Book picks similar to
Thirty-One Brothers and Sisters by Reba Paeff Mirsky


africa
for-the-kids
childhood-favorites
adolescent-fiction

I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912


Lauren Tarshis - 2010
    The ship is full of exciting places to explore, but when George ventures into the first class storage cabin, a terrible boom shakes the entire boat. Suddenly, water is everywhere, and George's life changes forever.Lauren Tarshis brings history's most exciting and terrifying events to life in this new fictional series. Readers will be transported by stories of amazing kids and how they survived!

Super Jake & the King of Chaos


Naomi Milliner - 2019
    When he hears of a junior magic competition where the top prize is to meet and perform with his hero, Magnus the Magnificent, Ethan is determined to do whatever he needs to get there–and to win.His dedication and hard work pay off, and he makes it to the top five finalists: his dream really could come true! Then Jake falls dangerously ill and Ethan’s hopes and plans are in jeopardy. As he searches for any sort of magic that might save Jake, Ethan learns what is truly important . . . and what real magic is.

On the Way Home: The Diary of a Trip from South Dakota to Mansfield, Missouri, in 1894


Laura Ingalls Wilder - 1962
    They heard that the soil there was rich and the crops were bountiful -- it was even called "the Land of the Big Red Apple." With hopes of beginning a new life, the Wilders made their way to the Ozarks of Missouri.During their journey, Laura kept a detailed diary of events: the cities they passed through, the travelers they encountered on the way, the changing countryside and the trials of an often difficult voyage. Laura's words, preserved in this book, reveal her inner thoughts as she traveled with her family in search of a new home in Mansfield, where Rose would spend her childhood, where Laura would write her Little House books, and where she and Almanzo would remain all the rest of their happy days together.

Amelia's Notebook


Marissa Moss - 1995
    Why would a dumb notebook make me feel better, Amelia thinks. The only thing that will make Amelia feel better is going back to old house, her old school, and her old friends. Amelia does not—do you hear this!—want to move. But no one is listening to Amelia.

The Hope Chest


Karen Schwabach - 2008
    It's also a New York State Curriculum title for fourth grade.Eleven-year-old Violet has one goal in mind when she runs away from home: to find her sister, Chloe. Violet’s parents said Chloe had turned into the Wrong Sort of Person, but Violet knew better. The only problem is that Chloe’s not in New York anymore. She's moved on to Tennesee where she's fighting for the right of women to vote. As Violet's journey grows longer, her single-minded pursuit of reuniting with her sister changes. Before long she is standing side-by-side with her new friends—suffragists, socialists, and colored people—the type of people whom her parents would not approve. But if Violet’s becoming the Wrong Sort of Person, why does it feel just right? This stirring depiction of the very end of the women's suffrage battle in America is sure to please readers who like their historical fiction fast-paced and action-packed. American Girls fans will fall hard for Violet and her less-than-proper friends.

Judy, Prisoner of War


Laurie Calkhoven - 2018
    In the first G.I. Dogs book, you'll meet Judy, a loyal canine soldier who became a World War II POW!Meet Judy: an English Pointer and member of her Majesty's Royal Navy who served bravely alongside her crew during World War II. When her ship was sunk by the enemy, Judy became the only canine prisoner of war of the Japanese. Join Judy on her incredible journey from puppy to soldier to POW as she narrates her story of survival and heroism. This "dog's-eye view" takes readers into the heart of the naval action of WWII and will leave you cheering for Judy and her human companions as they overcome countless obstacles and prove time and again why a dog really is man's best friend.

Journey to the River Sea


Eva Ibbotson - 2001
    She believes she is in for brightly colored macaws, enormous butterflies, and "curtains of sweetly scented orchids trailing from the trees." Her British classmates warn her of man-eating alligators and wild, murderous Indians. Unfortunately, no one cautions Maia about her nasty, xenophobic cousins, who douse the house in bug spray and forbid her from venturing beyond their coiffed compound. Maia, however, is resourceful enough to find herself smack in the middle of more excitement than she ever imagined, from a mysterious "Indian" with an inheritance, to an itinerant actor dreading his impending adolescence, to a remarkable journey down the Amazon in search of the legendary giant sloth.

The Complete Adventures of Curious George


Margret Rey - 1969
    He lived in Africa. He was a good little monkey, and always very curious.” With these words, H. A. and Margret Rey introduced the world to Curious George in 1941, and the world has loved him ever since. The tales of this cheerful and resilient little hero have kept generations of readers enthralled and entertained. Now, in recognition of the sixtieth anniversary of his debut, Houghton Mifflin proudly presents a special edition of George’s best-loved adventures.With an introduction by critic Leonard Marcus, a retrospective note by publisher Anita Silvey, and a cataloged history of the Reys by curator Dee Jones, this collection offers a fun and fascinating portrait of a classic character and his unique creators.

Invisible Lissa


Natalie Honeycutt - 1986
    Lissa didn't have much trouble figuring out who was behind it all - Debra Dobbins. Although Lissa couldn't stand her, she had to admit Debra had the whole class in her power.Things started getting worse when Debra started a cheerleader's squad and Lissa didn't get in. But the last straw was the FUNCHY Club, Debra's exclusive lunch group that Lissa's best friend Katie had the nerve to join. That's when Lissa decided she was tired of being invisible...and that it was time to show Debra that her days of being queen of the fifth grade were definitely numbered.

Gaudenzia, Pride of the Palio


Marguerite Henry - 1960
    A story, based on real events, about a boy and a half-Arabian mare who enter the Palio, an annual race in Siena, Italy, with all the pageantry of a medieval contest.

The Wolfling: A Documentary Novel of the Eighteen-Seventies


Sterling North - 1969
    With ingenuity and hard work, Robbie Trent manages to convince his parents and his wolf-hating neighbors that Wolf is as hard-working as any dog. Illustrator John Schoenherr won a Caldecott Medal for his artwork on Owl Moon.

Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain: A Nandi Tale


Verna Aardema - 1981
    A cumulative rhyme relating how Ki-pat brought rain to the drought-stricken Kapiti Plain. Verna Aardema has brought the original story closer to the English nursery rhyme by putting in a cumulative refrain and giving the tale the rhythm of “The House That Jack Built.”

Samantha's Ocean Liner Adventure


Dottie Raymer - 2002
    Londonia, journeying across the Atlantic Ocean to England. This beautiful interactive journal-style book features historical photographs and eight pull-out souvenirs from her trip, including a map of the ship, a telegram, and a mask from the Captain's Ball. Girls can use the Morse Code card to decode secret messages from Samantha!

The Five Chinese Brothers


Claire Huchet Bishop - 1938
    "An original nonsense tale told with...spirit and gusto." -- The Horn Book

Franklin and Harriet


Paulette Bourgeois - 1986
    Full-color illustrations.