Josh Baxter levels up by Gavin Brown - When Josh Baxter's mother takes away the video games that have become his refuge because of his poor grades, Josh realizes he has to come up with a new strategy for success

Ramona Quimby, age 8 by Beverly Cleary - Ramona at 7 1/2 sometimes feels discriminated against by being the youngest in the family

Lunch money by Andrew Clements - Twelve-year-old Greg, who has always been good at moneymaking projects, is surprised to find himself teaming up with his lifelong rival, Maura, to create a series of comic books to sell at school

The Mighty Odds by Amy Ignatow - A bus crash gives four very different middle schoolers odd super powers, and although they wouldn't normally be caught dead together, they must pool their powers to find out what happened to them

Shine! by J.J. & Chris Grabenstein - When seventh-grader Piper's father is hired by Chumley Prep, a school where every student seems to be the best at everything, she gets the chance to compete for the prestigious Excelsior Award

TBH, this is SO Awkward : a novel in text by Lisa Greenwald - Told entirely in text messages, emails, and notes, best friends Prianka, Gabby, and Cecily find their friendship tested by busily planning a spring fair, bullying, and boys

Ungifted by Gordon Korman - Due to an administrative mix-up, troublemaker Donovan Curtis is sent to the Academy of Scholastic Distinction, a special program for gifted and talented students, after pulling a major prank at middle school

The unteachables by Gordon Korman - Told in alternating voices, the teacher and students in room 117 find their lives changed over the course of a school year

Merci Suárez changes gears by Meg Medina - Merci Suárez begins the sixth grade and knows things will change, but she did not count on her grandfather acting strangely, not fitting in at her private school, and dealing with Edna Santos' jealousy

Do not open! by Mark Parisi - When middle schooler Marty Pants discovers an alien plot to take over the world, it is up to him to investigate and save the world

Middle school. The worst years of my life by James Patterson and Chris Tebbetts - When Rafe Khatchadorian enters middle school, he teams up with his best friend to create a game to make school more fun by trying to break every rule

Locker hero by Rachel Renée Russell - Questioning his resolve to attend public school, Max aspires to become like his favorite comic book heroes and finds an unexpected opportunity to be the hero his middle school needs

Penny draws a best friend by Sara Shepard - Fifth grader Penny, who doodles to cope with anxiety, worries that her best friend is drifting away

Ahmed Aziz's epic year by Nina Hamza - A Indian American boy endures a family move from Hawaii to frigid Minnesota and, with the help of three life-changing books he reads in school, he learns to like reading, and ultimately, himself