A heartfelt middle-grade novel from New York Times bestselling author Barbara O’Connor about a boy whose life is upended after the loss of his older brother—timeless, classic, and whimsical.

Walter Tipple is looking for adventure. He keeps having a dream that his big brother, Tank, appears before him and says, “Let’s you and me go see my world, little man.” But Tank went to the army and never came home, and Walter doesn’t know how to see the world without him.

Then he meets Posey, the brash new girl from next door, and an eccentric man named Banjo, who’s off on a bodacious adventure of his own. What follows is a summer of taking chances, becoming braver, and making friends—and maybe Walter can learn who he wants to be without the brother he always wanted to be like.

Halfway to Harmony is an utterly charming story about change and growing up.

Don’t miss Barbara O’Connor’s other middle-grade work—like Wish; Wonderland; How to Steal a Dog; Greetings from Nowhere; Fame and Glory in Freedom, Georgia; The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester; and more!

“When Emma discovers the first spot, ‘like a tiny bright moon’ on her left foot, she’s at the funeral of her grandmother, who had been her best friend as well. The diagnosis is vitiligo, a skin condition triggered by stress. Creating a large multigenerational cast, Standish knits an absorbing story of loss, identity, and human connections. A rewarding, realistic novel, illuminated by magical elements.” —Booklist (starred review)

Wonder meets Some Kind of Happiness in this powerful tween novel from Ali Standish, author of the Carnegie Medal nominee The Ethan I Was Before and August Isle.

While her grandmother was alive, Emma’s world was filled with enchantment. But now Gram is gone, and suddenly strange spots are appearing on Emma’s skin. Soon, she’s diagnosed with vitiligo—a condition that makes patches of her skin lose their color—and the magic in her world is suddenly replaced with school bullies and doctor appointments.

But when Emma writes one last story in the journal she shared with Gram, something strange happens. Someone writes back to her, just like Gram used to. Who’s writing to Emma? And just what is her story going to be, now that everything is so different?

Award-winning author Ali Standish explores the ways life transforms us, and how we learn to let go of what we must while still holding fast to who we are.

“Seamlessly blending childhood wonder with the slow lessons of maturity, this tale succeeds in celebrating curiosity, thoughtfulness, and collaboration, centering on relatable characters who welcome readers into their world.” —Publishers Weekly

Can you find your way out of what James Patterson calls the “coolest library in the world”? For the first time, you are invited INSIDE Mr. Lemoncello’s one-of-a-kind Gameworks Factory!

From the coauthor of I Funny and Max Einstein–and with 100+ weeks on the New York Times bestseller list–the LEMONCELLO books are laugh-out-loud, puzzle-packed MUST-READS for homes and classrooms across America.

Far away from his magical library, everyone’s favorite game maker, Luigi Lemoncello, is building something new. Something SECRET. And he’s about to let the world see it. Four lucky kids will win the chance to go inside the new Lemoncello-tastic building on a scavenger hunt that will take them through live-action challenges–skyscraper-size Jenga, dizzying real-life Chutes and Ladders, death-defying games of Rush Hour, and more! Each game will get the players closer to the titanium ticket. And only then will the real secret be revealed. . . .

Don’t miss the bonus puzzle in the back! Look for the rest of the puzzle-packed series–Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library, Mr. Lemoncello’s Library Olympics, Mr. Lemoncello’s Great Library Race, and Mr. Lemoncello’s All-Star Breakout Game!

PRAISE FOR THE SERIES:
44 STATE AWARD LISTS AND COUNTING
100+ WEEKS ON THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER LIST
* “A worthy successor to the original madman puzzle-master himself, Willy Wonka.” –Booklist, starred review