Nobody's Princess by Esther Friesner

Esther Friesner imagines the childhood of Helen of Troy.  Helen of Sparta is being trained to be a princess and a bride, but she prefers to learn how to fight and have adventures.

I would recommend this book for girls fifth grade and above.  Our sixth graders learn about ancient cultures and this book would fit perfectly in that unit.



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The Vine Basket by Josanne La Valley

In The Vine Basket by Josanne La Valley, fourteen-year-old Mehrigul has dreams.  She wants to continue to go to school, but her family needs her to sell in the market.  There she meets a woman who admires a vine basket Mehrigul made.  She offers to buy more if Mehrigul will make them.

Mehrigul's mother is depressed and her father discourages her from creating these baskets.  Mehrigul perseveres, because she knows she will be sent away to work in a Chinese factory.





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Gaby, Lost and Found by Angela Cervantes

Gaby's mother has been deported and her dad moves back into the house to "care" for her.  Gaby writes adoption notices for an animal shelter as a service project, but really wants a cat for herself.

Gaby is a strong character who must handle difficult circumstances.  She finds the will to fight for what she needs and what she wants.



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Kinda Like Brothers by Coe Booth

I have always admired foster families who give children in trouble a safe place to live while the adults in their lives work out big problems.

Jarrett's mom usually takes in babies, but when a baby has an older brother, Jarrett gets an unwelcome roommate.  The two boys have much to learn about being sort of brothers.




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A Song for Bijou by Josh Farrar

Alex Schrader meets Bijou Doucet who recently moved from Haiti after an earthquake.  Alex wants to date her, but Bijou's family doesn't want her to even befriend a boy.

I enjoyed learning about two cultures meeting and connecting.  What I didn't like was the lying the middle school students had to do to keep the adults from knowing what they were up to.  (I know.  I'm such a parent.)


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The Prairie Thief by Melissa Wiley

Louisa Brody's Pa is arrested for stealing from the neighbors and Louisa is forced to stay with him until the sheriff can sort things out.  Louisa and her friend Jessamine discover the creature who has actually been taking things from both houses.  Can they convince the judge and sheriff that Pa is innocent?


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Mountain Dog by Margarita Engle

When Tony's mother is sent to prison for dog-fighting, Tony is sent to live with an uncle he has never met.  He meets Gabe, a search and rescue dog, and he experiences the love of community and a new way of life. 

Mountain Dog by Margarita Engle is told in free verse from Tony's and Gabe's perpectives.


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The Adventures of a South Pole Pig by Chris Kurtz

Flora's life begins, like most pigs, on a farm with her sisters and brothers, but she has an ambition to become a sled pig. When she finds herself on a ship headed to Antarctica, she thinks her dream is coming true.  How can Flora prove she is worth more than bacon?

Chris Kurtz's The Adventures of a South Pole Pig reminded me of Wilbur in Charlotte's Web.




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New Kid by Tim Green

My students are reading and recommending two books by Tim Green: New Kid and Kid Owner.  I haven't yet read Kid Owner, but as popular as it is with my sports fans, it is on my reading list.

New Kid is about a baseball player whose dad suddenly moves him from one town to another and changes his name.  A prank gone wrong gets the attention of the local baseball coach and soon Tommy AKA Brock is recruited to an elite team.  Will Tommy's father let him play?  Will he have to move to a new town because of his fame?







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Eddie Red Undercover by Marcia Wells

Eddie Red's real name is Edmund Xavier Lonnrot.  When he witnesses a crime, he begins to work for the police department. Eddie uses his photographic memory and sketches to locate the criminal, but not before he puts himself in danger.






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Masterminds by Gordon Korman

Serenity, New Mexico is the perfect little town.  Every adult has employment, a nice house, and bright children who go to the perfect school.  Honesty and integrity are core values, and there is no crime.  Then one day Eli and his friend bike to the edge of town and they discover everything about their lives is a lie.






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Save Me a Seat by Sarah Weeks & Gita Varadarajan

Save Me a Seat by Sarah Weeks and Gita Varadarajan is a school story told from two points of view.  Joe and Ravi meet the first day of fifth grade.  Joe has always lived in his community, and Ravi has just moved from India.  Both are trying to find ways to fit in and struggle with the school bully.

I loved this book.  It is one I would recommend reading aloud to upper elementary students.

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Loot by Jude Watson

I originally discovered this book on Rick Riordan's blog just before it was released.  I had it on my "Want to" read for a long time, but finally read it this summer because it is nominated for an award in Washington State.

March McQuin is the son of a jewel thief who dies at his feet.  March hears his father tell him to "Find jewels."  He discovers that Jules is really a twin sister he didn't know about.

I loved the plot twists and characters and can't wait to read the sequel, Sting.





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Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

A group of my students are reading Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet in an after school book club.  When I heard about it, I had to read it.

The plot moves back and forth between Seattle at the time of the Japanese internment and the 80s.  Henry Lee, a Chinese-American, arrives at the Panama Hotel and realizes that items left there by Japanese families have personal meaning for him. He flashes back to a relationship he had with a Japanese-American girl and how they were separated as she moved to an internment camp.

I'm having great discussions with my fifth grade girls about their reading.  My stepdaughter read it in a community college English literature class.  My mom read it when it was recommended by a friend.




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Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin

I loved Rose Howard, the main character of Ann M. Martin's Rain Reign.  She is obsessed about homonyms as well as other things.  She named her dog Rain, a homonym.

One stormy night, Rain runs away, setting off a chain of events that changes everything.






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Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff

Albie has difficulty at school with learning and making friends.  Despite well-meaning teachers, he is bullied at school.  His parents and Korean grandfather put pressure on him to succeed. He makes friends with Betsy who is bullied as well.  

Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff is a book I'm considering as a read aloud this year.  Although I teach gifted students, I believe they will have empathy for Albie.



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The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher by Dana Alison Levy

Two dads raise four adopted boys from different ethnic backgrounds.  Each boy struggles with life at school, friends, and neighbors.  The characters are unique, funny, and easy to relate to. 




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