Library
Mrs. Benton
Collection Total:
2,550 Items
Last Updated:
Sep 10, 2023
Solomon
Marilyn Bishop Shaw*****Eleven-year-old Solomon Freeman and his parents, newly freed slaves, are building a homestead in north Florida's wilderness. Their battle to survive is filled with harsh difficulties in this wild new home. When Solomon goes on a cattle drive, he confronts a new world as he rides a marshtackie horse, rounding up a large herd of wild cattle and bringing them to market at the coast - where he sees sights he had never dreamed existed. Are the Freemans strong enough to build a successful homestead? Will they be welcomed in this hard place where blacks have only been slaves in years past? Does Solomon have the wisdom he needs to face challenges beyond his years? Winner of the 2006 award from the Florida Historical Society for the best youth-oriented book in Florida history and literature.
Little House 1: Little House in the Big Woods
Laura Ingalls Wilder*****For the first time in the history of the Little House books, this new edition features Garth Williams’ interior art in vibrant, full color, as well as a beautifully redesigned cover.

Laura Ingalls's story begins in 1871 in a little log cabin on the edge of the Big Woods of Wisconsin. Four-year-old Laura lives in the little house with her Pa, her Ma, her sisters Mary and Carrie, and their trusty dog, Jack.

Pioneer life is sometimes hard, since the family must grow or catch all their own food as they get ready for the cold winter. But it is also exciting as Laura and her folks celebrate Christmas with homemade toys and treats, do the spring planting, bring in the harvest, and make their first trip into town. And every night they are safe and warm in their little house, with the happy sound of Pa's fiddle sending Laura and her sisters off to sleep.

And so begins Laura Ingalls Wilder's beloved story of a pioneer girl and her family. The nine Little House books have been cherished by generations of readers as both a unique glimpse into America's frontier past and a heartwarming, unforgettable story.
Little Women: Junior Classics for Young Readers
Louisa May Alcott, Bethany Snyder*****A lcott prefaces Little Women with an excerpt from John Bunyan’s seventeenth-century work The Pilgrim’s Progress, an allegorical novel about leading a Christian life. Alcott’s story begins with the four March girls—Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy—sitting in their living room, lamenting their poverty. The girls decide that they will each buy themselves a present in order to brighten their Christmas. Soon, however, they change their minds and decide that instead of buying presents for themselves, they will buy presents for their mother, Marmee. Marmee comes home with a letter from Mr. March, the girls’ father, who is serving as a Union chaplain in the Civil War. The letter inspires the girls to bear their burdens more cheerfully and not to complain about their poverty.
The Great Railroad Race: The Diary of Libby West, Utah Territory, 1868
Kristiana Gregory*****In Kristiana Gregory's third book for the Dear America series, a fourteen-year-old girl records the momentous building of the Transcontinental Railroad.
Little House 3: Little House on the Prairie
Laura Ingalls Wilder*****The adventures continue for Laura Ingalls and her family as they leave their little house in the Big Woods of Wisconsin and set out for Kansas. They travel for many days in their covered wagon until they find the best spot to build their little house on the prairie. Soon they are planting and plowing, hunting wild ducks and turkeys, and gathering grass for their cows. Sometimes pioneer life is hard, but Laura and her folks are always busy and happy in their new little house.
Little House 3: Little House on the Prairie
Laura Ingalls Wilder*****The adventures continue for Laura Ingalls and her family as they leave their little house in the Big Woods of Wisconsin and set out for Kansas. They travel for many days in their covered wagon until they find the best spot to build their little house on the prairie. Soon they are planting and plowing, hunting wild ducks and turkeys, and gathering grass for their cows. Sometimes pioneer life is hard, but Laura and her folks are always busy and happy in their new little house.
One Came Home
Amy Timberlake*****A Newbery Honor Book

An ALA-ALSC Notable Children's Book

Winner of the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Juvenile Novel

“An adventure, a mystery, and a love song to the natural world. . . . Run out and read it. Right now.”—Newbery Medalist Karen Cushman

In the town of Placid, Wisconsin, in 1871, Georgie Burkhardt is known for two things: her uncanny aim with a rifle and her habit of speaking her mind plainly.

But when Georgie blurts out something she shouldn't, her older sister Agatha flees, running off with a pack of "pigeoners" trailing the passenger pigeon migration. And when the sheriff returns to town with an unidentifiable body—wearing Agatha's blue-green ball gown—everyone assumes the worst. Except Georgie. Refusing to believe the facts that are laid down (and coffined) before her, Georgie sets out on a journey to find her sister. She will track every last clue and shred of evidence to bring Agatha home. Yet even with resolute determination and her trusty Springfield single-shot, Georgie is not prepared for what she faces on the western frontier.

From the Hardcover edition.
Little House 4: On the Banks of Plum Creek
Laura Ingalls Wilder*****The adventures of Laura Ingalls and her family continue as they leave their little house on the prairie and travel in their covered wagon to Minnesota. Here they settle in a little house made of sod beside the banks of beautiful Plum Creek. Soon Pa builds a wonderful new little house with real glass windows and a hinged door. Laura and her sister Mary go to school, help with the chores, and fish in the creek. At night everyone listens to the merry music of Pa's fiddle. Misfortunes come in the form of a grasshopper plague and a terrible blizzard, but the pioneer family works hard together to overcome these troubles.

And so continues Laura Ingalls Wilder's beloved story of a pioneer girl and her family. The nine Little House books have been cherished by generations of readers as both a unique glimpse into America's frontier past and a heartwarming, unforgettable story.
Little House 4: On the Banks of Plum Creek
Laura Ingalls Wilder*****The adventures of Laura Ingalls and her family continue as they leave their little house on the prairie and travel in their covered wagon to Minnesota. Here they settle in a little house made of sod beside the banks of beautiful Plum Creek. Soon Pa builds a wonderful new little house with real glass windows and a hinged door. Laura and her sister Mary go to school, help with the chores, and fish in the creek. At night everyone listens to the merry music of Pa's fiddle. Misfortunes come in the form of a grasshopper plague and a terrible blizzard, but the pioneer family works hard together to overcome these troubles.

And so continues Laura Ingalls Wilder's beloved story of a pioneer girl and her family. The nine Little House books have been cherished by generations of readers as both a unique glimpse into America's frontier past and a heartwarming, unforgettable story.
The Seer of Shadows
Avi*****Horace Carpetine does not believe in ghosts.

Raised to believe in science and reason, Horace Carpetine passes off spirits as superstition. Then he becomes an apprentice photographer and discovers an eerie—and even dangerous—supernatural power in his very own photographs.

When a wealthy lady orders a portrait to place by her daughter's gravesite, Horace's employer, Enoch Middleditch, schemes to sell her more pictures—by convincing her that her daughter's ghost has appeared in the ones he's already taken.

It's Horace's job to create images of the girl. Yet Horace somehow captures the girl's spirit along with her likeness. And when the spirit escapes the photographs, Horace discovers he's released a ghost bent on a deadly revenge. . . .
The Seer of Shadows
Avi*****Horace Carpetine does not believe in ghosts.

Raised to believe in science and reason, Horace Carpetine passes off spirits as superstition. Then he becomes an apprentice photographer and discovers an eerie—and even dangerous—supernatural power in his very own photographs.

When a wealthy lady orders a portrait to place by her daughter's gravesite, Horace's employer, Enoch Middleditch, schemes to sell her more pictures—by convincing her that her daughter's ghost has appeared in the ones he's already taken.

It's Horace's job to create images of the girl. Yet Horace somehow captures the girl's spirit along with her likeness. And when the spirit escapes the photographs, Horace discovers he's released a ghost bent on a deadly revenge. . . .
Stick and Whittle: Wanted for Mischief, Adventurous Behavior, and a Tendency to Get into Trouble
Sid Hite*****
A House of Tailors
Patricia Reilly Giff*****SEWING! NO ONE could hate it more than Dina Kirk.

Endless tiny stitches, button holes, darts. Since she was tiny, she’s worked in her family’s dressmaking business, where the sewing machine is a cranky member of the family.

When 13-year-old Dina leaves her small town in Germany to join her uncle’s family in Brooklyn, she turns her back on sewing. Never again! But looking for a job leads her right back to the sewing machine. Why did she ever leave home? Here she is, still with a needle and thread—and homesick to boot.

She didn’t know she could be this homesick, but she didn’t know she could be so brave either, as she is standing up to an epidemic or a fire. She didn’t know she could grow so close to her new family or to Johann, the young man from the tailor’s shop. And she didn’t know that sewing would reveal her own wonderful talent—and her future.

In Dina, the beloved writer Patricia Reilly Giff has created one of her most engaging and vital heroines. Readers will enjoy seeing 1870s Brooklyn through Dina’s eyes, and share her excitement as she discovers a new world.

From the Hardcover edition.
A House of Tailors
Patricia Reilly Giff*****SEWING! NO ONE could hate it more than Dina Kirk.

Endless tiny stitches, button holes, darts. Since she was tiny, she’s worked in her family’s dressmaking business, where the sewing machine is a cranky member of the family.

When 13-year-old Dina leaves her small town in Germany to join her uncle’s family in Brooklyn, she turns her back on sewing. Never again! But looking for a job leads her right back to the sewing machine. Why did she ever leave home? Here she is, still with a needle and thread—and homesick to boot.

She didn’t know she could be this homesick, but she didn’t know she could be so brave either, as she is standing up to an epidemic or a fire. She didn’t know she could grow so close to her new family or to Johann, the young man from the tailor’s shop. And she didn’t know that sewing would reveal her own wonderful talent—and her future.

In Dina, the beloved writer Patricia Reilly Giff has created one of her most engaging and vital heroines. Readers will enjoy seeing 1870s Brooklyn through Dina’s eyes, and share her excitement as she discovers a new world.

From the Hardcover edition.
Anne of Green Gables 1
L. M. Montgomery*****The Cuthberts want to adopt an orphan boy who can help out on the farm. Instead they get Anne, a proud, talkative eleven-year-old girl. Anne stays on the farm and eventually wins their hearts.
Anne of Green Gables 1
L. M. Montgomery*****The Cuthberts want to adopt an orphan boy who can help out on the farm. Instead they get Anne, a proud, talkative eleven-year-old girl. Anne stays on the farm and eventually wins their hearts.
Thunder Rolling in the Mountains
Scott O'Dell, Elizabeth Hall*****For ages 9 to 12, RL 5.6

It is the spring of 1877 when fourteen-year-old Sound of Running Feet, daughter of Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce, sees white people panning gold in the little creek that feeds the Wallowa River, and brings word of them to her father.

"They are the first, but more are on the way," he says. "We are few and they are many. They will devour us."

It is Sound of Running Feet who narrates the story of her tribe's fate. Readers will be gripped as she shares with us her respect for her father, her love for handsome Swan Necklace, and her destiny.
The Yearling
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings*****A Pulitzer Prize-winning classic originally published over 50 years ago, Rawling's timeless story of backwoods Florida and the tender relationship of a young boy and his tame fawn continues to delight and enthrall readers.
Little House 5: By the Shores of Silver Lake
Laura Ingalls Wilder*****The adventures of Laura Ingalls and her family continue as they move from their little house on the banks of Plum Creek to the wilderness of the unsettled Dakota Territory. Here Pa works on the new railroad until he finds a homestead claim that is perfect for their new little house. Laura takes her first train ride as she, her sisters, and their mother come out to live with Pa on the shores of Silver Lake. After a lonely winter in the surveyors' house, Pa puts up the first building in what will soon be a brand-new town on the beautiful shores of Silver Lake. The Ingallses' covered-wagon travels are finally over.
Heidi
Johanna Spyri*****Orphaned Heidi lives with her gruff but caring grandfather on the side of Swiss mountain, where she befriends young Peter the goat-herd. She leads an idyllic life, until she is forced to leave the mountain she has always known to go and live with a sickly girl in the city. Will Heidi ever see her grandfather again? A classic tale of a young girl's coming-of-age, of friendship, and familial love, Heidi has inspired countless dramatic versions, both on TV and in film, including Shirley Temple's famous 1937 version.
Little House 6: The Long Winter
Laura Ingalls Wilder*****For the first time in the history of the Little House books, this new edition features Garth Williams’ interior art in vibrant, full color, as well as a beautifully redesigned cover.

The adventures of Laura Ingalls and her family continue as Pa, Ma, Laura, Mary, Carrie, and little Grace bravely face the hard winter of 1880-81 in their little house in the Dakota Territory. Blizzards cover the little town with snow, cutting off all supplies from the outside. Soon there is almost no food left, so young Almanzo Wilder and a friend make a dangerous trip across the prairie to find some wheat. Finally a joyous Christmas is celebrated in a very unusual way in this most exciting of all the Little House books.
Little House 6: The Long Winter
Laura Ingalls Wilder*****For the first time in the history of the Little House books, this new edition features Garth Williams’ interior art in vibrant, full color, as well as a beautifully redesigned cover.

The adventures of Laura Ingalls and her family continue as Pa, Ma, Laura, Mary, Carrie, and little Grace bravely face the hard winter of 1880-81 in their little house in the Dakota Territory. Blizzards cover the little town with snow, cutting off all supplies from the outside. Soon there is almost no food left, so young Almanzo Wilder and a friend make a dangerous trip across the prairie to find some wheat. Finally a joyous Christmas is celebrated in a very unusual way in this most exciting of all the Little House books.
Little House 6: The Long Winter
Laura Ingalls Wilder*****For the first time in the history of the Little House books, this new edition features Garth Williams’ interior art in vibrant, full color, as well as a beautifully redesigned cover.

The adventures of Laura Ingalls and her family continue as Pa, Ma, Laura, Mary, Carrie, and little Grace bravely face the hard winter of 1880-81 in their little house in the Dakota Territory. Blizzards cover the little town with snow, cutting off all supplies from the outside. Soon there is almost no food left, so young Almanzo Wilder and a friend make a dangerous trip across the prairie to find some wheat. Finally a joyous Christmas is celebrated in a very unusual way in this most exciting of all the Little House books.
Anne of Green Gables 2: Anne of Avonlea
L. M. Montgomery*****It seemed only yesterday that the skinny, freckle-faced redhead had first come to the island. Now here was Anne, teaching at the Avonlea school, sixteen, pretty, and all grown up. Well, not quite grown up. In fact, Anne was not very different from her restless young pupils — mischievous and spirited as ever and headed for hilarious predicaments with a cranky new neighbor, a hungry Jersey cow, a parrot with an embarrassing vocabulary, and a truly dreadful mistake!
She learns how complicated life can be when she takes two new orphans at Green Gables under her wings, meddles in someone else's love life, and learns about romance herself when she encounters the "odd behavior" of a very handsome man, Gibert Blythe. 
Delightful, unpredictable Anne Shirley has been charming readers of all ages, in every part of the world, for over three-quarters of a century. Bestsellers from the moment they were published, the Anne Of Green Gables novels have allowed generations of children to grow up right along with Anne.
Little House 7: Little Town on the Prairie
Laura Ingalls Wilder*****Little Town on the Prairie, by Laura Ingalls Wilder, was first published in 1941 and is the seventh of nine books written in her Little House series, also known as "The Laura Years." The book is set in De Smet, South Dakota. It opens in the spring after the Long Winter, and ends as Laura becomes a schoolteacher so she can help her sister, Mary, stay at a school for the blind in Vinton, Iowa. It tells the story of 15 year-old Laura’s first paid job outside the home and her last terms of schooling. At the end of the book, Laura receives a teacher's certificate, and is employed to teach at the Brewster settlement, 12 miles (19 km) away.
Little House 7: Little Town on the Prairie
Laura Ingalls Wilder*****Little Town on the Prairie, by Laura Ingalls Wilder, was first published in 1941 and is the seventh of nine books written in her Little House series, also known as "The Laura Years." The book is set in De Smet, South Dakota. It opens in the spring after the Long Winter, and ends as Laura becomes a schoolteacher so she can help her sister, Mary, stay at a school for the blind in Vinton, Iowa. It tells the story of 15 year-old Laura’s first paid job outside the home and her last terms of schooling. At the end of the book, Laura receives a teacher's certificate, and is employed to teach at the Brewster settlement, 12 miles (19 km) away.
Anne of Green Gables 3: Anne of the Island
L. M. Montgomery*****In this third novel in the Anne of Green Gable series, new adventures lie ahead as Anne Shirley packs her bags, waves good-bye to childhood, and heads for Redmond College. With old friend Prissy Grant waiting in the bustling city of Kingsport and frivolous new pal Philippa Gordon at her side, Anne tucks her memories of rural Avonlea away and discovers life on her own terms, filled with surprises… including a marriage proposal from the worst fellow imaginable, the sale of her very first story, and a tragedy that teaches her a painful lesson.
But tears turn to laughter when Anne and her friends move into an old cottage and an ornery black cat steals her heart. Little does Anne know that handsome Gilbert Blythe wants to win her heart, too. Suddenly Anne must decide if she's ready for love
Anne of Green Gables 3: Anne of the Island
L. M. Montgomery*****In this third novel in the Anne of Green Gable series, new adventures lie ahead as Anne Shirley packs her bags, waves good-bye to childhood, and heads for Redmond College. With old friend Prissy Grant waiting in the bustling city of Kingsport and frivolous new pal Philippa Gordon at her side, Anne tucks her memories of rural Avonlea away and discovers life on her own terms, filled with surprises… including a marriage proposal from the worst fellow imaginable, the sale of her very first story, and a tragedy that teaches her a painful lesson.
But tears turn to laughter when Anne and her friends move into an old cottage and an ornery black cat steals her heart. Little does Anne know that handsome Gilbert Blythe wants to win her heart, too. Suddenly Anne must decide if she's ready for love…
Silver Dollar Girl
Katherine Ayres*****Set in the 1880s, Valentine Harper heads West to the Colorado Silver Rush to find her father in this fast-paced adventure!

Valentine Harper’s father has been in Colorado for more than a year seeking his fortune in the Silver Rush. But she’s tired of waiting for his overdue return. Aunt Margaret is nice, but Uncle Franklin seems unhappy to have an extra person in the house and Cousin Harold’s pranks have been getting meaner. Unfortunately, a girl can’t get far on her own in America in 1885. But with a haircut, the right clothes, and a big dose of courage, Vallie Harper just might make it on a journey across the country to look for her father, and pull off an adventure that will change her life.
Hanging Woman Creek
Louis L'Amour*****Barnabus Pike is no gunfighter and not much of a street fighter. Eddie Holt is a black boxer in a white man's world. They've both taken their share of hard knocks. Now they're looking to survive a brutal winter in a remote Montana line shack, collect their pay, and settle down for good. Then they cross paths with a hardworking Irish immigrant and his beautiful, spirited sister, who've been burned off their land. It's a fight Pike and Holt don't want, don't need, and don't dare turn their backs on—especially when one of the perpetrators might be one of Pike's old friends. Hunted like animals across the frozen countryside, Pike and Holt will risk everything—including their reputations, their dreams—and their lives.
Lily and Miss Liberty
Carla Stevens*****Lily decides to make and sell Lady Liberty crowns in order to raise money to pay for the pedestal on which the famous statue will sit in a work of nineteenth-century urban life. Reprint. K. C.
Little House 9: The First Four Years
Laura Ingalls Wilder*****Laura Ingalls Wilder is beginning life with her new husband, Almanzo, in their own little house. Laura is a young pioneer wife now, and must work hard with Almanzo, farming the land around their home on the South Dakota prairie. Soon their baby daughter, Rose, is born, and the young family must face the hardships and triumphs encountered by so many American pioneers.

And so Laura Ingalls Wilder's adventure as a little pioneer girl ends, and her new life as a pioneer wife and mother begins. The nine Little House books have been cherished by generations of readers as both a unique glimpse into America's frontier past and a heartwarming, unforgettable story.
Little House 9: The First Four Years
Laura Ingalls Wilder*****
Prairie Songs
Pam Conrad*****The prairie was like a giant plate, stretching all the way to the sky at the edges. And we were like two tiny peas left over from dinner, Lester and me.

Louisa loves the Nebraska prairie, the only home she's ever known. It's a lonely place, surrounded by miles of wild, flat grasslands, but it's the wonderful kind of loneliness that comes of stillness and open sky and oneness with the land. A different kind of beauty enters Louisa's world when the new doctor and his wife, Emmeline, move to the prairie from New York City. Emmeline is the most beautiful person Louisa has ever seen, and she teaches Louisa to love poetry. But she is also frail and unsuited to pioneer life. Louisa wonders whether Emmeline will ever come to love the prairie as she herself does.
Worth
A. LaFaye*****Before the accident Nathaniel's life seemed pretty good. His help around the farm made his father proud. But now, with a busted leg, Nathaniel can't do farmwork anymore, so his father adopts another son through the Orphan Train. Feeling replaced and useless, Nathaniel attends school for the first time. Meanwhile, sturdy and strong John is able to do the work that earns Pa's attention.

But the truth is, John Worth has his own set of troubles. He is treated more like a servant than a son. Kept awake at night by nightmares of his family's death, he remembers having a pa who took pride in him. But now he has no one, until a community battle and a special book reveal a potential friend — and a chance for understanding.
Worth
A. LaFaye*****Before the accident Nathaniel's life seemed pretty good. His help around the farm made his father proud. But now, with a busted leg, Nathaniel can't do farmwork anymore, so his father adopts another son through the Orphan Train. Feeling replaced and useless, Nathaniel attends school for the first time. Meanwhile, sturdy and strong John is able to do the work that earns Pa's attention.

But the truth is, John Worth has his own set of troubles. He is treated more like a servant than a son. Kept awake at night by nightmares of his family's death, he remembers having a pa who took pride in him. But now he has no one, until a community battle and a special book reveal a potential friend — and a chance for understanding.
Natalie's Journal
Liberty Landing Collection*****One of four journals based on a real-life family from the 1890s.
Sarah, Plain and Tall 2: Skylark
Patricia MacLachlan*****In this stunning sequel to Newbery Medal winner Sarah, Plain and Tall, Anna and Caleb travel with their new mother, Sarah, to Maine to take refuge from the prairie drought, a journey that teaches them the power of family to transcend distances.

Ages 8 - 10
Sarah, Plain and Tall 2: Skylark
Patricia MacLachlan*****In this stunning sequel to Newbery Medal winner Sarah, Plain and Tall, Anna and Caleb travel with their new mother, Sarah, to Maine to take refuge from the prairie drought, a journey that teaches them the power of family to transcend distances.

Ages 8 - 10
Peppe the Lamplighter
Elisa Bartone*****Peppe becomes a lamplighter to help support his immigrant family in turn-of-the-century New York City, despite his papa's disapproval. But when Peppe's job helps save his little sister, he earns the respect of his entire family.
Song of Sampo Lake
William Durbin*****For Matti Ojala and his family, Finnish immigrants in Minnesota, starting a new life in America is both a hardship and an opportunity. When their beloved Uncle Wilho is killed in a tragic mining accident, the family decides they must realize their dream of owning a homestead in the wilderness. This means constant hard work and new challenges for the entire family. But it also means that Matti, the “in-between” child, has his chance to shine. Whether he’s looking after his younger sisters, clerking in a general store, teaching English, or clearing the land with Father, Matti strives to prove himself to Father and escape his older brother’s shadow.

From the Hardcover edition.
Song of Sampo Lake
William Durbin*****For Matti Ojala and his family, Finnish immigrants in Minnesota, starting a new life in America is both a hardship and an opportunity. When their beloved Uncle Wilho is killed in a tragic mining accident, the family decides they must realize their dream of owning a homestead in the wilderness. This means constant hard work and new challenges for the entire family. But it also means that Matti, the “in-between” child, has his chance to shine. Whether he’s looking after his younger sisters, clerking in a general store, teaching English, or clearing the land with Father, Matti strives to prove himself to Father and escape his older brother’s shadow.

From the Hardcover edition.
Song of Sampo Lake
William Durbin*****For Matti Ojala and his family, Finnish immigrants in Minnesota, starting a new life in America is both a hardship and an opportunity. When their beloved Uncle Wilho is killed in a tragic mining accident, the family decides they must realize their dream of owning a homestead in the wilderness. This means constant hard work and new challenges for the entire family. But it also means that Matti, the “in-between” child, has his chance to shine. Whether he’s looking after his younger sisters, clerking in a general store, teaching English, or clearing the land with Father, Matti strives to prove himself to Father and escape his older brother’s shadow.

From the Hardcover edition.
The President's Daughter
Kimberly Brubaker Bradley*****ETHEL IS 10 YEARS OLD in 1901 when her family’s life changed forever. Suddenly, Father is not only a famous cowboy, war hero, and politician, but also President Theodore Roosevelt, leader of the United States—and Ethel has a new place to call home. The White House is older and stuffier than Ethel imagined, but there’s never a dull moment with her adventurous family around. Ethel would love to spend every day following Father on horseback rides and scrambles through neighboring Rock Creek Park.

Instead, Ethel has to stay at boarding school during the week, where nothing she does feels right and none of the girls seem to like her. Ethel’s parents keep telling her to keep her chin up and be patient, but it’s not easy being the president’s daughter. Ethel wishes she could be as courageous as father and make her family proud. When her fashionable older sister arrives home, Ethel feels new hope. Sister knows the secret of being brave and making friends, and she’s willing to share it. All Ethel needs to do is take one outrageous dare.

From the Hardcover edition.
The President's Daughter
Kimberly Brubaker Bradley*****ETHEL IS 10 YEARS OLD in 1901 when her family’s life changed forever. Suddenly, Father is not only a famous cowboy, war hero, and politician, but also President Theodore Roosevelt, leader of the United States—and Ethel has a new place to call home. The White House is older and stuffier than Ethel imagined, but there’s never a dull moment with her adventurous family around. Ethel would love to spend every day following Father on horseback rides and scrambles through neighboring Rock Creek Park.

Instead, Ethel has to stay at boarding school during the week, where nothing she does feels right and none of the girls seem to like her. Ethel’s parents keep telling her to keep her chin up and be patient, but it’s not easy being the president’s daughter. Ethel wishes she could be as courageous as father and make her family proud. When her fashionable older sister arrives home, Ethel feels new hope. Sister knows the secret of being brave and making friends, and she’s willing to share it. All Ethel needs to do is take one outrageous dare.

From the Hardcover edition.
The President's Daughter
Kimberly Brubaker Bradley*****ETHEL IS 10 YEARS OLD in 1901 when her family’s life changed forever. Suddenly, Father is not only a famous cowboy, war hero, and politician, but also President Theodore Roosevelt, leader of the United States—and Ethel has a new place to call home. The White House is older and stuffier than Ethel imagined, but there’s never a dull moment with her adventurous family around. Ethel would love to spend every day following Father on horseback rides and scrambles through neighboring Rock Creek Park.

Instead, Ethel has to stay at boarding school during the week, where nothing she does feels right and none of the girls seem to like her. Ethel’s parents keep telling her to keep her chin up and be patient, but it’s not easy being the president’s daughter. Ethel wishes she could be as courageous as father and make her family proud. When her fashionable older sister arrives home, Ethel feels new hope. Sister knows the secret of being brave and making friends, and she’s willing to share it. All Ethel needs to do is take one outrageous dare.

From the Hardcover edition.
The President's Daughter
Kimberly Brubaker Bradley*****ETHEL IS 10 YEARS OLD in 1901 when her family’s life changed forever. Suddenly, Father is not only a famous cowboy, war hero, and politician, but also President Theodore Roosevelt, leader of the United States—and Ethel has a new place to call home. The White House is older and stuffier than Ethel imagined, but there’s never a dull moment with her adventurous family around. Ethel would love to spend every day following Father on horseback rides and scrambles through neighboring Rock Creek Park.

Instead, Ethel has to stay at boarding school during the week, where nothing she does feels right and none of the girls seem to like her. Ethel’s parents keep telling her to keep her chin up and be patient, but it’s not easy being the president’s daughter. Ethel wishes she could be as courageous as father and make her family proud. When her fashionable older sister arrives home, Ethel feels new hope. Sister knows the secret of being brave and making friends, and she’s willing to share it. All Ethel needs to do is take one outrageous dare.

From the Hardcover edition.
A Little Princess
Frances Hodgson Burnett*****Young Sara Crewe, adored only child of a rich, indulgent father, arrives at Miss Minchin's Seminary for Young Ladies in a flurry of silks and satins. The envy of the pupils, who spitefully call her "the little princess," she lives a life of luxury until her father dies and the unscrupulous Miss Minchin reduces the girl to rags and relegates her to the attic. Thrown back on her own resources, and especially to her powerful imagination, Sara demonstrates that purity of spirit can overcome material poverty, displaying the nobility of a real princess throughout her travail. The tale of how Sara's fortunes change again, as if by magic, to bless her with untold wealth and a new family has entranced generations of children since 1905.
Quake!: Disaster in San Francisco, 1906
Gail Langer Karwoski*****It is April 18, 1906 in San Francisco, California. Jacob slips out of the wooden boarding house where he lives with his immigrant father and little sister Rosie, when suddenly the ground beneath his feet begins to rumble, buildings collapse and the street splits wide open as Jacob runs to find safety from a devastating earthquake. He returns to find his father and sister…but there is nothing left of the building but a pile of sticks. Jacob and his dog join the throng of other people searching for shelter, food, fresh water…and loved ones who are missing.
Earthquake!: A Story of Old San Francisco
Kathleen Kudlinski*****FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. In 1906, after a devastating earthquake hits San Francisco, twelve-year-old Philip struggles to save the horses in his family's livery stable.
Earthquake!: A Story of Old San Francisco
Kathleen Kudlinski*****An hour before dawn on April 18, 1906, Phillip is awakened by the barking of dogs and the fearful whinnying of his father's horses. Moments later, San Francisco is struck by a tremendous earthquake. As walls buckle and bricks rain down on them Phillip's family struggles to escape from their own home. Then he remembers the horses. Can Phillip save them—and himself—in time?
Earthquake!: A Story of Old San Francisco
Kathleen Kudlinski*****An hour before dawn on April 18, 1906, Phillip is awakened by the barking of dogs and the fearful whinnying of his father's horses. Moments later, San Francisco is struck by a tremendous earthquake. As walls buckle and bricks rain down on them Phillip's family struggles to escape from their own home. Then he remembers the horses. Can Phillip save them—and himself—in time?
Earthquake!: A Story of Old San Francisco
Kathleen Kudlinski*****FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. In 1906, after a devastating earthquake hits San Francisco, twelve-year-old Philip struggles to save the horses in his family's livery stable.
The Earth Dragon Awakes: The San Francisco Earthquake of 1906
Laurence Yep*****Over the years the earth has moved many times under San Francisco. But it has been thirty-eight years since the last strong earthquake. People have forgotten how bad it can be. But soon they will remember.

Based on actual events of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and told from the alternating perspectives of two young friends, the earth dragon awakes chronicles the thrilling story of the destruction of a city, and the heroes that emerge in its wake.
The Earth Dragon Awakes: The San Francisco Earthquake of 1906
Laurence Yep*****Over the years the earth has moved many times under San Francisco. But it has been thirty-eight years since the last strong earthquake. People have forgotten how bad it can be. But soon they will remember.

Based on actual events of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and told from the alternating perspectives of two young friends, the earth dragon awakes chronicles the thrilling story of the destruction of a city, and the heroes that emerge in its wake.
The Earth Dragon Awakes: The San Francisco Earthquake of 1906
Laurence Yep*****Over the years the earth has moved many times under San Francisco. But it has been thirty-eight years since the last strong earthquake. People have forgotten how bad it can be. But soon they will remember.

Based on actual events of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and told from the alternating perspectives of two young friends, the earth dragon awakes chronicles the thrilling story of the destruction of a city, and the heroes that emerge in its wake.
The Secret Garden
Frances Hodgson Burnett*****Spoiled, angry Mary Lennox is sent to live with her mysterious uncle after the death of her parents, and new friends help her begin her life again.
The Secret Garden
Frances Hodgson Burnett*****Spoiled, angry Mary Lennox is sent to live with her mysterious uncle after the death of her parents, and new friends help her begin her life again.
SOS Titanic
Eve Bunting*****The deck was tilting. Even the passengers who hadn't believed the Titanic could sink were frantic with fear. Many of them refused to climb into the lifeboats. Now the lifeboats are gone. The doomed passengers rushed this way and that, looking for safety where there was none ...
Pollyanna
Eleanor Porter*****The whole town is Playing the game, and tile whole town is wonderfully happier — all because of one little girl who taught tile people a new game, and how to play it.

When Pollyanna's father dies, she is sent clear across the country to a small town in Vermont where she will live with her strict Aunt Polly. But Pollyanna doesn't seem to notice how stern and unfeeling her aunt really is. Pollyanna simply plays her "glad" game — finding a silver lining in every cloud. Eventually Pollyanna brightens the lives of everyone in town, even the most reclusive citizens, as she takes in every stray cat, dog, and orphan. But then a terrible accident happens and Pollyanna doesn't think she can feel glad about anything anymore. All of her new friends from town turn out to support her, but will that be enough to restore Pollyanna's cheerful outlook on life?
Kidnapped in Key West
Edwina Raffa, Annelle Rigsby*****A daring adventure on Henry Flagler's Over-Sea Railroad!

Twelve-year-old Eddie Malone is living a carefree life swimming and fishing in the Florida Keys in 1912 when suddenly his world is turned upside down. His father, a worker on Henry Flagler's Over-Sea Railroad, is thrown into jail for stealing the railroad payroll. Convinced that he is responsible for his pa's arrest, Eddie sets out for Key West with his faithful dog, Rex, on a daring mission to prove his father's innocence.

Eddie arrives in Key West as preparations are under way for the arrival of Flagler's first train. Eddie meets the Kimble twins, T. J. and Jen, who live at the Key West Lighthouse and are practicing for their part in the great celebration. They offer to help Eddie with his plan to find the real payroll thieves. Eddie finds them, all right, but they kidnap him and lock him aboard their sailboat. As the boat moves swiftly away from Key West, Eddie realizes he's in serious trouble.

Can Eddie escape from the clutches of the ruthless thieves? Will he ever get back home to Marathon? Most importantly, will Eddie be able to prove Pa's innocence?

Ages 8-12
Here Lies the Librarian
Richard Peck*****Peewee idolizes Jake, a big brother whose dreams of auto mechanic glory are fueled by the hard road coming to link their Indiana town and futures with the twentieth century. And motoring down the road comes Irene Ridpath, a young librarian with plans to astonish them all and turn Peewee’s life upside down. Here Lies the Librarian, with its quirky characters, folksy setting, classic cars, and hilariously larger-than-life moments, is vintage Richard Peck—an offbeat, deliciously wicked comedy that is also unexpectedly moving.
Angel on the Square
Gloria Whelan*****In the fall of 1914, safe behind palace walls, Katya Ivanova sees St. Petersburg as a magical place.

The daughter of a lady-in-waiting to the Empress, Katya spends all her time with the Grand Duchesses; the royal family feels like her own. But outside the palace, a terrible war is sweeping through Europe, and Russia is beginning to crumble under the weight of a growing revolution. Now, as Katya′s once-certain future begins to dissolve, she must seek to understand what is happening to her beloved country and, for the first time in her life, take charge of her own destiny.

Ages 10+
Letters From Rifka
Karen Hesse*****In letters to her cousin, a young Jewish girl chronicles her family's flight from Russia in 1919 and her own experiences when she must be left in Belgium for a while when the others immigrate to America.
Color Me Dark: The Diary of Nellie Lee Love, the Great Migration North
Patricia C. McKissack*****Twelve-year-old Nellie Lee's family moves north to Chicago in search of a better life. Like many other African Americans, they hope to escape the racism of the rural south and take advantage of the opportunities in the city. Instead, they find themselves faced with a more sinister form of prejudice — hatred within there own race.
Gratefully Yours
Jane Buchanan*****In 1923, nine-year-old Hattie rides the Orphan Train from New York to Nebraska where she must adjust to a strange new life with a farmer and his wife, who is despondent over the loss of her two children.
Gratefully Yours
Jane Buchanan*****In 1923, nine-year-old Hattie rides the Orphan Train from New York to Nebraska where she must adjust to a strange new life with a farmer and his wife, who is despondent over the loss of her two children.
Witness
Karen Hesse*****Leanora Sutter. Esther Hirsh. Merlin Van Tornhout. Johnny Reeves . . .

These characters are among the unforgettable cast inhabiting a small Vermont town in 1924. A town that turns against its own when the Ku Klux Klan moves in. No one is safe, especially the two youngest, twelve-year-old Leanora, an African-American girl, and six-year-old Esther, who is Jewish.
In this story of a community on the brink of disaster, told through the haunting and impassioned voices of its inhabitants, Newbery Award winner Karen Hesse takes readers into the hearts and minds of those who bear witness.