Middle-Grade Novels
by Claire Swinarski
1943 occupied France: While snooping through her sister's belongings, 13-year-old Marie discovers that Héloise is secretly operating as an underground agent for the French Resistance. Desperate to take action against the occupation rather than feel helpless, Marie begs to join in the effort. She eventually climbs the ranks to become a smuggler who hides famous works of art from Nazi soldiers.
Present Day: 13-year-old Penny is miserable, resentful, and deeply lonely after being forced to leave her home in Wisconsin. Her family moved to Paris for a one-year teaching fellowship that her art historian mother accepted. Penny has completely given up creating art due to past school trauma and a recent health scare involving her brother. However, her curiosity sparks when construction contractors at her mom's job site uncover a hidden 1944 wartime painting sealed deep inside a plaster wall. Accompanying the piece is a letter addressed from "Marie Bonnet."
In this dual-perspective historical fiction, the lives of two girls, living 80 years apart, collide.
Please note: While his exact words are never mentioned, one scene in the text suggests that the Dad swore.
Marie lies to her older sister about her whereabouts, and Penny rolls her eyes at her mom.
There is one reference to female menstrual cycles.
Penny mentions another person's belief in "manifesting" but concludes that she does not believe in it herself.
The following words are included once or twice in the text: heck, crap, freaking, and sucked.
The Unlikely Tale of Chase & Finnegan
by Jasmine Warga
Chase is a five-month-old cheetah cub born at a zoo. When her mother suddenly passes away, she is left heartbroken, anxious, and alone. The zoo's lead cheetah trainer, Basma, hopes to train Chase to be a "Cheetah Ambassador" for an educational program to fund conservation efforts. However, Chase’s profound grief and intense fear—especially a trauma response triggered by leashes—jeopardize her future in the program.
Finnegan is a stray dog fleeing the memories of an owner who mistreated him and labeled him a "bad dog". After surviving an animal attack in the woods, he is rescued by a kind man named Ryan. Ryan takes him to the vet and brings him to the home he shares with Basma. Despite his safe new environment, Finnegan carries deep scars and a paralyzing fear of abandonment, constantly worrying that any mistake will cause his new humans to cast him out.
Recognizing Finnegan’s gentle temperament, Basma introduces the two animals, hoping the dog can act as a stabilizing companion for the anxious big cat. This is the story of an unlikely friendship and how two animals help each other overcome their fears.
Please note: About 3/4 of the way through the story, Ryan proposes to Basma, implying that they were, up until that point, living together out of wedlock.
by Sydney Taylor
The Brenners are a close-knit, Orthodox Jewish immigrant family living in New York's Lower East Side. The five sisters—Ella, Henny, Sarah, Charlotte, and Gertie—are nicknamed the "all-of-a-kind family" because they are spaced exactly two years apart and are always dressed in matching outfits. Though they are nothing alike, the girls are the best of friends.
This first book in the 5-title series follows the sisters' day-to-day lives as the rest of the nation braces for a War to End All Wars.
Fans of In Grandma's Attic will enjoy this living book about the blissful days of the ever-expanding Brenner family.
Danny the Champion of the World
by Roald Dahl
Nine-year-old Danny lives an idyllic life with his widowed father, William, in a traditional Gypsy caravan in rural England. William is a kind, deeply creative man who teaches Danny how to fix cars, build kites, and fly fire balloons. Danny believes his father to be absolutely perfect.
Danny's world shifts one night when William confesses a deeply kept secret: he is an avid, lifelong poacher of pheasants. Specifically, he loves sneaking into the nearby woods owned by Mr. Victor Hazell—a wealthy but incredibly mean local developer whom the entire village dislikes.
When William goes out poaching again, he falls into a hidden pit trap dug by Mr. Hazell’s aggressive gamekeepers and breaks his ankle. Sensing danger, Danny courageously sneaks a car into the dark woods in the middle of the night to rescue his father. Furious at Mr. Hazell's cruelty and eager for revenge, the duo decides to ruin Hazell’s upcoming, highly prestigious annual pheasant-shooting party.
Please note: With Robin Hood-like justice, this is the story of one family's attempt to rob from the rich to give to the poor.
To help with his plan, William tells Danny to pretend to be sick so he can skip school.
There is a mention of men drinking gin.
When referring to one particular sour woman in town, Father says that if he were married to her, he would poison her.
The town teacher is known for his cruelty and canes Danny as punishment.
Parents, Be Aware
by Alan Gratz
September 11, 2001, New York City--9-year-old Brandon Chavez is suspended from school and must go to work with his dad, a kitchen manager of a restaurant on the 107th floor of the World Trade Center’s North Tower. When Brandon sneaks away to the mall in the basement, a hijacked plane strikes the building. He must navigate smoke, fire, and destruction to survive.
September 11, 2019, Afghanistan--11-year-old Reshmina is an Afghan girl growing up in a mountain village deeply affected by the war between American forces and the Taliban. Following a battle near her home, she chooses to fulfill the traditional cultural honor code of Pashtunwali by sheltering an injured American soldier named Taz. Her choice places her entire village in imminent danger from Taliban retaliation.
This dual-time novel follows the choices of two children who face seemingly insurmountable tragedies.
Things to know: The story realistically depicts the events of 9/11, including people falling from the towers, being crushed by debris, dying in elevators, and being severely burned by jet fuel. In addition, the scenes set in Afghanistan describe a deadly battleground in a small village.
A few key characters die.
The following words and phrases are included in the text: "What the h*ll," "What the heck," and "d*mn."
Just for you, Mom
by Jamie Ogle
After being rejected by her father, Adelgard, a proud Visigoth, joins King Alaric's rebel army but is eventually captured by Rome and sold into slavery as a gladiator. Rising to fame as the arena's most famous gladiatrix (female gladiator), Adel uses her fame to protect herself.
Her path crosses with Felix, the kind-hearted doctor of the gladiator school, who ironically detests the empire's violent spectacles. The two form a deep bond, and Felix does his best to tend to the rebel fighters' humanity while grappling with his own moral crossroads.
The book seamlessly blends high-stakes action with strong faith themes, exploring concepts of sacrifice, surrender, and the importance of trusting God. It is a gripping tale of love and courage, drawing heavily on the real life of Telemachus, an early Christian monk whose personal sacrifice helped bring an end to the gladiatorial games of Ancient Rome.
Best in Show
by Marguerite Henry
At first glance, Little Bub looks like nothing special--just an orphaned colt given to Justin Morgan, a Vermont schoolmaster, as payment for a debt. But Joel Gross, Mr. Morgan's favorite student, sees extraordinary potential in Bub. Under Joel's loving care and faithful training, the castoff horse begins to outpace all the other mounts in town and eventually the entire country. This underdog (or underhorse) classic is based on the true story of how an everyday workhorse became the sire for America's most celebrated stallion breed, the Morgan.