The New Kid — Anne Schraff

Themes: Bullying, Kindness, Fiction, Tween, Emergent Reader, Chapter Book, Hi-Lo, Hi-Lo Books, Hi-Lo Solutions, High-Low Books, Hi-Low Books, ELL, EL, ESL, Struggling Learner, Struggling Reader, Special Education, SPED, Newcomers, Reading, Learning, Education, Educational, Educational Books. Paige and Coco are curious about the new boy in school. His name is Orion Wells, and from the beginning, the boy is different. Paige thinks it's Orion's magical green eyes. Could the boy be from another planet? After a few weeks at school, the entire culture has changed. The bully is nice. Lonely kids have made friends. Teachers are calmer. The principal smiles. Even Coco changes. During a major talent show, Coco doesn't get stage fright. She nails her song and wins the contest. This series of short novels was designed to engage a broad spectrum of struggling readers. No longer will upper-elementary students have to read material junior to their maturity and interests. Characters are age appropriate and come from diverse cultures and backgrounds. Science ficion, sports, paranormal, realistic life, historical fiction, and fantasy are just a few of the many genres. Books are no higher than a 1.5 reading level, with illustrations on every spread that support visual literacy and draw kids into the text. Each book is around 70 pages.