At the beginning of the Revolutionary War, hoping to keep bloodshed away from their valley, a 12-year-old Delaware Indian boy, and his white friend, search sacred land for the bones of a legendary beast.

Reviewed by: sc

Date read: 4/13/2009

ISBN-10: 0399227830

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Abilene has always known where her home is: it is with her dad. In the 1930s United States, Abilene and her dad hop trains from town to town. Abilene's home is 'all over. My daddy says it's not down in any map. True places never are.' So when he sends her away from him to a town she's never known except through stories, Manifest, Kansas, to live with a man named Shady she's never met, Abilene is bewildered. On her first night there, searching for a hiding place for her treasured possessions, she stumbles upon a box with mementos and letters to a mysterious boy named Jinx. This discovery leads to a search for a spy, and Abilene finds more than she ever expected: the hidden past of Manifest, Kansas, a story that blends the history of a fortune teller, a boy running from the law after a murder, and the country in a time of war. As Abilene unravels the threads of the tale, she uncovers secrets that lead her back to the one place she hopes to be: home. Winner of the 2011 Newbery Medal, this book by first-time author Clare Vanderpool blends history, intrigue, and the love of families, both the ones we're given and the ones that choose us, into a tale that affirms the power of stories to heal, change, and bring people together.

Awards won: John Newbery Medal

Reviewed by: emc

Date read: 1/13/2011

ISBN-10: 0385907508

ISBN-13: 9780385907507

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Commenter: Valerie, grade 52

Minnie LOVES spaghetti! In fact, she is too busy twirling, cooking, and eating spaghetti to play with her friend Freddy. Can Freddy find a way to get his pasta-loving friend away from the spaghetti so he has someone to play with? This is a delightfully funny story, told in verse, for the beginning reader.

Similar books: Is the Spaghetti Ready? by Frank B.Edwards; On top of Spaghetti by Paul Brett Johnson; Doodler Doodling by Rita Golden Gelman; Pizza Pat by Rita Golden Gelman

Reviewed by: mb

Date read: 8/3/2009

ISBN-10: 0590457837

ISBN-13: 9780590457835

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Homer and his brother Harold have been living with their evil Uncle Squinton Leach, 'the meanest man in the entire state of Maine,' since their parents died. When Uncle Squinton sells Harold into the Union Army during the Civil War, Homer can take no more. He runs away and sets off to get Harold back. On his journey, he encounters slave catchers, a Confederate spy, and makes a get-away flight in a hot air balloon which lands him in Gettysburg right before the fighting begins. Join Homer for his mostly true adventures, but remember that he also has a real talent for telling fibs when they're needed.

Similar authors: Sid Fleischman

Awards nominated: Rebecca Caudill Award Nominee 2012

Awards won: Newbery Honor Book 2010

Reviewed by: mec

Date read: 6/1/2011

ISBN-13: 9780439668187

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A boy becomes friends with a mouse that rides a motorcycle. After this one, look for Ralph S. Mouse.

Reviewed by: St. Charles Reader

Date read: 11/20/2009

ISBN-10: 0688216986

ISBN-13: 9780688216986

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