The School for Whatnots

Ages 8 to 12, Grades 3 to 7

From master of suspense author Margaret Peterson Haddix comes another page-turning stand-alone adventure perfect for fans of Cog and Bad Magic.

“No matter what anyone tells you, I’m real.”That’s what the note says that Max finds under his keyboard.He knows that his best friend, Josie, wrote it. He’d know her handwriting anywhere. But why she wrote it—and what it means—remain a mystery.Ever since they met in kindergarten, Max and Josie have been inseparable. Until the summer after fifth grade, when Josie disappears, leaving only a note and whispering something about “whatnot rules.”But why would Max ever think that Josie wasn’t real? And what are whatnots?As Max sets out to uncover what happened to Josie—and what she is or isn’t—little does he know that she’s fighting to find him again, too. But there are forces trying to keep Max and Josie from every seeing each other again…because Josie wasn’t supposed to be real.This middle grade thriller from Margaret Peterson Haddix delves into the power of privilege, the importance of true friendship, and the question of humanity and identity. Because when anyone could be a whatnot, what makes a person a real friend—or real at all?

About the Author

Margaret Peterson Haddix has written more than forty books for kids and teens. Her books have been honored with numerous state readers' choice awards and the International Reading Association’s Children’s Book Award and have been translated into more than twenty languages.