Youth – What We’re Reading

In a twist on Mark Twain’s famous tale of Tom Sawyer, Becky Thatcher takes the role of the rebellious, mischief-seeker.  New to the town of St. Petersburg, Becky vows to have many adventures for her brother Jon, who died a year before.  A fun, alternative historical fiction tale for those looking for a strong heroine to look up to.  Ages 8 and up….

In the country of Carthya, four boys are taken from the orphanages where they live to be trained for a devious plot by a nobleman.  The boys must compete to take the place of the missing (thought to be deceased) crown prince and gain the throne of the land, or risk certain death.  Told from the perspective of 15-year-old Sage,…

The first in the ‘Ellie McDoodle Diaries’ series, Have Pen, Will Travel shares the story of eleven-year-old Ellie McDoodle’s camping trip with her cousins, aunt, and uncle.  In the form of a sketchbook, this adventure diary shares Ellie’s horror and disgust at having to camp (in a cabin!) with a spitting aunt, an angry uncle, and cousins that she just cannot stand. …

Although Raina always thought she wanted to be a big sister, she finds that dealing with younger sister Amara is tough.  Growing up, Raina and Amara have little in common and don’t get along much, especially when they are stuck in the family car for three weeks on the way to a family reunion.   This laugh-out-loud, long-awaited companion to Raina Telgemeier’s graphic memoir Smile is recommended for readers ages 8 and up,…

In the midst of the Vietnam War, eleven Australian schoolgirls become part of their own conflict at home when their teacher disappears during an unplanned field trip.  In the days that follow, the girls vow to not tell anyone the whole truth of what they were doing that day at the beach, and who their teacher was last seen with. …