Middle-Grade Novels
by Jenni L. Walsh
Jody and her military family are on the move again. This time, Dad's assignment takes them to the island of Oahu. The year is 1940 and although the United States has not technically entered WWII, tensions are mounting. Jody's mom is naturally nervous about the implications of the country's involvement. But with her trusty dog Happy by her side, Jody begins making Pearl Harbor her home.
Little does she know that on December 7th of the following year, her life will change forever.
After the Japanese attack, she, her older sister, and her mom head to the mainland, leaving her dad behind to help with the war effort. Jody is hopeful that life will return to normal again soon, but Mom is not doing very well. Her worry turns into depression and the girls must make major decisions by themselves. To add insult to injury, Happy is showing signs of age. Will life ever return to normal?
Fans of The Vanderbeekers series or Nothing Else But Miracles will enjoy this historic domestic fiction.
Please note: This book, with its themes of war and PTSD, is thoughtfully crafted for older middle-grade readers (10+). It includes a few crass words such as 'darn' and 'dang', and one mention of God's name in vain. Jody, in a moment of frustration, mutters a cuss that would normally warrant a mouthwashing from Mom, but the actual word is not included in the dialogue. She also makes a couple of regrettable decisions, including lying twice. She later sees how her dishonesty affects her relationships.
by Donn Fendler
Determined to get to the bottom of the trail faster than his companions, twelve-year-old Donn Fendler, sets off down the side of Mount Katahdin by himself. What should have been an easy descent becomes a nine-day-long disaster. He gets turned around, separated from civilization, and is believed to be dead. Despite all odds, however, Fendler survives and crawls his way out of the treacherous wilderness and into the spotlight of a captivated nation.
Based on a true survival story, this book is the first-person narrative of Donn Fendler, who endured starvation, freezing temps, and the threat of wild animals in 1939.
Please note: Since this is a written account, the story can sometimes feel a bit disjointed. But it has the clean and uplifting undertones of an episode of The Andy Griffith Show. Additional commentary has been added in the footnotes and the appendix to help clarify some of the details.
by S.D. Smith
When wolves take their family hostage, Heather and Picket, two young rabbits on the cusp of adulthood, are thrust into an age-old battle of good versus evil. They face a moral dilemma when they learn that a few traitorous rabbits were in on the dastardly plot all along. To rescue their loved ones and protect their part of the forest, they must make unlikely alliances with other animals and summon a courage they didn't know they had.
S.D. Smith has somehow figured out how to write a new book with an old soul. In a fantastical Narnia-esque way, he has woven big, bold truths into the kind of virtuous story that is usually only found in books from yesteryear.
This is the first in a four-part series that continues with shorter follow-up books that create a 10-book series. Parents of very young children should know that there is a kidnapping and a few war scenes that end in death, which may be difficult for sensitive readers.
by Robert Lawson
History credits Benjamin Franklin with inventing the Franklin stove, discovering electricity, and inciting the colonists into a revolution against King George, but what if he was only a puppet in someone else's grand plan? In this humorous "autobiography," Amos gives us a mouse-eyed view of his side of the story. Perched in the lining of Franklin's hat, he positioned himself to influence both the man and his fledgling country.
The delightful pen and ink sketches of this historical fiction add both whimsy and educational substance to the story. Readers will not forget the key events of Franklin's life.
Parents, Be Aware
by Sharon M. Draper
Set in the segregated South between the world wars and during a critical presidential election, this story is about how one young girl makes her voice heard.
Stella Mills watched her father join the minister and a few other black neighbors as they attempted to register to vote. Under cover of darkness and cloaked in white hoods, several of their white neighbors, including the town doctor, retaliate. While she can't stand up to the KKK in action, Stella can use her words to tell what she sees, hears, and experiences. In that way, she fights against the evils of hate.
Things to know: This is a poignant look at a tragic and heinous portion of our nation's history. While the author softens much of the details involving the KKK, she mentions several instances of violence, including a white doctor smacking a black girl, someone alluding to a lynching, and a girl witnessing domestic abuse. God's name is misused several times, and phrases such as "Oh Lord, no," "Lord a mercy," "heck," "dadgummit," and "dang" are sprinkled throughout.
Additionally, Stella's teacher tells a lengthy folk tale about ancestors who flew and took care of the sky, earth, and sea.
Just for you, Mom
by Lisa Wingate
Tennessee, 1939. Rill Foss is the oldest of five kids born to a poor riverboat couple. When her dad must take her mom to the hospital, Rill is put in charge. All is well until the authorities show up and take the small brood to a children's home with the promise of a better life. But, the orphanage is not at all what it seems.
South Carolina, present day. Avery Stafford has a promising future as a newly appointed federal prosecutor. Just before her lavish wedding, she returns to her childhood home and unearths a long-hidden secret that makes her question everything she's ever known about her family.
Based on the true events surrounding one of America's most notorious trafficking rings, The Tennessee Children's Home, that stole children from poor families and sold them to wealthy couples, this is a powerful but heart-wrenching read you won't soon forget.