The Journal of C.J. Jackson: A Dust Bowl Migrant, Oklahoma to California, 1935


William Durbin - 2002
    Jackson, a young farmer whose family is forced to abandon their farm and seek a new life in California. April 10, 1935 The dust has been blowing bad for several years in a row now. And with crop failures coming back to back like they have, hundreds of families have lost their farms. A Monday never passes without Sheriff Jake Allison posting a notice of foreclosure at the Boise City courthouse. Times are so rough, that when they hold an auction to sell a place, the only people that show up are the banks and the insurance companies. Nobody else has a nickel. C.J. Jackson is a young man living through one of the most tragic times in the Dust Bowl of an America fraught with political, economic, and environmental problems. In this intense journal of life in the Oklahoma panhandle, C.J. tells it like it is-and it is bad.

A Ribbon of Shining Steel: The Railway Diary of Kate Cameron


Julie Lawson - 2002
    Everyone is excited about the 'Iron Horse' but building the railroad is a treacherous undertaking. Kate is always thinking about her father's safety, and the Accident Hospital next door is a constant reminder of the hazards the railroad brings. There is tremendous excitement surrounding the creation of the transcontinental railroad despite the danger as Kate, her town, and all of Canada eagerly await its completion.

Freedom's Wings


Sharon Dennis Wyeth - 2001
    This is the story of his family's attempt to escape.Corey Birdsong is a lively young boy in search of freedom in the same country that made an economy of slavery. He and his family are owned by the Hart family of Kentucky. But, when Corey's father, Roland, flees to the North and Corey and his mother follow.Corey records his daily life on the Hart farm with incredible insight and honesty, and later he describes the difficult journey along the "Underground Railroad" to the North to be reunited with his father. With the help of many kind strangers, Corey, his parents, and his new baby sister arrive afely in Canada.

Behind the Masks: The Diary of Angeline Reddy, Bodie, California, 1880


Susan Patron - 2012
    When her father, Bodie's greatest lawyer, is declared murdered, Angie knows deep in her heart that he isn't dead and decides it is up to her to solve the mystery of what happened to him. But when her mother takes ill and a mysterious ghost appears, putting together the puzzle pieces seems impossible. Not to mention, a gang of vigilantes, the 601, is raging out of control, running folks out of town, and nobody seems safe.Will Angie, with the help of her friends Ellie and Ling Loi, and the mysterious and tragically handsome Antoine, be able to uncover the secret of her father's disappearance?

All the Stars in the Sky: The Santa Fe Trail Diary of Florrie Mack Ryder


Megan McDonald - 2003
    As they cross the Great Plains of the midwestern prairie, fording rivers and climbing mountains, the Ryders encounter endless hardship as they undertake this great adventure.

A City Tossed and Broken: The Diary of Minnie Bonner, San Francisco, California, 1906


Judy Blundell - 2013
    The Sumps have grand plans, grander than the city of Philadelphia can offer, and decide to move to San Francisco--the greatest city in the west. But when a powerful earthquake strikes, Minnie finds herself the sole survivor among them. After the dust settles, Minnie discovers a bag belonging to the Sumps filled with cash and papers that could drastically change her fortune. With no one else to claim it, Minnie has turned into an heiress overnight.Wealth comes at a price, however, and she is soon wrapped up in a deception that leads her down a dangerous path. As the aftermath of the earthquake ravages the city, Minnie continues to maintain her new identity. That is, until a mysterious but familiar stranger appears.

The Girl Who Chased Away Sorrow: The Diary of Sarah Nita, a Navajo Girl


Ann Turner - 1999
    Army in 1864 New Mexico.

The Fences Between Us: The Diary of Piper Davis, Seattle, Washington, 1941


Kirby Larson - 2010
    When Pearl Harbor is attacked, America is finally unable to ignore the wars raging in Europe and Asia any longer. And one girl's entire life is about to change when everything she knows is turned on its head. After the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor, where her brother, a navy sailor, is stationed, Piper Davis begins chronicling her compelling journey through one of history's most tragic and unforgettable eras.

Footsteps in the Snow: The Red River Diary of Isobel Scott


Carol Matas - 2002
    But Isobel's mother dies before they even cross the ocean, and other misfortunes seem to follow their every step. Isobel's family and the other Selkirk Settlers find themselves caught in the fur-trading rivalry between the Hudson's Bay Company and the North West Company. They cannot even start to build once they finally reach their destination. The harsh climate and escalating threats against the settlers make it impossible to start a new life. Only through perseverance and help from the local Cree band are Isobel and her family able to put down roots in the Red River Valley.

Prisoner of Dieppe: World War II, Alistair Morrison, Occupied France, 1942


Hugh Brewster - 2010
    Duty. Danger. Fear. Canada's past comes alive through the eyes of young men caught up in the danger, drama and excitement of defining historical events. Written by some of Canada's finest authors, I Am Canada is a new series that offers riveting action-packed stories sure to engage and inspire young readers. From the creators of the bestselling Dear Canada series, the I Am Canada books will include an images and documents section, map, glossary, historical notes and About the Author pages. The facts are vetted by some of Canada's best historians Prisoner of Dieppe By Hugh Brewster A young soldier's gritty account of "the bloodiest nine hours in Canadian military history"- the tragic Dieppe raid of WWII. Alistair "Allie" Morrison lets his friend Mackie talk him into enlisting for WWII, even though he's only 18. After months of endless training Allie is eager for battle. But his first action is not just any battle . . . it's the disastrous raid on the German-held port of Dieppe. Almost a thousand Canadian soldiers died that day. In the resulting chaotic evacuation, Allie and Mackie are captured as POWs and sent to Stalag VIIIB in Germany. Still shell-shocked from their fighting, the soldiers struggle to maintain their courage; and some, like Mackie, are determined to plot an escape and outwit their captors, at any cost.

The Journal of Biddy Owens: The Negro Leagues, Birmingham, Alabama, 1948


Walter Dean Myers - 2001
    The journal of Biddy Owens, a batboy for the Birmingham Black Barons, one of the best teams in the Negro Leagues, describes some of the greatest ball players of the game as Biddy's story covers the games, road trips, racial segregation, and day-to-day life in Birmingham.

My Brother's Keeper


Mary Pope Osborne - 2000
    And Ginny finds plenty to write about: Pennsylvania Volunteers arrive in the town square reporting a big battle in Virginia and calling for more men to join their ranks. Rumors fly that the Rebs are headed to Gettysburg, and the Battle of Gettysburg ensues. Suddenly, Ginny's quiet town is filled with the injured.Ginny's brother Jed has joined the Union army, and they find him wounded in a makeshift hospital. With Ginny's nursing, he recovers, and Ginny is is able to witness the President's Gettysburg Address.

The Cameo Necklace: A Cecile Mystery


Evelyn Coleman - 2012
    Knowing that the necklace was the last gift Tante Tay's husband gave her before he died, C�cile is desperate to find it. As she tracks down the people in the crowd who were near her when she fell, her search takes her into many corners of New Orleans, from a society tea party to the crowded French Market, even the dangerous cypress swamps...and deep into secrets she never imagined! An illustrated �Looking Back� essay provides facts about the 1850s.

The Traveler's Tricks: A Caroline Mystery


Laurie Calkhoven - 2014
    That means a three-day stagecoach trip with her friend Rhonda! The other travelers, including a charming magician and a beautiful young woman with a sad past, fascinate the girls. But when Caroline's precious package goes missing, she realizes the culprit must be a fellow passenger. Will she unmask the thief in time, or will her promise to Papa be impossible to keep?

To Stand On My Own: The Polio Epidemic Diary of Noreen Robertson, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, 1937


Barbara Haworth-Attard - 2010
    The Great Depression has brought great hardship, and young Noreen’s family must scrimp to make ends meet.In a horrible twist of fate, Noreen, like hundreds of other young Canadians, contracts polio and is placed in an isolation ward, unable to move her legs. After a few weeks she gains partial recovery, but her family makes the painful decision to send her to a hospital far away for further treatment. To Stand On My Own is Noreen’s diary account of her journey through recovery: her treatment; life in the ward; the other patients, some of them far worse off than her; adjustment to life in a wheelchair and on crutches; and ultimately, the emotional and physical hurdles she must face when she returns home. In this moving addition to the Dear Canada series, award-winning author Barbara Haworth-Attard recreates a desolate time in Canadian history, and one girl’s brave fight against a deadly disease.