Never Say Die! — Jason Ross

Meet the Beef Squad: a group of unforgettable kids who are serious about pranks but also about doing whatever it takes to help the people and places they care about.

Nick Rhodes and his friends Pratchett, Hogue, and Jared -- together known as Beef Squad -- have got seventh grade totally hacked. They make perfect grades by day, pull spectacular pranks by night, play video games in between, and do it all with a zany sense of humor only they find funny. (Because someone has to celebrate National Asparagus Appreciation Day.) But seventh grade is about to strike back! Trouble at school and a secret from their town's Gold Rush past put Beef Squad on a collision course with Leonardville's most powerful forces. Now, with the help of robotics teammate Karla Woo, they decide to reveal what's going on, no matter the consequences.

This laugh-out-loud story about a group of truly "amazing" and strongminded kids is one middle-grade readers will cheer for.