New Releases by Robin Mellom

Cheer along with Hannah Sparkles on her first day of school! Hannah Sparkles and her best friend, Sunny Everbright, are ready for first grade. Their day starts as perfect as pom-poms...until Hannah and Sunny are seated far apart in the classroom. Even worse, Hannah is having trouble making new friends. It’s going to take some extra thinking for Hannah to learn that sometimes being a good listener is the best way to be a good friend. Perfect for fans of Fancy Nancy and Pinkalicious, Hannah Sparkles’s second story is sure to bring sparkly smiles to new readers who are just starting school too.

During the school day, fifth-grader Allie West is an outsider. Everyone knows the principal''s kid might tattle to her mom! But after school, Allie is an insider. She''s friendly with the janitor, knows the shortest routes around the building, and hangs out with the Afters, a group of misfits whose parents are teachers at their school. Although Allie secretly loves her insider life, she''s sick of being an outsider—so she vows to join the Pentagon, the popular math team led by her ex–best friend. But can Allie change her status without betraying where she really belongs?

“Great for one-on-one sharing or read-alouds. Sure to be popular with the Fancy Nancy crowd and has a nice bit of friendship wisdom to boot.” —School Library Journal Hannah Sparkles is sure to bring sparkly smiles to countless readers. Hannah was born happy! She’s thrilled when she learns she has a new neighbor: Sunny Everbright. With a name like that, how could Sunny not be the perfect friend for Hannah? But Sunny isn’t into glitter or rainbows. She prefers rain, mud, and lizards. Hannah isn’t sure that she and Sunny can be friends at all…until Hannah learns that everyone has their own kind of sparkle, and that friendship can be found in surprising ways. Perfect for fans of the Fancy Nancy and Pinkalicious books!

BFFs Olivia and Piper star in this fun snapshot of middle grade friendship told in a sweet journal-style book packed with engaging art. This is a follow-up to The Pages Between Us, by beloved middle grade authors Lindsey Leavitt and Robin Mellom. It’s time for the Battle of the Books! When no one from their school signs up for the annual competition, BFFs Piper (The Drama Lover) and Olivia (The Bookworm) decide to put their talents to good use by creating a video to get their classmates excited about the contest. Only things don’t go exactly as planned… The video goes viral, thrusting Olivia into a spotlight she never wanted, while no one seems to remember that Piper wrote, produced and directed the video. And on top of everything, while their video motivated a lot of people to sign up to participate in Battle of the Books, no one seems to have any interest in doing the reading. With the tournament approaching will Piper and Olivia be able to work together to save the day yet again?

Told in letters, posters, blog posts, homework assignments, and more, The Pages Between Us is a totally fun, totally earnest snapshot of middle grade friendship—and what it truly means to be there for someone during the ups, downs, and everything in between. Piper and Olivia have been best friends since…well, forever. But they''re distressed to find that their new middle school schedules aren''t giving them enough together-time. Luckily, an idea sparks when Piper finds a cute, sparkly notebook to disguise as her "French Class" homework. It''s genius—now the two BFFs can stick together all the time. And document their adventures—you know, for anthropology''s sake. But as the two navigate the tricky new world of sixth grade, they realize that they may need to branch out more than they originally thought. Their notebook, once a life raft, begins to feel like a big responsibility. Can they grow up, without growing apart?

A documentary crew has descended upon Westside Middle School to detail the life of an average seventh grader named Trevor Jones and his classmates. The one-on-one interviews, film footages, and camp journals will chronicle the dangerous and highly awkward overnight field trip to Camp Whispering Pines. Trevor Jones will have plenty to worry about: snakes, bears, dining halls, and...eighth graders. To make matters worse, Trevor is paired with a special "sensitivity buddy"—longtime frenemy Corey Long. It''s possible that with a lot of luck (and a little help), Trevor Jones might come out of this trip alive. If he can survive Corey Long and the outdoors, he may finally have a chance at being epic.

Justina Griffith was never the girl who dreamed of going to prom. Designer dresses and strappy heels? Not her thing. So she never expected her best friend, Ian Clark, to ask her.Ian, who always passed her the baseball bat, handle first.Ian, who knew exactly when she needed red licorice.Ian, who promised her the most amazing night at prom.And then ditched her.Justina must piece together--stain-by-stain on her thrift store dress--exactly how she ended up dateless...with only the help of some opinionated ladies at the 7-Eleven.To get the whole story, Justina will have to face the boy who ditched her. Can losing out at her prom ultimately lead to finding true love?This teen romance (formerly titled Ditched), is also good for readers of new adult contemporary romance. It''s a romantic comedy perfect for fans of Stephanie Perkins, Rainbow Rowell, Jenny B. Jones, and Sofia Kinsella.

After a break-up with her boyfriend, Tori Wright decides to get her mind off the guy and takes a job running errands for an eccentric couple. Suddenly she finds herself involved in the crazy world of LA nightlife--dance clubs, palm readers, movie stars, and a roving pack of paparazzi. After a misunderstanding lands her in jail, she has one night to clear her name, help a rising movie starlet avoid the paparazzi, and find Adam...the coworker who is quickly stealing her heart.As she makes decisions that can change the course of her life, Tori discovers just how far she''ll go to set the record straight.But is she too late?This charming romantic comedy will have you wondering if true love can be found at the wrong time.

A documentary crew has descended upon Westside Middle School to detail the life of an average seventh grader named Trevor Jones and his classmates. Using one-on-one interviews and film footage, as well as notebook drawings, blueprints, clipboard sketches, and doodles, they will tell the story of one school''s tricked-out makeover. Say good-bye to those squeaky seats, and hello to...beanbag chairs? Find out what happens when a second film crew arrives and Trevor is forced to confront his no-change policy to help his best friend, Libby Gardner, trick out their school. When the paint finally dries, it will be epic.

Libby Gardner and Cindy Applegate are smile-without-teeth friends, but they are fierce rivals when it comes to politics. Cindy owned the student council elections in fourth and sixth grades, while Libby came out on top in fifth. Now, they both hunger for the prestigious title of seventh grade class president. But middle school elections have their own rules...and pressures. When Trevor Jones is forced to join the presidential race, he devises a plan to make sure his best friend Libby wins. That all changes when he discovers that Libby has oh-so-sneakily gone behind his back by hiring Molly Decker to be her campaign manager. Now, he''s in it to win it. And things are going to get ugly. Join Trevor, Libby, Cindy, and the whole Westside contingency (along with the documentary film crew) as they explore the ugly underbelly of middle school politics.

There''s a girl. Justina Griffith was never the girl who dreamed of going to prom. Designer dresses and strappy heels? Not her thing. That said, she never expected her best friend, Ian Clark, to ask her. And there''s a boy. Ian, who always passed her the baseball bat, handle first. Ian, who knew exactly when she needed red licorice. Ian, who promised her the most amazing night at prom. Then there''s a ditch. But when Justina is ditched, figuratively and liteally, she must piece together--stain-by-stain--on her thrift store dress--exactly how she ended up dateless...with only the help of some opinionated ladies at the 7-Eleven. To get the whole story, Justina will have to face the boy who ditched her. Can losing out at her prom ultimately lead to finding true love?

Trevor Jones has been looking forward to seventh grade all summer, but when his best friend Libby tells him that he HAS to ask a girl out to the fall dance--his bright outlook suddenly takes a turn. It also doesn''t help that there''s documentary crew to film his every awkward move. Modern Family meets Diary of a Wimpy Kid in The Classroom, a new middle grade series full of heart, laughs, and awkward documentary footage.