Four orphaned children discover an abandoned boxcar and decide to live there. Will they be able to survive on their own without any adults to help them? The children have several gentle adventures, then the book has a happy ending. If you enjoy this book, read the many others in the series. The first 19 were written by Gertrude Chandler Warner, and the later ones were written by other authors in Warner's style.

Reviewed by: msp

Date read: 1/6/2011

ISBN-10: 0807508519

ISBN-13: 9780807508510

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Commenter: Alan, grade 2

As the winter after World War II ends, it is very cold in Katje's village in Holland. There are no new shoes, and there is no sugar or soap. One day, a box comes in the mail for Katje. Someone in America has sent Katje warm socks, a bar of soap, and some chocolate! Katje shares her wonderful box with her mother and the mailman and writes a thank you letter to America. Boxes continue to come across the ocean, and Katje shares them all with everyone in her village. How can Katje thank her American friend?

Reviewed by: sc

Date read: 7/6/2009

ISBN-10: 0374309221

ISBN-13: 9780374309220

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Jim's life is just returning to normal after his father's disappearance, and apparent suicide, when the teen-age stepdaughter of the town minister accosts him with the news that his father was killed - by her stepfather! She wants Jim to help her prove it. As Jim begins to go along with her, she learns that her stepfather is after her to shut her up, and now, he is after Jim, too. While digging back into his father's past, Jim learns more about his father than he wishes he ever knew, and more about himself, as well.

Similar books: Mississippi Trial, 1955 by Chris Crowe; The Wreckers by Iain Lawrence; Wolf Rider: a Tale of Terror by Avi

Reviewed by: sc

Date read: 4/13/2009

ISBN-10: 0374408874

ISBN-13: 9780374408879

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Fourteen-year-old Tao, a Cro-Magnon, prehistoric boy, longs to become a cave painter. Due to a bad foot, and his social status, he is forbidden to do so, and eventually becomes an outcast. Will his friendship with an artistic shaman help him realize his dream? Also look for the sequel, Return to the Painted Cave.

Reviewed by: sc

Date read: 4/13/2009

ISBN-10: 039921559X

ISBN-13: 9780399215599

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A novel based on the true story of Helmuth Hubener, a 17-year-old member of the Hitler youth. In the beginning, everything about Hitler was new and full of promise and hope for Germany. Then, the rights of people were diminished, Jews were threatened, and the world was turned upside down. Helmuth discovers that Germans are being lied to and he is driven to spread the truth. Helmuth's story unfolds in a series of flashbacks as he awaits his fate in a jail cell.

Similar books: Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow by Susan Campbell Bartoletti.

Awards nominated: Rebecca Caudill Award 2011

Reviewed by: adf

Date read: 6/18/2009

ISBN-10: 0439680131

ISBN-13: 9780439680134

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Commenter: Ewl, grade 62