One of the best new juvenile fiction books I’ve read in a long time.  The themes remind me a lot of Andrew Clements’ books.  Students who have enjoyed Clements’ many wonderful stories, will certainly enjoy Buyea’s first novel.

Mr. Terupt is a first year teacher at Snow Hill School.  His class of 5th graders is like any ordinary class.  There’s the Brain, the Troublemaker, the Gossip Queen, the kids with secrets and the kids who just want to have fun.  And while Mr. Terupt’s teaching methods may not be orthodox, they sure are exciting!  As tentative new friendships begin to form, and the class learns to trust Mr Terupt, a horrible accident happens which changes everything in an instant.  While this book would make a difficult read-aloud, as the story is told alternately by 7 different students, it would be a fantastic addition to any 5th grade classroom or literature circle.

When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr: This juvenile autobiographical novel tells the story of 9 year old Anna and her family.  Anna’s family must flee their Berlin home for the relative safety of Switzerland, leaving friends, family, and most of their belongings behind.  Anna’s life as a refugee is completely different from the one she left in Germany.  In spite of the hardships and danger, she learns to cherish her family even more, and even finds satisfaction in making their new life together.

Black Radishes by Susan Lynn Meyer: Gustave and his family leave Paris just ahead of the Nazis, settling in a small French village that happens to be just across the river from Nazi occupied France.  Even though the Nazis technically aren’t in control of Gustave’s village, the Vichy French government is still in complete cooperation with the Nazi agenda.  Gustave comes to realize that he must face his fears and help the people close to him, even if it means risking his life to do so.  While the story is fiction, many of the events in the book are based on real events from the Meyer’s father’s life.

While We’re Far Apart by Lynn Austin: Penny, trying to escape her domineering parents, agrees to care for handsome Eddie Shaffer’s children, Esther and Peter, when he goes off to war.  Jacob Mendel, still grieving after his wife’s death, spends every spare moment searching for his grown son and family, trapped in Nazi controlled Hungary.  Esther and Peter, missing both mother and father, desperately need someone to love and care for them.  Everyone is searching for meaning, comfort and reason in a broken world.  This was definitely one of Austin’s best books.  The stories of the characters are alternately told, without being distracting.  While the ending was somewhatpredictable, there were a few surprises, and throughout the book, God’s love, mercy, providence and unseen workings are gently shown, without being preachy or overly dramatic.

Stones in Water by Donna Jo Napoli: Roberto and his friends are taken from their Italian town by German soldiers and sent to a work camp deep in Nazi occupied Europe.  Struggling to survive and to protect his best friend, Roberto must find the courage to finally fight for his freedom.  An excellent book.  There is a sequel, Fire in the Hills, that I am eager to read.

As the 100th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire draws closer, there have been a slew of books published, recalling the horror of that day, honoring those who risked their lives to save others and reminding our country of the need for laws to protect workers from unscrupulous, selfish bosses.  While I am no fan of unions in their current state, every time I read one of these books, I am reminded of the reason we have unions, and of the good that they have accomplished for our country.

Political messages aside, this was a good book.  It traces the journey of Raisa, a young Jewish girl, who travels from her Polish hometown by herself to New York City, in search of her sister.  When Raisa arrives in New York, her sister is nowhere to be found.  So Raisa settles in to find a job and begin hunting the city for her sister.

Some other good books about the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory are Lost by Jacqueline Davies; Uprising by Margaret Peterson Haddix; and Ashes of Roses by Mary Jane Auch.

I chose my favorite books from 2010.  You can find them in my Top Pikks.  For some reason, I didn’t have nearly as many favorites as I have had in years past.  I had 17 Top Pikks for 2009 and only 7 for 2010.  Although they are only 7 in number, my favorites from 2010 shouldn’t be missed.  Check them out and tell me which good books I missed!

Tess Brooks’ island school will be shut down by the state, unless their school can enroll 5 more children.  So the island families agree to host 5 foster children, both to help the children and to keep their school open.  Tess is thrilled when her family welcomes an older foster brother.  All she knows about foster children has come from reading books, but she hopes that her foster brother Aaron will be just a little like Anne Shirley.

But instead of a becoming a “bosom friend,” Aaron avoids Tess and her family, and despises island living.  So Tess must take matters into her own hands.  Armed with her lucky charms, Tess crafts a plan to keep Aaron in her family and save her school at the same time.  An excellent book about family and belonging for upper elementary.

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