Ten-year-old Johnny's toymaker father has volunteered for service in the British Army of World War I. At first, his spirits are high as he completes basic training, but his tone becomes grim once he reaches the front. To ease his son's worries, Johnny's dad carves him little figurines that reflect his experiences in the war. Comprised of letters from his father, followed by Johhny's feelings, Lord of the Nutcracker Men is a haunting and poignant tale. Author Iain Lawrence has written numerous books for young adults, including Ghost Boy and The Smugglers.
Eleven-year-old Raisin enjoys doing odd jobs for old Ms. Effie Pfluggins. Ms. Effie is the church secretary, and she has fascinating stories to tell about the African American history and people of Gumbo Grove. When old Miss Pfluggins asks her to help clean up the church cemetery, Raisin discovers a real-life mystery that no one wants to talk about. There's a famous person buried in a forgotten plot, but the townsfolk seem to think that the past is better left buried. Now Raisin's parents are watching her every move and they don't want her nosing around in the cemetery anymore. How can she ignore a mystery that the whole town seems eager to forget? Eleanora E. Tate blends mystery, warmth, and humor into an unforgettable tale set in a small North Carolina town. Children of any age or race will identify with this spirited African-American girl who values truth and stands up for her beliefs.
The summer that Patty Bergen turns twelve is a summer that will haunt her forever. When her small hometown in Arkansas becomes the site of a camp housing German prisoners during World War II, Patty learns what it means to open her heart. Even though she's Jewish, she begins to see a prison escapee, Anton, not as a Nazi, but as a lonely, frightened young man. As their gentle friendship blossoms, Patty experiences a kind of love she never felt from her abusive father or her distant mother. Soon Patty must weigh the cost of harboring a Nazi prisoner-the possibility of losing family, friends, and even her freedom-against the beauty of this dangerous but unforgettable friendship. Based on the author's own painful experiences growing up in Arkansas during World War II, this poignant novel is an ALA Notable Book, a National Book Award finalist, one of the New York Times Outstanding Books of the Year, and the winner of the Golden Kite Award.
Lyrical yet unsentimental, The Midwife's Apprentice won the coveted 1996 Newbery Medal. Filled with striking characters, it paints unforgettable pictures of village life in the Middle Ages, the midwife's craft, and a very remarkable girl's growing independence and pride. Brat has no name, no home, and no shelter against the 14th-century English winter except the foul warmth of a dung heap. So when Jane the Midwife wakes her with a kick and takes the half-starved creature to her cottage, a curious relationship begins. Jane teaches Brat to gather herbs and make the poultices used to ease the pain of childbirth for the village women. The skinny young girl quickly learns to obey the sharp-tongued midwife, and secretly watches Jane practice her art whenever she can. But Jane is also teaching Brat unspoken lessons that will take longer-maybe a lifetime-to master.
People in Adenville are breathing a sigh of relief. It seems that Tom D. Fitzgerald, the Great Brain, has truly reformed. For months, not one kid has been swindled and not one stunt has been pulled. But when he gets a new bike for Christmas, the Great Brain heads full speed into his old ways. And this time his ideas are bigger than ever.
He puts all of Adenville in fear of a prehistoric beast from Skeleton Cave, solves a mysterious bank robbery, and captures the ghost of Silverload Mine. Don’t look now – the Great Brain is at it again!
In 1767, 11-year-old Nicholas Young stowed away on Captain James Cook’s "Endeavour." Cook’s three-year mission was secret: he was charged by the British Navy to search for a lost continent, believed to be located between the southern tip of South America and New Zealand. Young’s journal charts the voyage and with every port of call a new adventure awaits. This is the story of a great voyage of discovery seen through the eyes of a boy who was actually there.
Sara Crewe is one of the most vivid figures in children's fiction. Born in India and sent to school in England, she is, at first, treated like a princess by the teacher, Miss Minchin. But when it is evident that Sara is not the possessor of a princess's fortune, she is despatched to live in the attic and become a servant. It is the remarkable way which Sara copes - imagining things are not as bad as they seem - which has made her a role model for many young girls, who also hope to experience her happy ending.
Willful and high-spirited, exerting his independence at every turn, 10-year-old Robert "Robbie" Burns Hewitt plans to live life to the fullest--because the world is going to end at the turn of the century anyway! The year 1900 is fast approaching. Robbie decides that living by The Ten Commandments, which have been drilled into his head by his preacher father, is not meant for him--since he "ain't got the knack for holiness." On his quest to be his own person, he stirs up trouble daily. Before long, he must choose between the truth and a lie while a man's life hangs in the balance. Newbery Award-winning author Katherine Paterson brings to life Robbie's honest emotions of anger, jealousy and fear, leading him to make a number of disturbing choices. Despite the challenges, Robbie emerges as an engaging character with a good heart.
No one would accuse eleven-year-old Caddie Woodlawn of being dainty and ladylike. In spite of her mother's best efforts, Caddie is as wild as the wind, playing freely and rambunctiously with her two brothers in the Wisconsin backwoods. There are rafts to build, and trees to climb, and pranks to play. Caddie especially likeds to watch her friend Indian John build birchbark canoes at the river. Everyday seems wide with possibility-as wide as the frontier. But living on the edge of civilization has its risks, too. And when Indians threaten to attack the settlers, it is Caddie's resourcefulness and bravery that save the day. The author, Carol Ryrie Brink-granddaughter of the real Caddie Woodlawn-based her book on the true stories her grandmother used to tell her about growing up on the frontier.
Poland, 1940. The Russian army invades the beautiful city streets of Vilna. Soldiers storm ten-year-old Esther Rudomin's house and arrest her entire family. The Rudomins, the soldiers say, are "capitalists-enemies of the people." Forced from their home and friends, the Rudomins are herded onto crowded cattle cars. Their destination: the endless steppe of Siberia. For five years, Esther and her family live in exile, weeding potato fields and working in mines, fighting against all odds to stay alive. It is not an easy life. But through it all, Esther sustains the hope that one day she will return to Poland-and to freedom. A National Book Award finalist, The Endless Steppe is the true story of Esther Rudomin Hautzig's girlhood in World War II Siberia. For over 25 years, this extraordinary book has touched the hearts of young people around the world with its vivid portrayal of life during World War II and its inspiring testament to the power of hope in the harshest conditions.
Originally written for children in 1881, The Prince and the Pauper relates the hilarious adventures of Tom Canty, a ragged street urchin who bears a striking resemblance to Edward VI, son of Henry VIII. Longing to experience the fun and excitement of the outside world, the young prince persuades Tom to exchange clothes, and in doing so, the two exchange places in society.
