From the author of Rhyme Schemer, House Arrest, and Knockout!

The Kids Under the Stairs: BenBee and the Teacher Griefer is a funny, clever novel-in-verse series about Ben Bennet–who failed the Language Arts section of the Florida State test–and three classmates who get stuck in a summer school class.

But these kids aren’t dumb–they’re divergent thinkers, as Ms. J tells them: they simply approach things in a different way than traditional school demands.

* Each chapter is told through the perspective of one of the four students, who each write in a different style (art, verse, stream of consciousness).
* Celebrates different types of intelligence
* A heartwarming, laugh-out-loud novel-in-verse

Soon, the kids win over Ms. J with their passion for Sandbox, a Minecraft-type game. The kids make a deal with Ms. J: every minute they spend reading aloud equals one minute they get to play Sandbox in class. But when the administration finds about this unorthodox method of teaching, Ben B. and his buds have to band together to save their teacher’s job–and their own academic future.

The first in a series of complementary storylines, this is an honest, heartfelt book about friendship, videogames, and learning to love yourself.

* Features a distinct and engaging cast of characters
* Encourages even the most reluctant reader to embrace their own “divergent” self
* Perfect for parents of kids age 10 and up who love Minecraft, educators and librarians, middle grade readers, new readers of poetry, and fans of videogames
* Add it to the shelf with books like Ghost by Jason Reynolds, Patina by Jason Reynolds, and Short by Holly Goldberg Sloan.

Amelia Peabody lives in a small town where nothing changes. And that’s just fine by her. After losing her big sister, Clara, a few years ago, Amelia can’t handle any more change. But when she starts eighth grade, she accidentally receives a letter that Clara had written to herself. In it, there’s a list of things she’d wanted to do before the end of middle school and never finished, like get on the softball team and throw an awesome birthday party on the lake.
Amelia wonders if it’s a sign from Clara. Maybe if she completed the list, her heart would stop hurting so much, and she could go back to being her old self. But as she makes her way through, Amelia finds that there’s no going back, only forward. And she realizes she’ll have to put her own spin on Clara’s list to grow and change in the ways she needs to.
K. A. Holt’s beautiful new novel is about grieving and growing up, and the ripples loss creates for a girl, a family, and a community.

Timothy is on probation. It’s a strange word-something that happens to other kids, to delinquents, not to kids like him. And yet, he is under house arrest for the next year. He must check in weekly with a probation officer and a therapist, and keep a journal for an entire year. And mostly, he has to stay out of trouble. But when he must take drastic measures to help his struggling family, staying out of trouble proves more difficult than Timothy ever thought it would be. By turns touching and funny, and always original, House Arrest is a middlegrade novel in verse about one boy’s path to redemption as he navigates life with a sick brother, a grieving mother, and one tough probation officer.

A universal story of finding a way to be comfortable in your own skin: Kate and Tam meet, and both of their worlds tip sideways. At first, Tam figures Kate is your stereotypical cheerleader; Kate sees Tam as another tall jock. And the more they keep running into each other, the more they surprise each other. Beneath Kate’s sleek ponytail and perfect facade, Tam sees a goofy, sensitive, lonely girl. And Tam’s so much more than a volleyball player, Kate realizes: She’s everything Kate wishes she could be. It’s complicated. Except it’s not. When Kate and Tam meet, they fall in like. It’s as simple as that. But not everybody sees it that way.

* A novel in verse about two girls discovering their feelings for each other in a sincere and relatable way that helps young reader connect to the storyline
* K.A. Holt is the author of Rhyme Schemer, House Arrest, Knockout, and several other books for young people. She lives in Austin, Texas

“A glowing, heartfelt addition to the middle-grade LGBTQ genre.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“The free verse narration is totally accessible, flowing quick and clear, and Holt plays with form, beautifully highlighting the parallel internal journeys, often achieving something akin to a musical duet. Ultimately, this is a . . . moving story well-told.” — Booklist, starred review

* A great chapter book for middle school students
* Novels for preteens and teenagers ages 10-14