Student Council Smackdown! (The Classroom, 2) - Tapa dura

Libby Gardner and Cindy Applegate are smile-without-teeth friends, but they are fierce rivals when it comes to politics. Cindy owned the student council elections in fourth and sixth grades, while Libby came out on top in fifth. Now, they both hunger for the prestigious title of seventh grade class president.

But middle school elections have their own rules...and pressures. When Trevor Jones is forced to join the presidential race, he devises a plan to make sure his best friend Libby wins. That all changes when he discovers that Libby has oh-so-sneakily gone behind his back by hiring Molly Decker to be her campaign manager. Now, he's in it to win it. And things are going to get ugly.

Join Trevor, Libby, Cindy, and the whole Westside contingency (along with the documentary film crew) as they explore the ugly underbelly of middle school politics.

Robin Mellom (www.robinmellom.com) has taught grades five through eight and has a master's degree in education. She is the author of The Classroom:The Epic Documentary of a Not-Yet Epic Kid, as well as the young adult novelDitched: A Love Story. She lives with her husband and son on the Central Coast of California. Follow her on Twitter (@robinmellom).

Stephen Gilpin (www.sgilpin.com) is the illustrator of more than 30 children's books, including the Who Shrunk Daniel Funk? and Super Chicken Nugget Boy series. He lives in Hiawatha, Kansas with his genius wife, Angie, and a whole bunch of kids. Follw him on Twitter (@Sparkgilpin).