Harbor

Twelve-year-old Victoria "Vic" Smith is not excited about summer in Willow Falls, Oklahoma. Uprooted from her friends and her home, Vic is staying at her grandpa's cattle ranch there while her mom works and saves up money for a new house. At least the town holds rodeos where she can show off her barrel-racing skills on her trusty horse, Buddy. But otherwise, Willow Falls seems to have nothing but mean girls and mysteries about her dad's past, a past her mom won't say a word about. When Vic discovers that her father had been a famous bull rider, she knows she has to try the sport that he loved so much. But bull riding is dangerous, predominantly done by boys and men, and something her mom is vehemently against. Can Vic convince her mom to give her this chance to know the father she lost long ago?

Thirteen-year-old Tom Goodwin is not happy about moving hundreds of miles away from his best friend, thanks to his dad's new job. His new classmates think his Boston accent is weird, his new school is seriously old, and his new friends-just kidding. He has no new friends here. But at least he's not as weird as Lata Seth, a fellow eighth grader who skips class to stare at an empty wall of the school hallway in the belief that a door will randomly appear there. Sure, she's sad because her sister died, and her comments about wanting to disappear through the door are a bit alarming. But the door doesn't exist, Tom tells himself, so he doesn't need to worry about her. Then, to Tom's shock, the door appears, and as he tries to keep Lata from going in, he is pushed through as well. On the other side, they find themselves in the exact same school hallway . . . except in this world, they don't exist. These unlikely allies will have to work together to return to their homes and the people who love them. Characterized by exciting, fast-paced plots and age-appropriate themes, Harbor's Hi-Lo books are both engaging and easy to read. Short chapters, simple sentence structures, and an accessible format make these books perfect for tween reluctant readers. Harbor books are written at a 2nd- to 3rd-grade reading level with an interest level of ages 10 and up.

Twelve-year-old Marty Rucker's dream of going to space camp lifts off in T minus two months. But when his drama teacher dad loses his job, Marty's Camp Cosmos money is needed to help pay the bills. It looks like his astronaut dreams will languish on the launchpad until Marty sees an open casting call for a Crunchy Clowns cereal commercial. He auditions, hoping to earn enough cash for his camp fee. Instead of giving him the commercial gig, the producer taps Marty for the lead role in the musical zombie sitcom, Zeke Street​​-which would be totally cool if Marty weren't super squeamish. Now the kid who can't swallow soggy cereal has to train himself to stomach hand sandwiches without upchucking every take. But Marty has bigger headaches than scrambled brains for breakfast, including an obnoxious stage dad, rabid fans, and a rival actor who sabotages Marty's scenes. Still, with foreclosure looming and his sights set on the stars, Marty must decide: leave his best friend and move in with his grandparents in another state or find a way to endure being undead, even if it kills him. Characterized by exciting, fast-paced plots and age-appropriate themes, Harbor's Hi-Lo books are both engaging and easy to read. Short chapters, simple sentence structures, and an accessible format make these books perfect for tween reluctant readers. Harbor books are written at a 2nd- to 3rd-grade reading level with an interest level of ages 10 and up.

Fourteen-year-old Meg knows aliens are real. Everyone does. But she's not happy with them. Extraterrestrials landed on Earth twenty years ago and took off fast. They didn't leave behind advanced science or miracle cures. Instead, they delivered an alien r

Elias and Ty have been best friends ever since they discovered a shared love of exploring abandoned places: Elias, for old treasures and artifacts, and Ty, for hauntings and other strange events he can film to build his popularity. So when rumors start spreading about a nearby vacant lot and the odd lights seen there at night, the two friends know they need to investigate. To their surprise, Elias and Ty find a bloody tent buried in the lot. They wonder who put it there, and why? Their investigation leads the friends to uncover mysteries even stranger than ghosts, and what starts as a simple search for answers turns into a dangerous mission when it becomes clear there are people who want to keep the lot's secrets buried. Elias and Ty must race to uncover and expose these secrets before others can stop them from speaking out for good.

Growing up comes with growing pains no matter what, but for twelve-year-old Libby, the changes feel like more than she can bear. After an incident caused by his worsening dementia, Libby's grandfather comes to live with her family, a move that ripples out into other changes. Libby's dad quits his job to become the grandfather's primary caretaker, while her mom picks up the financial slack by working extra shifts. Meanwhile, Libby's older sister and ex-best friend, Erica, packs for a move to boarding school to make room in their modest family home. Libby feels like her cozy world is crashing down around her. But how can she keep up when she's the only one standing still?

As World War II rages on, fifteen-year-old Anna Teresa Martin is sent to her grandfather's cattle ranch in Arizona for safety. But the sleepy town she expected is now a thriving supply depot and military training center. Eager to assist the war effort, Anna begins helping out around town. Tensions rise when rumors spread that Nazi spies are trying to stop the town's wartime production. With a saboteur in their midst, the townspeople begin turning on one another. When Anna's friend is accused of being the culprit, Anna is determined to prove his innocence. With her friend's trial looming closer and Nazi prisoners on the loose from the nearby prison camp, Anna will risk everything to help her new community and discover who the real spy is. Characterized by exciting, fast-paced plots and age-appropriate themes, Harbor's Hi-Lo books are both engaging and easy to read. Short chapters, simple sentence structures, and an accessible format make these books perfect for tween reluctant readers. Harbor books are written at a 2nd- to 3rd-grade reading level with an interest level of ages 10 and up.

Lewis Hekyll has big plans to fight world hunger with his S.P.R.O.U.T. plant food formula. But first, the seventh-grade science whiz needs to save his dad's job as the high school basketball coach. In this tiny town, basketball is the name of the game, and the season is off to a bad start. When Lew sees proof that his S.P.R.O.U.T. formula works, he comes up with the colossal idea to supersize himself. Without waiting to observe the long-term effects, Lew secretly drinks the formula. If his plan works, he'll be able to save the basketball season, his dad's job, and the world. While the experiment is a success, Lew's new alter ego looms a little too large. But he forges ahead, developing a basketball persona named Jimmy Snyde. Combining Snyde's size with his own physics knowledge, Lew creates an on-court “miracle kid.” Unfortunately, the off-court monster Lew is becoming may ruin everything.

Fourteen-year-old Tessa has always loved her grandmother's family fun park. Once a dazzling display of roadside attractions, highlighted by her grandmother's puppet show, the park is now struggling after her parents inherited it. This might be the park's last summer. Tessa, missing her grandmother, can't bring herself to take over the puppet show, no matter how many times her parents ask. Luckily, a strange traveling puppeteer offers to do the show for free, which might save the park from ruin. Liza captivates her nightly audiences with tales of ghosts, monsters, and witches. She is magnetic and mesmerizing-a master storyteller-but her sharp gaze often sends chills crawling over Tessa's skin. When children begin disappearing from the park and adults seem to fall under some kind of spell, Tessa goes undercover as the puppeteer's apprentice to investigate. But when a friend goes missing, she must untangle a web of lies and magic in time to save them all. That's not so easy when someone else is pulling your strings. Characterized by exciting, fast-paced plots and age-appropriate themes, Harbor's Hi-Lo books are both engaging and easy to read. Short chapters, simple sentence structures, and an accessible format make these books perfect for tween reluctant readers. Harbor books are written at a 2nd- to 3rd-grade reading level with an interest level of ages 10 and up.

Thirteen-year-old Asta has Crouzon syndrome, a condition that stopped her skull from growing as it should. Bullied for her looks, Asta has struggled to feel like she belongs. When her doctor suggests yet another surgery with no guarantee that she'll look normal after it's done, Asta feels more discouraged than ever. Then Asta spots some girls from school lifting weights, and she can't help but be interested. The girls look strong and confident–exactly how Asta wants to feel. When they invite her to join their group, Asta gathers her courage and accepts. Lifting weights helps her appreciate the strength in her body. Even better, the girls who invited her start to feel like friends. But when one of her bullies confronts her and she's forced to defend herself, her new strength gets her in trouble. Asta is suspended from school, and her mom forbids her from lifting. Will Asta be able to convince her mom that her lifting is worth supporting? Characterized by exciting, fast-paced plots and age-appropriate themes, Harbor's Hi-Lo books are both engaging and easy to read. Short chapters, simple sentence structures, and an accessible format make these books perfect for tween reluctant readers. Harbor books are written at a 2nd- to 3rd-grade reading level with an interest level of ages 10 and up.