As if in a fairy tale, strangers take Sophie and two friends to a dilapidated castle in Russia’s snowy wilderness—where they meet a princess who’s obsessed with Sophie. Glossary of Russian words and expressions.
This collection features fiction titles selected for older middle school readers who are ready for longer, more layered stories that explore growing independence and changing perspective. Selections include realistic and speculative fiction with increased emotional and narrative complexity, offering stories that look beyond immediate experience and invite readers to engage with broader questions about identity, belonging, and the world around them.