Across the Wide and Lonesome Prarire by Kristinia Gregory

Hattie Campbell is thirteen with two brothers, Bennie and Jake. Their parents decided to go to Oregon on the Eliza May. They set off on a long journey across rivers, and deserts. Hattie makes a friend who soon gets married. Everyone is dying and they soon wonder if they will ever make it.

I like how this book takes place in old times. It is a great book about adventure and historical fiction.

Review by Kristin G.

Amy's Story by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Amy has three sisters. They are all young ladies. At school, Amy's friends are raving about a photographer that just came to town. Amy really wants her picture taken. On saturday Amy's mom was crying. Later on Amy found out that her dad had to fight in the Civil War. Amy gave her money to her dad so he could have a picture taken of his wife to bring to the war.

I think this is a good book because it is very descriptive. The characters have good personalities.

Review by Sara P.

Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis

Bud has a very hard life. He lives in a home, also known as an orphanage. After he escapes from the people he was staying with, he goes on an adventure to find the man his mother told him was his father. On the way he meets some interesting people including Deza Malone, Lefty Lewis, and a jazz band.

This is a very good book because the character won't give up. Although he goes through many challenges, he keeps going. I like how the author caught my attention by making it suspenseful and fun at the same time.

Review by Molly W.

Cleopatra Daughter of the Nile by Kristiana Gregory

Cleopatra is a young princess who is determined to be queen, until her father is in danger. Assassins are working on murdering the king. Cleopatra must go to Rome so that she and her father will be safe. Will she succeed?

It was a good book because she gives me a lot of questions. She interests me. Also, I am interested in Egyptian and Roman times.

Review by Chelsie L.

Dear America: I Thought My Soul Would Rise and Fly by Joyce Hansen

A girl named Patsy is living as a slave at Davis Hall Plantation. A new law was passed that there would be no more slavery. People start to leave the plantation. Patsy is left without her friends. Then she moves in with a family she knows and teaches.

I thought this was a good book because I like to learn about slavery.

Review by Julia W.

Dear America: Standing in the Light by Mary Pope Osborne

Catherine and her brother Thomas were captured by a group of indians. Catherine hated it at first. After a while she started to like indian ways. She could even speak the some their language. She met a mysterious indian hunter, who called himself Snow Hunter. Catherine found he could speak english. They became very good friends. English men attacked and took Catherine and her brother Thomas. When they were with white men, their father came and took them. Cahterine couldn't sleep that night knowing Snow Hunter was dead.

What makes Standing in the Light a good book is the girl doesn't go on and on about one thing. It keeps rolling. Also, there is a lot of action. I think the book could have a better title. They hardly talk about standing in the light.

Review by Summer D.

Elena by Diane Stanley

This book is about a girl named Elena and how she was different than all her sisters. Elena wanted to be educated and learn. As Elena grew older, she fell in love with a man named Pablo. She married Pablo and had kids. Elena was happy with her life, but when the war came around she had to keep her family safe. Will she make it? Find out.

I think this is a good book because it is exciting. I like how the author is very descriptive with her words.

Review by Katie C.

Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan

This is a story of a girl named Esperanza. She is very rich. Her dad dies and their house burns down. Then her and her mom have to move to California. There they have a hard time working in the fields and doing other chores. Read the book to find out what happens next.

I think this book is good because the author is really good at describing what is going on. It makes me feel like I'm there with the characters.

Review by Heather T.

The Ghost of Fossil Glen by Cynthia C. DeFelice

There is a girl named Allie and she meets a ghost. Her name is Lucy and she had mysteriously fallen off Fossil Glen cliffs. Lucy used Allie to help her seek revenge on Gagny,the person who really pushed her off.

This is an excellent book because it has so many feelings in it. My favorite part was when Gagny (the bad guy) falls off and what he said.

Review by Emily G.

Graveyard Girl by Anna Myers

This book was about the yellow fever epidemic. The story took place in Memphis during the late 1800's. You learn how the disease affects everyone.

I think this book was very good because the characters shared a lot of courage in very harsh times. The author did a great job of explaining this part of history. (Sad but good!)

Review by Aliza B.

Journal of James Edmond Pease by Jim Murphy

I wanted to read this book because I like history and the Civil War. This book is about a Union Army private. He has many adventures like being shot at twice with it never touching his body. Also, how he leaves the war not as a private, but as a oh sorry you will just have to read the book.

This is the kind of book that you never want to put down. It's exciting and interesting at the same time. If you read this book, or any of the series, I'm sure it will be on your list of favorites.

Review by Brian J.

 

The Journal of Otto Peltonen by William Durbin

Otto Peltonen has a father in America and moves to America. Otto's father is a coal miner and Otto becomes one also. His family saves money for a farm.

I think it is a good book because you learn history and much more exciting things too.

Review by Anthony M.

Keeping Secrets by Joan Lowery Nixon

Peg and Danny are brother and sister. The Civil War is going on and they are scared about the union. They have to have courage to try and save the union. Will they be heroes if they do it or will they not make it?

Joan Lowery Nixon puts you in the shoes of Peg and Danny when they go on a wild adventure. You will like this book. I recommend it.

Review by Caitlyn A.

Little Farm in the Ozarks by Roger Lea MacBridge

Rose had just moved to Missouri from South Dakota with her family. After a surprising thief and a flood, the Wilders are prepared. Then it is time for Rose to go to school. She doesn't like school at first, but then she starts to enjoy it when she gets to borrow books. Then her friend Alva gives her a kitten. In school it's time for the final spell down.

This was a good book because it was a historical fiction book with a mix of adventure. I loved how the author made the book fun to read. I wanted to read this book because when I read the chapters it just seemed so exciting.

Review by Allison F.

Moon Over Tennessee: A Boy's Civil War Journal by Craig Crist-Evans

This little kid's father and his son are going to fight in the Civil War. His dad is killed, but the son rides home to keep his promise.

I liked the book because it tells about the Civil War and what time it was in history. The wood carvings are really good. It tells what it was like way back then.

Review by Nathanial O.

A Picture of Freedom by Patricia C. McKissack

This book is about a girl named Clotee. Clotee is a slave who can read and write. In her diary, Clotee writes about Mr. Harms, a tutor, who finds out she can read and write. Clotee's master finds out Mr. Harms is an abolitionist who is a link to the underground railroad. You will have to read this book to find out what happens to Mr. Harms, if Clotee gets discovered and a lot about slavery.

This is a good book because it tells a lot about slavery and how life was for slaves. If you like brave and determined people, you would be sure to like Clotee.

Review by Kayla B.

Skylark by Patricia MacLachlan

Papa, Anna, Caleb and Sarah, from Maine all live on the prairie. One summer there was a drought. Their grass turned brown and they didn't see any green or rain for a long period of time. Many things happened like fires and coyotes coming toward the front door of the house. Sarah decided to take Caleb and Anna but not Papa back to her original place in Maine. Papa would never leave his prairie that his name was written in. Over all, Anna and Caleb liked Maine except the fact that Papa wasn't there. They didn't know if they would ever see him again.

I could really tell what kind of people the characters were with the author's style of writing.

Review by Liz K.

Stealing South by Katherine Ayres

Will took a slave named Noah North for safety. Noah asked Will to take his brother and sister north for him. When Will got to the plantation, Noah's brother, James had run away. So, Will was going to take Noah's sister, Susannah North but she wouldn't agree to go with him. Then Will accidentally made a deal with a guy to take slaves to an auction down south but instead of bringing them south, Will ends up taking them north along with Miss Delight (an old slave) and Susannah. At the end it's hard to tell if they are safe or not.

I like how the author makes a real good picture in my head of the characters and the setting. There is lots of details.

Review by Alexis N.

Soldier Boys by Dean Hughes

In this book, the author writes about a Nazi and an American. Both want to join the army to show others what they are made of. But once they are in, they don't want to get out. They can't handle the pain of death and the cost of war.

This book is good because it shows you how war really is. Spencer Morgan (the American) went through the roughest, toughest training there is. . .paratroopers. Dieter Hedrick (the Nazi) started in Hitler Youth then became a true soldier. The author is writing dramatically about a World War II story.

Review by Evan B.

The Traitor Among Us by Elizabeth Van Steenwyk

This book is about a boy in World War II. In the book the boy joins the resistance, and he does dangerous missions to get papers to other people. Also, he has to worry about a traitor in his town.

It is a good book because it has a lot of exciting parts.

Review by Joshua A.

Voyage on the Great Titanic: Diary of Margaret Ann Brady by Ellen Emerson

Margaret Ann Brady is on the R.M.S. Titanic. Like any other, she and her mistress, Mrs. Cairstairs, think it's the ship of dreams. Margaret falls in love wtih a bell boy named Robert. The ship is taking her to America. She was originally from Ireland like her mom and dad but they died. It's cold on the deck that night. Once she returns to her room, Robert knocks on the door. He said frantically to put on a life vest. He said it was a drill. As she was walking up the staircase, it seemed like the boat was tilting. When she got up on the deck, people were boarding the lift boats. Maybe this wasn't a drill.

The book has a lot of cliff hangers which made me keep reading. I loved it!

Review by Sydney G.

War Dog by Martin Booth

This is a story about a dog named Jet and her owner, Fred Perry. He gets arrested for poaching and Jet is reassigned to a guy named Turpin. Then she gets trained in the Army. Turpin dies because he got shot and Jet is shot in the back. Then Jet is reassigned again to someone named Hogan and they go to the army again. Well, you will have to read the book to find out what happens next.

I liked the book a lot because the author makes it sound like you are really in the army. I think it should get an award. I recommend whoever is reading this paper should read this book especially if you like war books.

Review by Danny A.