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Sylvia and Aki (age 9-12)
by Winifred Conkling
bigotry ... historical ... school
Publisher comments: Sylvia never expected to be at the center of a landmark legal battle; all she wanted was to enroll in school. Aki never expected to be relocated to a Japanese internment camp in the Arizona desert; all she wanted was to stay on her family farm and finish the school year. The two girls certainly never expected to know each other, until their lives intersected in Southern California during a time when their country changed forever. Here is the remarkable story based on true events of Sylvia Mendez and Aki Munemitsu, two ordinary girls living in extraordinary times. When Sylvia and her brothers are not allowed to register at the same school Aki attended and are instead sent to a "Mexican" school, the stage is set for Sylvia's father to challenge in court the separation of races in California's schools. Ultimately, Mendez vs. Westminster School District led to the desegregation of California schools and helped build the case that would end school segregation nationally.
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REI
Guns for General Washington: A Story of the American Revolution (age 9-12)
by Seymour Reit
war ... historical ... action ... adventure
Catalog: Frustrated with life under seige in George Washington's army, nineteen-year-old Will Knox and his brother Colonel Henry Knox undertake the task of moving 183 cannons from Fort Ticonderoga to Boston in the dead of winter.
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WIL
One Crazy Summer (age 9-12)
by Rita Williams-Garcia
identity ... family ... historical
Publisher comments: Set during one of the most tumultuous years in recent American history, One Crazy Summer is the heartbreaking, funny tale of three girls who travel to Oakland, California, in 1968 in search of the mother who abandoned them.
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LOW
I Am Lavina Cumming (age 9-12)
by Susan Lowell
historical
Publisher comments: Lavina Cumming has spent her entire first ten years of life on the Bosque Ranch in Arizona Territory with her mother and father, five brothers, and her black mustang pony, Chummy. When her mother dies, her father decides it would be best if Lavina went to live with her aunt, where she can be brought up as a lady. Starting off at dawn on September 16, 1905, Lavina travels by train to Santa Cruz, California. Armed with the Cumming family motto — "courage" — she arrives in a world of two-story houses, automobiles, a new school, and her cousin, "awful Aggie." Trying her best to settle in, Lavina is as shocked as everyone else by the great earthquake that nearly demolishes the nearby city of San Francisco. In the aftermath of the quake, she must make a big decision about her future. Based on the true story of Susan Lowell's grandmother, this acclaimed book, which includes a short afterword by the author, offers a compelling look at life in early twentieth-century California and a girl struggling to find her place there.
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SHE
The Little Riders (age 9-12)
by Margaretha Shemin
war ... adventure ... historical
Publisher comments: "Take care of the little riders," says Johanna's father to the eleven-year-old when he leaves her with his parents for an extended vacation in their Dutch village. And Johanna does. She loves the twelve metal figures on horseback who ride forth each hour from the clock on the ancient church tower. She would do anything to protect them, anything. And on night she risks her life to prove it. Set during the Second World War when the German army occupied Holland, The Little Riders is an exciting, moving adventure story.
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HOL
Turtle in Paradise (age 9-12)
by Jennifer Holm
adventure ... growing up ... historical
Publisher comments: Life isn't like the movies, and eleven-year-old Turtle is no Shirley Temple. She's smart and tough and has seen enough of the world not to expect a Hollywood ending. After all, it's 1935, and jobs and money and sometimes even dreams are scarce. So when Turtle's mama gets a job housekeeping for a lady who doesn't like kids, Turtle says goodbye without a tear and heads off to Key West, Florida, to stay with relatives she's never met. Florida's like nothing Turtle has ever seen. It's hot and strange, full of wild green peeping out between houses, ragtag boy cousins, and secret treasure. Before she knows what's happened, Turtle finds herself coming out of the shell she has spent her life building, and as she does, her world opens up in the most unexpected ways.
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VAN
Moon Over Manifest (age 9-12)
by Clare Vanderpool
mystery ... historical
Publisher comments: "The movement of the train rocked me like a lullaby. I closed my eyes to the dusty countryside and imagined the sign I'd seen only in Gideon's stories: Manifest—A Town with a rich past and a bright future." Abilene Tucker feels abandoned. Her father has put her on a train, sending her off to live with an old friend for the summer while he works a railroad job. Armed only with a few possessions and her list of universals, Abilene jumps off the train in Manifest, Kansas, aiming to learn about the boy her father once was. Having heard stories about Manifest, Abilene is disappointed to find that it's just a dried-up, worn-out old town. But her disappointment quickly turns to excitement when she discovers a hidden cigar box full of mementos, including some old letters that mention a spy known as the Rattler. These mysterious letters send Abilene and her new friends, Lettie and Ruthanne, on an honest-to-goodness spy hunt, even though they are warned to "Leave Well Enough Alone." Abilene throws all caution aside when she heads down the mysterious Path to Perdition to pay a debt to the reclusive Miss Sadie, a diviner who only tells stories from the past. It seems that Manifest's history is full of colorful and shadowy characters—and long-held secrets. The more Abilene hears, the more determined she is to learn just what role her father played in that history. And as Manifest's secrets are laid bare one by one, Abilene begins to weave her own story into the fabric of the town.
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KEL
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate (age 9-12)
by Jacqueline Kelly
family ... nature ... historical
Publisher comments: Calpurnia Virginia Tate is eleven years old in 1899 when she wonders why the yellow grasshoppers in her Texas backyard are so much bigger than the green ones. With a little help from her notoriously cantankerous grandfather, an avid naturalist, she figures out that the green grasshoppers are easier to see against the yellow grass, so they are eaten before they can get any larger. As Callie explores the natural world around her, she develops a close relationship with her grandfather, navigates the dangers of living with six brothers, and comes up against just what it means to be a girl at the turn of the century.
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MAT
Daniel's Story (age 9-12)
by Carol Matas
bigotry ... war ... survival ... historical
Publisher comments: A young Jewish boy recalls life in Hitler's Germany. First his family is forced out of their home in Frankfurt and sent on a long journey to the Lodz ghetto in Poland, and then to Auschwitz--the Nazi death camp. Although Daniel is a fictitious character, his story was inspired by the real experiences of many of the more than one million children who died in the Holocaust. This book was written in conjunction with an exhibit called "Daniel's Story: Remember the Children" at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.
American Girl History Mysteries (age 9-12)
historical ... mystery
Each mystery takes you to an exciting moment in American history.
title: Circle of Fire by Evelyn Coleman F COL
title: Danger at the Wild West Show by Alison Hart F HAR
title: Enemy in the Fort by Sarah Masters Buckey F BUC
title: Ghost Light on Graveyard Shoal by Elizabeth McDavid Jones F JON
title: Hoofbeats of Danger by Holly Hughes F HUG
title: The Minstrel's Melody by Eleanora E. Tate F TAT
title: Mystery at Chilkoot Pass by Barbara Steiner F STE
title: The Night Flyers by Elizabeth McDavid Jones F JON
title: Secrets on 26th Street by Elizabeth McDavid Jones F JON
title: Shadows in the Glasshouse by Megan McDonald F MCD
title: The Smuggler's Treasure by Sarah Masters Buckey F BUC
title: The Strange Case of Baby H by Kathryn Reiss F REI
title: Trouble at Fort La Pointe by Kathleen Ernst F ERN
title: Under Copp's Hill by Katherine Ayres F AYR
title: Voices at Whisper Bend by Katherine Ayres F AYR
title: Watcher in the Piney Woods by Elizabeth McDavid Jones F JON
title: Whistler in the Dark by Kathleen Ernst F ERN
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BLO
A Gathering of Days: a New England Girl's Journal, 1830-32, a Novel (age 9-12)
by Joan W. Blos
historical ... growing up ... letters/journal
Catalog: The journal of a fourteen-year-old girl, kept the last year she lived on the family farm, records daily events in her small New Hampshire town, her father's remarriage, and the death of her best friend.
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COW
Dar and the Spear-Thrower (age 9-12)
by Marjorie Cowley
growing up ... historical
Catalog: A young boy living 15,000 years ago in southeastern France is initiated into manhood by his clan and sets off on a journey to trade his valuable fire rocks for an ivory spear thrower.
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FEI
Mystery at Manzanar: A WWII Internment Camp Story (age 9-12)
by Eric Fein
adventure ... historical ... mystery
Catalog: Fifteen-year-old Tommy, having been forced into a Japanese internment camp with the rest of his family, investigates when another internee is attacked.
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GUN
Fire and Snow: A Tale of the Alaskan Gold Rush (age 9-12)
by Jessica Gunderson
adventure ... historical
Publisher comments: The rivers of Alaska are flowing with gold, so Ethan and his family leave their comfortable home to seek their fortune. They must brave an avalanche, cross an icy river, and battle a deadly fire before they can decide if the hunt for treasure is worth the risk.
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GUN
Ropes of Revolution: The Tale of the Boston Tea Party (age 9-12)
by Jessica Gunderson
adventure ... historical
Publisher comments: The Sons of Liberty are planning a protest on British taxes. They're going to dump shiploads of British tea into Boston Harbor. Fifteen year old Benjamin and his friend, Joseph, want a part of the action!
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GUN
Secret Weapons: A Tale of the Revolutionary War (age 9-12)
by Jessica Gunderson
adventure ... historical
Publisher comments: The British are coming! Fourteen-year-old Daniel wants to join the militia and fight against the redcoats. His father wants him to stay in Concord, Massachusetts, and help run the blacksmith shop. Daniel thinks the job is pointless, until he finds a secret stash of weapons in the shop's back room. Now, he must protect the weapons from the British, or the American Revolution could be over before it begins.
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GUN
The Last Rider: The Final Days of the Pony Express (age 9-12)
by Jessica Gunderson
adventure ... historical
Publisher comments: Matt Edgars hungers for adventure. The Pony Express is the answer to his dreams. Riding fast, riding far, he brings the mail to settlers scattered across the Nevada and Utah deserts. Matt can handle the punishing sun and the poisonous rattlesnakes, but he's worried about rumors of a war with the Paiute nation. Then someone begins setting the Express stations on fire. Are these the last days for the young riders?
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HOP
Jungle Scout: A Vietnam War Story (age 9-12)
by Tim Hoppey
war ... historical
Publisher comments: In the late 1960s, sixteen-year-old Lam Hung guides an American platoon through South Vietnam, but seeing as how Lam was once a member of the Viet Cong, his job leading the men around the dangers hidden in the jungle might not be as difficult as earning the men's trust.
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LEM
Captured Off Guard: The Attack on Pearl Harbor (age 9-12)
by Donald B. Lemke
adventure ... historical
Publisher comments: While camping out, Hank and his best friend James hear loud explosions. Pearl Harbor is under attack James wants to hide out, but Hank wants to capture the battle on his trusty camera. Will this he risk his life for the snapshot of a lifetime?
The 39 Clues (age 9-12)
historical ... action ... adventure ... mystery
Minutes before she died Grace Cahill changed her will, leaving her decendants an impossible decision: "You have a choice: one million dollars or a clue." Grace is the last matriarch of the Cahills, the world's most powerful family. Everyone from Napoleon to Houdini is related to the Cahills, yet the source of the family power is lost. 39 clues hidden around the world will reveal the family's secret, but no one has been able to assemble them. Now the clues race is on, and young Amy and Dan must decide what's important: hunting clues or uncovering what REALLY happened to their parents.
title: The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan F RIO
title: One False Note by Gordon Korman F KOR
title: The Sword Thief by Peter Lerangis F LER
title: Beyond the Grave by Jude Watson F WAT
title: The Black Circle by Patrick Carman F CAR
title: In Too Deep by Jude Watson F WAT
title: Vespers Rising by Rick Riordan F RIO
title: Into the Gauntlet by Margaret Peterson Haddix F HAD
title: The Viper's Nest by Peter Lerangis F LER
title: The Emperor's Code by Gordon Korman F KOR
title: Storm Warning by Linda Sue Park F PAR
title: Cahills vs. Vespers: the Medusa Plot by Gordon Korman F KOR
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TRU
Standoff: Remembering the Alamo (age 9-12)
by Lisa Trumbauer
adventure ... historical
While traveling across the Texas countryside, fifteen-year-old Cal and his mother spy thousands of Mexican soldiers approaching, but when they reach the safest place that they can find--the Alamo--Cal worries that such a small group of soldiers will not be able to fight off an entire army.
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REI
One-Eyed Charley, the California Whip (age 9-12)
by Randall Reinstedt
historical
A guest speaker tells the students in the one-roomed Manchester School about the rough mining days in California's past, and in particular, about the career of a stagecoach driver known as Charley Parkhurst.
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TIN
Crossing Bok Chitto: A Choctaw Tale of Friendship and Freedom (age 9-12)
by Tim Tingle
friendship ... historical
In the 1800s, a Choctaw girl becomes friends with a slave boy from a plantation across the great river, and when she learns that his family is in trouble, she helps them cross to freedom. This moving and original story is about the intersection of Native and African Americans.
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SEL
The Invention of Hugo Cabret: a Novel in Words and Pictures (age 9-12)
by Brian Selznick
the arts ... mystery ... math/science/technology ... historical
Orphan, clock keeper, and thief, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric, bookish girl and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the station, Hugo's undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo's dead father form the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery.
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GIF
A House of Tailors (age 9-12)
by Patricia Reilly Giff
enterprise ... identity ... historical
SEWING! NO ONE could hate it more than Dina Kirk. Endless tiny stitches, button holes, darts. Since she was tiny, she’s worked in her family’s dressmaking business, where the sewing machine is a cranky member of the family. When 13-year-old Dina leaves her small town in Germany to join her uncle’s family in Brooklyn, she turns her back on sewing. Never again! But looking for a job leads her right back to the sewing machine. Why did she ever leave home? Here she is, still with a needle and thread, and homesick to boot. She didn’t know she could be this homesick, but she didn’t know she could be so brave either, as she is standing up to an epidemic or a fire. She didn’t know she could grow so close to her new family or to Johann, the young man from the tailor’s shop. And she didn’t know that sewing would reveal her own wonderful talent, and her future.
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CUR
Elijah of Buxton (age 9-12)
by Christopher Curtis
bigotry ... adventure ... historical
It's 1860, and eleven-year-old Elijah is a first-generation freeborn child. His Canadian town of Buxton, located just across the border from Detroit, serves as a haven for runaway slaves and their children, where Blacks can live free and govern themselves away from the horrors of pre-emancipation America. When the town's corrupt preacher steals money from a citizen who's been saving to buy his family's freedom, Elijah sets off for Detroit in pursuit. He encounters a group of captured runaway slaves; unable to save them all, he escapes with the youngest--a baby--and returns to Buxton a hero.
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AVI
Iron Thunder: the Battle Between the Monitor and the Merrimac: a Civil War Novel (age 9-12)
by Avi
war ... historical
When his father is killed fighting for the Union in the War Between the States, thirteen-year-old Tom Carroll must take a job to help support his family. He manages to find work at a bustling ironworks in his hometown of Brooklyn, New York, where dozens of men are frantically pounding together the strangest ship Tom has ever seen. A ship made of iron. Tom becomes assistant to the ship's inventor, a gruff, boastful man named Captain John Ericsson. He soon learns that the Union army has very important plans for this iron ship called the Monitor. It is supposed to fight the Confederate "sea monster" ... another ironclad ... the Merrimac. But Ericsson is practically the only person who believes the Monitor will float. Everyone else calls it "Ericsson's Folly" or "the iron coffin." Meanwhile, Tom's position as Ericsson's assistant has made him a target of Confederate spies, who offer him money for information about the ship. Tom finds himself caught between two certain dangers: an encounter with murderous spies and a battle at sea in an iron coffin....
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HAR
My Prairie Year: Based on the Diary of Elenore Plaisted (age 9-12)
by Brett Harvey
letters/journal ... historical
Nine-year old Elenore describes her experiences living with her family in the Dakota Territory in the late nineteenth century.
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UCH
Journey Home (age 9-12)
by Yoshiko Uchida
war ... family ... bigotry ... historical
After their release from an American concentration camp, a Japanese-American girl and her family try to reconstruct their lives amidst strong anti-Japanese feelings which breed fear, distrust, and violence.
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PEC
The Ghost Belonged to Me (age 9-12)
by Richard Peck
historical ... spooky
In 1913 in the Midwest a quartet of characters share adventures from exploding steamboats to "exorcizing" a ghost. "More death! More, if you do not stop it. Others lost, like me in the black water. Save them!" When Alexander first sees the eerie glow in the dormer window of the barn, it sets his heart pounding. And when he ventures into the barn in the dark of night, his breath catches in his throat. Suddenly Blossom Culp's words come back to him: "You can make contact with the Unseen...." Now there's a girl ghost standing right in front of him, telling him of great danger ahead. But is there time for Alexander to act on her warning?
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HOL
The Journey Home (age 9-12)
by Isabelle Holland
family ... historical ... illness/loss
Orphaned by their mother's death, two Irish Catholic sisters find a home with a kind Protestant couple on the Kansas frontier. Their new life is far different than that which they had known in New York, and the girls find tension between the need to stay true to their heritage and religious beliefs and the need to adapt to their new life. See also the sequel, The Promised Land.
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HES
Letters from Rifka (age 9-12)
by Karen Hesse
survival ... historical ... letters/journal
In letters to her cousin, a young Jewish girl chronicles her family's flight from Russia in 1919 and her own experiences when she must be left in Belgium for a while when the others emigrate to America.
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DIC
Oliver Twist (age 9-12)
by Charles Dickens
survival ... historical
An adaptation of Dicken's story of the orphan forced to practice thievery and live a life of crime in nineteenth-century London.
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ERD
The Birchbark House Series (age 9-12)
by Louise Erdrich
family ... nature ... historical
Omakayas, a seven-year-old Native American girl of the Ojibwa tribe, lives through the joys of summer and the perils of winter on an island in Lake Superior in 1847.
title: The Birchbark House
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KAR
The Great Turkey Walk (age 9-12)
by Kathleen Karr
enterprise ... humor ... historical
Big, brawny Simon Green, who's just completed third grade (for the fourth time), may not be book smart, but he's nobody's fool. When it's time to be done with school and make his way in the world, Simon hatches a plan that could earn him a bundle. He intends to herd a huge flock of bronze turkeys all the way from his home in eastern Missouri to the boomtown of Denver, where they'll fetch a mighty price. In the year 1860, the hazards of such a trek are many - how does one shepherd the birds across a river, for instance? - but Simon is undaunted. Accompanied by a faithful drover, and eventually to be joined by two boon companions, he undertakes the biggest journey of his young life, in this high-spirited Wild Wild West adventure.
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LAI
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (age 9-12)
by Diedre Laiken
historical ... adventure
the story of a boy who escapes from his evil, drunken father and befriends a runaway slave. Together they float towards freedom on a raft down the Mississippi River. Adapted from the classic novel by Mark Twain.
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LAU
Patty Reeds Doll: the Story of the Donner Party (age 9-12)
by Rachel Laurgaard
voyages/journeys ... historical ... survival
A wooden doll recalls the hope with which a group of pioneers begins their journey and the ordeals they face as they travel from Springfield, Illinois, to California.
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IBB
Journey to the River Sea (age 9-12)
by Eva Ibbotson
historical ... adventure
Maia, an orphan, is sent from England to live with unfamiliar cousins on a rubber plantation in South America. The brave, curious girl and her fierce but kind governess arrive in their new home, each with secret hopes of adventure. These are immediately quashed by the Carters, who hate their adopted land and its inhabitants. They are obsessed with re-creating England in the forest, right down to the watery puddings. It is only through friendship with a mysterious Indian boy and a runaway child actor that Maia and Miss Minton, her governess, find the excitement they longed for: an unexpected expedition into the heart of the Amazon, in search of a lost tribe and the legendary giant sloth.
The Royal Diaries Series (age 9-12)
princesses ... letters/journal ... historical
Each novel in diary form follows the life of a royal figure from the past. Sometimes tragic, always exciting, these stories recall pivotal moments from history.
title: Anastasia, the Last Grand Duchess by Carolyn Meyer F MEY
title: Cleopatra VII, Daughter of the Nile by Kristiana Gregory F GRE
title: Elizabeth I, Red Rose of the House of Tudor by Kathryn Lasky F LAS
title: Isabel: Jewel of Castilla by Carolyn Meyer F MEY
title: Jahanara, Princess of Princesses by Kathryn Lasky F LAS
title: Kaiulani: the People's Princess by Ellen Emerson White F WHI
title: Marie Antoinette: Princess of Versailles by Kathryn Lasky F LAS
title: Nzingha, Warrior Queen of Matamba by Patricia C. McKissack F MCK
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MYE
Patrol: an American Soldier in Vietnam (age 9-12)
by Walter Dean Myers
war ... poetry ... historical
In a gripping and powerful story-poem, the award-winning author takes readers into the heart and mind of a young soldier in an alien land who comes face-to-face with the enemy. Strikingly illustrated with evocative and emotionally wrenching collages by Caldecott Honor artist Ann Grifalconi, this unforgettable portrait captures one American G.L's haunting experience.
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CLE
Emily's Runaway Imagination (age 9-12)
by Beverly Cleary
historical ... family ... humor ... enterprise
Catalog: Emily's imagination helps bring a library to her town of Pitchfork, Oregon.
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CUS
The Midwife's Apprentice (age 9-12)
by Karen Cushman
growing up ... historical
In medieval England, a nameless, homeless girl is taken in by a sharp-tempered midwife and, in spite of obstacles and hardship, eventually gains the three things she most wants: a full belly, a contented heart, and a place in this world.
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NIX
Young Americans Series (age 9-12)
by Joan Lowery Nixon
enterprise ... historical
Each volume tells a personal story about life and work in Colonial Williamsburg.
title: Ann's Story, 1747
title: Caesar's Story, 1759
title: Nancy's Story, 1765
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SEW
Black Beauty: the Autobiography of a Horse (age 9-12)
by Anna Sewell
historical ... animals
A horse in nineteenth-century England recounts his experiences with both good and bad masters.
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ORL
The Island on Bird Street (age 9-12)
by Uri Orlev
war ... survival ... historical
During World War II a Jewish boy is left on his own for months in a ruined house in the Warsaw Ghetto, where he must learn all the tricks of survival under constantly life-threatening conditions.
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O'D
Island of the Blue Dolphins (age 9-12)
by Scott O'Dell
survival ... adventure ... historical
In the Pacific, there is an island that looks like a big fish sunning itself in the sea. Around it blue dolphins swim, otters play, and sea birds abound. Karana is the Indian girl who lived alone for years on the Island of the Blue Dolphins. Hers is not only an unusual adventure of survival, but also a tale of natural beauty and personal discovery.
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NIX
Orphan Train Children (age 9-12)
by Joan Lowery Nixon
family ... historical
With the help of the Children's Aid Society, each adventure finds a young person exploring a crucial moment in our nation's history, and a family struggling to define itself.
title: David's Search
title: A Dangerous Promise
title: In the Face of Danger
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ING
Airfield (age 9-12)
by Jeanette Ingold
family ... historical
It's 1933, and the airline business is just getting started. Beatty hangs out at the Muddy Springs Airport, where her pilot father flies in and out on mail runs. It's the most exciting place she knows-and it's the same for Moss, who hopes his skill as a mechanic will be good enough to support himself. Neither of them expect the night when the field lights fail, the storm is rising, and Beatty's father is flying the plane that's circling, circling, and almost out of fuel...
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HUN
Across Five Aprils (age 9-12)
by Irene Hunt
war ... family ... growing up ... historical
Young Jethro Creighton grows from a boy to a man when he is left to take care of the family farm in Illinois during the difficult years of the Civil War.
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HOL
Paddle-to-the-Sea (age 9-12)
by Holling C. Holling
historical ... adventure
A toy canoe with an Indian figure is launched in Lake Nipigon and finally travels through the Great Lakes, to the St. Lawrence River, and the Atlantic Ocean.
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GUC
Come Morning (age 9-12)
by Leslie D. Guccione
family ... historical
Twelve-year-old Freedom, the son of a freed slave living in Delaware in the early 1850s, takes over his father's work in the Underground Railroad when his father disappears.
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TAY
Ice Drift (age 9-12)
by Theodore Taylor
adventure ... historical ... survival
The year is 1868, and fourteen-year-old Alika and his younger brother, Sulu, are hunting for seals on an ice floe attached to their island in the Arctic. Suddenly they hear the terrible sound of the floe breaking free from land. The boys watch with horror as they start drifting south--away from their home, their family, and everything they've ever known. Throughout their six-month-long journey down the Greenland Strait, the boys face bitter cold, starvation, and vicious polar bears. And yet, in this moving testament to the bond between brothers, Alika and Sulu remain hopeful that one day they'll be rescued.
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SNY
Gib Rides Home (age 9-12)
by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
identity ... mystery ... historical ... family
Gib Whittaker's life at Lovell House Orphanage in the early 1900s is pretty bleak. But along with hours of chores, bad food, and paddlings, the boys do get some schooling, and reading and writing are better than scrubbing floors. Still, Gib's fondest dream is to have a real family. So when Georgie Olson is adopted, Gib can't help being jealous, even when he finds out that the "adoption" really means being farmed out to work as unpaid labor until the age of 18. When Gib himself is farmed out, he arrives at the home he has always dreamed of. But he's soon aware of barely concealed tensions and secrets kept hidden from him.
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LAW
They Were Strong and Good (age 9-12)
by Robert Lawson
historical
Relates the story of the author's grandparents and parents, who, though not famous, helped build the United States.
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GRA
Adam of the Road (age 9-12)
by Elizabeth Janet Gray
voyages/journeys ... historical ... family
Eleven-year-old Adam loved to travel throughout thirteenth-century England with his father, a wandering minstrel, and his dog, Nick. But when Nick is stolen and his father disappears, Adam suddenly finds himself alone. He searches the same roads he traveled with his father, meeting various people along the way. But will Adam ever find his father and dog and end his desperate search?
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ARM
Sounder (age 9-12)
by William Howard Armstrong
bigotry ... historical ... family
The boy's father is a sharecropper, struggling to feed his family in hard times. Night after night, he and his great coon dog, Sounder, return to the cabin empty-handed. Then, one morning, almost like a miracle, a sweet-smelling ham is cooking in the family's kitchen. At last the family will have a good meal. But that night, an angry sheriff and his deputies come, and the boy's life will never be the same.
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NAP
The King of Mulberry Street (age 9-12)
by Donna Jo Napoli
adventure ... enterprise ... survival ... historical
In 1892, nine-year-old Dom's mother puts him on a ship leaving Italy, bound for America. He is a stowaway, traveling alone and with nothing of value except for a new pair of shoes from his mother. In the turbulent world of homeless children in Manhattan's Five Points, Dom learns street smarts, and not only survives, but thrives by starting his own business. A vivid, fascinating story of an exceptional boy, based in part on the author's grandfather.
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DEA
The Door in the Wall (age 9-12)
by Margeurite DeAngeli
illness/loss ... knights/castles/dragons ... historical
Robin, son of a nobleman, has always expected to learn the ways of knighthood, but this destiny is not to be. He falls ill and uses the use of his legs. Abandoned, forlorn, Robin discovers to his surprise that there is more than one way to serve his king.
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YEP
When the Circus Came to Town (age 9-12)
by Laurence Yep
bigotry ... historical ... friendship
Ursula always wanted to see the circus. That is, until she caught smallpox. Now all she wants is to hide her scarred face. But Ah Sam, her parents' Chinese cook, has other ideas. He brings to town a magical circus and finds a way to give Ursula the confidence she needs to face the world. In return, Ursula finds a way to make Ah Sam happy. She creates the biggest, best Chinese New Year celebration that Whistle, Montana, has ever seen!
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SMI
The Captain's Dog: My Journey With the Lewis and Clark Tribe (age 9-12)
by Roland Smith
adventure ... historical ... animals
Born the runt of his litter and gambled away to a rusty old riverman, the Newfoundland pup Seaman doesn't imagine his life will be marked by any kind of glory-beyond chasing down rats. But when he meets Captain Meriwether Lewis, Seaman finds himself on a path that will make history. Sharing the curiosity and strength of spirit of his new master, Seaman proves himself a valuable companion at every turn. This is the thrilling tale of America's greatest journey of discovery, as seen through the keen, compassionate eyes of a remarkable dog.
F
SLO
Finding Buck McHenry (age 9-12)
by Alfred Slote
identity ... historical ... sports
Eleven-year-old Jason, believing the school custodian Mack Henry to be Buck McHenry, a famous pitcher from the old Negro League, tries to enlist him as a coach for his Little League team by revealing his identity to the world.
F
PEC
A Long Way From Chicago (age 9-12)
by Richard Peck
humor ... historical ... family ... short stories
Join Joey and his sister Mary Alice as they spend nine unforgettable summers with the worst influence imaginable--their grandmother!
F
O'D
Sing Down the Moon (age 9-12)
by Scott O'Dell
adventure ... historical
On a warm spring day in the Southwest, Bright Morning, a young Navajo, is taking her sheep to pasture. The sky is a deep blue against the red buttes of the canyon, and the fields and orchards promise a good growing season and a rich harvest. Happy at the beauty around her, she gazes across the peaceful valley that her tribe has called home for hundreds of years. Then, lifting her eyes toward the aspen grove, she sees two men. Spanish slavers. They are riding straight toward her.
F
O'B
Anita of Rancho del Mar (age 9-12)
by Elaine O'Brien
family ... historical
Life on a Spanish land-grant ranch in California in the 1830s, as seen through the adventures of young Anita and the Lorenzana family.
F
MAC
Rocky Ridge Series (age 9-12)
by Roger Lea MacBride
family ... historical
Meet Rose Wilder, Laura Ingalls Wilder's daughter, and the last of the Little House girls. Rose and her parents, Laura and Almanzo, say good-bye to Ma and Pa Ingalls and Laura's sisters. In a covered wagon containing all their possessions, they make their way across the drought-stricken Midwest to the lush green valleys of southern Missouri. The journey is long and not always easy, but at the end is the promise of a new home and a new life for the Wilders.
title: Little House on Rocky Ridge
title: Little Farm in the Ozarks
title: In the Land of the Big Red Apple
F
LAS
The Journal of Augustus Pelletier: the Lewis and Clark Expedition (age 9-12)
by Kathryn Lasky
adventure ... historical ... letters/journal
A fictional journal kept by twelve-year-old Augustus Pelletier, the youngest member of Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery.
F
KEL
The Trumpeter of Krakow (age 9-12)
by Eric Kelley
adventure ... folklore ... historical
A Polish family in the Middle Ages guards a great secret treasure and a boy's memory of an earlier trumpeter of Krakow makes it possible for him to save his father.
F
LEV
Dave at Night (age 9-12)
by Gail Carson Levine
the arts ... historical ... family
When orphaned Dave is sent to the Hebrew Home for Boys where he is treated cruelly, he sneaks out at night and is welcomed into the music- and culture-filled world of the Harlem Renaissance.
F
GIF
All the Way Home (age 9-12)
by Patricia Reilly Giff
identity ... historical ... sports ... friendship ... family
Brick Tiernan is devastated when fire destroys his family's apple orchard in Windy Hill, New York, in the summer of 1941. His parents are forced to take jobs in different cities, and Brick is sent to Brooklyn to live with Loretta, a family friend, until the family recovers front their financial loss. Brick feels homesick before he even gets to Brooklyn, but when he meets Martel, Loretta's adopted daughter, he discovers that they have things in common. Both are Dodgers fans, and Martel, who wonders about her real mother, has a mysterious connection to Windy Hill. In the final days of summer, Brick and Martel find a way to return to Windy Hill, where a kind elderly couple help them discover what they are each searching for-a sense of belonging and the real meaning of home.
F
TAY
All-of-a-Kind Family Series (age 9-12)
by Sydney Taylor
identity ... historical ... family
Five sisters who live with their parents in New York City at the turn of the century enjoy doing everything together, especially when it involves holidays and surprises. But no one can prepare them for the biggest surprise of all in this warm, sincere tale.
title: All-of-a-Kind Family
title: Ella of All-of-a-Kind Family
F
PAR
The Kite Fighters (age 9-12)
by Linda Sue Park
identity ... historical ... family
In Korea in 1473, eleven-year-old Young-sup overcomes his rivalry with his older brother Kee-sup, who as the first-born son receives special treatment from their father, and combines his kite-flying skill with Kee-sup's kite-making skill in an attempt to win the New Year kite-fighting competition.
F
MAC
Sarah, Plain and Tall (age 9-12)
by Patricia MacLachlan
historical ... family
When their father invites a mail-order bride to come live with them in their prairie home, Caleb and Anna are captivated by their new mother.
sequel: Caleb's Story
sequel: More Perfect Than the Moon
F
GUT
Dan Gutman's Baseball Card Adventures (age 9-12)
by Dan Gutman
historical ... sports
With the help of baseball cards and other memorabilia, Joey is able to travel through time to meet some of the greatest sports stars in history.
title: Abner & Me: a Baseball Card Adventure
title: Babe & Me: a Baseball Card Adventure
title: Honus & Me: a Baseball Card Adventure
title: Jackie & Me: a Baseball Card Adventure
title: Mickey & Me: a Baseball Card Adventure
title: Satch & Me: a Baseball Card Adventure
title: Shoeless Joe & Me: a Baseball Card Adventure
title: Jim and Me: a Baseball Card Adventure
title: Ray and Me: a Baseball Card Adventure
F
FLE
By the Great Horn Spoon! (age 9-12)
by Sid Fleischman
historical ... adventure ... enterprise
A gentleman's gentleman from Boston flees to the wilds of California during the Gold Rush and becomes a hero.
F
FLE
The 13th Floor (age 9-12)
by Sid Fleischman
magic ... humor ... historical
There's a mile-long word for the fear (and magic) of the number thirteen: triskaidekaphobia. In this comic fireworks of a novel, newly orphaned Buddy Stebbins stumbles onto the 13th floor of a shabby old building and finds himself transported aboard a leaking pirate ship in a howling storm--300 years in the past!
F
DOR
Morning Girl (age 9-12)
by Michael Dorris
family ... historical
Set on a Bahamian island in 1492, the story tells of a native family living in a vibrant community that strives to coexist with the natural world.
F
CUS
The Ballad of Lucy Whipple (age 9-12)
by Karen Cushman
growing up ... historical
In 1849, a twelve-year-old girl who calls herself Lucy is distraught when her mother moves the family from Massachusetts to a small California mining town, where Lucy helps run a rough boarding house and looks for comfort in books while trying to find a way to get ``home.''
F
CUR
The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963 (age 9-12)
by Christopher Curtis
historical ... humor ... bigotry ... family
Enter the hilarious world of 10-year-old Kenny and his family, the Weird Watsons of Flint, Michigan. There's Momma, Dad, little sister Joetta, and brother Byron, who's 13 and an ``official juvenile delinquent.'' When Momma and Dad decide it's time for a visit to Grandma, Dad comes home with the amazing Ultra-Glide, and the Watsons set out on a trip like no other. They're heading South. They're going to Birmingham, Alabama, toward one of the darkest moments in America's history.
F
CUR
Bud, Not Buddy (age 9-12)
by Christopher Curtis
the arts ... identity ... voyages/journeys ... historical ... family ... brilliant protagonist
Ten-year-old Bud, a motherless boy living in Flint, Michigan, during the Great Depression, escapes a bad foster home and sets out in search of the man he believes to be his father--the renowned bandleader, H.E. Calloway of Grand Rapids.

Escondido Elementary School, Sat Aug 25 11:55:29 2012
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