After two convicts escape from a nearby prison, Lizzie discovers that they have kidnapped her friend Matias and her uncle. Determined to save the people she loves, she sets out into the wilds of the Adirondacks
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.