CRA |
Malu's Wolf
(age 9-12) by Ruth Craig survival ... animals ... historical Publisher comments: Malu is permitted to raise a wolf pup which eventually is instrumental in bringing about significant changes to the lives and traditions of the young girl's Stone Age clan. |
RYS |
Search Behind the Lines
(age 9-12) by E. Ryss adventure ... historical ... war Catalog: Two children face the perils of the German occupation of Russia during World War II. |
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. |
NAY |
Maudie in the Middle
(age 9-12) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor family ... historical Catalog: Maudie, one of a large family growing up in Iowa in the early 1900s, seems to attract nothing but trouble when all she wants is to be noticed for herself; and when a crisis hits the family she finally accomplishes this in the best way possible. |
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. |
WIL |
Titanic Crossing
(age 9-12) by Barbara Williams family ... historical Catalog: In 1912, thirteen-year-old Albert considers his younger sister a pest, but things change when they travel with their mother and uncle aboard the Titanic and are caught up in its tragic sinking. |
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. |
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. |
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. |
LOV |
Three Against the Tide
(age 9-12) by D. Anne Love war ... adventure ... family ... historical ... voyages/journeys After her father is called away from their plantation near Charleston, S.C., during the Civil War, twelve-year-old Susanna must lead her brothers on a difficult journey in hopes of being reunited with him. |
KER |
Greetings From Planet Earth
(age 9-12) by Barbara Kerley war ... family ... historical Publisher comments: If you had one minute to describe life on Earth, what would you say? It's 1977, and Theo and his class are creating a golden record inspired by the one Voyager 2 will carry into space as a greeting from Earth. But as Theo searches for an original answer to his teacher's question, other questions begin to surface: What happened to his father in Vietnam? And why has his mother been keeping secrets all these years? |
BEA |
Charley Skedaddle
(age 9-12) by Patricia Beatty war ... identity ... historical Publisher comments: In this powerful story, based on real-life Civil War records and memoirs, young Yankee deserter Charley Quinn learns that his flight from his first battle doesn't brand him a life-long coward. |
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: Gangsters at the Grand Atlantic 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: Mystery of the Dark Tower by Evelyn Coleman F COL title: Mystery on Skull Island by Elizabeth McDavid Jones F JON title: The Night Flyers by Elizabeth McDavid Jones F JON title: Riddle of the Prairie Bride by Kathryn Reiss F REI 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 | |
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. |
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 | |
KER |
When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit
(age 9-12) by Judith Kerr family ... historical Anna was only nine years old in 1933, too busy with her school work and friends to take much notice of Adolf Hitler's face glaring out of political posters all over Berlin. Being Jewish, she thought, was just something you were because your parents and grandparents were Jewish. But then one day her father was unaccountably, frighteningly missing. Soon after, she and her brother, Max, were hurried out of Germany by their mother with alarming secrecy. Reunited in Switzerland, Anna and her family embark on an adventure that would go on for years, in several different countries. They learn many new things: new languages, how to cope with the wildest confusions, and how to be poor. Anna soon discovers that there are special skills to being a refugee. And as long as the family stayed together, that was all that really mattered. |
LEV |
The No-Return Trail
(age 9-12) by Sonia Levitin historical A fictionalized account of the 1841 Bidwell-Bartleson expedition which included seventeen-year-old Nancy Kelsey, the first American woman to journey from Missouri to California. |
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. |
SPE |
Calico Captive
(age 9-12) by Elizabeth George Speare family ... war ... historical Early one morning in the year 1754 the stillness of Charlestown, New Hampshire, was shattered by shrill war whoops and the terror of an Indian raid. Young Miriam Willard, on a day which had promised new happiness, found herself instead a captive on a forest trail, caught up in the ebb and flow of the French and Indian War. It was a horrowing march north. Miriam could only force herself to the next stopping place, the next small portion of food, the next icy stream to be crossed. What waits at the end of the trail--besides an Indian quantlet and a life of slavery? |
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. |
MOR |
The Mozart Question
(age 9-12) by Michael Morpurgo survival ... historical ... family ... the arts ... war A boy's passion for music unlocks a painful secret, and draws his family together, in a multilayered tale. Like any young boy, Paolo becomes obsessed with what he can't have: in his case, a violin. Hidden away in his parents' room, it beckons the boy to release the music inside it. The music leads Paolo to a family secret, a story of World War II that changed the course of his parents' lives. But once the truth is told, the family is reunited in a way no one had thought possible. this is a story about sharing the joy of music from one generation to the next and about music's power to transform and heal. |
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. |
CAR |
Storm Warriors
(age 9-12) by Elisa Lynn Carbone bigotry ... historical ... family In 1895, after his mother's death, twelve-year-old Nathan moves with his father and grandfather to Pea Island off the coast of North Carolina, where he hopes to join the all-black crew at the nearby lifesaving station, despite his father's objections. |
ARM |
Raleigh's Page
(age 9-12) by Alan Armstrong adventure ... historical Andrew has grown up near the Plymouth docks hearing the sailors talk about America. Knowing that Andrew's heart is set on going to the new world, his father sends him up to London to serve as page in the house of Walter Raleigh. In Queen Elizabeth's court, Raleigh's the strongest voice in favor of fighting with Spain for a position in the New World, and everyone knows that it's just a matter of time before Her Majesty agrees to an expedition. Can Andrew prove himself fit to go on an expedition to the New World? |
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. |
LEL |
Sallie Fox: the Story of a Pioneer Girl
(age 9-12) by Dorothy Kupcha Leland adventure ... voyages/journeys ... historical Fictional account of the historical journey to California of Sallie Fox and her family. |
HOL |
The Promised Land
(age 9-12) by Isabelle Holland family ... historical ... bigotry Orphaned by their mother's death, two Irish Catholic sisters find a home with a kind Protestant couple on the Kansas frontier, but their new life is suddenly threatened by the appearance of their uncle, who is determined to take them back to New York and their "true" religion. Sequel to The Journey Home. |
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. |
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. |
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. |
GIF |
Willow Run
(age 9-12) by Patricia Reilly Giff war ... family ... historical Meggie Dillon's life has been turned upside down by World War II. Her older brother Eddie enlisted and was shipped off to fight in Europe. And people say that anywhere else Grandpa would be turned in because he's German, and people might think he's a spy. Is it true? Could Grandpa be taken away? Meggie's father has announced that they must help the war effort and move to Willow Run, Michigan, where he'll work nights in a factory building important war planes that will help fight the enemy in Europe. Willow Run will be the greatest adventure ever, Meggie thinks. There she meets Patches and Harlan, other kids like her whose parents have come here to do their part in the war. And there she faces questions about courage, and what it takes to go into battle, like Eddie, and how to keep hope alive on the home front. |
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. |
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: Eleanor: Crown Jewel of Aquitaine 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: Lady of Ch'iao Kuo: Warrior of the South by Laurence Yep F YEP title: Marie Antoinette: Princess of Versailles by Kathryn Lasky F LAS title: Nzingha, Warrior Queen of Matamba by Patricia C. McKissack F MCK title: Victoria, May Blossom of Britannia by Anna Kirwan F KIR | |
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. |
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. |
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. |
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 |
STE |
Trouble for Lucy
(age 9-12) by Carla Stevens historical ... animals As she and her family travel the Oregon Trail in 1843, Lucy's puppies persist in creating trouble. |
SNY |
Cat Running
(age 9-12) by Zilpha Keatley Snyder friendship ... family ... historical When eleven-year-old Cat Kinsey builds a secret hideout to escape her unhappy homelife, she slowly gets to know a poor family who have come to California after losing their Texas home to the dust storms of the 1930s. |
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. |
SER |
The White Stag
(age 9-12) by Kate Seredy voyages/journeys ... historical ... folklore Retells the legendary story of the Huns' and Magyars' long migration from Asia to Europe where they hope to find a permanent home. |
SEB |
Words by Heart
(age 9-12) by Ouida Sebestyen family ... bigotry ... historical A young black girl struggles to fulfill her papa's dream of a better future for their family in the southwestern town where, in 1910, they are the only blacks. |
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. |
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. |
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: Keeping Secrets title: A Dangerous Promise title: A Place to Belong title: Caught in the Act title: A Family Apart |
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. |
HOL |
Seabird
(age 9-12) by Holling C. Holling historical ... adventure ... nature An ivory gull carved by Ezra Brown in 1832 when he was a boy on a whaling ship brings luck to him and his descendants as they journey the seven seas. |
HOL |
Tree in the Trail
(age 9-12) by Holling C. Holling historical ... nature A struggling cottonwood sapling becomes a landmark to travelers, a peace-medicine tree, and after its death in 1834, a yoke which is used on the trail to Santa Fe. |
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. |
GIP |
Old Yeller
(age 9-12) by Fred Gipson adventure ... historical ... growing up ... friendship In the late 1860s in the Texas hill country, a big yellow dog and a fourteen-year-old boy form a close, loving relationship. |
VAN |
There's a Dead Person Following My Sister Around
(age 9-12) by Vivian Vande Velde historical ... mystery ... spooky When Ted's five-year-old sister Vicki invents an imaginary friend, no one is too concerned . . . until they realize that her friend can move things. Ted is sure that Vicki's ``friend'' Marella is a ghost. But why would a ghost haunt Vicki? And why does Marella seem to be terrified of another ghost-a dark figure that is haunting Ted? |
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. sequel: Gib and the Gray Ghost |
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. |
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? |
BLA |
The Shakespeare Stealer
(age 9-12) by Gary Blackwood the arts ... adventure ... historical A young orphan named Widge is sent to the Globe Theater to steal the script of Hamlet from Shakespeare's own company of players. When he becomes friends with the actors, he must decide whether to disobey his sinister master or betray his new friends. |
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. |
WOO |
The Christmas Doll
(age 9-12) by Elvira Woodruff traditions ... magic ... enterprise ... historical Lucy and her sister Glory have only each other to lean on as they labor day after day in the workhouse. When they flee to escape a deadly fever, they find an old, discarded doll...but this is no ordinary toy. This story of love, hope, and redemption finds magic in the least likely places. |
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. |
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. |
SCH |
F Is for Freedom
(age 9-12) by Roni Schotter historical ... friendship ``Reading is freedom,'' Hannah's mother has always told her. ``The thoughts in books are powerful strong, stronger even than chains,'' her father has said. Courageous and determined, Hannah longs to be free in every way she can, including the freedom that comes with literacy. And her headstrong friend Amanda is willing to risk everything to help her. Set a decade before the Civil War, this moving story crackles with suspense and says as much about the power of words as it does about the power of friendship. |
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! |
O'D |
Zia
(age 9-12) by Scott O'Dell adventure ... historical A young Indian girl, Zia, caught between the traditional world of her mother and the present world of the Mission, is helped by her aunt Karana whose story was told in ``Island of the Blue Dolphins.'' |
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. |
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 |
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. |
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. |
FOR |
Johnny Tremain
(age 9-12) by Ester Forbes war ... adventure ... historical A story filled with danger and excitement, Johnny Tremain tells of the turbulent, passionate times in Boston just before the Revolutionary War. Johnny, a young apprentice silversmith, is caught up in a dramatic involvement with James Otis, John Hancock,and John and Samuel Adams in the exciting currents and undercurrents that were to lead to the Boston Tea Party and the Battle of Lexington. |
LAW |
The Roman Mystery Series (age 9-12) by Caroline Lawrence mystery ... historical In the first of this series, Thieves of Ostia, the dogs on Flavia's street have started dying mysteriously, and she is determined to find out why. Her investigation leads her to three extraordinary people: Jonathan, her new neighbor; Nubia, an African slave; and Lupus, a mute beggar boy. The four embark on a search for the killer--and that's when the excitement begins. title: The Thieves of Ostia: a Roman Mystery title: The Secrets of Vesuvius title: The Pirates of Pompeii title: The Assassins of Rome title: The Dolphins of Laurentum |
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. |
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. |
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 |
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 title: Roberto and Me |
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. |
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.'' |
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. |
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. |