Perfect for fans of Dork Diaries and Emmie & Friends, this first book in a diary-style illustrated middle grade series follows an anxious, science-minded sixth grader determined to become fun and win back her friend. Sixth grade has been pretty disaster-free for aspiring astronaut Maple McNutt—which is impressive, given the number of worries and possible catastrophes that run through her head every day. (So far, Earth hasn’t been devoured by a black hole and a cockroach hasn’t crawled out of her toothpaste mid-squeeze. Phew!) But then her best friend of seven-point-two years, Sunny Gwon, accuses her of being unfun and starts hanging around with a new group of friends. In order to win Sunny back, Maple decides to undergo a serious scientific transformation to become fun by 1. Doing extensive research, 2. Applying research to self, and and 3. Repeating until fun. It’s risky and groundbreaking research, but Maple has no choice if she wants to save her friendship.

Perfect for fans of Dork Diaries and Emmie & Friends, this second book in a diary-style illustrated middle grade series follows an anxious, science-minded sixth grader into the high-stakes world of middle school track. Sixth-grader Maple has received absolutely devastating, world-shaking her health class fitness test has scored her at a fifth-grade level. That’s a whole grade level below where she should be. Having all her life been an overachiever—and fitness being an extremely important part of her twenty-year plan to become an astronaut like her hero Jackie Grand—Maple knows she has to fix this ASAP. Maple and Lada decide to join the track team to improve their fitness scores, but they encounter new (and frankly unpleasant) variables like changing in locker rooms and periods. And when it turns out Lada is good at track, and her competitive spirit starts to change her, Maple is sent into a tailspin over her own performance and what it means if she can’t—literally and figuratively—keep up with her classmates.