20th century
The Most of P. G. Wodehouse by P. G. Wodehouse
By Hayley Morell |
An excellent introduction to P. G. Wodehouse via his short stories and one delightful novella. The Most of P.G. Wodehouse by P. G. Wodehouse, Touchstone, 2000. ...
Read More Caldecott Honor Roundup: Ain’t Burned All the Bright, Berry Song, Choosing Brave, and Knight Owl
By Janie Cheaney |
This year's Caldecott honor books explore a range of moods from wistful to whimsical. Ain’t Burned All the Bright by Jason Reynolds, illustrated by Jason ...
Read More *Berliners by Vesper Stamper
By Janie Cheaney |
Berliners is the story of a family scarred by war, politics, and false ideology in postwar Germany. *Berliners by Vesper Stamper. Knopf, 2022, 413 pages. ...
Read More Revolution in Our Time by Kekla Magoon
By Janie Cheaney |
The award-winning Revolution in Our Time offers a compelling but incomplete picture of the rise and fall of the Black Panther Party. Revolution in Our ...
Read More 9/11 for Middle Graders: Ground Zero and In the Shadow of the Fallen Towers
By Janie Cheaney |
Novelist Alan Gratz and graphic artist Don Brown offer views of 9/11 accessible to middle-grade readers. In The Shadow of the Fallen Towers: The Seconds, ...
Read More Luck of the Titanic by Stacey Lee
By Janie Cheaney |
The biracial heroine of Luck of the Titanic sees dreams fulfilled just before disaster strikes, in this romantic thriller. Luck of the Titanic by Stacey ...
Read More Unspeakable by Carole Boston Weatherford
By Janie Cheaney |
Unspeakable exposes a terrible chapter in American history but ends in hope for reconciliation. Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by ...
Read More Radium Girls by Kate Moore
By Janie Cheaney |
The Radium Girls tells the harrowing tale of radium poisoning and corporate irresponsibility. The Radium Girls by Kate Moore (Young Readers’ Edition). Greenwillow, 2020, 348 ...
Read More How We Got to the Moon by John Rocco
By Janie Cheaney |
How We Got to the Moon details the almost overwhelming amount of expertise and problem-solving required to accomplish one human footprint. How We Got to ...
Read More The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys
By Betsy Farquhar |
The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys. Philomel, 2019. 512 pages. The Fountains of Silence tells a gripping story of love and danger during Franco's ...
Read More The Nerviest Girl in the World by Melissa Wiley
By Janie Cheaney |
Ranch girl Pearl discovers the brand-new technology of moving pictures in this fun read for early middle-graders. The Nerviest Girl in the World by Melissa ...
Read More 20th Century Book List for Young Teens
By Betsy Farquhar |
20th Century Book List for Young Teens 20th Century: World wars. A Great Depression. First flight. Space flight. Voting Rights. Civil Rights. Communism. Terrorism. Jazz. ...
Read More Butterfly Yellow by Thanhha Lai
By Janie Cheaney |
An unlikely romance tinged by tragedy makes Butterfly Yellow a winning read for mature teens. Butterfly Yellow by Thanhha Lai. Harper, 2019, 284 pages. Reading ...
Read More Rocket to the Moon! by Don Brown
By Janie Cheaney |
Graphic artist Don Brown give us a comprehensive visual account of the Apollo space program. Rocket to the Moon! (Big Ideas that Changed the World ...
Read More *The Promise of Change by JoAnn Boyce
By Janie Cheaney |
*The Promise of Change: One Girl's Story in the Fight for School Equality by JoAnn Allen Boyce and Debbie Levy. Bloomsbury, 2019, 309 pages including ...
Read More The Grand Escape by Neal Bascomb.
By Janie Cheaney |
This fascinating true account of a prison escape during World War I will keep readers on the edge of their seats. The Grand Escape: the ...
Read More *Spooked! by Gail Jarrow
By Janie Cheaney |
The Mercury Theater broadcast of "War of the Worlds," a fascinating footnote from American history, has interesting implications for today. Ages 10-15 *Spooked! How a ...
Read More The Wright Brothers: Nose-Diving into History by Ben Thompson
By Janie Cheaney |
A new series about advances in technology begins with the indomitable spirit of the Wright Brothers. The Wright Brothers: Nose-Diving into History (Epic Fails #1) ...
Read More The Language of Spells by Garret Weyr
By Janie Cheaney |
Pensive and quiet, The Language of Spells casts its own spell for thoughtful readers—who like dragons. Ages 10-15 The Language of Spells by Garret Weyr, ...
Read More Pass Go and Collect $200 by Tanya Lee Stone
By Janie Cheaney |
Pass Go and Collect $200 is fun, relatable social history for Monopoly fans and anyone who ever had a great idea. Ages 6-up Pass Go ...
Read More Projekt 1065 by Alan Gratz
By Janie Cheaney |
A 13-year-old saboteur in the Hitler Youth meets the challenge of his life in this page-turning World War II thriller. Projekt 1065 by Alan Gratz. ...
Read More New Shoes by Susan Lynn Meyer, illustrated by Eric Velasquez
By Betsy Farquhar |
New Shoes by Susan Lynn Meyer, illustrated by Eric Velasquez. Holiday House, 2015. 40 pages. Reading Level: Picture Books, ages 4-8 Recommended for: Ages 4-8 ...
Read More Swing Sisters by Karen Deans, illustrated by Joe Cepeda
By Betsy Farquhar |
Swing Sisters: The Story of the International Sweethearts of Rhythm by Karen Deans, illustrated by Joe Cepeda. Holiday House, 2015. Reading Level: Picture Books, ages ...
Read More Audacity by Melanie Crowder
By Janie Cheaney |
Audacity by Melanie Crowder. Philomel, 2015. 389 pages, including historical notes. Reading Level: Young Adults, ages 12-15 Recommended for: Young Adults, ages 15-18 Bottom Line: ...
Read More My Friend the Enemy by (our very own) J. B. Cheaney
By Betsy Farquhar |
My Friend the Enemy by J. B. Cheaney. Yearling, 2007 (reprint edition). 272 pages. Reading Level: Middle grades 8-12) Recommended for: Ages 8-12 If another ...
Read More Number the Stars by Lois Lowry (25th Anniversary)
By Betsy Farquhar |
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry. HMH Books for Young Readers, 2011 (reissue of 1989 copy). 156 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-10Recommended for: Ages ...
Read More Dash by Kirby Larson
By Betsy Farquhar |
Dash by Kirby Larson. Scholastic, 2014. 256 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-12Recommended for: Ages 8-12 Eleven-year-old Mitsi's best friend is her little dog, Dash. ...
Read More D-Day: The Invasion of Normandy, 1944 by Rick Atkinson
By Janie Cheaney |
D-Day: The Invasion of Normandy, 1944 by Rick Atkinson. Holt, 2014. 202 pages. Reading Level: Young Adults, ages 12-15 Maturity Level: 4 (ages 10-12) On the ...
Read More The Family Romanov by Candace Fleming
By Janie Cheaney |
The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion, and the Fall of Imperial Russia by Candace Fleming. Shwartz & Wade, 2014. 292 pages including index and bibliography. Reading ...
Read More The Pilot and the Little Prince by Peter Sis
By Betsy Farquhar |
The Pilot and the Little Prince: The Life of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry by Peter Sis. Farrar, Straux, and Giroux, 2014. 48 pages. Reading Level: Picture Books, ages ...
Read More Zane and the Hurricane
By Janie Cheaney |
Zane and the Hurricane: a Story of Katrina, by Rodman Philbrick. Scholastic, 2014, 181 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 11-12 Maturity Level: 4 (ages ...
Read More November 22, 1963
By Janie Cheaney |
Fifty years ago a president was violently assassinated. John F. Kennedy’s place in history is mostly emblematic: baby-boomers remember his ease and charm and clever ...
Read More On All Fronts: New Nonfiction of World War II
By Janie Cheaney |
My sister, who serves at a docent at a prisoner-of-war museum in Texas, says that her most eager listeners are pre-teen and teenage boys. When ...
Read More Burdens of the Past
By Janie Cheaney |
Seventy-three years ago, on September 1, German tanks rolled across the border of Poland and the conflict that soon became known as World War II ...
Read More Survival and Rescue
By Janie Cheaney |
Rescue from certain destruction is the great theme of the Bible. When it happens in real life, it should remind us of how blessed we ...
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