Best Children's Dysfunctional Relationships Books
#1 New York Times Bestseller. Newbery Honor Book. Winner of the Schneider Family Book Award (Middle School) Wall Street Journal Best Children's Books of 2015. New York Public Library's 100 Books for Reading and Sharing. An exceptionally moving story of triumph against all odds set during World War II, from the acclaimed author of Jefferson’s Sons and for fans of Number the Stars . Ada watches the world through the narrow confines of the apartment window, waves to neighbors in the street, and carefully gauges the danger of being beaten during each encounter with her hateful mother. When her mother prepares to ship Jamie out to the countryside with other children being evacuated from London, Ada sneaks out with him. Though Susan is reluctant and insists that she knows nothing about caring for children, she does so diligently and is baffled by the girl's fearful flinching anytime Ada makes a mistake. There is much to like here-Ada's engaging voice, the vivid setting, the humor, the heartbreak, but most of all the tenacious will to survive exhibited by Ada and the villagers who grow to love and accept her.—Brenda Kahn, Tenakill Middle School, Closter, NJ A Newbery Honor Book. Winner of the Schneider Family Book Award (Middle School). Winner of the Josette Frank Award Wall Street Journal Best Children's Books of 2015. New York Public Library's 100 Books for Reading and Sharing. Chicago Public Library's Best of the Best Books 2015 Publishers Weekly Best Books of 2015 Kirkus Best Books of 2015 Horn Book Fanfare Book 2015. "Achingly lovely . Nuanced and emotionally acute, this vivid tale from the wartime home front will have readers ages 10-14 wincing at Ada's stumbles and rejoicing to the point of tears in her victories. * “Ada's voice is brisk and honest; her dawning realizations are made all the more poignant for their simplicity. Set against a backdrop of war and sacrifice, Ada's personal fight for freedom and ultimate triumph are cause for celebration.”— Kirkus , starred review. * "Proving that her courage and compassion carry far more power than her disability, Ada earns self-respect, emerges a hero, and learns the meaning of home. "— The Horn Book , starred review. "The home-front realities of WWII, as well as Ada’s realistic anger and fear, come to life in Bradley’s affecting and austerely told story, and readers will cheer for steadfast Ada as she triumphs over despair. "I love Ada's bold heart, keen wit, and amazingly fresh point of view. "—Sheila Turnage, author of Newbery Honor book Three Times Lucky. "In Ada's small war lies our large hope that love cannot, will not, be overcome.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Selective in that I studiously avoided any and all works of fiction that might conceivably be considered "depressing". So when I read "The War That Saved My Life" I had to explain to her, at length, that in spite of the premise, cover (again with the kids staring out into nothingness), and time period this isn't the bleak stretch of depressingness it might appear to be. Enormously satisfying and fun to read, Bradley takes a work of historical fiction and gives the whole premise of WWII evacuees a kick in the pants. Born with a twisted foot her mother considers her an abomination and her own personal shame. Escaping to the English countryside, the two are foisted upon a woman named Susan who declares herself to be "not nice" from the start. I may have mentioned it before, but the word that kept coming to mind as I read this book was "satisfying". She has this enormous task of making Ava strong in every possible way after a lifetime of systematic, often horrific, abuse. Honestly it made me want to reread the book several times over, if only to figure out how she managed to display Ada's anger and shock in the face of kindness with such aplomb. Kids who have so little experience with the wider world that they don't know a church from a bank or vice versa. Or, perhaps worse, their inability to comprehend simple everyday objects and ideas will strike readers as funny or something to be mocked. By the same token, child readers can also pity Ada for not understanding stuff that they already do (banks, church, etc.). American born (Indiana, to be specific) she has set her novel in historical England (Kent) where any number of accents might be on display. She could have peppered the book with words that tried to replicate the sounds of Ada's London accent or Susan's Oxford educated one. Because this is a children's book and hope, in whatever form it ultimately takes, is the name of the game. Ms. Bradley understands that and in "The War That Saved My Life" she manages to concoct a real delight out of a story that in less capable hands would have been a painful read."
"Ada learns to trust and love despite her attachment issues caused by her mean biological mother."
"i love this book, it's amazing !"
"Dealing with many sensitive topics it informed and explained the issues and the emotions without being condescending or melodramatic."
"My son, age 9, raves about this book."
"This is a MUST READ book."
"It was beautifully written ... fell in love with the main characters ..."
"My nephew read this in 5th grade and he thought it was a great book."
So when Shiloh runs away from Judd to Marty, Marty just has to hide him and protect him from Judd. This 1992 Newbery Medal winner revolves around an 1 1 -year-old boy who finds an abused dog near his West Virginia hills home; PW noted that this heartwarming novel should win new fans for the popular Naylor.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"They are usually pretty egger to get reading time over with, so that tells you something about this story."
"I purchased this book for my fifth grade granddaughter."
"This is an excellent book for middle school children."
"Book purchased for my grandson, when he was younger, which heliked."
"New book and good quality."
"My daughter says,I loved the book so much."
"I had purchased this book for my 11 year old son."
"Reading this terrific little dog tale with my third and fourth grade book. club."
Sure, it means a lot of sitting around, which isn't easy for a guy with ADHD, but he can't complain, since he gets to spend the period texting all his friends. Then the doctor asks him to track down the troubled freshman who keeps dodging her, and Adam discovers that the boy is Julian--the foster brother he hasn't seen in five years. "― Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Emotion courses through every sentence of this novel, whether it is love, compassion, or bone-chilling cruelty. "A poignant, hopeful story about loss, grief, abuse, and the transformative power of friendship. She counseled adolescents in Boston before she moved to Dallas, Texas to run a mentoring program for at-risk teens.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Julian was somebody that I just wanted to protect and let him know that there are people that actually care very deeply about him and that what Russell was doing to him was not love. Adam truly cares about him, and Russell tries to put it in his mind that Julian did not care about him in the slightest, and that really ticked me off. Julian is just this little special snowflake that you want to protect from harm for forever, and I just wanted to freaking kill Russell for trying to snuff out that light that was in Julian. Seeing Julian in pain really just put him in pain because he did care about Julian so much. He tried to get Julian to believe that Adam and his mom really booted Julian out when it was all Russell’s fault that Julian had to leave. The trauma seemed very realistic, which is how I ended up crying because it felt so real and very accurate and I just wanted to murder Russell for pretty much the entirety of the book, and then I wanted to keep young Julian safe and away from harm."
"Once I had finished the story, I sat here in front of my computer desperately trying to find the right words to write my review... It's just that there is so much I adored about this book, and so much that I had a hard time reading, but I don't want to give anything away. There are so many very important topics that are discussed in this book, ranging from child abuse and trauma, friendship and growth, even to ADHD and the use of homeopathic remedies. I was immediately drawn to the two main characters, Adam and Julian. Adam was so thoughtful and clumsy, while Julian was shy and had a true heart of gold. I really enjoyed that these two characters seemed to have a real bond, not just your typical insta-love we seem to get in most YA books."
"I absolutely loved this book. Maybe I have too much hope for people."
"This might be my favourite book of 2017."
Best Children's European Historical Fiction
"Masterfully crafted". — The Wall Street Journal For readers of Between Shades of Gray and All the Light We Cannot See , Ruta Sepetys returns to WWII in this epic novel that shines a light on one of the war's most devastating—yet unknown—tragedies. Told in alternating points of view and perfect for fans of Anthony Doerr's Pulitzer Prize-winning All the Light We Cannot See , Erik Larson's Dead Wake , and Elizabeth Wein's Printz Honor Book Code Name Verity , this masterful work of historical fiction is inspired by the real-life tragedy that was the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff — the greatest maritime disaster in history. "— New York Times Book Review ♦ "Intimate, extraordinary, artfully crafted...brilliant. Praise for Between Shades of Gray : A New York Times Notable Book ♦ A Wall Street Journal Best Children’s Book ♦ A PW , SLJ , Booklist , and Kirkus Best Book ♦ iTunes 2011 Rewind Best Teen Novel ♦ A Carnegie Medal and William C. Morris Finalist ♦ A New York Times and International Bestseller ♦ "Few books are beautifully written, fewer still are important; this novel is both. Gr 9 Up—While the Titanic and Lusitania are both well-documented disasters, the single greatest tragedy in maritime history is the little-known 1945 sinking by Soviet torpedoes of the Wilhelm Gustloff, a German cruise liner that was supposed to ferry wartime personnel and refugees to safety. ["Artfully told and sensitively crafted, Sepetys's exploration of this little-known piece of history will leave readers weeping": SLJ 12/15 starred review of the Philomel book. ]—Terry Hong, Smithsonian BookDragon, Washington, DC Praise for Salt to the Sea :A #1 New York Times BestsellerAn International BestsellerWinner of the Carnegie MedalFeatured on NPR's Morning Edition "Ruta Sepetys acts as champion of the interstitial people so often ignored — whole populations lost in the cracks of history. "— The Wall Street Journal [Sepetys is] a master of YA fiction…she once again anchors a panoramic view of epic tragedy in perspectives that feel deeply textured and immediate. In Salt to the Sea the hard truths of her herculean research are tempered with effortless, intimate storytelling, as her warm and human characters breathe new life into one of the world's most terrible and neglected tragedies." “A rich, page-turning story that brings to vivid life a terrifying—and little-known—moment in World War II history.” — Steve Sheinkin , author of Newbery Honor and National Book Award finalist Bomb "Brutal. "— Hypable * "Sepetys excels in shining light on lost chapters of history, and this visceral novel proves a memorable testament to strength and resilience in the face of war and cruelty." — Booklist, starred review * "Artfully told and sensitively crafted, Sepetys’s exploration of this little-known piece of history will leave readers weeping."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"But more than that, the author has such a deft, confident hand that I could sense the amount of research she did and the respect she has for the survivors and victims of the Wilhelm Gustloff. Sepetys doesn’t overwhelm you with her knowledge, but inserts it subtly, weaving it into the backstories, thoughts, and actions of the characters. By using characters of different nationalities and loyalties, the author is able to show the many sides of Operation Hannibal, when Germany evacuated soldiers and citizens ahead of the Red Army."
"From the first page I knew I was not only in the hands of a real craftsman but also an author with je ne sais quoi. Sepetys is an author who handles language as fluidly and masterfully as a five star chef creating brioche from scratch. The structure was a little jarring, but once I got used to it, I decided it gave the whole work a theatrical flavor, as if I were reading a play. The subject matter is a bit intense for YA (and thus must be handled with extra sensitivity) and Sepetys did not hold back in her descriptions of the horrors of war. Not on the scale of Dostoyevsky or Hugo - but the author is young still, and I believe she has great ability to inspire empathy. I am withholding one star for the following reasons: It could have been more tightly edited - especially in the first ten pages when the characters were being introduced. Having the same moments repeated from the viewpoints of each character was boring especially since the new information was intuitive for the reader to begin with. The ending was wobbly and the final impact was lost in the disjointed story line."
"Distracting Florian, however, is the young nurse, Joana, a Lithuanian who is leading a rag tag group to the safety of a ship leaving Germany now that Hitler has deemed it all right in the final months of the war. Finally, there is Alfred, a young sailor in the German navy who "writes" letters in his head to his love, Hannelore, while avoiding work and planning a dazzling future. Though these are the voices we hear, there are so many others involved and each one will wrap themselves around your heart, in particular the Shoe Poet and the Wandering Boy who are assisted in getting on the liner Wilhelm Gustloff along with the others."
Best Children's Death & Dying Books
The 40th anniversary edition of the classic Newbery Medal-winning title by beloved author Katherine Paterson, with brand-new bonus materials including an author's note by Katherine herself and a foreword by New York Times bestselling author Kate DiCamillo. Here they reign as king and queen, fighting off imaginary giants and the walking dead, sharing stories and dreams, and plotting against the schoolmates who tease them. Together, they create an imaginary, secret kingdom in the woods called Terabithia that can be reached only by swinging across a creek bed on a rope. But one morning a tragic accident befalls Leslie as she ventures alone to Terabithia, and Jess's life is changed forever. Contemporary instrumental interludes featuring guitar, piano and drums signal the beginning and end of each tape side.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I don't want to give anything away, so I'll just say that it's an amazing look inside one boy's life in times of great joy and sadness."
"As time passed, mingling thoughts kept returning to that story, that memory that felt so real to me. Bridge to Terabithia relates a compelling tale of childhood curiosity and woe. the author weaves the story with and ease that catches the reader off guard."
"One of the best Children's book I have read."
"Brilliant piece of writing that meshes vivid imagination with real feelings - feelings of friendship and goodness."
"excellent product, good attention!"
"bought book for our club to go with the movie."
"Cute book for young ones."
"Excellent!"
Best Children's Drug Use Books
Another classic from the author of the internationally bestselling The Outsiders Continue celebrating 50 years of The Outsiders by reading this companion novel. In That Was Then, This Is Now , one of her most admired novels, S. E. Hinton paints a richly textured portrait of two boys at a crossroads in their friendship. With careful, intimate strokes, Hinton reveals a boy struggling over whether to protect his best friend or whether to follow his own beliefs about right and wrong. "— The New York Times "This unforgettable classic still packs a powerful message even after nearly thirty years in print.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Great book!"
"Really Good!"
"Good for young people struggling and a good way I would think in getting them interested in reading in general."
"As always, the author has parentless boys virtually raising themselves, in this case Bryon and his friend Mark, who had taken in the orphaned Mark after his supposed father shot his mother - as it turns out because he realized that Mark was not his son. He already shows signs at the beginning of the book of a lack of conscience, no doubt the result of seeing and hearing the argument regarding his parentage as a child followed by his 'father' shooting his mother."
"Hinton's and the first one I read that started me on my journey to read all of her books."
"best book ever, arrived quickly."
"I am removing my original review as it pertained to the *condition* of the book sold by an Amazon market vendor, not realizing the review was posted as one for the *content* of the book."
"Emotes many feelings in middle schoolers--great novel!"
Best Children's Violence Books
In WWII times, Adolf Hitler ordered the book burned in Nazi Germany, while Joseph Stalin, the leader of the Soviet Union, granted it privileged status as the only non-communist children's book allowed in Poland. Ferdinand is a little bull who much prefers sitting quietly under a cork tree-- just smelling the flowers--to jumping around, snorting, and butting heads with other bulls. In a show of bovine irony, the one day Ferdinand is most definitely not sitting quietly under the cork tree (due to a frightful sting), is the selfsame day that five men come to choose the "biggest, fastest, roughest bull" for the bullfights in Madrid.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I found "The Story of Ferdinand" among Amazon's list of "100 Children's Books to Read in a Lifetime", and am ashamed to say I had never heard of this book that's been around for 80 years now and was the #1 book in America - topping Gone with the Wind! This is certainly not a book most children these days will be used to, with its completely black and white illustrations, but - for the right age - a child who's ready to focus more on a story line versus needing lots of bright colors to hold his/her attention, the illustrations do a beautiful job of reflecting the gentleness of Ferdinand, who much prefers to "sit just quietly and smell the flowers" while the other bulls run and jump around, butting heads, and his wise mother who - though occasionally worried about him and what he may face by not conforming to the norm - understood that he was happy."
"A beautiful book and a sweet story!"
"Reading good literature with an easy to comprehend story line is a great place to start your young readers."
"Loved this book as a kid, I bought it for my neighbor's little girl who is 8."
"I remember well the Disney adaptation with Don Wilson as the narrator."
"Present for granddaughter!"
"Loved this read."
"The original, high-quality Viking editions placed text and illustrations in a layout that let the story breathe -- the amount of text on each page and the space within the drawings set the pace of the story."
Best Children's Runaway Books
Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. "VOYA", starred review "?cinematic adventure featuring endearing, compelling heroes." "Publisher's Weekly", starred review Marie Lu works as an art director for a Los Angeles video game company - the book is built around the world she created for a popular Facebook game, also called Legend.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Confusing at times."
"I'm going to start off with kind words by saying that this was a easy, simple book to read. On that note, I would like to say that although the story line was intriguing-there was a point in the middle of the book where I just COULD NOT put it down-the characters were too perfect, flawless. I mean come on 15-year-olds who have superhuman observation, tracking, hunting and survival skills of assassins is unrealistic. Perhaps, if Day and June had the potential of being the best of the best, but were just as they should be-just teenagers for the moment, learning their craft."
"June Iparis' brother Metias dies, apparently killed by a young criminal named Day. June is a prodigy who scores a perfect 1500 in a trial that all young people have to take in order to be chosen for education and privilege."
"Skimming through my library and ran across this series."
"Cliff hangers are great, leaving mysterious little sub plots is interesting, not giving total explanations can be intriguing but most authors screw it up. Most authors, especially dystopian authors, leave too many little holes and if you step back for a second and look at all of the unknowns, even good books look like Swiss cheese sometimes."
"The plot is similar to other books -- the country split into factions (or in this case, the Republic and the Colonies) who are warring; a dictator-type leader; a selection system that creates an upper class elite who enter the military or politics and keeps the rest of the population down in fear and poverty; and, of course, the hero and heroine -- Day and June, 15 year-olds who fight back. Two very different teens from two very different 'worlds' -- he's the poor kid from the wrong side of the tracks; she's an elite prodigy who goes off to college at age 12 and is destined for a successful military career -- but they're great together!"
"This one though, was very highschool essay sort of thingy."
"It was a quick read and didn't require a lot of thought."
Best Children's Abuse books
#1 New York Times Bestseller. Newbery Honor Book. Winner of the Schneider Family Book Award (Middle School) Wall Street Journal Best Children's Books of 2015. New York Public Library's 100 Books for Reading and Sharing. An exceptionally moving story of triumph against all odds set during World War II, from the acclaimed author of Jefferson’s Sons and for fans of Number the Stars . Ada watches the world through the narrow confines of the apartment window, waves to neighbors in the street, and carefully gauges the danger of being beaten during each encounter with her hateful mother. When her mother prepares to ship Jamie out to the countryside with other children being evacuated from London, Ada sneaks out with him. Though Susan is reluctant and insists that she knows nothing about caring for children, she does so diligently and is baffled by the girl's fearful flinching anytime Ada makes a mistake. There is much to like here-Ada's engaging voice, the vivid setting, the humor, the heartbreak, but most of all the tenacious will to survive exhibited by Ada and the villagers who grow to love and accept her.—Brenda Kahn, Tenakill Middle School, Closter, NJ A Newbery Honor Book. Winner of the Schneider Family Book Award (Middle School). Winner of the Josette Frank Award Wall Street Journal Best Children's Books of 2015. New York Public Library's 100 Books for Reading and Sharing. Chicago Public Library's Best of the Best Books 2015 Publishers Weekly Best Books of 2015 Kirkus Best Books of 2015 Horn Book Fanfare Book 2015. "Achingly lovely . Nuanced and emotionally acute, this vivid tale from the wartime home front will have readers ages 10-14 wincing at Ada's stumbles and rejoicing to the point of tears in her victories. * “Ada's voice is brisk and honest; her dawning realizations are made all the more poignant for their simplicity. Set against a backdrop of war and sacrifice, Ada's personal fight for freedom and ultimate triumph are cause for celebration.”— Kirkus , starred review. * "Proving that her courage and compassion carry far more power than her disability, Ada earns self-respect, emerges a hero, and learns the meaning of home. "— The Horn Book , starred review. "The home-front realities of WWII, as well as Ada’s realistic anger and fear, come to life in Bradley’s affecting and austerely told story, and readers will cheer for steadfast Ada as she triumphs over despair. "I love Ada's bold heart, keen wit, and amazingly fresh point of view. "—Sheila Turnage, author of Newbery Honor book Three Times Lucky. "In Ada's small war lies our large hope that love cannot, will not, be overcome.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Selective in that I studiously avoided any and all works of fiction that might conceivably be considered "depressing". So when I read "The War That Saved My Life" I had to explain to her, at length, that in spite of the premise, cover (again with the kids staring out into nothingness), and time period this isn't the bleak stretch of depressingness it might appear to be. Enormously satisfying and fun to read, Bradley takes a work of historical fiction and gives the whole premise of WWII evacuees a kick in the pants. Born with a twisted foot her mother considers her an abomination and her own personal shame. Escaping to the English countryside, the two are foisted upon a woman named Susan who declares herself to be "not nice" from the start. I may have mentioned it before, but the word that kept coming to mind as I read this book was "satisfying". She has this enormous task of making Ava strong in every possible way after a lifetime of systematic, often horrific, abuse. Honestly it made me want to reread the book several times over, if only to figure out how she managed to display Ada's anger and shock in the face of kindness with such aplomb. Kids who have so little experience with the wider world that they don't know a church from a bank or vice versa. Or, perhaps worse, their inability to comprehend simple everyday objects and ideas will strike readers as funny or something to be mocked. By the same token, child readers can also pity Ada for not understanding stuff that they already do (banks, church, etc.). American born (Indiana, to be specific) she has set her novel in historical England (Kent) where any number of accents might be on display. She could have peppered the book with words that tried to replicate the sounds of Ada's London accent or Susan's Oxford educated one. Because this is a children's book and hope, in whatever form it ultimately takes, is the name of the game. Ms. Bradley understands that and in "The War That Saved My Life" she manages to concoct a real delight out of a story that in less capable hands would have been a painful read."
"Having had foster grandchildren, this book is perfect to help understand some of the behaviors that the children have had and how they couldn't communicate their feelings."
"i love this book, it's amazing !"
"Dealing with many sensitive topics it informed and explained the issues and the emotions without being condescending or melodramatic."
"My son, age 9, raves about this book."
"My son told me to read this so I promised I’d start it, but after the first two pages, I literally could not put it down!"
"“The War that Saved My Life” is a beautiful allegory of how love (and education) transforms wounded individuals."
"This is an incredibly beautiful book with wonderful prose and an inspiring message."
Best Children's Prejudice & Racism books
“Few books are beautifully written, fewer still are important; this novel is both.”. -- The Washington Post Lina is just like any other fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl in 1941. A New York Times Bestseller. An International Bestseller. A New York Times Notable Book of 2011. A Wall Street Journal Best Children’s Book of 2011. A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2011. The iTunes 2011 Rewind Best Teen Novel. The #1 Book on the Spring 2011 IndieNext List. A School Library Journal Best Book of 2011. A Booklist Best Book of 2011. A Kirkus Best Book of 2011. 2012 IRA Children’s and Young Adults Book Award for Young Adult Fiction. 2012 Indies Choice Young Adult Book of the Year. A Carnegie Medal Finalist. A William C. Morris Finalist. *Starred Review* Sepetys' first novel offers a harrowing and horrifying account of the forcible relocation of countless Lithuanians in the wake of the Russian invasion of their country in 1939. Lina's great hope is that somehow her father, who has already been arrested by the Soviet secret police, might find and rescue them. Whether or not this will be possible, it is her art that will be her salvation, helping her to retain her identity, her dignity, and her increasingly tenuous hold on hope for the future. Sepetys, the daughter of a Lithuanian refugee, estimates that the Baltic States lost more than one-third of their populations during the Russian genocide. Though many continue to deny this happened, Sepetys' beautifully written and deeply felt novel proves the reality is otherwise.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"A lot of us know about the Nazi Holocaust but little about Stalin's holocaust. The Nazi Holocaust deserves every bit of noise it can make!"
"Deeply evocative writing that captures a piece of history of which many outside these nations are unaware."
"An event I didn't even know that had even happened."
"This was an eye opening book for me as I read about the horrors the people of the small Baltic countries endured during the take over of Stalin and Hitler."
"And the really sad thing about the book is that no one ever talks about what happened to these people. People usually talk about the Holocaust which was another tragic sad event that was happening at about the same time."
"The Russians tied people to the front of their tanks and then moved into take villages."
"In her Author's Note Ruta Sepetys explains that in 1939 the Soviet Union occupied the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. Not long after, the Kremlin drew up lists of people considered anti-Soviet who Sepetys accurately states "would be murdered, sent to prison, or deported into slavery in Siberia. Doctors, lawyers, teachers, military servicemen, writers, business owners, musicians, artists, and even librarians were all considered anti-Soviet and were added to the growing list slated for wholesale genocide. Fortunately for the author's father (and my own parents) they (and their families) were able to escape to refugee camps set up in the American occupied zone of Germany. Packed into railroad cars, starved for food, fresh air, even bathroom facilities these people, like the Jews in many parts of Europe, were stripped of their homes, their possessions, their very lives. Again the author reminds me that "Upon returning in the mid-1950's, the Lithuanians found that Soviets had occupied their homes, were enjoying all of their belongings, and had even assumed their names."
"Excellent book!"
Best Children's Homelessness & Poverty Books
When their new life is threatened, Esperanza must find a way to rise above her difficult circumstances--Mama's life, and her own, depend on it. Told in a lyrical, fairy tale - like style, Ryan's (riding Freedom) robust novel set in 1930 captures a Mexican girl's fall from riches, her immigration to California and her growing awareness of class and ethnic tensions. Readers will be swept up by vivid descriptions of California dust storms or by the police crackdown on a labor strike ("The picket signs lay on the ground, discarded, and like a mass of marbles that had already been hit, the strikers scattered?"). (Oct.). Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. Grade 6-9-Ryan uses the experiences of her own Mexican grandmother as the basis for this compelling story of immigration and assimilation, not only to a new country but also into a different social class. Set against the multiethnic, labor-organizing era of the Depression, the story of Esperanza remaking herself is satisfyingly complete, including dire illness and a difficult romance.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"It is great fictionalized story telling based on actual facts. This starts of telling the story of a happy a wealthy kind family who own a vineyard in Mexico."
"This book has an engrossing plot that makes it hard to put down because one wants to find out how things will turn out in the end."
"There are many books and movies out there about young people and their families as they struggle to survive in Mexico and then in California when they decide to cast their lot with the American Dream...Esperanza has everything she could ever want or need on her father's El Rancho de las Rosas near Aguascalientes, Mexico, when he is killed by bandits in 1924."
"Arrived in a timely manner and was as described in product description."
"The author brings to life the story and the human spirit of the characters in such a way that reading the book was almost like watching a movie, or even like being right there in the book, reliving an important part of our nation's history."
"My daughter loved this book I didn’t read it but she told me all about it she says it has its pros and cons and you have to realize how things were before compared to now to understand the book."
"I am doing a project on the Hispanic culture in my Cultural Diversity class, and part of this was reading a book about the culture written by someone within that culture and write a paper about the insights we gained from it."
"My nine year old granddaughter was reading this from her recommended reading list at school."