Izzy Newton and the S.M.A.R.T. Squad: Newton’s Flaw is the second book in the National Geographic Kids fact-based fiction series written by American Girl series co-creator, Valerie Tripp. In the ongoing quest to overcome the challenges of middle school, the five friends must continue to use their collective skills and the power of STEM to bring order to their school. With their first mystery solved and first-day jitters triumphantly behind them, Izzy and her pals — the Solving Mysteries and Revealing Truths Squad (S.M.A.R.T.) — start to settle in to the normal day-to-day at Atom Middle School. Izzy even works up the courage to try out for an all-boys ice hockey team! Things are going well until a mysterious illness threatens to shut down the media center — and maybe the entire school. The S.M.A.R.T. Squad embarks on an investigation adventure to crack the case in a race to figure out what ails them — but that’s not all. A pop-up science fair causes excitement and tension for the Squad, and Izzy’s failure to speak up in her speech class feels like an obstacle she can’t overcome. Can the girls pull together to solve the media center mystery? Will their STEM smarts help them rock the science fair? Or will Izzy Newton’s flaws mean the end of the S.M.A.R.T. Squad?

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