Little House in the Woods, Written by Laura Ingalls Wilder, Illustrated by Garth Williams

Little House in the Woods

Written by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Illustrated by Garth Williams 

Grades:3-6

Awards: Lewis Carroll Shelf Award (1958)

This is the first book int he Little House Series. It is told from 4 year old Laura's point of view. It is 1871 and her family's life as pioneer's is beginning. She talks about the the hard times and the about the good. There is always Pa and his fiddle at night. The family is together and they are safe and warm. There are a total of 9 books in the Little House Series. They have been loved and read for many years. 

Counting on Grace, Written by Elizabeth Winthrop

Counting on Grace

Written by Elizabeth Winthrop

Awards:

Massachusetts Book Award Nominee for Children's/Young Adult Literature (2007)

Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award Nominee (2008)

Grades: 3-7

It is 1910 in Pownal, Vermont, and Grace is 12 years old. She and her best friend Arthur are pulled from school and forced to work in the factory with their mothers. She does not want to be in the factory she wants to be in school learning. Her teacher comes on Sunday to teach her and Arthur. Grace is also costing her family money because of her mistakes. The loom is made for a right handed person and she is left handed. Grace and Arthur write an letter to the Child Labor Board in secret about the factory hiring underage workers. The board sends the famous Lewis Hine undercover to the factory. He takes pictures of the conditions in the factory. One is of Grace. The pictures and investigation will change the spirited girls life. Arthur gets injured on purpose. He has two fingers removed from his hand but, he gets to go back to school. The teacher is fired at the end of the book. Grace is the teacher's substitute until a new one can be found. 

Anne of Green Gables, Written by L.M. Montgomery

Anne of Green Gables

Written by L.M. Montgomery

Grades: 3-6

Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert live in Avonlea, Canada, in the late 1800's on a farm called Green Gables. They are brother and sister and getting older. They decide to adopt a boy to help around the farm. They mention this to a women who is traveling to the orphanage. The women says she will pass the message along and send a child their way. The message gets messed up and instead of finding a girl at the train station, they find a girl. Her name is Anne Shirley. Anne will change their lives and the lives of the entire town. Anne is full of poetry and dreams. She gets into all sorts of mischief and trouble. Anne makes friends with Diana. She does very well in school and makes a rival with Gilbert. Gilbert and Anne compete at everything. They both score the same on the teaching test. They compete to see who will graduate at the top of the class. Gilbert gets the gold medal and Anne the scholarship. Her joy is short lived when Matthew has a heart attack and dies after learning  all the money they had is gone because the bank closed. Marilla also gets bad news, she can no longer sew, or she will go blind from straining her eyes. Marilla wants to sell the farm. Anne gets Diana's dad, Mr. Berry, to rent the farm. She gives up her scholarship and teaches at the Avonlea School. Gilbert was suppose to teach there but, gives up the position for Anne to be home. Anne is grateful to Gilbert and decides they can call a truce and be friends.  

Pollyanna, Written by Eleanor H. Porter

Pollyanna

Written by: Eleanor H. Porter

Grades: 4-up

It is 1913 and Pollyanna Whittier is eleven years old and has just become an orphan. She is sent to live with her wealthy spinster Aunt Polly. Aunt Polly does not like children but, feels it is her duty to take in her late sisters child. Pollyanna has taken on her father's outlook on life to find something good in everything. No matter what is thrown her way she has a good attitude about it and finds the good. Her sunshine attitude soon spreads throughout the small town of Beldingsville, Vermont. The town learns to play what they call the "Glad Game" and find something good in their own lives as well. The one person who does not want to play the game is her Aunt but, even she is starting to be glad about certain things. Pollyanna and her outlook change when she is hit by a car and can not walk. The town all come and encourage her like she encouraged them and she soon finds things to be glad about again. Aunt Polly soon changes and she marries an old boyfriend. Pollyanna does learn to walk again and is even more appreciative of the use of her legs. 

I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912, Written by Lauren Tarshis

I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912

Written by Lauren Tarshis

Awards: Bluestream Book Award Nominee 2016

Ten year old George Calder and his sister, Phoebe, are excited to be traveling on the Titanic with their Aunt Daisy. George is a very curious and the ship is an exciting place to explore. On the night of April 15th, George finds himself in the first class storage of the ship when a loud boom shakes the ship. He runs back to his room and discovers the ship has hit an iceberg and Phoebe is missing. Aunt Daisy finds Phoebe just in time to get on a lifeboat. George manages to make a friend named Marco who helps him jump clear of the ship. They are all picked up by the ship Carpathia. The story brings to life the great Titanic and it's sinking in the eyes of a 10 year old. 

Desireé, Written by AnneMarie Selinko

Desireé

Written by AnneMarie Selinko

Grades: 7-12

Desireé tells the story of a young girl who is engaged to Napoleon. Due to a series of events she does not marry him. Due to her sister marrying Napoleon's brother she stays close to the court and follows them to Paris. In Paris she meets Jean-Baptiste Berndotte an officer in the French Army. This story details Napoleon's rise and fall through history. It is also the story of a young girls journey from daughter of a merchant engaged to Napoleon, to being the Queen of Sweden. It is full of historical facts that are fascinating. 

Children of the Fire, Written by: Harriette Gillem Robinet

Children of the Fire

Written by: Harriette Gillem Robinet

Grades: 3-7

Awards:1994 Black-Eyed Susan Award – Nominee


Hallelujah is an 11 year old African American girl. Her mother was a slave who escaped the south to Chicago and died not long after getting there. Hallelujah is living with a foster family who is doing well. One night in October she follows her foster brother out to look at the fires. They lose track of each other as they follow the fires and they grow larger and larger. Hallelujah gets lost. She finds that during the Great Fire in Chicago of 1871, lines of discrimination are erased as everyone fights for their life. Many children are left orphans. Hallelujah spends days with Elizabeth, an Irish immigrant, and they vow to be friends for the rest of their lives. This book shows the devastation and rebuilding of Chicago. It also shows the tension of races when two little girls vow to be friends. 

This is a great historical book for the classroom. It will give great details of the Chicago fire that happened in October of 1871. It will also show the diversity of a big city and how differences don't matter when there is trouble.

Or Give Me Death: A Novel of Patrick Henry's Family, Written by: Ann Rinaldi

Or Give Me Death: A Novel of Patrick Henry's Family

Written by: Ann Rinaldi

Grades: 6-12

This book is about two of Patrick Henry's daughters, Patsy and Anne. They are growing up in Revolutionary America where there is unrest all around them. Patsy is sixteen and is trying to hold the family together. She is the oldest and their mother is mentally ill and needs to be locked up to keep from harming them. Anne is only nine. She is tormented by the question of, "When is it good to tell a lie?" or "Do you keep a secret?".  Their mother does die halfway through the book. Anne has second sight and knows who will be next to get their mother's mental illness. She tries to tell everyone it is her but, reveals to a slave that it is actually her brother John. John does go mad but, it is after his father marries the girl he wanted to marry himself. This book shows the harsh reality of mental illness in Colonial America. It also shows the strength of families when they go through hard times together. The author does make sure to note at the end that this book is fiction.

For use in the classroom it would be to show how mental ill people were treated in the past. It would also give students a look into life in Colonial time period.

The War That Saved My Life, Written by: Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

The War That Saved My Live

Written by: Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Grades: 4-7

Awards: 

2017 Georgia Children’s Book Award – Finalist 
2016 Children’s Book Committee Award – Winner 2016 Newbery Medal – Honor Book 2015 E.B. White Read Aloud Award – Honor Book 2015 Great Stone Face Book Award – Nominee 2015 Isinglass Teen Read Award – Nominee2015 Parents Choice Awards (Spring) (2008-Up) 




The war that saved my life the story of Ada. Ada is a 10yr old girl who lives in London during WWII. She is born with a club foot to a mother who despises and abuses her. Ada has a brother, Jamie, who is six. James is allowed much more freedom than Ada. Jamie looks out for Ada and tells her all about the outside world she never sees. Ada looks out for her brother and protects him against their mother. When children are being sent out of London to safety from the air raids, only Jamie is going to go. Ada sneaks out to go with Jamie. They are forced to be taken in by a recluse named Susan. The children learn what it is like to really have someone care for them. The war that saved her is not WWII but, the war that is in her own life. 

Classroom would benefit if it is a mature classroom. The book does have some issues that would be hard on someone younger to deal with. A great book in overcoming not only physical but, mental obstacles as well. Ada goes through fear and the unknown to come out stronger than before.