Deerfield, Massachusetts--late February, 1704. Although the town is surrounded by a 12-foot-high wall and soldiers stand guard, Mercy Carter doesn't feel completely safe. Deerfield is one of the most remote settlements in the English colonies, and Indian raids are a constant threat. When the raid does come, the colony is overwhelmed. Mercy and the rest of the townspeople are forced to march 300 miles north through bitter cold into Canada. Adopted into Indian families or sold to French Canadians, the people of Deerfield vow to never forget their home. But they are treated well, and as time passes, they are no longer sure where home is. Caroline B. Cooney, the best selling author of such titles as The Face on the Milk Carton and Whatever Happened to Janie?, bases this powerful tale on real-life events and people. Narrator Christina Moore expresses the turmoil within Mercy's heart as she struggles to understand the true meaning of love and family.
In London in 1735, eleven-year-old Forrest Harper is living with his family at the Tower of London where he helps his father tend the ravens and guard the prisoners. Still, life is lonely. When vicious Scottish Rebels are captured, Forrest is delighted, even though the Harpers are only given custody of Maddy, a Scottish Rebel's daughter. Soon a friendship grows between them. But when she is slated for execution, Forrest is faced with a horrifying choice: to commit treason and help her escape or obey the law and allow his innocent friend to be executed.
The richly expressive prose of Kenneth Grahame continues to delight. . . full of warm colors and busy activities."--Language Arts
A stingy fisherman always makes his three young helpers do all his work. One day he scolds the "lazy boys" for forgetting to provide lunch. "Don't worry," they say. "We can make stone soup." The boys dig a hole and fill it with water and "flavored" stones. They trick the fisherman into making bowls and chopsticks, and fetching salt and sesame oil. While he's busy, they stir in bird eggs, add wild vegetables, and slip fish into the soup. By the time the old man returns, they have a feast fit for a king. To this day, "Egg Drop Stone Soup" is a traditional dish in southeast China. A recipe is included.
On her tenth birthday, Leah receives a surprise gift from glamorous Aunt Olivia, Mama's only sister, who lives in Los Angeles. It is a red rose box. Not many people in 1958 Louisiana have seen such a beautiful traveling case, covered with red roses, filled with jewelry, silk bedclothes, expensive soaps...and train tickets to California. Soon after, Leah and her sister, Ruth, find themselves in Hollywood, far away from cotton fields and Jim Crow laws. To Leah, California feels like freedom. But when disaster strikes back home, Leah and Ruth have to stay with Aunt Olivia permanently. Will freedom ever feel like home?
In The Reveres: A Family Forced Apart, Paul Revere, Jr. must defend his home while his mother and sisters flee Boston and join his father who is in exile after warning Hancock and Adams of the approaching British. The young Paul, and his friend, Thomas hunt squirrels and scare away intruders. They must be brave and resourceful, and when their families return, it is clear that they have become young men.
History is dramatic—and the renowned, award-winning authors Christopher Collier and James Lincoln Collier demonstrate this in a compelling series aimed at young readers. Covering American history from the founding of Jamestown through present day, these volumes explore far beyond the dates and events of a historical chronicle to present a moving illumination of the ideas, opinions, attitudes and tribulations that led to the birth of this great nation. The Rise of Industry gives a detailed account of the industrialization of America in the last decades of the nineteenth century. It includes descriptions of the technological advances of the late 1800s, poor working conditions, the rise of large corporations and labor unions, and eventual government regulation.
History is dramatic—and the renowned, award-winning authors Christopher Collier and James Lincoln Collier demonstrate this in a compelling series aimed at young readers. Covering American history from the founding of Jamestown through present day, these volumes explore far beyond the dates and events of a historical chronicle to present a moving illumination of the ideas, opinions, attitudes, and tribulations that led to the birth of this great nation.
The Rise of the Cities discusses the factors leading to the settlement and growth of cities in the United States and examines some of the social problems that are part of city life. The authors explore the role of technological advances, governing strategies, and social welfare.
“Continuing the Colliers’ noteworthy series, The Drama of American History, these volumes concentrate on what the authors call ‘the basic themes of the American story’…Two highly readable and informative volumes.”—Booklist
Richard Peck is a master of stories about people in transition, but perhaps never before has he told a tale of such dramatic change as this one, set during the first year of the Civil War. The whole country is changing in 1861-even the folks from a muddy little Illinois settlement on the banks of the Mississippi. Here, fifteen-year-old Tilly Pruitt frets over the fact that her brother is dreaming of being a soldier and that her sister is prone to supernatural visions. A boy named Curry could possibly become a distraction.
Then a steamboat whistle splits the air. The Rob Roy from New Orleans docks at the landing, and off the boat step two remarkable figures: a vibrant, commanding young lady in a rustling hoop skirt and a darker, silent woman in a plain cloak, with a bandanna wrapped around her head. Who are these two fascinating strangers? And is the darker woman a slave, standing now on the free soil of Illinois? When Tilly's mother invites the women to board at her house, the whole world shifts for the Pruitts and for their visitors as well.
Within a page-turning tale of mystery, adventure, and the civilian Civil War experience, Richard Peck has spun a breathtaking portrait of the lifelong impact that one person can have on another. This is a novel of countless riches.
"Cassie recounts harrowing events during late 1941. An engrossing picture of fine young people endeavoring to find the right way in a world that persistently wrongs them." -Kirkus Reviews
There's a murderer on the loose—but that doesn't stop the girls of St. Etheldreda's from attempting to hide the death of their headmistress in this rollicking farce.
The students of St. Etheldreda's School for Girls face a bothersome dilemma. Their irascible headmistress, Mrs. Plackett, and her surly brother, Mr. Godding, have been most inconveniently poisoned at Sunday dinner. Now the school will almost certainly be closed and the girls sent home—unless these seven very proper young ladies can hide the murders and convince their neighbors that nothing is wrong.
Julie Berry's The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place is a smart, hilarious Victorian romp, full of outrageous plot twists, mistaken identities, and mysterious happenings.
Eva Ibbotson's charming and warm-hearted tale, The Secret Countess, was originally published as A Countess Below Stairs.
Anna, a young countess, has lived in the glittering city of St Petersburg all her life in an ice-blue palace overlooking the River Neva. But when revolution tears Russia apart, her now-penniless family is forced to flee to England. Armed with an out-of-date book on housekeeping, Anna determines to become a housemaid and she finds work at the Earl of Westerholme's crumbling but magnificent mansion. The staff and the family are sure there is something not quite right about their new maid - but she soon wins them over with her warmth and dedication.
Then the young Earl returns home from the war - and Anna falls hopelessly in love. But they can never be together: Rupert is engaged to the snobbish and awful Muriel - and anyway, Anna is only a servant. Or so everybody thinks . . .
