ZM Summer Reading for NCCS Middle School Students 2022: Series

Flick is now a badge-wearing member of the Strangeworlds Travel Agency, so when an urgent summons arrives at from Pirate Queen Nyfe, she and Strangeworlds Society guardian Jonathan immediately pack their bags for an adventure to The Break, a world of magic and piracy. Grade 3-7 (Lexile: 710)

After taking down a mole within their organization, the City Spies are ready for their next mission-once again using their unique skills and ability to infiltrate places adults can't. The sinister Umbra has their sights set on recruiting a North Koreannuclear physicist by any means necessary, and the City Spies plan to keep an eye on his son by sending Paris to the chess prodigy's tournaments in Moscow and Beijing. Meanwhile, Sydney's embedded as a junior reporter for a teen lifestyle site as she follows the daughter of a British billionaire on tour with the biggest act on her father's music label to uncover what links both the band and the billionaire have to a recent threat from an old Soviet missile base. From a daring break-in at one of London's most exclusive homes to a dangerous undercover mission to a desperate search and rescue operation on the streets of Beijing, the City Spies have their work cut out for them on their most dangerous mission yet. Grade 5-8

n this sequel to Girl Giant and the Monkey King, after releasing the Monkey King from his prison, Thom and her friends set off on a far flung adventure to save the Heavens for certain destruction. Grade 4-7

Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents Graci Kim's thrilling debut about an adopted Korean-American girl who discovers her heritage and her magic on a perilous journey to save her witch clan family. Riley Oh can't wait to see her sister get initiated into the Gom clan, a powerful lineage of Korean healing witches their family has belonged to for generations. Her sister, Hattie, will earn her Gi bracelet and finally be able to cast spells without adult supervision. Although Riley is desperate to follow in her sister's footsteps when she herself turns thirteen, she's a saram--a person without magic. Riley was adopted, and despite having memorized every healing spell she's ever heard, she often feels like the odd one out in her family and the gifted community.
Then Hattie gets an idea: what if the two of them could cast a spell that would allow Riley to share Hattie's magic? Their sleuthing reveals a promising incantation in the family's old spell book, and the sisters decide to perform it at Hattie's initiation ceremony. If it works, no one will ever treat Riley as an outsider again. It's a perfect plan! Until it isn't. When the sisters attempt to violate the laws of the Godrealm, Hattie's life ends up hanging in the balance, and to save her Riley has to fulfill an impossible task: find the last fallen star. But what even is the star, and how can she find it?
As Riley embarks on her search, she finds herself meeting fantastic creatures and collaborating with her worst enemies. And when she uncovers secrets that challenge everything she has been taught to believe, Riley must decide what it means to be a witch, what it means to be family, and what it really means to belong. Grade 5-8

Eleven-year-old Ella Durand is the first Conjuror to attend the Arcanum Training Institute, a magic school in the clouds where Marvellers from around the world practice their cultural arts. Despite her excitement, Ella discovers that being the first isn't easy--some Marvellers mistrust her magic. Eventually, she finds friends in elixirs teacher, Masterji Thakur, and fellow misfits Brigit and Jason. When a dangerous criminal escapes prison, supposedly with a Conjuror's aid, Ella becomes the target of suspicion. Worse, Masterji Thakur mysteriously disappears while away on a research trip. With the help of her friends and her own growing powers, Ella must find a way to clear her family's name and track down her mentor before it's too late. Grade 5-7

Maya and the godlings must return to the sinister world of The Dark to retrieve the one thing keeping the veil between the worlds from crumbling: her father's soul. Grade 4-7

In the wilds of Scotland, a secret colony of beavers have been hiding in plain sight, safe from humans who crave their fur, until Dunwattle, a young beaver kit, exposes their hidden colony and faces a fate worse than death. Grade 4-7

Cassie King's father has died, her mother has retreated into herself, away from reality, and her best friend has abandoned her for the in crowd, so when she and her sort-of friend, Joe, find a kitten during an intense electrical storm, Cassie is determined to adopt him; but Albert (named for Einstein) is no ordinary kitten: he is incredibly strong, things around him tend to burn, his eyes glow red, and when he gets annoyed the weather turns dangerous--in fact Albert is a dragon, and there is someone searching for him with very unfriendly intentions. Grade 4-7

To free himself from an ancient curse, thirteen-year-old Shinji Takahashi must team up with a secret organization of explorers, find a magical font hidden in the jungles of Mexico, and replace a stolen idol. Grade 5-8

When twelve-year-old Flick Hudson accidentally ends up in the Strangeworlds Travel Agency, she uncovers a fantastic secret: there are hundreds of other worlds just steps away from hers. All you have to do to visit them is just jump into the right suitcase. Then Flick gets the invitation of a lifetime: join Strangeworlds' magical travel society and explore other worlds. But, unbeknownst to Flick, the world at the very center of it all, a city called Five Lights, is in danger. Buildings and even streets are mysteriously disappearing. Once Flick realizes what's happening she must race against time, travelling through unchartered worlds, seeking a way to fix Five Lights before it collapses into nothingness--and takes her world with it. Grade 4-7 (Lexile: 710)

Thirteen-year-old nonbinary tiger spirit Sebin must decide where their loyalties lie when their traitorous uncle hijacks the battle cruiser that happens to be Sebin's first assignment in the Cadet Program. Grade 3-7

The arrival of Superintendent Tiltersmith threatens to upset the balance of nature unless four intrepid classmates can free the Lady of Spring and bring an end to winter in Brooklyn. Grade 5-8

Logan, an undersized twelve-year-old orphan with a photographic memory and no filter, discovers that his foster parents are superheroes in grave danger and only Logan's highly logical mind can save them. Grade 4=6

Following up their mega-bestselling Real Friends and Best Friends graphic memoirs, Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham are back with Friends Forever, a story about learning to love yourself exactly as you are. Grade 6-9 (Lexile: 420)

Logan, an undersized twelve-year-old orphan with a photographic memory and no filter, discovers that his foster parents are superheroes in grave danger and only Logan's highly logical mind can save them. Grade 4=6

A ragtag group of kids to pull off a crime so difficult, countless adults have already tried and failed. Lured by the promise of more money than they've ever dreamed of, five young criminals are hired to steal a heavily guarded treasure from the most powerful sorcerer in the city. There's Callan the con artist, Meriel the expert at acrobatics (and knives!), Gareth the researcher, Lachlan who can obtain anything, and Foxtail, whose mysterious eyeless mask doesn't hinder her ability to climb walls like a spider. Though their shadowy backgrounds mean that they've never trusted anyone but themselves, the five must learn to rely on each other in order to get the job done. But as Callan has been warned most of his life, it's best to stay away from magic. It can turn on you at any moment, and make you think you're the one running the con game, when in reality you're the one being fooled. Faced with these unsurmountable odds, can the friends pull off this legendary heist, or has their luck finally run out? Grade 4-7

Flick is now a badge-wearing member of the Strangeworlds Travel Agency, so when an urgent summons arrives at from Pirate Queen Nyfe, she and Strangeworlds Society guardian Jonathan immediately pack their bags for an adventure to The Break, a world of magic and piracy. Grade 3-7 (Lexile: 710)

n this sequel to Girl Giant and the Monkey King, after releasing the Monkey King from his prison, Thom and her friends set off on a far flung adventure to save the Heavens for certain destruction. Grade 4-7

Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents Graci Kim's thrilling debut about an adopted Korean-American girl who discovers her heritage and her magic on a perilous journey to save her witch clan family. Riley Oh can't wait to see her sister get initiated into the Gom clan, a powerful lineage of Korean healing witches their family has belonged to for generations. Her sister, Hattie, will earn her Gi bracelet and finally be able to cast spells without adult supervision. Although Riley is desperate to follow in her sister's footsteps when she herself turns thirteen, she's a saram--a person without magic. Riley was adopted, and despite having memorized every healing spell she's ever heard, she often feels like the odd one out in her family and the gifted community. Then Hattie gets an idea: what if the two of them could cast a spell that would allow Riley to share Hattie's magic? Their sleuthing reveals a promising incantation in the family's old spell book, and the sisters decide to perform it at Hattie's initiation ceremony. If it works, no one will ever treat Riley as an outsider again. It's a perfect plan! Until it isn't. When the sisters attempt to violate the laws of the Godrealm, Hattie's life ends up hanging in the balance, and to save her Riley has to fulfill an impossible task: find the last fallen star. But what even is the star, and how can she find it? As Riley embarks on her search, she finds herself meeting fantastic creatures and collaborating with her worst enemies. And when she uncovers secrets that challenge everything she has been taught to believe, Riley must decide what it means to be a witch, what it means to be family, and what it really means to belong. Grade 5-8

Eleven-year-old Ella Durand is the first Conjuror to attend the Arcanum Training Institute, a magic school in the clouds where Marvellers from around the world practice their cultural arts. Despite her excitement, Ella discovers that being the first isn't easy--some Marvellers mistrust her magic. Eventually, she finds friends in elixirs teacher, Masterji Thakur, and fellow misfits Brigit and Jason. When a dangerous criminal escapes prison, supposedly with a Conjuror's aid, Ella becomes the target of suspicion. Worse, Masterji Thakur mysteriously disappears while away on a research trip. With the help of her friends and her own growing powers, Ella must find a way to clear her family's name and track down her mentor before it's too late. Grade 5-7

Maya and the godlings must return to the sinister world of The Dark to retrieve the one thing keeping the veil between the worlds from crumbling: her father's soul. Grade 4-7

While trying to rescue her brother's soul from the spirit world, eleven-year-old Pahua discovers that she is the reincarnation of a legendary shaman warrior. Grade 4-7

Cordelia, a young shapeshifter who has always lived in an enchanted forest with her siblings and mother, must now use her powers to discover the truth about who the Raven Heir really is. Grade 4-7

In the wilds of Scotland, a secret colony of beavers have been hiding in plain sight, safe from humans who crave their fur, until Dunwattle, a young beaver kit, exposes their hidden colony and faces a fate worse than death. Grade 4-7

Cassie King's father has died, her mother has retreated into herself, away from reality, and her best friend has abandoned her for the in crowd, so when she and her sort-of friend, Joe, find a kitten during an intense electrical storm, Cassie is determined to adopt him; but Albert (named for Einstein) is no ordinary kitten: he is incredibly strong, things around him tend to burn, his eyes glow red, and when he gets annoyed the weather turns dangerous--in fact Albert is a dragon, and there is someone searching for him with very unfriendly intentions. Grade 4-7

To free himself from an ancient curse, thirteen-year-old Shinji Takahashi must team up with a secret organization of explorers, find a magical font hidden in the jungles of Mexico, and replace a stolen idol. Grade 5-8

When twelve-year-old Flick Hudson accidentally ends up in the Strangeworlds Travel Agency, she uncovers a fantastic secret: there are hundreds of other worlds just steps away from hers. All you have to do to visit them is just jump into the right suitcase. Then Flick gets the invitation of a lifetime: join Strangeworlds' magical travel society and explore other worlds. But, unbeknownst to Flick, the world at the very center of it all, a city called Five Lights, is in danger. Buildings and even streets are mysteriously disappearing. Once Flick realizes what's happening she must race against time, travelling through unchartered worlds, seeking a way to fix Five Lights before it collapses into nothingness--and takes her world with it. Grade 4-7 (Lexile: 710)

Thirteen-year-old nonbinary tiger spirit Sebin must decide where their loyalties lie when their traitorous uncle hijacks the battle cruiser that happens to be Sebin's first assignment in the Cadet Program. Grade 3-7

The arrival of Superintendent Tiltersmith threatens to upset the balance of nature unless four intrepid classmates can free the Lady of Spring and bring an end to winter in Brooklyn. Grade 5-8

Seventh-graders Sloane and Amelia are devastated to be paired for a research project about long-lost jewels, but soon they are finding clues hidden for nearly a century--and realize they are being used. Grade 4-6

o save his father, a Coalition scientist protecting a precious resource, after their ship is attacked, Leo stows away on a strange ship of mercenary space pirates and must decide who to trust- human or alien-to stay alive. Grade 4-7