Ten-year-old Auggie Pullman, who was born with extreme facial abnormalities and was not expected to survive, goes from being home-schooled to entering fifth grade at a private middle school in Manhattan, which entails enduring the taunting and fear of his classmates as he struggles to be seen as just another student.

"Greg Heffley's on a losing streak. His best friend, Rowley Jefferson, has ditched him, and finding new friends in middle school is proving to be a tough task. To change his fortunes, Greg decides to take a leap of faith and turn his decisions over to chance. Will a roll of the dice turn things around, or is Greg's life destined to be just another hard-luck story?"--

Middle-schooler Nate Wright vies against his rival, the "perfect" Artur, to win the grand prize of a customized skateboard in their scout troop contest.

"The latest illustrated novel from Lincoln Peirce is a laugh-out-loud must-read starring the one and only cartooning genius, king of detention, and Cheez Doodle connoisseur, Nate Wright. Nate's not having the best of luck . . . in fact; he's not having ANY luck. But with a little boost thanks to Chad's lucky foot, suddenly good luck is everywhere Nate turns! Nate's in the zone! But how long will it last?" --

Middle-schooler Greg Heffley is the prime suspect when it is discovered that school property has been damaged, but when a surprise blizzard hits and school is closed, Greg is stuck indoors with his family, unable to prove his innocence.

The Dunwiddle Magic School (fifth to eighth grade) is intended for children whose magic is "upside-down" like Dory (who turns into a combination of a kitten and dragon) and Pepper (whose uncontrollable "fiercing" terrifies everyone around her)--so the Show Off, where fifth grade students are supposed to showcase their skills, does not really seem like a good idea.

Principal Nichols wants Nate to be buddies with new kid Breckenridge Puffington III and show him around. But that's no easy task when Breckenridge is a plant-doodling total fun-sponge. There's also something strangely familiar about this guy. . . . What in the world could it be? Meet BIG NATE, Mr. Big-time Doodler and definitely NOT the teacher's pet.

When Miss Know-It-All's inbox overflows with pleas for guidance, Nikki Maxwell, the school newspaper advice columnist, turns to her best friends for help.

When scholarship student Nikki Maxwell, whose father is the school exterminator, decides to enter the talent show at her expensive private school, her nemesis MacKenzie threatens to reveal Nikki's status to the rest of the school.

Ella Mentry School's newest teacher, Mrs. Lizzy, has some very strange ideas about learning during recess.