Theme 1
Boy:
Tales of Childhood
by
Roald Dahl
The popular novelist tells funny and sometimes sad stories about
his school years.
The
Endless Steppe: Growing Up in Siberia
by
Esther Hautzig
This autobiography tells of how the author and her family
make a new life in difficult conditions.
Roll of
Thunder, Hear My Cry
by
Mildred D. Taylor
This story of an African American family is set in rural Mississippi
during the 1930s. Cassie and her family are determined to hang on
to their land and remain where they belong.
Letters
from Rifka
by
Karen Hesse
Letters tell the story of a Russian girl's journey to the United
States in 1919.
Top
Theme
2
Julie
of the Wolves
by
Jean Craighead George
In this dramatic survival story, a girl is befriended by a
pack of wolves.
The
Incredible Journey
by
Sheila Burnford
Two dogs and a cat set out on a 250-mile journey through the
Canadian wilderness.
Every
Living Thing
by
Cynthia Rylant
Each of the short stories in this collection tells how a
character's life was made better by an animal.
Joyful
Noise: Poems for Two Voices
by
Paul Fleischman
These poems about insects are intended for two readers to read
aloud together.
Top
Theme
3
Bearstone
by
Will Hobbs
An elderly Colorado rancher helps a fourteen-year-old Ute
boy to grow up.
When I Was Your Age: Original Stories About Growing Up
edited by Amy Ehrlich
This collection of stories by ten popular writers includes
fiction and autobiography.
When
Thunders Spoke
by
Virginia Driving Hawke Sneve
A boy discovers the value of a Sioux tradition.
Harriet
Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad
by
Ann Petry
This biography tells the exciting story of a woman who helped
hundreds of enslaved people escape to freedom.
Top
Theme
4
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle
by
Avi
The only passenger aboard an 1832 sailing ship, thirteen-year-old
Charlotte must decide whether she will side with a tyrannical
captain or a crew ready for mutiny.
But That's
Another Story: Favorite Authors Introduce Popular Genres
edited by Sandy Asher
Authors of thirteen short stories discuss writing in such genres
as science fiction, fantasy, horror, and realistic fiction.
Bridge to Terabithia
by
Katherine Paterson
A boy learns the importance of friendship.
Our
Stories: A Fiction Workshop for Young Authors
by
Marion Dane Bauer
An award-winning author gives advice to beginning writers.
Top
Theme
5
Hatchet
by
Gary Paulsen
Stranded in the Canadian wilderness after a plane crash, thirteen-year-old
Brian must learn how to survive on his own.
Cut
from the Same Cloth: American Women of Myth, Legend, and Tall Tale
by
Robert D. San Souci
The author retells stories about legendary, larger-than-life women
from various American cultures.
The
Wanderings of Odysseus: The Story of the Odyssey
by
Rosemary Sutcliff
This prose retelling of the Greek classic is beautifully
illustrated by Alan Lee. Odysseus, who struggles for ten
years to reach his home, is one trickster-hero who succeeds.
Island
of the Blue Dolphins
by
Scott O'Dell
A Native American girl, accidentally left behind by her people,
spends eighteen years on a lonely island.
Top
Theme
6
The
Clay Marble
by
Minfong Ho
During the 1970s, twelve-year-old Dara and her family struggle
to survive in war-torn Cambodia.
The
Invisible Thread
by
Yoshiko Uchida
The popular author describes growing up in Berkeley, California,
as a Japanese American, and her family's internment in a Nevada
concentration camp during World War II.
Hurricanes:
Earth's Mightiest Storms
by
Patricia Lauber
Color photographs and scientific information will help you
understand the disastrous effects of hurricanes.
Escape to
Freedom: A Play About Young Frederick Douglass
by
Ossie Davis
Born enslaved, future orator and statesman Douglass endures cruelty
and injustice before escaping to freedom.
Top
Theme
7
I,
Juan de Pareja
by
Elizabeth Borton de Trevino
This novel is based on the true story of the Spanish painter of the
1500s, Diego Rodriguez de Silva y Velazquez, and his servant
and friend, Juan de Pareja.
The
Firebringer and Other Great Stories: Fifty-five Legends That Live Forever
by
Louis Untermeyer
This anthology includes retellings of tales from many cultures.
Plays
Children Love, Volume II: A Treasury of Contemporary and Classic Plays for Children
edited by Coleman A. Jennings and Aurand Harris
This anthology includes plays based on The Wizard of Oz,
Charlotte's Web, and The Wind in the Willows.
East
of the Sun and West of the Moon
by
Nancy Willard
This poetic and amusing play tells the story of a woodcutter's
daughter who travels to the ends of the earth to save her prince.
Top
Theme
8
Tuck
Everlasting
by
Natalie Babbitt
The Tuck family is willing to share the secret of immortality
with young Winnie Foster. Problems arise, however, when a
stranger wants the secret.
The Giver
by
Lois Lowry
In the seemingly perfect world of the future, a boy is chosen to
receive memories of the past.
The Lion,
the Witch and the Wardrobe
by
C. S. Lewis
Four children find a secret passage into a magical world.
The Hobbit
by
J. R. R. Tolkein
The hobbit Bilbo Baggins, a wizard, and thirteen dwarves set off to
kill a dragon and find a treasure.
Top