Esperanza Rising

Ryan, P. M. (2002). Esperanza Rising. New York, NY: Scholastic.

Plot: On the eve of her 13th birthday Esperanza's father is killed by bandits, and her mother makes the difficult decision to take Esperanza to California with their trusted friends and servants. They leave after their home in  Mexico is burnt down by her father's brothers because her mother wouldn't marry one of them. It is difficult for Esperanza to get used to her new environment and living in a shack while her mother and the others pick vegetables and fruit, since she is used to being waited on and wearing the finest dresses. She overcomes many difficult obstacles, and proves herself to be a strong individual.

Genre: Historical fiction

Suggested reading level: Grades 5-8

Subjects/themes: Mexico, loss, family, prejudice, immigration, civil rights.

Other Books by Pam Munoz Ryan:

• The Dreamer
• Becoming Naomi Leon
• Paint the Wind

Awards:

• Pura Belpre Award

A Year Down Yonder

Peck, R. (2000). A Year Down Yonder. New York, NY: Dial Books for Young Readers.

*Sequel to Newbery Honor book A Long Way From Chicago.

Plot: It is 1937 and a recession has hit the nation hard, so Mary Alice is going to stay with her Grandma Dowdel in a small town in Illinois while her parents try to find work in Chicago. Grandma Dowdel is a feisty old woman who is well known in town to be trigger happy. She likes to pull fast ones, like when the bully in Mary Alice's class tries to get a dollar out of her, Grandma sets the girl's stolen horse loose with her shoes laced around it's neck so she'd have to walk home barefoot. When Mary Alice invites the boy she likes over to study, a sickening scream comes from upstairs and a naked lady comes running down from the attic with a snake holding on to her. Apparently Grandma hadn't mentioned anything about the snake living in the attic when their lodger had set up his art supplies there. That definitely had the town talking.

Genre: Historical fiction

Suggested reading level: Grades 5-8

Subjects/themes: Recession, Great Depression, Illinois, family, rural living.

Other Books by Richard Peck:

• A Season of Gifts
• On the Wings of Heroes
• The River Between Us
• The Teacher's Funeral
• Here Lies the Librarian
• A Long Way From Chicago

Awards:

• Newbery Medal Winner
• School Library Journal Best Books of the Year
• American Library Association Notable Books for Children

A Long Way From Chicago

Peck, R. (1998). A Long Way From Chicago. New York, NY: Puffin Books.

Plot: Joey and his sister Mary Alice visit their Grandma in a small town in Illinois for a week every summer from 1929 to 1935, and hilarity ensues every time. Grandma Dowdel is like no other grandmother you know. She is feisty, and takes no nonsense from anyone, plus she is kind of mischievous. Every summer something amazing happens, like Joey and Alice see their first dead body, which is odd because they live in Chicago in the time of Al Capone! Grandma Dowdel also wittingly got Joey a ride on an airplane when only Blue Ribbon winners at the fair were supposed to get them and she came in second place. What other shennanigans will she and kids get into?

Genre: Historical fiction, humor

Suggested reading level: Grades 5-8

Subjects/themes: The Great Depression, small towns, family, history, growing up.

Awards:

• Newbery Honor Book
• National Book Award Finalist
• ALA Notable Book

Sequel to this book:

• A Year Down Yonder

Other Books by Richard Peck:

• Ghosts I Have Been
• The Teacher's Funeral
• On the Wings of Heroes
• The River Between Us

Annotation:  Have you ever had a family member who is big, tough as nails and can wield a rifle like nothing? Was it your grandma? Well Joey and Mary Alice's Grandma Dowdel is like that and sneaky too. They visit her in her small Illinois town for a week every summer from 1929 to 1935, and every time funny events take place that you will not want to miss, so read this book!

Al Capone Does My Shirts

Choldenko, G. (2004). Al Capone Does My Shirts. New York, NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons.

Plot: It is 1935, Moose Flanagan and his family have moved to Alcatraz because his father is working as a guard and it is cheaper to live on the island. This is a lot for a 12 year old boy to take, living on an island that houses some of the most notorious criminals like Al Capone and Machine Gun Kelly. Moose befriends some of the other kids living on the island, one of them being the warden's mischievous daughter Piper. She has a money-making scheme Moose wants no part of. With both parents working all the time, Moose must take care of his older sister Natalie because she has what we know today to be autism. His parents want more than anything to get Natalie into a school, Esther P. Marinoff, for people with her needs. She's been turned down before, so it is up to Moose to do what is best for Natalie while trying to stay out of trouble, and hopefully not run into any convicts!

Genre: Historical fiction

Recommended reading level: Grades 5-8

Subjects/themes: Autism, prison life, San Francisco, family, friendship.

Awards:

• Newbery Honor
• School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
• ALA Notable Book 2005
• Publisher's Weekly Best Book 2004

Other Book in this series:

• Al Capone Shines My Shoes