May Bird and the Ever After - Jodi Lynn Anderson

Ten year old May Bird lives with her mother and a hairless cat named Somber Kitty at the edge of a woods in a place called Briery Swamp. She spends most of her time with her cat in the woods, dreaming of becoming a warrior princess or in her room drawing pictures of strange creatures. She's not like the other kids in her class and struggles without success to make a friend. In the fall, her mother plans to send her away from West Virginia to a boarding school in New York to help May develop normal friends and interests. Then she finds a mysterious old letter addressed to her 60 years ago in the rubble of an old post office in the woods. How strange is that? The letter is asking for her help and summons her to a hidden lake within the swamp. When May get there, she accidentally falls in and when she comes out her sensory system is different and she can see ghosts in the woods and at home. Upon a return visit to the lake, she falls through a portal to a dangerous ghostly world much farther away than New York, called the Ever After where only the deceased are welcome. May needs to remain concealed to escape the dreaded bogeyman Bo Cleevil, who steals souls and sucks them into nothingness (I've always wanted to know what the bogeyman was all about). Fortunately, May finds some unlikely and rather creepy friends that help her reach her quest and the possibility of returning home. This is a complex story with many frightening characters and events. BUT, if you love a good ghost story/mystery/adventure, this is a book you will not be able to put down! The end will leave you anxious to solve the unanswered questions...which is fine because this first book is part of a trilogy.

Note: Recommended for grades 5 - 7. Read excerpt on page 21 describing the face on the stamp and her address on the letter. Then read the letter on page 23.

Sister Of My Heart - Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

When I reflect back on this story, I remember how much most of us hope to claim just one special person as our best friend growing up. In Sister of my Heart, the reader will become enchanted by the strong relationship between two cousins who are bonded together by tragedy and torn apart by secrecy, jealousy and distrust. This beautifully written story is told from the alternating perspective of each girl covering the time span of about 15 years.

The place is Calcutta, India, where the girls are being raised by their widowed mothers and an aunt, who follow strict cultural traditions and struggle to maintain the family business. The girls attend private school and expect to attend college until circumstances change and the girls are forced into arranged marriages. This change in plans is very difficult for Anju, who is a smart rebellious girl that opposes tradition and wants to attend college and live in America. Sudha is exquisitely beautiful and more traditional, but her future remains unsure as she was not born into wealth or a good family name. Despite these differences, they make great sacrifices for each other to ensure the happiness of the other.

When Sudha learns of a dark family secret, her relationship with Anju changes from innocent sisterly love to obligation and debt. Anju finds she can no longer trust Sudha when she discovers a different type of secret on her wedding day and is happy to move to America with her husband. The girls live very different lives for a few years, until tragedy brings out their need for each other once more.

This dramatic story will not let you down. It is heartbreaking, but inspiring. The oppression of women, the sacrifices endured to preserve the family name and social standing are difficult to comprehend. The men in the story also suffer in different ways to maintain family traditions and the reader will hope they are strong enough to understand and love Sudha and Anju.

This is a rich story that will transport you to a different place, where women struggle to establish their identities and independence in a very traditional culture. If you love this story as much as I did, you will be thrilled to pick up the sequel The Vine of Desire (public library).

Note: For a cinematic look at arranged marriages in Muslim and Jewish cultures, check out the movie Arranged in the public library. Very good story - not the slightest bit boring!!!

Note: The public library also has books on creating henna designs, just like the elaborate wedding henna's used in Sister of My Heart.

Recommended for grades 11 & 12.

What We Keep - Elizabeth Berg

At the age of 47, Ginny is on a plane to visit her mother, whom she has not seen or spoken to in 35 years. The trip is initiated by Ginny's sister Sharla, who is sick and wants to see her mother "just in case" she does not get better. On her trip, Ginny looks back on childhood memories when she was just 12 years old and reveals the dramatic events that lead to the separation of her mother from the family. In this short, simple and honest story we find out how Ginny and Sharla's predictable secure world changes when a mysterious and exotic new neighbor moves in next door, befriending Ginny's mother. The girls are forced to deal with changes they cannot understand. Will their visit as mature adults help them come to terms with what happened years ago? Could they still love their mother after so long? The conclusion to this story will reveal how our perceptions are often dictated by our own needs and what we want to see. This story may be especially appealing to those who have a complicated relationship with their mothers!

Symbolic quotes from book: Page 156 & 157,
Ginny's friend Wayne has put her favorite ring into a box for a magic trick and says "Sometimes you see something that isn't there, and sometimes...you don't see something that is there."
Ginny is questioning how her friend Wayne performs the magic trick and he tells her, "It's easy. You know why? Because people want to be fooled."

Excerpt of Interest: Second paragraph on page 242,
Ginny's thoughts after watching a woman trying to walk a dog that was pulling her down the road, "I was a bit surprised by my strong reaction: for one thing, it was none of my business. But I think my response was tied up with things like what I just remembered, that feeling of contempt you have for someone you see is not in control when you want them to be."
"It's funny how, oftentimes, the people you love the most are given the least margin of error. Funny too, the places where the anger ends up surfacing".

Recommended for grades 11-12.

The Wanderer - Sharon Creech

Has anyone here ever sailed on the ocean? In this story we take an adventure across the Atlantic ocean on a ship named "The Wanderer" with 13 year old Sophie who is the sole female among a crew of six family members and must prove her worth among the men.

The trip begins in Connecticut and travels to England where Sophie's dying grandfather lives. The ocean brings back some haunting memories from Sophie's past, that she cannot deal with. Also, throughout the journey the family struggles to get along with each other. But when the weather turns for the worst, cooperation is vital. Will they learn to get along? Will Sophie have the courage to fight her memories and face reality? Will they make it to England? Check out this title for an adventure you will not forget.

Don't be intimidated by the 300 page length; this is an easy read. This story is told from the alternating perspectives of Sophie and her rebellious, funny cousin, Cody in the form of journal writings. Each short chapter begins with an artsy block-print visual with a tiny block-print identifying the writer. I like that and I loved the story!

Recommended for grades 4-7.

Sarah's Key - Tatiana de Rosnay

In Sarah's Key, the reader will learn about the French participation in the holocaust through two parallel stories. The first story takes place in Paris during the Nazi occupation with Sarah, a ten year old French Jewish girl who attempts to protect her little brother by locking him into a secret closet during the round up of Jews in France by French police officers. She has promised to return with her key to rescue him when she returns. Will she be able to keep her promise? As Sarah is forced to endure the harsh living conditions of the camps and treatment of the officers, she changes from an innocent naive child to a wise, strong, brave and determined young girl.

The parallel story is about Julia, an American journalist living in Paris who is assigned to write a story commemorating the 60th anniversary of the French Vel' d'Hiv round up in 1942. She is shocked by the lack of public knowledge about the event and the reaction she receives when she discusses the topic with her French husband and extended family. At the same time, Julia discovers that the apartment her family is moving into was once occupied by one of these unfortunate Jewish families taken during the round up. Who were these people and what happened to them? These questions take Julia on a sad, unforgettable journey into the past that changes her perspective on life, love and reverence for history that must not be forgotten.

The message: life is precious and mistakes of the past, no matter how horrific, must be remembered so they are not repeated.(less)

Recommended for grades 11 & 12.

The Edge Chronicles: Beyond the Deepwoods - Paul Stewart & Chris Riddell

If you like fantasy and fast moving adventure, this series will appeal to you. The ominous other-world setting and highly inventive creatures will capture your interest. The tale begins with Twig (yes, Twig) who finds out that he is NOT a woodtroll like his family and friends, but was found as a baby on their doorstep thirteen years ago. It is a relief to finally understand why he has never fit in and Twig goes on a quest to find out who he really is and discover his destiny. When Twig is sent off to live with a distant relative in the deepwoods, he strays from the safety of the path, encountering bizarre and generally dangerous creatures. Sky pirates, smelly halitoads, hover worms, slaughterers, hammelhorns, caterbirds, skullpelts, bloodoaks, gyle goblins and their Grossmother, spindlebugs, milchgrubs, banderbears, carnivorous wig-wigs, the very disgusting rotsucker, and more--each brought to life with detailed illustrations. Warning to the light-hearted: this adventure series has scary moments and death occurs to some of the characters. This book is the first in a series of thirteen fantasy tales.

Recommended for grades 5-7.