Al Capone Does My Shirts Choldenko, Gennifer Summary: A twelve-year-old
boy named Moose moves to Alcatraz Island in 1935 when guards'
families were housed there, and has to contend with his
extraordinary new environment in addition to life with his
autistic sister. (Sequel: Al Capone Shines My Shoes)
All The Broken Pieces Burg, Ann Summary: Two years after being airlifted out of Vietnam in 1975, Matt Pin is haunted by the terrible secret he left behind and, now, in a loving adoptive home in the United States, a series of profound events forces him to confront his past.
B For Buster Lawrence, lain Summary: In the spring of 1943, sixteen-year-old Kak, desperate to escape his abusive parents, lies about his age to enlist in the Canadian Air Force and soon finds himself based in England as part of a crew flying bombing raids over Germany.
Black Duck Lisle, Janet Taylor Summary: Years afterwards, Ruben Hart tells the story of how, in 1929 Newport, Rhode Island, his family and his best friend's family were caught up in the violent competition among groups trying to control the local rum-smuggling trade.
A Boy No More Mazer, Harry Summary: After his father is killed in the attack on Pearl Harbor, Adam, his mother, and sister are evacuated from Hawaii to California, where he must deal with his feelings about the war, Japanese internment camps, his father, and his own identity. (Sequel to: Boy At War)
Brooklyn Bridge Hesse, Karen Summary: Fourteen-year-old Joseph Michtom's life takes a dramatic turn when, in 1903 Brooklyn, his parents turn their apartment into a factory for making teddy bears; and Joseph wonders whether he will ever see the glitter of Coney Island.
Bug Boy Luper, Eric Summary: In 1934 Saratoga, New York, just as fifteen-year-old Jack Walsh finally realizes his dream of becoming a jockey, complications arise in the form of a female bookie, an unexpected visit from his father, and a man who wants him to "fix" a race.
Dear America (Series) Summary: Diaries of young American children penned in their own words reveal historical and personal happenings in journal format.
Doomed Queen Anne Meyer, Carolyn Summary: In 1520, thirteen-year-old Anne Boleyn, jealous of her older sister's beauty and position at court, declares that she will one day be queen of England, and that her sister will kneel at her feet. (Also: Mary. Bloody Mary, Beware Princess Elizabeth)
Elephant Run Smith, Roland Summary: Nick endures servitude, beatings, and more after his British father's plantation in Burma is invaded by the Japanese in 1941, and when his father and others are taken prisoner and Nick is stranded with his friend Mya, they plan a daring escape on elephants, risking their lives to save Nick's father and Mya's brother from a Japanese prisoner of war camp.
Fallen Angels Myers, Walter Dean Summary: Seventeen-year-old Richie Perry, just out of his Harlem high school, enlists in the Army in the summer of 1967 and spends a devastating year on active duty in Vietnam.
Fever 1793 Anderson, Laurie Halse Summary: In 1793 Philadelphia, a sixteen-year-old Matilda Cook, separated from her sick mother, learns about perseverance and self-reliance when she is forced to cope with the horrors of a yellow fever epidemic.
Girl of Kosovo Mead, Alice Summary: Although Zana, an eleven-year-old Albanian girl, experiences the turmoil and violence of the 1999 conflict in her native Kosovo, she remembers her father's admonition to not let her heart become filled with hate.
Hard Gold: The Colorado Gold Rush of 1859 Avi Summary: Early Whitcomb, whose family's farm in Iowa is failing due to drought, is enticed by his uncle Jesse to go west and dig for gold to help prevent foreclosure, but during their adventure, Jesse gets into trouble, and Early makes hard decisions while trying to find his relative and the riches that lay hidden in the mountains.
I Am Regina Keehn, Sally Summary: In 1755, ten-year-old Regina is kidnapped by Indians and struggles to hold onto memories of her earlier life as she grows up and starts to become an Indian. (Also: Anna Sunday) .
Iron Thunder Avi Summary: Thirteen-year-old Tom Carroll takes his place as head of the family after his father dies fighting for the Union; but his job at the local ironworks, where he helps build an iron ship for the Union army, and his loyalty come into question when he is approached by Confederate spies to sell secrets about the ship to the South.
Lily's Crossing Giff, Patricia Reilly Summary: During a summer spent at Rockaway Beach in 1944, Lily's friendship with a young Hungarian refugee helps her to develop an enlightened attitude.
Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy Schmidt, Gary D. Summary: In 1911, Turner Buckminster hates his new home of Phippsburg, Maine, but things improve when he meets Lizzie Bright Griffin, a girl from a poor, nearby island community founded by former slaves that the town fathers and Turner's - want to change into a tourist spot.
Milkweed Spinelli, Jerry Summary: A young Polish orphan, called names for being Jewish, dreams of the day when he too could become Nazi in shining boots, until the day he witnesses something that changes his mind forever.
Mississippi Trial Crowe, Chris Summary: In Mississippi in 1955, a sixteen-year-old finds himself at odds with his grandfather over issues surrounding the kidnapping and murder of a fourteen-year-old African-American from Chicago.
My Mother The Cheerleader Sharenow, Rob Summary: Thirteen-year-old Louise uncovers secrets about her family and her neighborhood during the violent protests over school desegregation in 1960 New Orleans.
A Northern Light Donnelly, Jennifer Summary: Sixteen-year-old Mattie, determined to attend college and be a writer against the wishes of her father and boyfriend, takes a job at a hotel in 1906 where the death of a guest renews her determination to live her own life.
Operation Yes Holmes, Sara Summary: In her first ever teaching job, Miss Loupe uses improvisational acting exercises with her sixth-grade students at an Air Force base school, and when she experiences a family tragedy, her previously skeptical class members use what they have learned to help her, her brother, and other wounded soldiers.
Out of the Dust Hesse, Karen Summary: In a series of poems, fifteen-year-old Billie Jo relates to the hardships of living on her family's wheat farm in Oklahoma during the dust bowl years of the Depression. (Also: Witness) .
Phineas Gage Fleischman, John Summary: The true story of Phineas Gage, whose brain had been pierced by an iron rod in 1848, and who survived and became a case study in how the brain functions.
Primrose Way Koller, Jackie French Summary: A recent arrival to the New World in 1633, sixteen-year-old Rebekah, a missionary's daughter, befriends a Native American woman and begins to question whether these savages need "saving" after all. (Also: Nothing to Fear)
Private Peaceful Morpurgo, Michael Summary: When Thomas Peaceful's older brother is forced to join the British Army, Thomas decides to sign up as well, although he is only fourteen years old, to prove himself to his country, his family, his childhood love, Molly, and himself.
Purple Heart McCormick, Patricia Summary: While recuperating in a Baghdad hospital from a traumatic brain injury sustained during the Iraq War, eighteen-year-old soldier Matt Duffy struggles to recall what happened to him and how it relates to his ten-year-old friend, Ali.
Rifle Paulsen, Gary Summary: A priceless, handcrafted rifle, fired throughout the American Revolution, is passed down through the years until it fires on a fateful Christmas Eve of 1994.
The Royal Diaries (Series) Summary: Follow the lives of important historical persons through their diaries, historical notes, pictures, other supporting historical evidence. Elizabeth I, Cleopatra VII, Marie Antoinette, Anastasia, etc.
The Sacrifice Matcheck, Diane Summary: When her father's death leaves her orphaned, and an outcast among her Apsaalooka (Crow) people, a fifteen-year-old sets out to avenge his death and prove that she, not her dead twin brother, is destined to be the Great One.
Seer of Shadows Avi Summary: In New York City in 1872, fourteen-year-old Horace, a photographer's apprentice, becomes entangled in a plot to create fraudulent spirit photographs, but when Horace accidentally frees the real ghost of a dead girl bent on revenge, his life takes a frightening turn.
Soldier Boys Hughes, Dean Summary: Two boys, one German and one American, are eager to join their respective armies during World War II, and their paths cross at the Battle of the Bulge.
Soldier X Wulffson, Don L. Summary: In 1943 sixteen-year-old Erik experiences the horrors of war when he is drafted into the German army and sent to fight on the Russian front.
Steal Away Armstrong, Jennifer Summary: In 1855, two thirteen-year-old girls, one white and one black, run away from a southern farm and make the difficult journey north to freedom, living to recount their journey forty-one years later to two similar young girls.
Stowaway Hesse, Karen Summary: A young stowaway keeps a journal aboard Captain James Cook's ENDEAVOR in the late 1700's. .
Ties That Bind, Ties That Break Namioka, Lensey Summary: Ailin, a strong-willed Chinese child, defies tradition by refusing to have her feet bound, later realizing the impact this will have on her life.
Trapped Between the Lash and the Gun Whitmore, Arvella Summary: Just as he's headed to become a street gang member, Jordan is transported through time.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Smith, Betty Summary: In the slums of early 1900 Brooklyn, a young girl grows up amidst poverty and hard times.
The War Within: A Novel of the Civil Matas, Carol Summary: As Jews, Hannah's family is expelled by the Union in 1862 from their Mississippi home. A novel of prejudice and war.
The Watsons Go to Birmingham Curtis, Christopher Paul Summary: The ordinary interactions and everyday routines of the Watsons, and African American family living in Flint, Michigan, are drastically changed after they go to visit Grandma in Alabama in the summer of 1963.
When I Crossed No Bob McMullan, Margaret Summary: Ten years after the Civil War's end, twelve-year-old Addy, abandoned by her parents, is taken from the horrid town of No-Bob by schoolteacher Frank Russell and his bride, but when her father returns to claim her she must find another way to leave her O'Donnell past behind.
Witch Child Rees, Celia Summary: In 1659, fourteen-year-old Mary Newbury keeps a joumal of her voyage from England to the New World and her experiences living as a witch in a community of Puritans near Salem, Massachusetts. Revised 1/10
All The Broken Pieces Burg, Ann Summary: Two years after being airlifted out of Vietnam in 1975, Matt Pin is haunted by the terrible secret he left behind and, now, in a loving adoptive home in the United States, a series of profound events forces him to confront his past.
B For Buster Lawrence, lain Summary: In the spring of 1943, sixteen-year-old Kak, desperate to escape his abusive parents, lies about his age to enlist in the Canadian Air Force and soon finds himself based in England as part of a crew flying bombing raids over Germany.
Black Duck Lisle, Janet Taylor Summary: Years afterwards, Ruben Hart tells the story of how, in 1929 Newport, Rhode Island, his family and his best friend's family were caught up in the violent competition among groups trying to control the local rum-smuggling trade.
A Boy No More Mazer, Harry Summary: After his father is killed in the attack on Pearl Harbor, Adam, his mother, and sister are evacuated from Hawaii to California, where he must deal with his feelings about the war, Japanese internment camps, his father, and his own identity. (Sequel to: Boy At War)
Brooklyn Bridge Hesse, Karen Summary: Fourteen-year-old Joseph Michtom's life takes a dramatic turn when, in 1903 Brooklyn, his parents turn their apartment into a factory for making teddy bears; and Joseph wonders whether he will ever see the glitter of Coney Island.
Bug Boy Luper, Eric Summary: In 1934 Saratoga, New York, just as fifteen-year-old Jack Walsh finally realizes his dream of becoming a jockey, complications arise in the form of a female bookie, an unexpected visit from his father, and a man who wants him to "fix" a race.
Dear America (Series) Summary: Diaries of young American children penned in their own words reveal historical and personal happenings in journal format.
Doomed Queen Anne Meyer, Carolyn Summary: In 1520, thirteen-year-old Anne Boleyn, jealous of her older sister's beauty and position at court, declares that she will one day be queen of England, and that her sister will kneel at her feet. (Also: Mary. Bloody Mary, Beware Princess Elizabeth)
Elephant Run Smith, Roland Summary: Nick endures servitude, beatings, and more after his British father's plantation in Burma is invaded by the Japanese in 1941, and when his father and others are taken prisoner and Nick is stranded with his friend Mya, they plan a daring escape on elephants, risking their lives to save Nick's father and Mya's brother from a Japanese prisoner of war camp.
Fallen Angels Myers, Walter Dean Summary: Seventeen-year-old Richie Perry, just out of his Harlem high school, enlists in the Army in the summer of 1967 and spends a devastating year on active duty in Vietnam.
Fever 1793 Anderson, Laurie Halse Summary: In 1793 Philadelphia, a sixteen-year-old Matilda Cook, separated from her sick mother, learns about perseverance and self-reliance when she is forced to cope with the horrors of a yellow fever epidemic.
Girl of Kosovo Mead, Alice Summary: Although Zana, an eleven-year-old Albanian girl, experiences the turmoil and violence of the 1999 conflict in her native Kosovo, she remembers her father's admonition to not let her heart become filled with hate.
Hard Gold: The Colorado Gold Rush of 1859 Avi Summary: Early Whitcomb, whose family's farm in Iowa is failing due to drought, is enticed by his uncle Jesse to go west and dig for gold to help prevent foreclosure, but during their adventure, Jesse gets into trouble, and Early makes hard decisions while trying to find his relative and the riches that lay hidden in the mountains.
I Am Regina Keehn, Sally Summary: In 1755, ten-year-old Regina is kidnapped by Indians and struggles to hold onto memories of her earlier life as she grows up and starts to become an Indian. (Also: Anna Sunday) .
Iron Thunder Avi Summary: Thirteen-year-old Tom Carroll takes his place as head of the family after his father dies fighting for the Union; but his job at the local ironworks, where he helps build an iron ship for the Union army, and his loyalty come into question when he is approached by Confederate spies to sell secrets about the ship to the South.
Lily's Crossing Giff, Patricia Reilly Summary: During a summer spent at Rockaway Beach in 1944, Lily's friendship with a young Hungarian refugee helps her to develop an enlightened attitude.
Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy Schmidt, Gary D. Summary: In 1911, Turner Buckminster hates his new home of Phippsburg, Maine, but things improve when he meets Lizzie Bright Griffin, a girl from a poor, nearby island community founded by former slaves that the town fathers and Turner's - want to change into a tourist spot.
Milkweed Spinelli, Jerry Summary: A young Polish orphan, called names for being Jewish, dreams of the day when he too could become Nazi in shining boots, until the day he witnesses something that changes his mind forever.
Mississippi Trial Crowe, Chris Summary: In Mississippi in 1955, a sixteen-year-old finds himself at odds with his grandfather over issues surrounding the kidnapping and murder of a fourteen-year-old African-American from Chicago.
My Mother The Cheerleader Sharenow, Rob Summary: Thirteen-year-old Louise uncovers secrets about her family and her neighborhood during the violent protests over school desegregation in 1960 New Orleans.
A Northern Light Donnelly, Jennifer Summary: Sixteen-year-old Mattie, determined to attend college and be a writer against the wishes of her father and boyfriend, takes a job at a hotel in 1906 where the death of a guest renews her determination to live her own life.
Operation Yes Holmes, Sara Summary: In her first ever teaching job, Miss Loupe uses improvisational acting exercises with her sixth-grade students at an Air Force base school, and when she experiences a family tragedy, her previously skeptical class members use what they have learned to help her, her brother, and other wounded soldiers.
Out of the Dust Hesse, Karen Summary: In a series of poems, fifteen-year-old Billie Jo relates to the hardships of living on her family's wheat farm in Oklahoma during the dust bowl years of the Depression. (Also: Witness) .
Phineas Gage Fleischman, John Summary: The true story of Phineas Gage, whose brain had been pierced by an iron rod in 1848, and who survived and became a case study in how the brain functions.
Primrose Way Koller, Jackie French Summary: A recent arrival to the New World in 1633, sixteen-year-old Rebekah, a missionary's daughter, befriends a Native American woman and begins to question whether these savages need "saving" after all. (Also: Nothing to Fear)
Private Peaceful Morpurgo, Michael Summary: When Thomas Peaceful's older brother is forced to join the British Army, Thomas decides to sign up as well, although he is only fourteen years old, to prove himself to his country, his family, his childhood love, Molly, and himself.
Purple Heart McCormick, Patricia Summary: While recuperating in a Baghdad hospital from a traumatic brain injury sustained during the Iraq War, eighteen-year-old soldier Matt Duffy struggles to recall what happened to him and how it relates to his ten-year-old friend, Ali.
Rifle Paulsen, Gary Summary: A priceless, handcrafted rifle, fired throughout the American Revolution, is passed down through the years until it fires on a fateful Christmas Eve of 1994.
The Royal Diaries (Series) Summary: Follow the lives of important historical persons through their diaries, historical notes, pictures, other supporting historical evidence. Elizabeth I, Cleopatra VII, Marie Antoinette, Anastasia, etc.
The Sacrifice Matcheck, Diane Summary: When her father's death leaves her orphaned, and an outcast among her Apsaalooka (Crow) people, a fifteen-year-old sets out to avenge his death and prove that she, not her dead twin brother, is destined to be the Great One.
Seer of Shadows Avi Summary: In New York City in 1872, fourteen-year-old Horace, a photographer's apprentice, becomes entangled in a plot to create fraudulent spirit photographs, but when Horace accidentally frees the real ghost of a dead girl bent on revenge, his life takes a frightening turn.
Soldier Boys Hughes, Dean Summary: Two boys, one German and one American, are eager to join their respective armies during World War II, and their paths cross at the Battle of the Bulge.
Soldier X Wulffson, Don L. Summary: In 1943 sixteen-year-old Erik experiences the horrors of war when he is drafted into the German army and sent to fight on the Russian front.
Steal Away Armstrong, Jennifer Summary: In 1855, two thirteen-year-old girls, one white and one black, run away from a southern farm and make the difficult journey north to freedom, living to recount their journey forty-one years later to two similar young girls.
Stowaway Hesse, Karen Summary: A young stowaway keeps a journal aboard Captain James Cook's ENDEAVOR in the late 1700's. .
Ties That Bind, Ties That Break Namioka, Lensey Summary: Ailin, a strong-willed Chinese child, defies tradition by refusing to have her feet bound, later realizing the impact this will have on her life.
Trapped Between the Lash and the Gun Whitmore, Arvella Summary: Just as he's headed to become a street gang member, Jordan is transported through time.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Smith, Betty Summary: In the slums of early 1900 Brooklyn, a young girl grows up amidst poverty and hard times.
The War Within: A Novel of the Civil Matas, Carol Summary: As Jews, Hannah's family is expelled by the Union in 1862 from their Mississippi home. A novel of prejudice and war.
The Watsons Go to Birmingham Curtis, Christopher Paul Summary: The ordinary interactions and everyday routines of the Watsons, and African American family living in Flint, Michigan, are drastically changed after they go to visit Grandma in Alabama in the summer of 1963.
When I Crossed No Bob McMullan, Margaret Summary: Ten years after the Civil War's end, twelve-year-old Addy, abandoned by her parents, is taken from the horrid town of No-Bob by schoolteacher Frank Russell and his bride, but when her father returns to claim her she must find another way to leave her O'Donnell past behind.
Witch Child Rees, Celia Summary: In 1659, fourteen-year-old Mary Newbury keeps a joumal of her voyage from England to the New World and her experiences living as a witch in a community of Puritans near Salem, Massachusetts. Revised 1/10
