Book picks similar to
Jemmy by Jon Hassler


young-adult
ya
fiction
favorites-from-childhood

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian


Sherman Alexie - 2007
    Determined to take his future into his own hands, Junior leaves his troubled school on the rez to attend an all-white farm town high school where the only other Indian is the school mascot.Heartbreaking, funny, and beautifully written, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, which is based on the author's own experiences, coupled with poignant drawings by Ellen Forney that reflect the character's art, chronicles the contemporary adolescence of one Native American boy as he attempts to break away from the life he was destined to live.With a foreward by Markus Zusak & interviews with Sherman Alexie and Ellen Forney

In My Father's House


Ann Rinaldi - 1993
    Oscie Mason knows this all too well. The first shots of the war were fired on her front lawn - a sign of things to come. Oscie's a proud daughter of the Old South, but her stepfather, Will McLean, thinks the world of her childhood must change. Oscie won't accept anything he has to say. And the tension between them is about to explode.To escape the war, Will McLean moves the family to a quiet town called Appomattox. But the war will follow them here, as sure as the hurtful battles will continue in Oscie's home, and in her heart. Can Oscie call a truce - or will all that she cherishes become a casualty of war?

A Summer to Die


Lois Lowry - 1977
    Her feelings don't make it any easier for her to cope with Molly's strange illness and eventual death.

Eight Cousins


Louisa May Alcott - 1874
    How could such a delicate young lady, used to the quiet hallways of a girls' boarding school, exist in such a spirited home? It is the arrival of Uncle Alec that changes everything. Much to the horror of her aunts, Rose's forward-thinking uncle insists that the child get out of the parlor and into the sunshine. And with a little courage and lots of adventures with her mischievous but loving cousins, Rose begins to bloom.Written by the beloved author of Little Women, Eight Cousins is a masterpiece of children's literature. This endearing novel offers readers of all ages an inspiring story about growing up, making friends, and facing life with strength and kindness.

A Waltz for Matilda


Jackie French - 2010
    But drought grips the land, and the shearers are on strike. Her father has turned swaggie and he's wanted by the troopers. In front of his terrified daughter, he makes a stand against them, defiant to the last. ′You′ll never catch me alive, said he...′Set against a backdrop of bushfire, flood, war and jubilation, this is the story of one girl's journey towards independence. It is also the story of others who had no vote and very little but their dreams. Drawing on the well-known poem by A.B. Paterson and from events rooted in actual history, this is the untold story behind Australia′s early years as an emerging nation.

The Ransom of Mercy Carter


Caroline B. Cooney - 2000
    In 1704 an Indian tribe attacks the town, and Mercy Carter becomes separated from the rest of her family, some of whom do not survive. Mercy and hundreds of other settlers are herded together and ordered by the Indians to start walking. The grueling journey -- three hundred miles north to a Kahnawake Indian village in Canada -- takes more than 40 days. At first Mercy's only hope is that the English government in Boston will send ransom for her and the other white settlers. But days turn into months and Mercy, who has become a Kahnawake daughter, thinks less and less of ransom, of Deerfield, and even of her "English" family. She slowly discovers that the "savages" have traditions and family life that soon become her own, and Mercy begins to wonder: If ransom comes, will she take it?From the Hardcover edition.

Kirsten's Boxed Set


Janet Beeler Shaw - 1990
    Everything looks so different from the life Kirsten knew back in Sweden--the ways people talk and dress seem strange! Getting lost in a big city and parting with her best friend only add to Kirsten’s worry. Will she ever feel at home here? It is only when the Larsons arrive at a tiny farm on the edge of the frontier that Kirsten believes Papa’s promise--America will be a land filled with opportunity for them all.6 book boxed set featuring 1854 Kirsten, An American Girl.

Streams to the River, River to the Sea


Scott O'Dell - 1986
    Scagawea, a Shashone Indian, guided and interpreted for explorers Lewis and Clarke as they traveled up the Mississippi, but she had adventures long before that one, like the time she was captured by the Minnetarees, and taken away from her family and everything that she knew and loved....

Cherry Ames Boxed Set #1: Student Nurse; Senior Nurse; Army Nurse; Chief Nurse


Helen Wells - 2005
    With fully illustrated color covers and a soft-finished hardcover format just like the originals, these books will transport you back to the days when you were reading about this spunky young nurse. Series editor and registered nurse Harriet Forman was inspired by, and remains a devoted fan of, Cherry Ames: "...I was going to follow in her footsteps and become a nurse--nothing else would do."With a heart of pure gold and a true yearning to make a difference in the world, eighteen-year-old Cherry Ames leaves her hometown and enters nursing school, embarking on a lifetime of adventures. Follow Cherry through the introductory four-book set as she grows from student nurse to chief nurse, all the while making friends, pushing the limits of authority, leading her nursing colleagues, and sleuthing and solving mysteries. Smart, courageous, mischievous, quick-witted, and above all, devoted to nursing, Cherry Ames meets adventure head-on whereever she goes.Springer Publishing Company is delighted to be bringing Helen Wells's beloved heroine back into print for a new generation of younger readers (as well as a host of nostalgic older ones). The books are available as beautifully rendered facsimile hardcover editions and in boxed sets of four. We intend to have all of the Helen Wells books back in print by early 2008. Below is our reissue schedule:Cherry Ames, Student Nurse (published)Cherry Ames, Senior Nurse (published)Cherry Ames, Army Nurse (published)Cherry Ames, Chief Nurse (published)Cherry Ames, Boxed Set 1-4 (published)Cherry Ames, Flight Nurse (published)Cherry Ames, Veterans' Nurse (published)Cherry Ames, Private Duty Nurse (published) Cherry Ames, Visiting Nurse (published)Cherry Ames, Boxed Set 5-8 (published)Cherry Ames, Cruise Nurse (published)Cherry Ames, Boarding School Nurse (published)Cherry Ames, Department Store Nurse (published)Cherry Ames, Camp Nurse (published)Cherry Ames, Boxed Set 9-12 (published)Cherry Ames, At Hilton Hospital (published)Cherry Ames, Island Nurse (published)Cherry Ames, Rural Nurse (published)Cherry Ames, Staff Nurse (published)Cherry Ames, Boxed Set 13-16 (published)Cherry Ames, Companion Nurse (published)Cherry Ames, Jungle Nurse (published)Cherry Ames, The Mystery in the Doctor's Office (published)Cherry Ames, Ski Nurse Mystery (published)Cherry Ames, Boxed Set 17-20 (published)

Hero on a Bicycle


Shirley Hughes - 2012
    The Italian resistance movement has not given up hope, though — and neither have thirteen-year- old Paolo and his sister, Costanza. As their mother is pressured into harboring escaping POWs, Paolo and Costanza each find a part to play in opposing the German forces. Both are desperate to fight the occupation, but what can two siblings — with only a bicycle to help them — do against a whole army? Middle-grade fans of history and adventure will be riveted by the action and the vividly evoked tension of World War II.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: A Play in One Scene


V.A. Pearn - 1933
    Luxuriously illustrated with 92 watercolors, it's a wonderful introduction to Alice's adventures as well as a splendid volume for collectors. Available for sale in the United States only.

The Gospel According to Larry


Janet Tashjian - 2001
    Ages 12-up.Josh Swensen is not your average 17-year-old. At the age of two, he was figuring out algebraic equations with colored magnetic numbers. He is a prodigy who only wants to make the world a better place. Josh’s wish comes true when his virtual alter ego, Larry, becomes a huge media sensation. Larry has his own Web site where he posts sermons on anti-consumerism and has a large following of adults and teens. Meanwhile, Larry’s identity is a mystery to everyone. While it seems as if the whole world is trying to figure out Larry’s true identity, Josh feels trapped inside his own creation. What will happen to the world, and to Larry, if he is exposed?

We Are Still Tornadoes


Michael Kun - 2016
    Now they’ve graduated high school, and Cath is off to college while Scott stays at home trying to get his band off the ground. Neither of them realized that their first year after high school would be so hard.Fortunately, Scott and Cath still have each other, and it’s through their letters that they survive heartache, annoying roommates, family dramas, and the pressure of figuring out what to do with the rest of their lives. And through it all, they realize that the only person they’ve ever wanted to turn to is each other. But does that mean they should think about being more than friends? One thing is clear: Change is an inescapable part of growing up, and we share unbreakable bonds with the friends who help us navigate it.

Raymie Nightingale


Kate DiCamillo - 2016
    And she has a plan. If Raymie can win the Little Miss Central Florida Tire competition, then her father, who left town two days ago with a dental hygienist, will see Raymie's picture in the paper and (maybe) come home. To win, not only does Raymie have to do good deeds and learn how to twirl a baton; she also has to contend with the wispy, frequently fainting Louisiana Elefante, who has a show-business background, and the fiery, stubborn Beverly Tapinski, who’s determined to sabotage the contest. But as the competition approaches, loneliness, loss, and unanswerable questions draw the three girls into an unlikely friendship — and challenge each of them to come to the rescue in unexpected ways.

Fever 1793


Laurie Halse Anderson - 2000
    Down near the docks, many have taken ill, and the fatalities are mounting. Now they include Polly, the serving girl at the Cook Coffeehouse. But fourteen-year-old Mattie Cook doesn't get a moment to mourn the passing of her childhood playmate. New customers have overrun her family's coffee shop, located far from the mosquito-infested river, and Mattie's concerns of fever are all but overshadowed by dreams of growing her family's small business into a thriving enterprise. But when the fever begins to strike closer to home, Mattie's struggle to build a new life must give way to a new fight—the fight to stay alive.