A fascinating series, spanning 15 some years in Pakistan.  Shabanu is a desert girl, who through a series of tragic events, is married off to be the fourth wife of a much older, wealthy and powerful clan leader.  Desperate for freedom and safety for herself and her young daughter, Shabanu waits for the right time to seize control of her own future.

Shabanu, a Newbery Honor book was the first, and in my mind, the best book of the series.  Staples includes rich Pakistani history and culture, and her tale of Shabanu being forced to leave her beloved family and desert home is amazing.  The remaining two books are good, and wrap up the story, but they aren’t of the same quality as the first.  Although I liked how the series ended overall, in The House of Djinn, Staples used djinn (mischievous spirits) to move the plot along.  These supernatural beings were not in keeping with the feel of the first two books, were very distracting, and not at all necessary for me.  Other than that, it’s an excellent series, well worth reading.

  Captured by Indians from her Pennsylvania farm, Mary is separated from her family and eventually adopted by a Seneca tribe.  The only thing Mary has left from her family is her mother’s last words to her: “…make the best of things and be happy if you can…It don’t matter what happens, if you’re only strong and have great courage…”  Mary took these words to heart, and made a life for herself with her Seneca family.  Based on a true story, this is a wonderful book.

I always enjoy Schmidt’s books, but The Wednesday Wars was absolutely wonderful. Schmidt begins with a simple enough story–Holling Hoodhood is convinced that his 7th grade English teacher hates him. But then, Schmidt takes this simple plot and pulls in Shakespeare, the Vietnam War, 8th grade bullies, architecture, cross country, baseball, parents, sisters, first dates and so much more into a fabulous tale that spans Holling’s 7th grade year. This is a must read for parents, students and teachers alike.

And a small plug for my alma mater: Schmidt, who is also a winner of the Newbery Honor for Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy is a professor of English at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, MI.

Siegal writes powerfully of her experiences as a Jewish child in Hungary as Hitler came to power. The horror of the Nazi regime, and the power of love and family come to life.

Catherine is trying to balance the needs of her autistic younger brother with her desire to fit in with her middle school friends.  An honest look at the perils of middle school, and the joys and challenges of children with special needs.

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