Novel: Gertie’s Leap to Greatness Author: Kate Beasley Target Audience: Ages 8-12 Genre: Contemporary/Realistic Publication Year: 2016 Setting: a town in coastal Alabama; the novel has a timeless feel, but is likely set in 2010s A Favorite Quote: “She had never before made a 99 on a test. Ever. And […]
Yearly Archives: 2016
Novel: Cilla Lee-Jenkins Future Author Extraordinaire Author: Susan Tan Target Audience: 8-12 (although, I personally think this would work really nicely as a read aloud with slightly younger children) Genre: Contemporary Publication Year: 28 March 2017 Setting: a city in the USA; current (2010s) A Favorite Quote: “So even though […]
Cilla Lee-Jenkins Future Author Extraordinaire by Susan Tan
Novel: Number the Stars Author: Lois Lowry Target Audience: 10-14 years Genre: Historical fiction Publication Year: 1989 Setting: Copenhagen, Denmark; 1943, World War II A Favorite Quote: “It was only in the fairy tales that people were called upon to be so brave, to die for one another. Not in […]
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
Novel: Surviving the Applewhites Author: Stephanie S. Tolan Target Audience: 10 and up Genre: Realistic fiction Publication Year: 2002 Setting: Creative Academy in rural North Carolina; contemporary A Favorite Quote: “He had been feeling rejected. Artists were tricky enough to handle when their work was going extremely well. Rejected artists […]
Surviving the Applewhites by Stephanie S. Tolan
Novel: Inside Out & Back Again Author: Thanhha Lai Target Audience: 8 and up Genre: Historical fiction; novel-in-verse Publication Year: 2011 Setting: primarily Saigon, South Vietnam and Alabama; 1975 A Favorite Quote: “I understand and wish I could go back to not understanding.” My One Sentence Summary: Unexpected pleasures, […]
Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai
Novel: Tom Thumb: The Remarkable True Story of a Man in Miniature Author: George Sullivan Target Audience: 5th-9th grade Genre: Biography Publication Year: 2011 Setting: Primarily in New York and the USA; 19th century (esp. 1840s-1890s) A Favorite Quote: “At five, Tom was drinking wine with his meals. At seven, […]
Tom Thumb: The Remarkable True Story of a Man in ...
Novel: Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry Author: Mildred D. Taylor Target Audience: 11 and up Genre: Historical fiction Publication Year: 1976 Setting: Mississippi; 1933 A Favorite Quote: “There are things you can’t back down on, things you gotta take a stand on. But it’s up to you to decide […]
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
Novel: Millicent Min, Girl Genius Author: Lisa Yee Target Audience: 8-12 years Genre: Contemporary; humor Publication Year: 2003 Setting: Rancho Rosetta, California; 2000s A Favorite Quote: “I have been accused of being anal retentive, an over-achiever, and a compulsive perfectionist, like those are bad things.” My One Sentence Summary: When […]
Millicent Min, Girl Genius by Lisa Yee
Novel: One Crazy Summer Author: Rita Williams-Garcia Target Audience: 8-12 years Genre: Historical fiction Publication Year: 2010 Setting: primarily Oakland, CA; 1968 A Favorite Quote: “Big Ma doesn’t care if President Kennedy’s face is on the half-dollar or if the airport is now officially named after him. She calls the […]
One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia
Novel: Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution Author: Ji-li Jiang Target Audience: 11-15 years; 5th-9th grade Genre: Memoir Publication Year: 1998 Setting: Shanghai, China; begins in 1966, start of the Cultural Revolution A Favorite Quote: “Many friends have asked me why, after all I went through, I […]