The Secret Diary of Sarah Chamberlain was a quick and interesting read. It’s a great book for middle school and teenage readers who love history. It’s fast-paced and keeps the seriousness of the war at the right age level.
Young Adult Fiction
The Ship of Shadows is a fun read, especially for girls. There is danger, treasure, puzzles and books.
The Ship of Shadows by Maria Kuzniar
The Main Dish is a great young adult novel about sisters and the desire to be popular. Family relationships can be tough and when sacrifices don’t seem fair, it can cause rifts. Parents aren’t always perfect and The Main Dish also examines how the parents present the situation to their daughters. I would highly recommend this book to any tween/teen who enjoys a story full of suspense and drama – especially if she has a sister!
The Main Dish by Victoria Kimble
1 While this series is not my favorite of DiCamillo’s, I do appreciate the messages she is conveying about hope and love that some children need to hear. Beverly, Right Here is probably better for older elementary or middle school readers to deal with the running away and Beverly’s mom’s alcoholism.
Beverly, Right Here by Kate DiCamillo
“True terror isn’t being scared; it’s not having a choice.” Aza seriously wonders if her life is real or if it’s a movie, orchestrated by powers stronger than her. At 16, she faces the same ordeals most teenagers face, but her problems are deeper and more real. She spirals in […]
Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
Will Wilder learns a lot about right and wrong in The Relic of Perilous Falls. While he searches for the relic for the adventure of it, he soon realizes he is being caught between wanting to do something for a good reason but having it turn out to be the wrong choice in the end.
The Relic of Perilous Falls (Will Wilder 1) by Raymond ...
“There is a disease that strikes foxes sometimes. It causes them to abandon their ways, to attack strangers. War is human sickness like this.” Shortly after his mother’s death, Peter finds a fox kit and takes it in to care for it, despite his father’s objections. “The boy” and his […]
Pax by Sara Pennypacker
“The great crystal was a miracle. He must protect it.” Eric and Dale are training and living their lives as princes where Eric is the heir to the throne. Dale suffers asthma and weak legs, but his father surprises them with an announcement that Dale is to be the next […]
The Crystal Mountain by J. Gregory Smith
“The world was beautiful. It surprised me, how beautiful it kept on insisting on being. In spite of all the lies, it was beautiful.” Louisiana Elephante is awoken in the middle of the night by her grandmother, loaded into their car and taken away from the place she has settled […]
Louisiana’s Way Home by Kate DiCamillo
“As they crested the next hill, a set of towering gates rose in the distance. TwoSpells.” Sarah and Jon are taken by their mother to visit their grandparents in Wales for summer vacation instead of somewhere fun, or so they think. Near their grandparents’ house looms a castle called TwoSpells […]