A girl is captured by the Seneca Indian tribe and is taken from her family. Based on a true story!

Awards won: Newbery Honor book 1942

Reviewed by: St. Charles Reader

Date read: 11/12/2009

ISBN-10: 039730076X

ISBN-13: 9780397300761

Check the library catalog

Sparse free verse intensifies colors, sounds and feelings in this beautiful story based on the author's life. Ha is 10 years old when she escapes Vietnam with her family and they end up in Alabama. She describes the sweetness of papaya and the terror of gunfire in her homeland. Struggling to learn a new language and culture, she tells of her mother's determination to build a new life and her brothers' efforts to do the same. But most vivid are Ha's emotions and feelings - funny, scared, angry, questioning - as this young girl struggles to be accepted.

Similar books: Shooting Kabul, by N.H. Senzai

Awards nominated: 2013 Rebecca Caudill Nominee

Awards won: Newberry Honor Book 2012

Reviewed by: donna

Date read: 5/15/2012

ISBN-13: 9780061962783

Check the library catalog

Hugo Cabret is the son of a clockmaker. He was being raised by his father until his father died in a fire. Hugo's uncle Claude then took Hugo to live with him in an apartment located in a train station. Uncle Claude's job at the train station is to maintain all of the clocks in the station. Hugo becomes Uncle Claude's apprentice but when Uncle Claude doesn't come home for several days (or ever again), Hugo continues to take care of all the clocks by himself. Hugo becomes intrigued with a toy shop in the train station and keeps a stash of toy parts that he pilfers from the shop. From these parts, he is able to rebuild the broken automaton machine that he found in the wreckage of a museum fire. He is convinced that the automaton holds a message for him from his father. The inventor of the automaton surprisingly ends up being someone that Hugo knows. The one hundred and fifty eight illustrations in this book are spectacular and tell the story with as much power as the words do. So what is the invention of Hugo Cabret? You will be amazed when you find out!

Awards won: Caldecott Medal

Reviewed by: sc

Date read: 4/28/2009

ISBN-10: 0439813786

ISBN-13: 9780439813785

Check the library catalog

Isabella grew up in a cold, drafty castle in Castile, now a part of Spain. In the 1400s, when Isabella lived, Spain was divided into 5 kingdoms, and Castile was the largest. She became queen of Castile, and married Ferdinand, who ruled another kingdom, Aragon. Together they ruled the largest region in Spain. Isabella fought alongside her husband and their armies - she even wore armor! She was loved by her people, and she worked hard to be a just queen. Her children were each born in a different part of the kingdom because Queen Isabella was always traveling wherever her people needed her. Read about the Queen that sent Columbus to the Americas.

Reviewed by: sc

Date read: 4/14/2009

ISBN-13: 9780531200339

Check the library catalog

Karena is left alone on the island where her tribe used to live. Most of the men were killed by Russian otter hunters, who refuse to honor their agreement to share the otter skins. An elder of the tribe paddled to the mainland, and brought back a ship to take the survivors off the island. Karana went to look for her little brother and, when she found him, the ship had gone. Shortly afterwards, her brother is killed by wolves. This is the story of Karana's life on the island- how she found food, made weapons, made clothes, created a place to live, and, most of all, befriended the animals.

Awards won: John Newbery Medal

Reviewed by: sc

Date read: 4/13/2009

ISBN-10: 0395536804

ISBN-13: 9780395536803

Check the library catalog