New Book in an AMAZING Series!

One problem I hear from many parents of advanced readers is that the books their kids enjoy aren't right for their age level.

Enter Karen Pokras Toz and her Nate Rocks series. The new book in the series is Nate Rocks the School, and here is an excerpt:

*****

Buildings collapse to the ground as the giant robot pushes its way through the

dark city streets. The road crumbles underneath the massive beast’s every move.

Frightened citizens have all been evacuated and are hiding inside City Hall’s

basement, normally a secure refuge during even the worst situations.

“Nate,” the mayor pleads with his hands on my shoulders, “you’ve got to do

something! The robot will be here in just a matter of minutes. He is ruining our city!

If you don’t do something, we will all be crushed! Please, Nate, please!”

“Me? Why me?” I ask, wondering why this powerful and strong leader would want

my help. Isn’t he the one who is supposed to protect us?

The mayor bends down close and looks me in the eye. “Why because you’re Nate

Rocks, of course! Now go! There is no time to waste.”

I look around to a sea of terrified eyes staring at me. Yes, I’ve got to do something.

Everyone here is depending on me. I run up the basement steps and out of the

building. Debris is flying all around as the robot turns the corner, taking out the

movie theater with a single swipe of its mechanical arm. He is still several blocks

away from City Hall, but moving closer by the second. The sound of his steps

combined with the destruction around me is deafening.

Halfway down the street I spot it ... the old train station that’s been closed for years.

The city has been working to restore it into some kind of historical landmark. The

front has been covered with metal scaffolding for months now. That’s it! I race down

the street, toward the train station and the robot, as fast as I can possibly run. I have

to time everything perfectly or my plan will fail.

As I reach the train station, I grab hold of the metal ladder and hoist myself up to the

first landing on the scaffolding. Not high enough. I jump up to grab on to the next set

of ladders and proceed to climb at a rapid pace until I am on the roof of the building.

The robot is just steps away. I crouch behind a metal beam to stay out of sight. As

the robot approaches, I leap from the roof onto the giant machine’s shoulder, just

as he knocks the train station to the ground. I swiftly slide to the back of the robot,

out of his line of vision, and lower myself carefully down until I find the square door.

Just as I suspected! I open the door to the control panel on his back. Different colored

wires hum as they power the robot’s every move. With all my strength, I pull the

wires, detaching them from the monster. I hold tight as he collapses to the ground

in defeat just steps away from City Hall. Silence suddenly fills the air around me, but

not for long.

Everyone comes running out of the building cheering. The mayor swings me

through the air as the crowd chants:

“Nate!”

“Nate!”

“Nate!”

“Nathan! Are you listening?”

“Huh?” I look up to see Mom standing over my shoulder.

“Nathan, why are you drawing pictures all over that permission form? You know

you have to return that to school today!” Mom takes the slip of paper out of my

hands. “Honestly, Nathan, now where am I supposed to sign? You’ve drawn robots

everywhere. Don’t you want to go on this trip?”

Of course I want to go! One of the perks of moving up to fifth grade is the trip in the

spring to New York City. Who wouldn’t want to go? Actually, now that I think about

it, I kind of remember my older sister, Abby, complaining that she didn’t want to

go back when she was in fifth grade ... something about not being able to bring her

curling iron. I guess she didn’t want anyone to see her without her hair done. Girls!

Although, I can’t say I really blame her there. I shudder just thinking about it. Oooh ...

maybe that annoying classmate of mine, Lisa Crane, won’t want to go either. All she

is going to do anyway is act like she knows everything about everything. That’s what

she does. I have to admit; it was kind of nice getting away from her over the summer

when I went to overnight camp with my best friend, Tommy. But now that we’re

back, and school has started up again, I feel like Lisa is everywhere I turn.

*****

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