Literature 130

Fast-paced story of a widow and her two children who try to make their mark in an 1880s Idaho gold-mining town.This is a fun read-alone chapter book.

Newbery winner by author Christopher Paul Curtis. An inspiring coming-of-age story set in a settlement of runaway slaves who have escaped to Canada.

This work from our 8th grade literature book selection is a delightful true story of an American woman journalist who moves south of the border and marries a Mexican man in the 1930s. As the new Señora comes to love her new family and life, she must learn to navigate a new language, customs, (seemingly) dramatic Latin emotions, and a culture that feels stuck in time one hundred years earlier.

Told with engaging clarity and insightfulness, De Treviño shows us a culture so close to the United States, but so rarely appreciated or understood.

In the 1830s, a young orphan with grave blue eyes heads to a new life in North Carolina. As she learns to adapt to her new Quaker surroundings, her new family and friends wonder if this solemn girl will ever learn to laugh.

From the author of the Newbery-winning A Single Shard comes a carefully researched read aloud book about the 1950s Brooklyn Dodgers, the Korean War and the very real ups and downs of life.

Famous tale of a boy's life in a small town on the banks of the Mississippi River as told by author Mark Twain. Pb.

Rules of the Road by Joan Bauer is about Mrs. Gladstone is the elderly, crusty president of a chain of shoe stores. Jenna is a gangly, gutsy 16-year-old who sells shoes after school. When Jenna drives Mrs. Gladstone on a cross-country "road trip" to visit several shops in the chain, the two learn a great deal from each other.

Ohkwa'ri overhears some older boys as they plan to raid a neighboring village. He tells his Mohawk elders and makes some enemies. The older boys will do anything they can to hurt Ohkwa'ri, especially during the village-wide game of Tekwaarathon (what we call lacrosse). Ohkwa'ri believes in the path of peace, but can peaceful ways work against a bully's wrath? This educational reading book tells a great tale about doing the right thing, even in the face of opposition.

The Sawi cannibals of Irian Jaya think Judas is a hero for "fattening Jesus for the slaughter." This is the amazing story of how God prepared a tribal culture to receive the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Born the son of an African king, Amos Fortune was captured by slave traders in 1725, brought to America and sold at auction.

Set in pre-Word War II America, this charming collection of short stories recounts the visits of a brother and sister to their eccentric grandmother in a small town in rural Illinois. A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck was a National Book Award finalist and Newbery Honor Book.

It was a dark and stormy night when Meg Murry, brother Charles Wallace and their mom decided to have a midnight snack in the kitchen. Then a most disturbing stranger appeared. "By the way, there is such a thing as a tesseract ..." she told them. One of the most spellbinding space adventure and time travel books. Winner of the 1963 Newbery Medal.

This story takes place in the real world of New York City, but holds a fantastic puzzle at its heart. A young girl's life starts to unravel when the mysterious notes begin to arrive, scrawled on tiny slips of paper: I am coming to save your friend's life, and my own. I ask two favors. First, you must write me a letter ... Miranda realizes that whoever is leaving the notes knows things no one should know. Can she prevent a tragic death or is she already too late? Winner of the Newbery Medal and a New York Times bestseller, When You Reach Me by author Rebecca Stead is an original and delightful read.

With only a guide book to show them the way, the Todd family sets out from their Arkansas home on a two thousand mile trek to claim uncharted Oregon Territory.

It's 1936 in Flint, Michigan. Times may be hard, and ten-year-old Bud may be a motherless boy who never knew his father, but Bud's got a few things going for him.

The "Call of the Wild" book is gripping tale of a heroic dog who, thrust into the Alaska Gold Rush, faces a choice between living in man's world or returning to nature.

Four friends from a class of social outcasts attempt to win an Academic Bowl with the help of their encouraging teacher. Sarita says, "As a two-time Newbery Medal winner, you know she has a good writing style. But this book has a wonderful story-line as well. It has the best of all worlds mixed into one."

Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary is an astonishing story about growing up, about love and disappointment.

Delightful Newbery Honor story of what happened to a twelve year old white girl who was captured by Seneca Indians in 1758.

After his parents die, Jeffrey Magee awes his friends with unbelievable feats.

Billie Jo, a 14-year-old girl caught in the Oklahoma dust storms of the 1930s, reveals the grim realities of a life lived in that time and place.

Adventuresome and feisty 12-year old Lizzy Tinker has to learn how to fit in with her community, 17th century Puritans in Holland.

The unforgettable story of a young girl whose father stands up for principle in the face of deadly prejudice.

A treasury of more than 150 classic works by six of America's finest poets.

Mary Alice, a middle-class high school girl from Chicago, leaves the big city to spend 1937 in rural Illinois with her rough-around-the-edges and unconventional grandmother.