The Nine Moons of Han Yu & Luli by Karina Yan Glaser*

 Ms. Glaser interwines two character's stories across the centuries-Han Yu in Ancient China (731 AD) travels the Silk Roads to find a cure for his family who is suffering from tuberculosis & Luli sets out to save her family's livelihood in Chinatown, NYC in 1931

Both children accept the challenges and utilize their creativity to help their families. I loved discovering how Han Yu's life impacted Luli centuries later. Having a male main character  and a girl main charater will allow a wide audience to enjoy it. Although some of the solutions seemed a bit "too perfect" (especially with Luli), I loved this book. The plot was compelling and interesting. I liked this novel better than A Duet for Home and the later Vanderbeeker books.

*Highly recommend.

-Borrowed from the library.

The Boys in the Boat-movie*

 Last fall I read aloud this book to my teenage sons. I was so excited that Amazon Prime had it available!

The movie is a little over two hours long. Even in that amount of time, they could not include details about Joe's past, the couple of years he rowed, and all of the races before the Olympic medal. The producers incorporated enough facts to create a superb and inspiring movie. 

Rated P-13 for swearing & smoking 

My warnings- some swearing, some suggestive scenes-Joe sneaks into his girlfriend Joyce's dorm room, where she changes behind a screen-viewers see her bare shoulder & bra strap,  between husband and wife-"Come see a different/better view", and then the wife leaves her bathrobe lying in the doorway-viewers cannot see anything inappropriate, some drinking

The Horseback Librarians by Jane Yolen illustrated by Alexandra Badiu*

 Anna Mary, a horseback librarian in Kentucy, faithfully delivers the perfect book to various families and children. Readers briefly witness the challenging conditions these librarians experienced. Ms. Yolen explains in the author's note that Anna Mary is not real person but a combination of the many "book ladies" who brought books and the love of literature to individuals in remote areas during the 1930s.

*Highly recommend.

-Borrowed from the library.

The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown**

*"Adapted for young readers 

The True Story of an American Team's Epic Journey to Win Gold at the 1936 Olympics

 I read this aloud to my teenage boys at lunch on school days. This read aloud has been my fourteen-year-old's favorite so far this year!

Mr. Brown deftly shares both Joe Rantz's personal life and also the formation of the 1936 Olympic rowing team. Readers also learn about the effects of the Great Depression and the politics leading to WW II. Great discussion could ensue about perseverance, work ethic, and teamwork. 

**Highly, highly recommend.

Consider/discuss: Joe's father abandons him when he was a young teenager. He basically must try to survive on his own until he is married. Hitler, his politics, and his cruelty towards Jews is mentioned.

-I own this book.

Nothing to Fear by Jackie French Koller*

 Thirteen-year-old Daniel Garvey learns to be a man during the Great Depression in NYC. When his Pa leaves to find work outside the city, he carries the burden of caring for his pregnant mother and little sister. 

Ms. Koller develops a dynamic, interesting character in Daniel. She immerses the reader into the hardships and challenges families endured during this time. Her word choice and imagery is superb. A great book to read aloud/read when studying the Great Depression. It will make history come alive.

*Highly recommend for 13 years and older. My thirteen-year-old read this book before me and really enjoyed it.

Warning/considerations: swearing, fighting, alcohol abuse, domestic abuse (Daniel's friend Maggie's dad is an abusive, alcoholic), accuses his mom and Hank of "messing around" , He calls Hank a gigolo

-I own this book.

Sweet Home Alaska by Carole Estby Dagg

Terpsichore and her family move to Alaska during the Great Depression through a plan of FDR.  As she and her family adjust to the meager resources and delayed building projects, Terpsichore discovers ways she can utilize her gifts and interests (like starting a library and growing massive pumpkins).  

This novel is brimming with interesting details based on a real-life colony called Palmer.  Ms. Dagg thoroughly researched this time period and provides numerous opportunities to bolt down "rabbit trails".  

At first I was not sure if I was going to enjoy this story but when Terpsichore and her family arrived at the Alaska village, the plot became more interesting.  Another reason I did not fully embrace this novel was I am not a fan of FDR and his New Deal.  I sided with Terpsichore's father! Also, I do not know if I had a favorite character and am leaning to the opinion that the character development was lacking. 

*I can highly recommend this book for its solid historical information, descriptive setting,  and excellent writing style.  

-Borrowed from the library.

A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck

 Newbery Honor Book

Joey recalls his week-long visits in the summer with his sister, Mary Alice, at their grandmother's.  Each chapter is dedicated to a different year.  As the week in August arrives, they never know what adventures await them  . . .a corpse that "awakens", pie contests, hiding a girl from her abusive mother, running fish traps and much more.

The last chapter was especially sweet.  

-Humorous and entertaining

Warnings: sheriff and his men are drunk; cheating, lying

-Borrowed from the library.

Gawgon and the Boy by Lloyd Alexander

 When the doctor recommends that David remain at home to recover after a long illness, David's parents recruit his Aunt Annie (he calls her "The Gawgon", a derogatory name) to tutor him.  Although he is relieved that he does not have to return to Rittenhouse Academy, he dreads meeting with his tough aunt.  His opinion of her quickly changes as she enlivens all subjects-history, Shakespeare, geometry.  Then two major events transform his life-the stock market crash/Great Depression and Aunt Annie's death.  As he adjusts to these unforeseen happenings, he matures.

For most of the book I wondered why the library had it categorized as "fantasy".  At the end, David imagines Aunt Annie talking to him, almost like a ghost.  Maybe this is why they labeled it "fantasy"??  Interspersed are stories David creates which are based on his current area of study.  At first I was annoyed by them, wanting to return to the main story.

Warnings: lying (he confesses and tells the truth eventually), he admires his sister's friends who have "blossomed. His sisters warns  them that he would try to look down their dresses.  He admits this is true.  Because of her warning, he "could only ogle" from a distance.

-Borrowd from the library.

Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis**

-Award winner -John Newbery Medal

 I read this aloud to my boys, ages eleven and fourteen.  We all thoroughly enjoyed.  My fourteen year old liked it the most out of the books I have read aloud so far this year.  The boys probably would not have read it on their own.  But it is a worthy book to encourage kids to read!  

Bud Caldwell is weary of living in the orphange or in foster homes.  So after a particularly abusive foster family, he goes on the "lam".  He knows his father is Herman E. Calloway, who is part of the famous band, the Dusky Devastators of the Depression!!!!!!  From Flint, Michigan, Bud sets off to find his father in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  

What I loved about this book was the character development.  Bud is so likable and well-developed.  Even the gentlemen in the band, minor characters, are well-developed.  Mr. Curtis is a master of portraying real life--heartbreaking situations coupled with laugh-out-loud comments and events.  This book brought tears to my eyes and also made me burst out laughing.  

We also listened to some chapters on audio during weeks we were in the car more frequently.  Mr. James Avery was a delight to listen to and portrayed the different characters well.

Warning: Although it is marketed to middle grade, I would recommend it for middle school and up.  The themes would be valued more by an older audience/readers.  Bud faces abuse  in his foster care setting.  A girl kisses him, and he likes it!  His mom's death is brought up a few times.  This is a book I would recommend reading with and discussing with your kids.

**Highly, highly recommend.

-We own this book.  We borrowed the audiobook.

Down Cut Shin Creek -The Pack Horse Librarians of Kentucy by Kathi Appelt & Jeanne Cannella Schmitzer*

 After reading The Giver of the Stars by Jojo Moyes, I was intrigued about the pack horse librarians  in Kentucy.  I am so glad that Ms. Appelt & Ms. Schmitzer were fascinated by them too and wrote this book!!

I read this book in one sitting.  Although it is categorized as a "juvenile nonfiction" book, adults can learn a lot of information about the pack horse librarians in a short amount of time . . .. and retain the information!  Photographs enhance and support the text.  

My admiration for Jojo Moyes's research and ability to weave in fact with a novel deepened as I read this book.  Most of what I read in this nonfiction book was integrated adroitly into her novel.  

*Highly recommend.  

-Borrowed from the library.

Home in the Woods by Eliza Wheeler*

I loved this book about resilience and hope.
Told from the point of view of Marvel, she shares how her family had to move into a tar paper shack in the woods after their father dies in 1932.  The mother and her eight children manage to survive on the resources around them. 
Beautifully written and illustrated.
The story is inspired by Ms. Wheeler's grandmother Marvel's childhood.
*Highly recommend.

Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool*

*Award Winner- Won the John Newbery Medal
Abilene Tucker has traveled the rails with her father, from job to job, town to town all of her twelve years.  Then she develops an infection from a cut.  For her safety, her father sends her on a train to the town, Manifest.  Her father had lived in this town during his youth and was now entrusting her to a man named Shady whom he trusts and respects.  Abilene feels abandoned but soon pursues investigating what her father was like in the 1917-1918's.  Miss Sadie, the town's "diviner", shares stories with Abilene from that time period about two boys named Ned and Jinx, but never does she mention her father's name.
Lots of rich historical contexts and events.  The author does a superb job of developing a setting (based on her family's home town in southeast Kansas) and creating intriguing characters.
This story really captured me.
Strategies: check for understanding/monitoring (the author switches back and forth between time periods-1917 and the current story time 1936); predicting; inferring
*Highly recommend but read the "points to discuss" below.
Points to discuss: World War I, speakeasies/making illegal alcohol; Jinx thinks he killed a man by accident; one phrase where one infers swearing "Get the "l" out of here."; Miss Sadie claims to be a diviner (but really she is observant and cares for people).
Guided Reading Level: U (5th)
*Highly recommend for junior high students.
-Borrowed from the library.

Looking For Me by Betsy R. Rosenthal

Edith is the fourth child in a family of twelve.  Through poetry and verse she describes her sixth grade year as she attempts to find her identity and significance in this huge family.
The Jewish culture and the 1930s/Depression are woven into this novel packed with raw emotions and honest exploration of who one is.
All events and the story is based on the author's mom's childhood.
The stories in this book remind me of some of the stories my mom tells about living as one of ten children.  Images of her and her childhood kept popping up as I read.
*Highly recommend for junior high girls.
-Borrowed from the library.
Points to discuss: One verse contains information about the mom needing to have one of her ovaries removed and how they are "baby-making equipment".  A boy screams at her about how she killed Jesus Christ.  Her favorite brother died at a young age and the family goes through a grief process and questioning God.

What the Moon Said by Gayle Rosengren*

Esther's family moves from Chicago to a farm in Wisconsin.  The Depression has caused her father to lose his job so they try to find success in farming.  Esther loves the farm but slowly the family's food rations dwindle.
This book offers an insight into the Depression era but explores so much more---contending with Old Country superstitions, defining love, and becoming one's own person.
*Highly recommend.
Strategies: check for understanding, synthesizing, inferring-character traits

A Prairie Boy's Summer by William Kurelek

William continues to relate what life was like on the prairie during the summer months-lots of field work!
I liked his winter book better (the topics were more interesting and exciting) but a child who enjoys tractors and field work will love this book.
Strategies: summarizing, check for understanding, main idea/details, expanding vocabulary, inferring

A Prairie Boy's Winter Paintings and Story by William Kurelek*

Twenty vignettes describe a boy's winter in Canada, on the prairie, during the 1930's.  Each vignette is paired with a painting about the subject manner.
My boys really enjoyed it!
So many possibilities with this title!!---
Strategies: summarizing, main idea/detail, context clues, expanding vocab., visualizing
Pair with Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder, Owls in the Family by Farley Mowat
Great addition when studying history.
When this book was published it said Mr. Kurelek's paintings were displayed in Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa and the London Art Museum in England.
What a great follow up to his books-to go to one of these museums and view his work!
*Highly recommend.

Seven Stories Up by Laurel Snyder

Annie travels with her mom to be her grandmother before she passes away.  Annie's mother does not talk about her childhood so Annie does know her grandmother well.  While falling asleep in her grandmother's hotel, she is transported back in time  . . .in the same hotel . . .  her own grandmother (Molly)  is her age.
Molly is kept in the "Lonely Room" because she is ill (asthma, really).  Through Annie's visit, she brings cheer and courage into her grandmother's young life.
Author's note shares some historical aspect of  the 1930's:
child work labor
segregation
medicine
Holocaust
Great Depression

Likable characters!
Points to discuss/warning: "making out" is mentioned-very briefly, not explained; the hand clap/chant-Miss Lucy is shared which alludes to swear word; fathers are not regarded very highly-Annie's dad left them and her mom calls him a "louse" .  . .Molly's father is distant and cold and Molly doubts his love for her (they sort of resolve these issues in the book and the reader can understand why he acts the way he does)

Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse*

John Newbery Medal
In verse form, Ms. Hesse relates the horrific events and affects of the dust storms in the 1930s.  The character Billie Jo must not only endure the relentless dust storms in OK but must adjust to life with deformed hands from a fire that transformed her life in an instant-losing a mother, a newborn sibling and her ability to play piano.
Great word choice/figurative language
*Highly recommend.
Strategies: inferring, cause/effect, visualizing, synthesizing, connections (T-S, T-T)
*Highly recommend reading The Great American Dust Bowl by Don Brown before reading this book to build schema.

The Great American Dust Bowl by Don Brown*

In graphic novel/comic style, Mr. Brown relays the horrific life people endured during the 1930's in the Dust Bowl.
Full of interesting facts and told in an interesting manner.  Even gives a brief science lesson with plate tectonics and a quick glance of the different people groups on the plains.
*Highly recommend.
Pair with Esperanza Rising, Out of the Dust, and Leah's Pony.
Strategies: connections, synthesizing, cause/effect, asking questions

Leah's Pony by Elizabeth Friedrich illustrated by Michael Garland*

This story takes place during the Great Depression and in the Dust Bowl.
Leah courageously helps save the family farm.
Wonderful story-great word choice.
Strategy:  perfect for inferring
*Highly recommend.