*And other books in this series or by this author. 

Adams, Richard.  Watership Down.  1972.  (Fantasy; Adventure; Classic) 

A group of hardy Berkshire rabbits share many adventures together as they search for a safe place to establish a new warren after the destruction of their community. 

Adamson, Joy.  Born Free.   1960.  (Nonfiction; Biography; Animals; Classic) 

Sequel: Living free. Joy Adamson describes the remarkable relationship she and her husband had with Elsa, a lion cub they cared for during the late 1950s in Kenya, and Elsa's return to the wild as a lioness. 

*Alcott, Louisa M.  Little Women.  1868.  (Classic) 

Chronicles the joys and sorrows of the four March sisters as they grow into young women in nineteenth-century New England. 

Aldrich, Bess Streeter.  A Lantern in Her Hand.  1928.  (Classic; Historical Fiction; Frontier/ Pioneer Life) 

Tells the story of Abbie MacKenzie, who gives up the promise of a comfortable city life to face the challenge of homesteading on the American frontier. 

*Alexander, Lloyd.  The Black Cauldron.1965.(Fantasy; Newbery Honor; Classic; Second Book in the Prydain Chronicles Series) 

Sequel:  The Book of Three.  Taran, Assistant Pig-Keeper of Prydain, faces even more dangers as he seeks the magical Black Cauldron, the chief implement of the evil powers of Arawn, lord of the Land of Death. 

Allen,  Thomas B.  Mr. Lincoln's High-Tech War:  How the North Used the Telegraph, Railroads, Surveillance Balloons, Ironclads, High-Powered Weapons, and More to Win the Civil War.  2009.  (Nonfiction; United States History Civil War; Technology; Abraham Lincoln)

Examines how Abraham Lincoln's interest in technology played a role in the outcome of the Civil War; and explains how the telegraph, railroads, surveillance balloons, and other inventions helped the North win the war and rebuild the economy.

Anderson, Laurie Halse.  Chains.  2008.  (Historical Fiction; Best Books for Young Adults; Booklist Books for Older Readers; Notable Books for a Global Society; Notable Children's Books; Publisher's Weekly's Best Books of the Year; Teachers Choices)

After being sold to a cruel couple in New York City, a slave named Isabel spies for the rebels during the Revolutionary War.

Auch, Mary Jane.  Ashes of Roses.  (Historical Fiction)

Sixteen-year-old Rose Nolan arrives on Ellis Island in 1911 in the hopes of starting a new life, but after most of her family is sent back to Ireland, she must find her own way in a new country and fend for herself and her younger sister.

Bagnold, Enid.  National Velvet.   1945.  (Classic; Horses) 

Fourteen-year-old Velvet Brown takes the piebald horse she wins in a raffle and turns him into a contender for the Grand National steeplechase title. 

Barakat, Ibtisam. Tasting the Sky:  A Palestinian Childhood.  2007.  (Non-fiction)  

A memoir in which the author describes her childhood as a Palestinian refugee, discussing her family's experiences during and after the Six-Day War, and the freedom she felt at learning to read and write. 

Bartoletti, Susan.  The Boy Who Dared.  2008.  (Historical Fiction) 

In October, 1942, seventeen-year-old Helmuth Hubener, imprisoned for distributing anti-Nazi leaflets, recalls his past life and how he came to dedicate himself to bring the truth about Hitler and the war to the German people. 

Bauer, Joan.  Hope Was Here.  2007.  (Newbery Honor; Notable/Best Books) 

When sixteen-year-old Hope and the aunt who has raised her move from Brooklyn to Mulhoney, Wisconsin, to work as waitress and cook in the Welcome Stairways diner, they become involved with the diner owner's political campaign to oust the town's corrupt mayor.

Beatty, Patricia.  Lupita Manana.  1981.  (Fiction)

To help her poverty-stricken family, 13-year-old Lupita enters California as an illegal alien and starts to work while constantly on the watch for "la migra."

Bernall, Misty.  She Said Yes:  The Unlikely Martyrdom of Cassie Bernall.  1999.  (Christian Biography; Nonfiction) 

Misty Bernall, mother of one of the teenagers killed at Columbine High School, tells the story of her daughter's life, describing how Cassie had, at one point, started down a troubled path before dedicating her life to God, and sharing the details of the moment when Cassie's affirmation of faith resulted in her death. 

Bloor, Edward.  Tangerine.  1997.  (Soccer) 

Twelve-year-old Paul, who lives in the shadow of his football hero brother Erik, fights for the right to play soccer despite his near blindness and slowly begins to remember the incident that damaged his eyesight. 

Bradley, James; adapted for young people by Michael French.  Flags of our Fathers:  Heroes of Iwo Jima.  2001.  (Nonfiction; U.S. Marine Corps Biography; World War II) 

James Bradley examines the lives of the six young men who raised the American flag over Iwo Jima in February 1945 and were immortalized by a famous photograph--one of whom was Bradley's father.  

*Broach, Elise.  Masterpiece.  2008.  (Mystery; Fiction; ALA Notable Book; IRA Teachers' Choice Award; NCTE Notable Book in the Language Arts; A Booklist Top 10 Mystery; A Junior Library Guild Selection; Top Shelf Fiction for Middle School Readers; Publisher's Weekly's Best Books fo the Year) 

After Marvin, a beetle, makes a miniature drawing as an eleventh birthday gift for James, a human with whom he shares a house, the two new friends work together to help recover a Durer drawing stolen from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. 

*Brouwer, Sigmund.  Mars Diaries.  Mission 1:  Oxygen Level Zero.  2000.  (Science Fiction; Christian Fiction; First Book in the Mars Diaries Series) 

On Mars in 2039, fourteen-year-old virtual-reality specialist Tyce Sanders must discover why oxygen is leaking out of the space station’s dome in time to save those who live there, and in the process develops a new relationship with God. 

*Brouwer, Sigmund.  All-Star Pride.  2006. (Hockey; Christian Fiction; Part of the Orca Sports Series) 

Hog Burnell, a young player with the Western Hockey League, travels to Russia with an all-star team hoping to make some money and propel himself into the National Hockey League, and soon learns there are easier ways to make money in Russia if he is willing to compromise his ethics. 

*Bruchac, Joseph.  Code Talker.  2005.  (Historical Fiction; World War II; Navajo Indians) 

After being taught in a boarding school run by whites that Navajo is a useless language, Ned Begay and other Navajo men are recruited by the Marines to become Code Talkers, sending messages during World War II in their native tongue. 

Budhos, Marina.  Ask Me No Questions.  2006.  (Fiction; Illegal Immigration)

Fourteen-year-old Nadira, her sister, and their parents leave Bangladesh for New York City, but the expiration of their visas and the events of September 11, 2001, bring frustration, sorrow, and terror for the whole family. 

*Byars, Betsy.  Summer of the Swans.   1970.  (Newbery Medal) 

A teenage girl gains new insight into herself and her family when her mentally retarded brother gets lost. 

Carson, Ben.  Gifted Hands:  The Ben Carson Story.  1999.  (Christian Autobiography; Nonfiction) 

Captures the physician's fight to beat the odds, the secret behind his outstanding accomplishments, and what drives him to take risks. 

*Clements, Andrew.  Things Not Seen.  2002.  (Science Fiction) 

Sequel:  Things Hoped For.  When fifteen-year-old Bobby wakes up and finds himself invisible, he and his parents and his new blind friend Alicia try to find out what caused his condition and how to reverse it. 

Collier, James and Christopher.  My Brother Sam is Dead. 1974.  (Newbery Honor; Historical Fiction) 

Recounts the tragedy that strikes the Meeker family during the Revolution when one son joins the rebel forces while the rest of the family tries to stay neutral in a Tory town.

*Collins, Suzanne.  The Hunger Games.  2008.  (Science Fiction; Best Books for Young Adults; Best Books of the Year; Best Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror; Notable Books of the Year; Notable Children's Books; Publisher's Weekly's Best Books of the Year; Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers)

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen accidentally becomes a contender in the annual Hunger Games, a grave competition hosted by the Capitol where young boys and girls are pitted against one another in a televised fight to the death.  

Compestine, Ying Chang.  Revolution is Not a Dinner Party.  2007.  (Historical Fiction; Realistic Fiction; China's Cultural Revolution;  Best Books for Young Adults; Notable Books for a Global Society; Notable Children's Books; Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People) 

Starting in 1972 when she is nine years old, Ling, the daughter of two doctors, struggles to make sense of the communists' Cultural Revolution, which empties stores of food, homes of appliances deemed "bourgeois," and people of laughter. 

*Cooney, Caroline B.  Code Orange.  2005.  (Suspenseful Fiction) 

While conducting research for a school paper on smallpox, Mitty finds an envelope containing 100-year-old smallpox scabs and fears that he has infected himself and all of New York City. 

*Cooney, Caroline B. If the Witness Lied.  2009.  (Suspenseful Fiction)

Torn apart by tragedies and the publicity they brought, siblings Smithy, Jack, and Madison, aged fourteen to sixteen, tap into their parent's courage to pull together and protect their brother Tris, nearly three, from further media exploitation and a much more sinister threat.

Covey, Sean.  The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens:  The Ultimate Teenage Success Guide.  1998.  (Nonfiction) 

Describes seven habits teenagers can cultivate to help them improve their self-images, build friendships, resist peer pressure, achieve goals, get along with parents, and make other positive changes in their lives. 

Crane, Stephen.  Red Badge of Courage.  1895.  (Classic; Historical Fiction) 

During his service in the Civil War a young Union soldier matures to manhood and finds peace of mind as he comes to grips with his conflicting emotions about war. 

*Curtis, Christopher Paul.  Elijah of Buxton.  2007.  (Coretta Scott King Award; Newbery Honor; Historical Fiction; Best Books of the Year; Children's Books of the Year) 

Eleven-year-old Elijah Freeman, the first free-born child in Buxton, Canada, which is a haven for slaves fleeing the American South in 1859, uses his wits and skills to try to bring to justice the lying preacher who has stolen money that was to be used to buy a family's freedom. 

Dash, Joan.  The World at Her Fingertips:  The Story of Helen Keller.   2001.  (Biography; Nonfiction) 

Biography of Helen Keller who, despite being both deaf and blind, thrived under the tutelage of Annie Sullivan, graduated cum laude from Radcliffe college, and became famous for remaining strong and successful through adversity. 

*Dear America Series.  Scholastic.  (Historical Fiction) 

Written in a diary format, each historical novel is extensively researched from actual letters and diaries, allowing readers to experience the daily lives of girls from different times in American history. A companion series--My Name Is America--follows the adventures of boys from America's past. 

*Dekker, Ted.  Blink.  2002.  (Christian Fiction; Mystery; Suspense) 

An American genius named Seth Borders is brought together with Miriam, a Saudi Arabian princess escaping a forced marriage, after he suddenly gains the ability to see multiple potential futures. 

De Mari, Silvana.  The Last Dragon.  2006.  (Fantasy) 

In a post apocalyptic world, a young elf named Yorsh struggles to survive when his village is destroyed by torrential waters. Soon Yorsh discovers that the rains will end only when he deciphers a prophecy about the last dragon. 

Denenberg, Barry.  Stealing Home:  The Story of Jackie Robinson.  1990.  (Baseball; Biography; Nonfiction) 

A biography of Jackie Robinson, the first African-American man to play in the white major leagues, who was determined to fight for his rights and the rights of all African-American people on and off the baseball diamond. 

Dodge, Mary Mapes.  Hans Brinker, or The Silver Skates.  1865.  (Classic) 

Hans and Gretel's dream of competing for the silver skates seems as remote as a cure for their invalid father, until a new friend comes into their lives. 

*Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan.  The Hound of the Baskervilles.  1902.  (Classic; Mystery) 

Sherlock Holmes is asked to investigate the tale of a hound that haunts the lonely moors around the Baskervilles' ancestral home. 

Dungy, Tony.  A Quiet Strength:  the Principles, Practices & Priorities of a Winning Life..  2007.  (Football; Christian literature; Autobiography; Nonfiction) 

NFL football coach Tony Dungy reflects on his personal and professional life; discussing his childhood, family, religious beliefs, coaching practices, Super Bowl victory, and more. Includes photographs. 

*DuPrau, Jeanne.  The City of Ember.  2003.  (Fantasy) 

Sequel:  The People of Sparks.  In the city of Ember, twelve-year-old Lina trades jobs on Assignment Day to be a Messenger to run to new places in her decaying but beloved city, perhaps even to glimpse Unknown Regions. 

*DuPrau, Jeanne.  The People of Sparks.  2004.  (Fantasy) 

Prequel:  The City of Ember.  Lina and Doon are thrilled to see their people join them above ground in the vibrant village of Sparks, but suspicion and prejudice soon turn the villagers and newcomers against each other. 

Elam, Jason.  Monday Night Jihad.  2007.  (Football; Military; Terrorism; Christian Fiction) 

Riley Covington returns from Afghanistan to fulfill his dream of playing professional football; however, when he comes face-to-face with a radical terrorist group, he becomes a member of a special ops team in order to stop the source of the attacks. 

Elliot, Laura.  Under a War-Torn Sky.  2001.  (Historical Fiction; World War II) 

After his plane is shot down by Hitler's Luftwaffe, nineteen-year-old Henry Forester of Richmond, Virginia, strives to walk across occupied France, with the help of the French Resistance, in hopes of rejoining his unit. 

*Farley, Walter. The Black Stallion.  1941. (Classic; Part of the Black Stallion Series) 

The story of the understanding and love between a boy and a magnificent wild horse and the adventures and dangers they shared. 

Fleischman, Sid.  Escape!  the Story of the Great Houdini.  2008.  (Boston Globe Horn Book Honor 2007; Nonfiction; Biography) 

A biography of the magician, ghost chaser, aviator, and king of escape artists whose amazing feats are remembered long after his death in 1926. 

Fox, Paula.  Slave Dancer.  1973.  (Newbery Medal; Historical Fiction) 

Kidnapped by the crew of an Africa-bound ship, a thirteen-year-old boy discovers to his horror that he is on a slaver and his job is to play music for the exercise periods of the human cargo. 

Fradin, Judith Bloom and Dennis Brindell Fradin.  5,000 miles to freedom:  Ellen and William Craft's flight from slavery.  2006.  (Biography; Nonfiction) 

Presents a detailed account of Ellen and William Craft's daring escape from slavery in 1848, and describes the institution of slavery in the South along with the abolitionist movement and the Underground Railroad. 

Frank, Ann.  The Diary of a Young Girl.  1947.  (Nonfiction; History; Autobiography) 

A thirteen-year-old Dutch-Jewish girl records her impressions of the two years she and seven others spent hiding from the Nazis before they were discovered and taken to concentration camps.  

*George, Jean Craighead.  Julie of the Wolves.  1972.  (Newbery medal; Survival) 

Escaping from an unwanted marriage, a thirteen-year-old Eskimo girl gets lost on the Alaskan tundra and is befriended by a wolf pack. 

*Giff, Patricia Reilly.  Lily's Crossing.  1997.  (Historical Fiction; Newbery Honor; Boston Globe Horn Book-Fiction & Poetry Honors) 

During a summer spent at Rockaway Beach in 1944, Lily's friendship with a young Hungarian refugee causes her to see the war and her own world differently. 

Gilbreth, Frank B. and Ernestine.  Cheaper by the Dozen.  1948.  (Classic; Collection Biography; Nonfiction) 

Presents a memoir by two siblings from the Gilbreth clan in which they look at the lives of their parents, Frank Bunker Gilbreth and Lillian Moller Gilbreth, discuss Frank and Lillian's careers as industrial engineers and work with scientific management, and share the adventures the couple encountered raising a family of twelve children. 

Greene, Bette.  Summer of my German Soldier.  1973.  (Historical Fiction; Classic; War) 

When German prisoners of war are brought to her Arkansas town during World War II, twelve-year-old Patty, a Jewish girl, befriends one of them and must deal with the consequences of that friendship. 

Grisham, John.  Theodore Boone:  Kid Lawyer.  2010.  (Mystery)

Thirteen-year-old Theodore Boone, who knows every judge, police officer, and court clerk in the small town of Strattenburg, finds himself involved in a murder trial because of knowledge he might have about a cold-blooded killer.

Hautzig, Esther.  The Endless Steppe;  Growing up in Siberia.  1968.  (Autobiography; Nonfiction) 

During World War II, when she was eleven years old, the author and her family were arrested in Poland by the Russians as political enemies and exiled to Siberia. She recounts here the trials of the following five years spent on the harsh Asian steppe. 

Halilbegovich, Nadja.  My Childhood Under Fire:  a Sarajevo Diary.  2006.  (History; Biography; Nonfiction) 

The true story of twelve-year-old Nadja Halilbegovich as she relates how she and her family survived the constant bombings, attacks, and lack of basic supplies during the siege of Sarajevo in the late 1990s. 

Hampton, Wilborn. War in the Middle East:  Black September and the Yom Kippur War:  A Reporter's Story.  2007.  (Nonfiction; Military history) 

News correspondent Wilborn Hampton relates his experiences covering two civil wars in the Middle East and discusses the important issues that have plagued the region for decades.

Herlong, M.E.  The Great Wide Sea.  2008.  (Adventure; Survival)

Still mourning the death of their mother, three brothers go with their father on an extended sailing trip off the Florida Keys and have a harrowing adventure at sea.

*Hobbs, Will.  The Big Wander.  1992.  (Adventure) 

As he searches for his uncle through the rugged Southwest canyon country, fourteen-year-old Clay becomes involved with a group of Navajo Indians who are trying to save some of the last wild mustangs. 

Holm, Ann.  I Am David.  1965.  (Historical Fiction) 

Translation of: David.;Previously published under title: North to freedom. After escaping from an Eastern European concentration camp where he has spent most of his life, a twelve-year-old boy struggles to cope with an entirely strange world as he flees northward to freedom in Denmark. 

Hunt, Irene.  Across Five Aprils.  1964.  (Newbery Honor; Historical Fiction) 

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. 

Hunt, Irene.  Up the Road Slowly.  1966.  (Newbery Medal) 

A seven-year-old orphan goes to live with her aunt, where she learns new values as she grows to young womanhood. There are many happy memories and sad times too; jealousy of her sister, death of a schoolmate, and disappointment of first love. 

Ibbotson, Eva.  Journey to the River Sea.  2001.  (Adventure; Historical Fiction)

Sent with her governess to live with the dreadful Carter family in exotic Brazil in 1910, Maia endures many hardships before fulfilling her dream of exploring the Amazon River.

Jeter, Derek.  The Life You Imagine:  Life Lessons for Achieving Your Dreams.  2007.  (Baseball; Autobiography; Nonfiction) 

New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter tells about his life and his very early desire to play for the Yankees, and shares his ten-step plan for success. Includes profiles of Jeter by friends and colleagues. 

Jurmain, Suzanne.  The Secret of the Yellow Death: A True Story of Medical Sleuthing.  2009.  (Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, 2010; Cybils YA Nonfiction Award)

Tells the story of the doctors and researchers who worked to track down the cause of yellow fever and find a way to eliminate the disease.

*Kadohata, Cynthia.  Cracker!  The Best Dog in Vietnam.  2007.  (Historical Fiction) 

A young soldier in Vietnam bonds with his bomb-sniffing dog. 

Keith, Harold.  Rifles for Watie. 1957. (Newbery Medal; Historical Fiction) 

The struggles and hardships faced by Jeff Bussey on his 300-mile escape route during the Civil War. 

Keller, Bill.  Tree Shaker:  The Story of Nelson Mandela.  2008.  (Biography; Nonfiction) 

Explores the life and accomplishments of Nelson Mandela, discussing his political protests, imprisonment, selection as president of South Africa, and more. 

Keller, Helen.  The Story of My Life.  1903.  (Nonfiction; Autobiography) 

An autobiography of Helen Keller, written while she was a young woman, in which she tells of her early life, her relationship with her teacher Anne Sullivan, and her struggles to triumph over blindness and deafness. 

Kipling, Rudyard.  Captains Courageous.  1897.  (Classic; Sea Story) 

An American son of a millionaire is saved from drowning by a New England fishing schooner and forced to prove his worth to the captain and crew. 

Korman, Gordon.  Schooled.  2007. 

Cap lives in isolation with his grandmother, a former hippie; but when she falls from a tree and breaks her hip, Cap is sent to a foster home where he has his first experience in a public school. 

*Langan, Paul.  Blood is Thicker.  2004.  (Part of the Bluford High Series) 

Hakeem Randall, already upset by his father's illness, and his family's move to Detroit, finds his anger reaching a boiling point when he is forced to share a bedroom with his moody and secretive cousin Savon, a childhood friend who soon becomes an enemy. 

Larson, Kirby.  Hattie Big Sky.  2006.  (Newbery Honor; Historical Fiction; Frontier and Pioneer Life) 

Sixteen-year-old Hattie Brooks inherits her uncle's homesteading claim in Montana in 1917 and encounters some unexpected problems related to the war in Europe. 

L'Engle, Madeleine.  A Wrinkle in Time.  1962.  (Newbery Medal; Classic; Science Fiction) 

Three extraterrestrial beings take Meg and her friends to another world. 

Levine, Gail Carson.  Ella Enchanted.  1997. (Newbery Honor; Fantasy) 

In this novel based on the story of Cinderella, Ella struggles against the childhood curse that forces her to obey any order given to her. 

*Lewis, C.S.  The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.  1950.  (Fantasy; The Second Book in the Chronicles of Narnia Series) 

Four English schoolchildren find their way through the back of a wardrobe into the magic land of Narnia and assist Aslan, the golden lion, to triumph over the White Witch, who has cursed the land with eternal winter. 

*London, Jack. Call of the Wild.  1903.  (Classic; Animals) 

Buck, who is half St. Bernard and half Scotch shepherd, is abducted and taken to the Klondike where he reverts to the wild and becomes a leader of a pack of wolves. 

*London, Jack.  White Fang.  1906.  (Classic; Dogs) 

The adventures in the northern wilderness of a dog who is part wolf and how he comes to make his peace with man. 

Lowry, Lois.  Gathering Blue.  2000.  (Science Fiction; Margaret A. Edwards Award) 

Lame and suddenly orphaned, Kira is mysteriously removed from her squalid village to live in the palatial Council Edifice, where she is expected to use her gifts as a weaver to do the bidding of the all-powerful Guardians. 

Lupica, Mike.  Miracle on 49th Street.  2006.  (Basketball) 

After her mother's death, twelve-year-old Molly learns that her father is a basketball star for the Boston Celtics. 

McClafferty, Carla Killough.  Something out of Nothing:  Marie Curie and Radium.  2006.  (Children's Book Award; Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People; Biography; Science; Nonfiction) 

Chronicles the life of Marie Curie, discussing her childhood in Poland, schooling in France, discovery of the element radium, efforts to create mobile X-ray units during World War I, and eventual death from radium poisoning. 

McMullan,  Margaret.  When I Crossed No-Bob.  2007.  (Best Books of the Year; Children's Books of the Year; Historical Fiction) 

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. 

Miller, Sarah.  Miss Spitfire:  Reaching Helen Keller.  2007.  (Best Books for Young Adults; Historical Fiction) 

At age twenty-one, partially-blind, lonely but spirited Annie Sullivan travels from Massachusetts to Alabama to try and teach six-year-old Helen Keller, deaf and blind since age two, self-discipline and communication skills. 

Morley, David.  Healing Our World:  Inside Doctors Without Borders.  2007.  (Nonfiction) 

Presents excerpts from the author's journals depicting his experiences and those of other volunteers as they travel the globe bringing medicines and treatment to those in war-torn areas of the world. 

Murphy, Pat.  The Wild Girls.  2007.  (Fiction; Best Books for Young Adults 2009; Top Shelf Fiction for Middle School Readers 2008)

Twelve-year-old Joan, worried that she will not have any friends when her family moves from Connecticut to California, bonds right away with Sarah, a girl who prefers to be called Fox, and the two spend a joyous summer playing outside, making up stories, and attending a writing class.

*My Name is America.  Scholastic.  (Action; Historical Fiction) 

A ground-breaking, adventure-based historical fiction series written in journal format and designed to appeal to boy readers. A companion series--Dear America--invites readers into the personal worlds of girls from different times in American history 

*Myers, Bill.  Forbidden Doors Series.  (Mystery; Christian Fiction) 

Supernaturally themed shows fill the TV schedule, but are they safe? The author uses this thrilling mystery series to demonstrate the allure and the danger of the occult, and shows how faith can combat spiritual darkness. 

Myers, Walter Dean.  The Greatest:  Muhammed Ali.  2001.  (Biography; Boxing; Nonfiction) 

An illustrated biography of boxing great Muhammad Ali that addresses his politics, his fight against Parkinson's disease, and boxing's dangers. 

Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds. Blizzard's Wake.  2002.  (Historical Fiction) 

In March of 1941, when a severe blizzard suddenly hits Bismarck, North Dakota, a girl trying to save her stranded father and brother inadvertently helps the man who killed her mother four years before. 

*O'Dell, Scott.  The Hawk That Dare Not Hunt By Day:  Historical Fiction Based on the Life of William Tyndale.   1975.  (Historical Fiction; Christian Fiction; Fictionalized Biography) 

Amid political turmoil and threats of plague, young Tom Barton accepts the risks of helping William Tyndale publish and smuggle into England the Bible he has translated into English. 

*O'Dell, Scott.  Sing Down the Moon.  1970.  (Newbery Honor; Historical Fiction) 

A young Navajo girl recounts the events of 1864 when her tribe was forced to march to Fort Sumner as prisoners of the white soldiers.  

*Oppel, Kenneth.  Airborn.  2004.  (Fantasy; Action) 

Sequel:  Skybreaker.  Matt, a young cabin boy aboard an airship, and Kate, a wealthy young girl traveling with her chaperone, team up to search for the existence of mysterious winged creatures reportedly living hundreds of feet above the Earth's surface. 

*Oppel, Kenneth.  Skybreaker.  2006.  (Fantasy; Action) 

Sequel to:  Airborn.  Matt Cruse, a student at the Airship Academy, and Kate de Vries, a young heiress, team up with a gypsy and a daring captain, to find a long-lost airship, rumored to carry a treasure beyond imagination. 

*Paolini, Christopher. Eldest.  2005.  (Fantasy; Second Book in the Inheritance Trilogy) 

After successfully evading an Urgals ambush, Eragon is adopted into the Ingeitum clan and sent to finish his training so he can further help the Varden in their struggle against the Empire. 

*Paolini, Christopher.  Eragon. 2002.  (Fantasy; First Book in the Inheritance Trilogy) 

In Aagaesia, a fifteen-year-old boy of unknown lineage called Eragon finds a mysterious stone that weaves his life into an intricate tapestry of destiny, magic, and power, peopled with dragons, elves, and monsters. 

Park, Linda Sue.  A Long Walk to Water. 2010. (Sudan Refugees; A Novel Based on a True Story)

When the Sudanese civil war reaches his village in 1985, eleven-year-old Salva becomes separated from his family and must walk with other Dinka tribe members through southern Sudan, Ethiopia, and Kenya in search of safe haven. Based on the life of Salva Dut, who, after emigrating to America in 1996, began a project to dig water wells in Sudan.

Park, Linda Sue.  A Single Shard.  2001.  (Newbery Medal; Historical Fiction) 

Tree-ear, a thirteen-year-old orphan in medieval Korea, lives under a bridge near a potters' village, and longs to learn how to throw the delicate celadon ceramics himself. 

Paulsen, Gary. Guts:  the True Stories Behind the Hatchet and the Brian Books.  2001.  (Nonfiction; Autobiography) 

The author relates incidents in his life and how they inspired parts of his books about the character, Brian Robeson. 

Paulsen, Gary.  Hatchet.  1987.  (Newbery Honor; Survival) 

After a plane crash, thirteen-year-old Brian spends fifty-four days in the wilderness, learning to survive with only the aid of a hatchet given him by his mother, and learning also to survive his parents' divorce.  

Pearson, Mary E.  The Adoration of Jenna Fox.  2008.  (Science Fiction; Best Books for Young Adults; Best Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror; Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People; Top Shelf Fiction for Middle School Readers)

In the not-too-distant future, when biotechnological advances have made synthetic bodies and brains possible but illegal, a seventeen-year-old girl, recovering from a serious accident and suffering from memory lapses, learns a startling secret about her existence.

*Peretti, Frank.  The Door in the Dragon's Throat.   1985.  (Adventure; Christian Fiction; First book in the Cooper Kids Adventure Series) 

American archeologist and his two children seek God's protection and guidance as they journey to the Near East in search of a buried biblical treasure which local residents believe is cursed. 

*Peretti, Frank.  Hangman's Curse.  2001.  (Mystery; Christian Fiction; First Book in the Veritas Project Series) 

Sequel:  Nightmare Academy.  When several students at Baker High School are stricken by an alleged curse of the school's ghost, Elijah and Elisha Springfield and their parents, undercover investigators, are sent to uncover the truth behind the events. 

*Peretti, Frank.  Nightmare Academy.  2002.  (Mystery; Christian Fiction; Second Book in the Veritas Project Series) 

Prequel:  Hangman's Curse.  Elijah and Elisha, teenage twins who, along with their parents, have been recruited by the president to learn the truth behind strange mysteries, crimes, and unusual occurrences in the news, face a rigorous test of faith when their job takes them into a world of twisted reality. 

Philbrick, Rodman.  Freak the Mighty.  1993.  

At the beginning of eighth grade, learning disabled Max and his new friend Freak, whose birth defect has affected his body but not his brilliant mind, find that when they combine forces they make a powerful team.

Philbrick, Rodman.  The Young Man and the Sea.  2004.  (Adventure; Survival) 

After his mother's death, twelve-year-old Skiff Beaman decides that it is up to him to earn money to take care of himself and his father, so he undertakes a dangerous trip alone out on the ocean off the coast of Maine to try to catch a huge bluefin tuna.

Pyle, Howard.  Men of Iron.  1892.  (Historical Fiction; Classic) 

Young Myles Falworth, son of a fourteenth-century nobleman unjustly named as a traitor, sets out to reclaim his family's honor in a quest that leads to knighthood and the defeat of his father's betrayer. 

Rawls, Wilson.  Where the Red Fern Grows:  the Story of Two Dogs and a Boy.  1961.  (Animal Story 

A young boy living in the Ozarks achieves his heart's desire when he becomes the owner of two redbone hounds and teaches them to be champion hunters. 

Richter, Conrad.  The Light in the Forest.  1953.  (Classic; Historical Fiction) 

After being raised as an Indian for eleven years following his capture at the age of four, John Butler is forcibly returned to his white parents but continues to long for the freedom of Indian life. 

*Rinaldi, Ann.  Numbering All the Bones.   2002.  (Historical Fiction; Slavery; Civil War)

Thirteen-year-old Eulinda, a house slave on a Georgia plantation in 1864, turns to Clara Barton, the eventual founder of the American Red Cross, for help in finding her brother Neddy who ran away to join the Northern war effort and is rumored to be at Andersonville Prison. 

Roy, Jennifer.  Yellow Star.  2006.  (Historical Fiction) 

From 1939, when Syvia is four and a half years old, to 1945 when she has just turned ten, a Jewish girl and her family struggle to survive in Poland's Lodz ghetto during the Nazi occupation. 

*Ryan, Pam Munoz.  Esperanza Rising.  2000. (Pura Belpre Award) 

Esperanza and her mother are forced to leave their life of wealth and privilege in Mexico to go work in the labor camps of Southern California, where they must adapt to the harsh circumstances facing Mexican farm workers on the eve of the Great Depression. 

Ryan, Pam Munoz.  The Dreamer.  2010.  (Fictionalized biography; Pura Belpre Award; National Parenting Publications Award-GOLD; Booklist Books for Middle Readers; Globe Horn Book Honor; Kirkus Best Children's Books of 2010; Smithsonian Notable Book)

A fictionalized biography of the Nobel Prize-winning Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, who grew up a painfully shy child, ridiculed by his overbearing father, but who became one of the most widely-read poets in the world.

Sachar, Louis.  Holes.  1998.  (Newbery Medal) 

As further evidence of his family's bad fortune which they attribute to a curse on a distant relative, Stanley Yelnats is sent to a hellish correctional camp in the Texas desert where he finds his first real friend, a treasure, and a new sense of himself. 

Sandell, Lisa Ann.  Song of the Sparrow.  2007.  (Fantasy) 

In fifth-century Britain, nine years after the destruction of their home on the island of Shalott brings her to live with her father and brothers in the military encampments of Arthur's army, seventeen-year-old Elaine of Ascolat describes her changing perceptions of war and the people around her as she becomes increasingly involved in the struggle against the invading Saxons and copes with feelings of jealousy toward the beautiful Gwynivere. 

Schuman, Michael.  Charles Schulz:  Cartoonist and Creator of Peanuts.  2002.  (Biography; Nonfiction) 

Tells the life story of cartoonist Charles M. Schulz, whose "Peanuts" comic strip entertained readers for nearly fifty years. 

Sheth, Kashmira.  Boys Without Names.  2010.  (Child Labor)

Eleven-year-old Gopal and his family leave their rural Indian village to live with his uncle in Mumbai, but when they arrive his father goes missing and Gopal ends up locked in a sweatshop from which there is no escape.

Sheth, Kashmira.  Keeping Corner.  2007. (Historical Fiction; Children's Books of the Year 12 & up; Notable Books for a Global Society) 

In India in the 1940s, thirteen-year-old Leela's happy, spoiled childhood ends when her husband since age nine, whom she barely knows, dies, leaving her a widow whose only hope of happiness could come from Mahatma Ghandi's social and political reforms. 

Sis, Peter. The Wall:  Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain.  2007.  (Caldecott Honor; Autobiography; Nonfiction) 

Artist Peter Sis describes what it was like growing up in a Communist country and discusses how Western culture influenced his life. 

*Smith, Roland.  Elephant Run.  2007.  (Historical Fiction; Adventure) 

Nick's father and others are taken prisoner when his plantation in Burma is invaded by the Japanese in 1941, leaving Nick and his friend Mya to risk their lives in order to free them from the POW camp. 

*Snicket, Lemony.  The Bad Beginning.  1999.  (Humorous Story; First Book in the A Series of Unfortunate Events Series) 

After the sudden death of their parents, the three Baudelaire children must depend on each other and their wits when it turns out that the distant relative who is appointed their guardian is determined to use any means necessary to get their fortune. 

*Speare, Elizabeth George.  The Bronze Bow.  1989.  (Newbery Medal; Historical Fiction) 

A young boy seeks revenge against the Romans for killing his parents, but is turned away from vengeance by Jesus. 

*Speare, Elizabeth George.  The Witch of Blackbird Pond.  1958.  (Newbery Medal; Historical Fiction; Classic) 

A young girl's rebellion against bigotry culminates in a terrifying witch hunt and trial. 

Sperry, Armstrong.  Call It Courage.  1940.  (Newbery Medal) 

Mafatu, a young Polynesian boy whose name means Stout Heart, overcomes his terrible fear of the sea and proves his courage to himself and his people.  

Steinbeck, John.  The Pearl.  1945.  (Classic) 

Terrible events follow the discovery of a magnificent pearl by a poor Mexican fisherman. 

Steinbeck, John.  The Red Pony.  1937.  (Classic; Horses) 

Ten-year-old Jody learns about life and death through her ownership of a beautiful red pony. 

Stevenson, Robert Louis.  Treasure Island.   1883.  (Classic; Adventure) 

While going through the possessions of a deceased guest who owed them money, the mistress of the inn and her son find a treasure map that leads them to a pirate's fortune. 

Stokes, John A.  Students on Strike:  Jim Crow, Civil Rights, Brown, and Me.  2008.  (Biography; History; Civil Rights) 

John A. Stokes, one of the leaders of the student strike at R. R. Morton High School in 1951, describes the conditions in which he and his fellow classmates learned and provides an account of how they fought against segregation. 

Stratton-Porter, Gene.  A Girl of the Limberlost.  1909.  Classic; Nature) 

Elnora Comstock, an impoverished young girl growing up on the edge of the Limberlost swamp in Indiana, is a lover of nature who has an opportunity to pay for her education by collecting moths. 

Tada, Joni Eareckson.  Joni:  An Unforgettable Story. 2001.  (Christian Biography) 

First published: 1976. Christian author and artist Joni Eareckson Tada describes the physical, emotional, and spiritual struggle she underwent after a diving accident left her quadriplegic at the age of seventeen. 

*Taylor, Mildred.  Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry.  1976. (Newbery Medal; Historical Fiction) 

A black family living in Mississippi during the Depression of the 1930s is faced with prejudice and discrimination which its children do not understand.  

ten Boom, Corrie. The Hiding Place.  1971. (Autobiography; Nonfiction; World War II) 

The memoirs of a Dutch woman who was sent to Ravensbruck concentration camp during World War II as a result of her activities in the anti-Nazi underground. 

Thomson, Sarah.  Three Cups of Tea.  2009.  Young Reader's Edition.  (Nonfiction; Humanitarian Assistance; Publisher's Weekly Best Children's Books) 

Adapts for young readers Greg Mortenson's book in which he recounts the experiences he had while trying to help impoverished villages in Pakistan's Karakoram Himalaya build schools for their children. 

*Tolkien, J.R.R.  Lord of the Rings Trilogy.  1954-55.  (Fantasy; Classic) 

The fellowship of the ring -- The two towers -- The return of the king. 

*Twain, Mark.  The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.  1884.  (Classic) 

Huckleberry Finn, the son of the town drunk, and Jim, an escaped slave, make a break for freedom down the Mississippi River on a raft, sharing many adventures along the way. 

*Twain, Mark.  The Prince and the Pauper.  1882.  (Classic; Historical Fiction) 

When young Edward VI of England and a poor boy who resembles him exchange places, each learns something about the other's very different station in life. 

Tyers, Kathy.  Firebird Trilogy. 2004. (Fantasy; Christian Fiction) 

Firebird -- Fusion fire -- Crown of fire. 

*Verne, Jules.  Journey to the Center of the Earth.  1864.  (Science Fiction; Classic; Adventure) 

Three explorers descend to the center of the earth, where they encounter tumultuous storms, wild prehistoric animals, and fierce cavemen. 

Wallace, Lew.  Ben Hur:  A Tale of Christ. 1880.  (Historical Fiction; Christian Fiction; Classic) 

A wealthy young Jew and his family, experiencing changing fortunes under Roman tyranny, are affected by the life and teachings of a Nazarene named Jesus Christ. 

Warren, Paul Robert.  Remember Little Bighorn:  Indians, Soldiers, and Scouts Tell Their Stories.  2006.  (History; Nonfiction; Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People) 

Chronicles the events of the battle at Little Bighorn River in 1876 from first-hand accounts of the Native Americans, soldiers, and scouts who witnessed it; along with a description of the archaeological evidence collected on the site. 

Wells. H. G.  The Time Machine.  1895.  (Science Fiction; Classic) 

A scientist invents a machine that transports him far into the future where he discovers a changed world inhabited by two unusual races, the Eloi and the Morlocks. 

Wells, H. G.  War of the Worlds.  1898.  (Classic; Science Fiction) 

As life on Mars becomes impossible, Martians and their terrifying machines invade the earth. 

Wells, Rosemary.  Red Moon at Sharpsburg.  2007.  (Historical Fiction; Civil War) 

Even though the odds are against her and the Civil War has ruined her home and given her a view of the darker side of humanity, thirteen-year-old India Moody continues to aspire to become a scientist and attend Oberlin College. 

Wolf, Allan.  New Found Land:  A Novel.  2004.  (Historical Fiction) 

The letters and thoughts of Thomas Jefferson, members of the Corps of Discovery, their guide Sacagawea, and Captain Lewis's Newfoundland dog, all tell of the historic exploratory expedition to seek a water route to the Pacific Ocean. 

Yelchin, Eugene. Breaking Stalin's Nose. 2011. (Newbery Honor; Notable Children's Books; Children's Books of the Year; Historical Fiction)

In the Stalinist era of the Soviet Union, ten-year-old Sasha idolizes his father, a devoted Communist, but when police take his father away and leave Sasha homeless, he is forced to examine his own perceptions, values, and beliefs.