Powered by a book like {foo}
Recommendations based on The Cross of Leadby Avi
* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans
Peter and the Starcatchers
by Dave Barry
A prequel to Peter Pan, following Peter and Molly as they protect a magical substance from pirates.
In 19th century London, an orphaned boy named Peter and fellow orphans James, Thomas, Prentiss, and Tubby Ted are shipped out on the decrepit Never Land , under the command of First Mate Slank and ... (Wikipedia)
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle
by Avi
A young girl's adventures on the high seas, fighting for justice and freedom.
The story starts in the early summer of 1832, as thirteen-year-old Charlotte Doyle prepares to take a voyage from Liverpool , England, to her family's home in Providence, Rhode Island . Her upper ... (Wikipedia)
A Year Down Yonder
by Richard Peck
Young girl moves to her grandmother's for a year, discovering life's hard lessons and unexpected joys.
The year is 1938, and the Great Depression has hit the Dowdel family hard. 15-year-old Mary Alice is sent downstate to live with Grandma Dowdel while her mother and father remain in Chicago. Her ... (Wikipedia)
The Tale of Despereaux
by Kate DiCamillo
An epic adventure of an unlikely hero, on a quest to save his kingdom and restore justice.
A noble mouse named Despereaux saves a princess named Princess Pea. Book one tells a story about a small, sickly mouse named Despereaux who was born in a castle with his eyes open. Despereaux, unlike ... (Wikipedia)
A Long Way from Chicago
by Richard Peck
Story of a brother and sister's adventures with their larger-than-life grandmother during their summer visits.
"Shotgun Cheatham's" Last Night Above Ground - 1929" (originally printed in Twelve Shots: Stories About Guns, 1997). The first summer the children go to their grandmother's house, a reporter comes ... (Wikipedia)
The False Prince
by Jennifer A. Nielsen
A young orphan is chosen to impersonate a long-lost prince in a daring plan to save a kingdom.
In this first book in a remarkable trilogy, an orphan is forced into a twisted game with deadly stakes. Choose to lie...or choose to die. In a discontent kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the ... (Barnes & Noble)
Al Capone Does My Shirts
by Gennifer Choldenko
A boy moves to Alcatraz Island in 1935, where his father works as a prison guard, and navigates life with a sister on the autism spectrum.
Moose Flanagan and his family composed of father Cam, mother Helen, and sister Natalie move from Santa Monica to Alcatraz Island in 1935. The move was caused by Cam's new job as an electrician and ... (Wikipedia)
Maniac Magee
by Jerry Spinelli
A young orphan boy, Jeffrey Lionel Magee, becomes a legend in a racially divided town by bringing people together through his incredible feats of athleticism and kindness.
Jeffrey Lionel Magee's parents were killed in a trolley accident when a drunk driver crashed and sunk it into the river in Bridgeport, Pennsylvania , orphaning him at age three. After living with his ... (Wikipedia)
Stormy, Misty's Foal
by Marguerite Henry
A young girl and her family rescue a newborn foal during a storm and raise it on their farm.
Misty is a Chincoteague pony mare who is close to foaling and the Beebe family is anxious about it. Paul and Maureen check on her every day before and after school at almost every possible time. ... (Wikipedia)
Princess Ben
by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
Princess Benevolence discovers her true self and strength after being exiled to a tower by her evil aunt.
"My gown suited me as well as I could ever hope, though I could not but envy the young ladies who would attract the honest compliments of the night. My bodice did not plunge as dramatically as some, ... (Goodreads)
The Light Between Oceans
by M.L. Stedman
A lighthouse keeper and his wife make a heartbreaking decision that has lifelong repercussions.
Librarian's note: An alternate cover edition can be found, here, Australia, 1926. After four harrowing years fighting on the Western Front, Tom Sherbourne returns home to take a job as the lighthouse ... (Goodreads)
A Voice in the Wind
by Francine Rivers
A Christian-inspired story of love, hope, and courage in the face of persecution.
“The city was silently bloating in the hot sun, rotting like the thousands of bodies that lay where they had fallen in street battles.” With this opening sentence, A Voice in the Wind transports ... (Goodreads)
Catherine, Called Birdy
by Karen Cushman
An adolescent girl's story of rebellion, seeking freedom in a restrictive society.
The following is a description of the novel as it appears on the cover: "[T]he fourteen-year-old daughter of an English country knight keeps a journal in which she records the events of her life, ... (Wikipedia)
After Ever After
by Jordan Sonnenblick
A humorous and heartwarming story about a boy who survived cancer and now faces the challenges of middle school.
Jeff is a little baby child in remission. Even though cancer should be far behind him, Jeff still worries that it will return. He has got normal teen stuff to deal with, too - friends, parents, ... (Wikipedia)
Johnny Tremain
by Esther Forbes
A young apprentice's journey of bravery, patriotism and heroism during the American Revolution.
The story begins on July 23, 1773, in the Boston silversmith shop of elderly Ephraim Lapham, where Johnny is a promising 14-year-old apprentice. It is understood that someday he will marry Mr. ... (Wikipedia)
The Willoughbys
by Lois Lowry
Four siblings plot to send their selfish parents on a dangerous vacation, leading to unexpected adventures and a new family dynamic.
A stray cat narrates the story of the Willoughbys, once an adventurous and loving family for generations. The present-day Mr. and Mrs. Willoughby are too enamored with each other to care for their ... (Wikipedia)
The Penderwicks on Gardam Street
by Jeanne Birdsall
A family of four sisters and their adventures of discovering the joys of summer.
With over one million copies sold, this series of modern classics about the charming Penderwick family from National Book Award winner and New York Times bestseller Jeanne Birdsall is perfect for ... (Goodreads)
Fire Bringer
by David Clement-Davies
A young deer named Rann battles against an evil prophecy that threatens to destroy his herd and the entire forest.
Fire Bringer is the story of Rannoch, a red deer born in 13th-century Scotland . Rannoch is born with a white mark on his forehead resembling an oak leaf, the symbol of the deer god, Herne. To the ... (Wikipedia)
A World Without Heroes
by Brandon Mull
A group of kids must battle mysterious forces to save their world from destruction.
Jason Walker has often wished his life could be a bit less predictable–until a routine day at the zoo ends with Jason suddenly transporting from the hippo tank to a place unlike anything he's ever ... (Goodreads)
The Witch of Blackbird Pond
by Elizabeth George Speare
A young girl's struggles to find her place in a Puritan Connecticut town.
In April 1687, 16-year-old Katherine Tyler (known throughout the story as Kit Tyler) leaves her home in Barbados after her grandfather dies and a 50-year-old man tries to marry her. She relocates to ... (Wikipedia)
Esperanza Rising
by Pam Muñoz Ryan
A young girl from a wealthy Mexican family is forced to flee to California during the Great Depression and learns to adapt to a new life as a farm worker.
Esperanza is a child in Aguascalientes , Mexico, daughter of wealthy landowner Sixto Ortega. She lives on her family's ranch, El Rancho de la Rosas, with her mother, father, and grandmother Abuelita. ... (Wikipedia)
The Goose Girl
by Shannon Hale
A young princess must overcome great obstacles to reclaim her rightful throne.
When crown princess Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee was born, she did not open her eyes until her aunt held her. The woman became her nursemaid and constant companion, nicknaming her Ani and telling ... (Wikipedia)
I Am the Cheese
by Robert Cormier
Teenage boy's search for the truth of his past, uncovering a web of lies and government conspiracies.
The novel opens with protagonist Adam Farmer biking from his home in the fictional town of Monument, Massachusetts , (based on Cormier's home town of Leominster, Massachusetts [,citation needed,] ) ... (Wikipedia)
Nothing But the Truth
by Avi
A student's patriotic refusal to sing the national anthem sparks a controversy that spirals out of control.
Orchard Classics is a collectible hardcover line of award-winning titles from the Orchard backlist with fresh, beautiful new designs and new author prefaces and discussion guides. Ninth grader Philip ... (Goodreads)
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
by Kate DiCamillo
Edward, a china rabbit, embarks on a journey of self-discovery, learning the power of love.
Edward Tulane is a china rabbit given to a ten-year-old girl named Abilene , by her grandmother in the 1930s. He enjoys a pleasant but vain life with his young mistress, who treats him with the ... (Wikipedia)
Princess Academy
by Shannon Hale
A young girl's journey of self-discovery and empowerment, finding her own strength and potential.
Miri is a fourteen-year-old girl from Mount Eskel, an isolated territory of Danland, who has never been allowed to work with the rest of the villagers in the quarry that keeps the community alive. ... (Wikipedia)
Unwind
by Neal Shusterman
A dystopian future world where teenagers are subjected to a “harvesting” process that splits them apart.
Connor, Risa, and Lev are running for their lives. The Second Civil War was fought over reproductive rights. The chilling resolution: Life is inviolable from the moment of conception until age ... (Goodreads)
Pictures of Hollis Woods
by Patricia Reilly Giff
A young girl, Hollis Woods, is moved from one foster home to another until she finds a family that she can call her own.
Hollis Woods is the place where a baby was abandoned is the baby's name is an artist is now a twelve-year-old girl who's been in so many foster homes she can hardly remember them all. When Hollis is ... (Goodreads)
Brian's Winter
by Gary Paulsen
A retelling of the classic novel, "Hatchet", from the perspective of a young boy struggling to survive in the frozen wilderness.
The story deals with Brian, still stranded at the L-shaped lake during the fall and winter, constructing a winter shelter, building snow shoes , being confronted by a bear , befriending and naming a ... (Wikipedia)
King of the Wind: The Story of the Godolphin Arabian
by Marguerite Henry
A horse's journey of survival, finding friendship and loyalty along the way.
The story starts in Morocco, as the fast of Ramadan is ending. Agba, a mute slave boy, tends to his favorite Arabian mare, who gives birth that night. The colt has a white spot on his hind heel, ... (Wikipedia)
