennifer A. Nielsen • Historical Context • Resistance Excerpt
Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis
A young boy born into freedom in a Canadian town of runaway slaves takes a dangerous journey to the United States and discovers firsthand the unimaginable horrors of slavery.
BONUS MATERIALS INCLUDE:
Extended About the Author • Q&A with Christopher Paul Curtis • Historical Context
Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins
When Gregor falls through a grate in the laundry room of his apartment building, he hurtles into the Underland, where spiders, rats, and giant cockroaches coexist uneasily with humans.
BONUS MATERIALS INCLUDE:
Extended About the Author • Q&A with Suzanne Collins • Fun Facts and Activities • Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane: Book Two in the Underland Chronicles Excerpt
Missing May by Cynthia Rylant
In this story about loss and healing, Summer struggles to deal with the death of her beloved Aunt May—and to help her Uncle Ob find a reason to go on living.
BONUS MATERIALS INCLUDE:
Extended About the Author • Fun Facts, Crafts, and Activities • Cynthia Rylant’s Newbery Medal Acceptance Speech
My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
When the American Revolution divides his family, Tim is forced to make a difficult choice between the Patriots and the Redcoats . . . and between his brother and his father.
BONUS MATERIALS INCLUDE:
Extended About the Authors • Q&A with Christopher Collier • Historical Context • Revolutionary Games
Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse
In a series of compelling free-verse poems, fifteen-year-old Billie Jo tells the gripping tale of her family's struggle to survive during the dust bowl years of the Great Depression.
BONUS MATERIALS INCLUDE:
Extended About the Author • Q&A with Karen Hesse • Historical Context • Excerpts from Karen Hesse’s Newbery Medal Acceptance Speech
Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick
A troubled, oversized teen and a tiny, physically challenged genius forge a unique friendship when they team up to create one formidable force.
BONUS MATERIALS INCLUDE:
Extended About the Author • Q&A with Rodman Philbrick • Writing Tips, Fun Facts, and Activities • Max the Mighty Excerpt
