After attempting to steal back a necklace that belonged to his deceased mother, Samuel Collier is sent to an orphanage run by Reverend Hunt. The 11-year-old joins him on a journey to the New World, serving as a page to Captain John Smith. Samuel's account of the voyage to Virginia, political intrigues among the settlers, and the harrowing first winter of the James Town settlement brings to life figures like Smith, Powhatan, and Pocahontas. Details about food and daily life add realism to the story, and quotes from historical sources begin each chapter. His initial selfishness changes as he responds to the reverend, to Smith, and to his new friends. His time in an Indian village and his changing perspectives on the Natives add interest to the story and depth to his character. While the opening chapters move slowly, the pace picks up as Samuel reaches Virginia. This title is a good choice for a tie-in with the 400th anniversary celebrations of Jamestown in 2007.

Blood on the River: James Town, 1607

Elisa Carbone

Scholastic. Inc.

Author Elisa Carbone bursts onto the middle-grade scene with a laugh-out-loud story of a girl who tackles life head-on. Ten-year-old Sarah definitely has an attitude. But who can blame her? Her family dragged her along on their move from Maine to Maryland, she's left her best friend behind, and the first kid her age she meets calls her a "sick-o." What did she do? All Sarah really wants is to make a good friend. But just as it looks as if she might find one in fast-talking, soccer-playing Christina Perez, Sarah's newfound enemy launches a crusade to make her life miserable. And Sarah can't stop herself from getting revenge--even though it threatens her new friendship.Lots of laughs and spunky characters abound in this totally entertaining middle-grade novel, reminiscent in style to those of Barbara Park and Judy Blume. Sarah's witty observations and trouble making antics make for fun reading, and readers--even reluctant ones--will cheer as she finds an inventive solution to her "enemy" problem.

Starting School with an Enemy

Children's Books

Mary GrandPre

Tim Barnes

Growing Up & Facts of Life

Yearling

Inspired by a true story, Stealing Freedom is the riveting novel of a young slave girl's harrowing escape to freedom on the Underground Railroad. An ALA Best Book for Young Adults.

Stealing Freedom

San Val

Storm Warriors

Driven from his home by the Ku Klux Klan and still reeling from the death of his mother, Nathan moves with his father and grandfather to the desolate Pea Island on the Outer Banks of North Carolina to start a new life. Fortunately, life on Pea Island at the end of the 19th century is far from quiet. The other island residents include the surfmen--the African American crew of the nearby U.S. Life-Saving Station--and soon Nathan is lending an extra hand to these men as they rescue sailors from sinking ships. Working and learning alongside the courageous surfmen, Nathan begins to dream of becoming one himself. But the reality of post-Civil War racism starts to show itself as he gradually realizes the futility of his dream. And then another dream begins to take shape, one that Nathan refuses to let anyone take from him. From the Hardcover Library Binding edition.

Teen & Young Adult

Perfection Learning

A novel based on the events in the life of a young slave girl from Maryland who endures all kinds of mistreatment and cruelty, including being separated from her family, but who eventually escapes to freedom in Canada.

Literature & Fiction

Thorndike Press

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Elisa Carbone. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Elisa Carbone

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Elisa Carbone. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Blood on the River: James Town, 1607

Starting School with an Enemy

Stealing Freedom

Storm Warriors

Stealing Freedom