Morning Girl by Michael Dorris
What was life like for the native Americans that met Columbus' ship? This historical fiction tries to fill in some details of life on a Caribbean island before the first white men arrived and tells the story of Morning Girl and her brother, Star Boy.
Water Buffalo Days: Growing Up in Vietnam by Huynh Quang Nhuong
Nhuong loves the new family water buffalo. He is gentle as a dog and brave enough to fight off wild pigs and protect the herd. True stories of country life in Vietnam before the war. Boys will love this one. I give it five stars.
The Secret Valley by Clyde Robert Bulla
The Davis family left their home in Missouri to go to California to find gold. Though they don't find gold, the family finds what they really want. Sweet illustrations and short chapters make this a good introductory book on pioneer life. I've enjoyed every Bulla book I've ever read.
Song of Sampo Lake by William Durbin
Matti and his family dream of a new home in Minnesota, but working in the mine is not the new life they imagined when they left Finland. This historical fiction shows the determination of America's immigrants. Note: Contains some superstitious beliefs.
A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park
As Tree-ear hunted through the rubbish heap for food, he longed to be a great potter like Min. Into the fictional story of the orphan and his crippled friend, Crane-man, is woven history of the famous Korean celadon pottery. One of my favorites. Check out Park's other books for more excellent reading.
Jason's Gold by Will Hobbs
Jason joins the crowds headed to the Klondike gold fields expecting to find his fortune but instead he encounters freezing cold, wild moose, and multiple set-backs. An excellent historical fiction on the Klondike Gold Rush but some of the raw details may not be enjoyed by a sensitive child.
Nory Ryan's Song by Patricia Reilly Giff
Through Nory's eyes we see the beauty and hardship of her beloved Ireland during the potato famine of 1845. This book helps you understand why so many Irish immigrated to America. Note: references to superstitious beliefs.
Seesaw Girl by Linda Sue Park
Jade is curious to see the world outside her family's Inner Court. Will she learn to be content? A sweet story from seventeenth-century Korea and another good book by Park.
What are your favorite books for the time traveler? I'd love to add more to my list of favorites. You can find more of my book lists on the book page.
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When the Sirens Wailed by Noel Streatfeild
Three children are sent out of London along with thousands of other children to escape the bombing during World War 2. They face the uncertainties with pluck and creativity as they try to reunite their family again. Realistic details stem from the author's own memories as a volunteer worker in war-time London.
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Just checking in here quickly to let you know at our house we are praying for you and your dear family many times a day and night.
ReplyDeleteMay the Lord's Presence continue to be ever so near.
I really love reading the Dear America series - they really bring history to life in lasting way in one's memory, but unfortunately they sometimes refer to immoral things, and without saying they're wrong - I can't remember specifics but I wish they weren't like that or they're be great for the kids they're written for!
ReplyDeleteI like reading all of your reading lists. Ann Voskamp has a good one on her website, including children's book. I'm not the biggest fan of her kind of writing but I've liked many of the books on her list: http://annvoskamp.com/good-reads/
Maybe you've already seen it :)
Thanks for the book ideas! I found one of the titles in a thrift store from your last post so I snatched it up and read it. It was very good and now I will give it to my daughter to read. I also found another one at the thrift store called "The Hungry Year" by Connie Brummel Crook. It is set in the 1700's and is about United Empire Loyalists that moved to Canada and started a new life and didn't have much food for the winter. The girl is 12 and she has to look after her brothers (the mother died before the book began) and she has twin younger brothers. I enjoyed it. There are others in the series and other books by that author but I haven't read them yet. There were a few mentions about scalping and one mention of a massacre that had occured but no details just the children being scared but not in a overly detailed way at all. Just mentioning it, which makes sense in this situation and time period. There is also one small mention of one of the boys being scared of the animal tracks being a "witch" and one place where they used the word "stupid". Other than that I didn't notice anything else. I think it was still worth reading and I am going to find other books by this author to check out.
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