Books with author Laura Dower

When Far Hills Junior High puts on a play, can Madison survive the drama?The seventh grade gets stage fever when Far Hills Junior High decides to perform the musical The Wiz. Since Madison doesn’t sing or dance, stage manager seems like the perfect role for her—until she begins to feel left out from all the cast action. Worst of all, her two best friends are partnering up with their nemesis, Ivy, both in and out of rehearsal. The play is bringing out the worst in her enemies and her friends, and Madison isn’t sure where she fits in anymore. How can she be the glue keeping the play together when she herself feels so unglued?

Can Maddie follow her heart this Valentine’s Day?Far Hills Junior High is having its Valentine’s dance, and Valentine’s Day fever has taken over the seventh grade! Madison can’t stop thinking about what to wear and whether she’ll go to the dance with a date. Her two BFFs seem to have this dance thing all wrapped up—they know exactly whom they’re going with. Madison’s crush, Hart, is giving her mixed signals and an anonymous secret admirer is sending her emails and putting sweet notes in her locker. Could her admirer be Hart, as she secretly hopes? When her good friend Drew asks her to the dance, Madison panics. There is so much Maddie doesn’t know about boys, Valentine’s Day, secret admirers, and everything in between. Why can’t the signs be easier to read?

Madison must balance a confusing class election with thoughts of her first crushMadison Finn couldn’t be happier when she’s picked to work on Far Hills Junior High’s election website. She can’t wait to focus on the website instead of her parents’ divorce and her first-ever crush. When her best friend Aimee decides to give their nemesis, Poison Ivy, some competition for class president, Madison knows the election will get heated. But Madison never thought that a cyber crasher would mess with the site’s candidate profiles. Worst of all, everyone thinks Madison is to blame. Now that she’s in the hot seat, she’d better fix it—fast!

Will Christmas break be a total bust?The Christmas season is looking up for Madison. Her dad’s promised her a big ski trip, she’s performing in the big Winter Jubilee concert, and all her friends will be around during the break. Madison feels full of cheer with all that she has to look forward to. Then her two BFFs start avoiding her, and her dad cancels the trip. Maddie’s super-fun Christmas plans are falling apart. Then a chance volunteer opportunity at the local retirement home pairs her with an older woman who never has visitors. As Madison puts more effort into visiting Mrs. Romano at the home, she realizes how giving to others can fill you with cheer in return.

Being stuck at home with the flu is bad, but being heartsick is worse!Ugh! Maddie and her BFFs Fiona and Aimee all have the flu and need to stay home from school. Maddie is so sick that Gramma Helen has to fly in from Chicago to take care of her while her mom works. Trapped in bed, Maddie’s only interaction with the outside world is through her computer and her bedroom window. When she spies a cute boy next door, she wonders how she never noticed him before. The boy is Josh Turner—a ninth grader—and Maddie certainly notices him now. Josh seems to be flirting with her, and Maddie is falling hard. It seems her long-held crush on Hart has faded. Is it possible that Maddie has had a change of heart?

Madison and her friends are going to a pop concert!When Madison and her friends win front-row tickets to see their favorite pop singer, Nikki, in concert, they can’t believe their luck. Nikki just seems so perfect! All the magazines say so. Going to the mall to find the right outfit for the big night should be fun, but Madison’s friend Aimee just doesn’t seem like herself these days. She’s not eating, and she’s grumpy all the time. Getting zits and wearing the coolest outfit doesn’t seem important when Aimee’s health is at risk. Can Madison remind her friend that feeling good on the inside is what makes you look that way on the outside?

Maddie would be excited for the overnight field trip in the woods—if only she’d been camping before!Madison is feeling like an outsider. Far Hills Junior High’s seventh grade is headed on an overnight camping field trip. Maddie has been on sleepovers before, but never to sleep-away camp—and it is a whole different world. There are going to be activities like climbing the tower and even a talent show. Plus, there’s one big challenge for Madison: no laptops! Luckily Maddie has a new journal, her best friends, and determination to make it through this adventure in the woods.

When Far Hills Junior High becomes the subject of a documentary, everyone is star struck—except MadisonMaddie’s friends all think her mom has a glamorous job, but Maddie has mixed feelings. She thinks it’s neat that her mom makes important movies about things like gorillas and travels to exciting places. But ever since the Big D, her mother works more than ever.When her mom’s film crew shows up at Far Hills to document middle school life, everyone wants a piece of the limelight—everyone but Maddie. It’s hard having Mom at school—especially when she never has time for Madison at home. Can Maddie remind her mom to make time for her, too?

Madison Finn is back online, and she’s spilling all the details on her new friend, old flame, and very unexpected crush Madison, Aimee, Fiona, and the gang are ready for a new school year, but Madison knows that nothing is ever what you expect—especially when it comes to matters of the heart. Regardless of how prepared she is, the eighth grade is going to bring a bunch of awkward new experiences and some major surprises, including a new love interest—and a very confusing love triangle! Perfect for fans of the Dork Diaries, Back Online is the newest novel in the hugely popular From the Files of Madison Finn series.

The Far Hills Junior High war of the sexes is about to begin Spring has sprung, but Madison has the seventh-grade superblues. She’s behind on her homework, each of her parents has started dating again, and she forgets to have her mom sign the permission slip for the science-class field trip. Her feelings for her crush, Hart, get even more confusing when their science teacher divides the class into two teams for the trip—boys vs. girls—with a competition at the end. Now Madison is teamed up with the girls—including her nemesis, Poison Ivy—against her BFF Egg and, worst of all, Hart! But sometimes, even enemies have to come together to take first place.

It’s Maddie vs. Maddie when a new friend admits she’s crushing on Hart JonesIt’s the Junior World Leaders Conference at Far Hills and everyone is excited to participate. Madison gets partnered with a girl she never really noticed before, Madhur, whose family is from India and Pakistan. Although the girls are from different cultures, they find that they have a lot of great things in common—including the nickname Maddie. Unfortunately, another thing they have in common is a crush on Hart! Madison really likes her new friend and is excited to be her partner at the conference—but Madhur’s feelings for Hart have Maddie starting to unravel. Can she play it cool?

Madison Finn is back online, and she’s spilling all the details on her new friend, old flame, and very unexpected crush Madison, Aimee, Fiona, and the gang are ready for a new school year, but Madison knows that nothing is ever what you expect—especially when it comes to matters of the heart. Regardless of how prepared she is, the eighth grade is going to bring a bunch of awkward new experiences and some major surprises, including a new love interest—and a very confusing love triangle! Perfect for fans of the Dork Diaries, Back Online is the newest novel in the hugely popular From the Files of Madison Finn series.