Book picks similar to
Robbie and the Leap Year Blues by Norma Klein


young-adult
when-i-was-little
female-author
jewish-and-or-jewish-author

The Amazing and Death-Defying Diary of Eugene Dingman


Paul Zindel - 1987
    On his fifteenth birthday, precocious Eugene Dingman begins the amazing and death-defying diary of his summer spent as a waiter at a ritzy Adirondack resort.

Harriet the Spy


Louise Fitzhugh - 1964
    Every day on her spy route she "observes" and notes down anything of interest to her:I BET THAT LADY WITH THE CROSS-EYE LOOKS IN THE MIRROR AND JUST FEELS TERRIBLE.PINKY WHITEHEAD WILL NEVER CHANGE. DOES HIS MOTHER HATE HIM? IF I HAD HIM I'D HATE HIM.IF MARION HAWTHORNE DOESN'T WATCH OUT SHE'S GOING TO GROW UP INTO A LADY HITLER.But when Harriet's notebook is found by her schoolmates, their anger and retaliation and Harriet's unexpected responses explode in a hilarious way.

The Small Rain


Madeleine L'Engle - 1945
    The Small Rain, an adult novel, focuses on Katherine Forrester, the daughter of distinguished musical artists, whose career as a concert pianist evolves through loves and losses. Katherine is a child growing up in a refined, yet bohemian, artistic ambience--theatrical as well as musical . . . . [Her] adolescence is lonely and difficult, but as Katherine advances to young womanhood, her heart as well as her talent is promisingly engaged (Publishers Weekly).

Joe & the Gladiator


Catherine Cookson - 1971
    Then an unlikely friendship with an old rag-and-bone man, Mr. Prodhurst, leads him into the greatest challenge of his life. For Mr. Prodhurst bequeaths his peculiar-looking horse, The Gladiator, to Joe -- with only enough money for a couple of weeks feed!How can Joe possibly look after the horse properly? He is determined to try. Otherwise, The Gladiator will have to be put down...A tense and absorbing tale of one boy's courage and determination to succeed against all the odds.

Time After Time


Judi Curtin - 2016
    But when their two families move in together, maybe they are a little too close for comfort! Out shopping one day they need to avoid the most embarrassing encounter ever with Molly's mum, and hide in a shop they had never noticed before. When they leave by the side door, they realise immediately that something is not right! Transported back to the past, where mobile phones don't work and the world feels very different, they realise that they have a chance to see the world through their parents' eyes. Before finding their way home, can they see what their own pasts looked like?

Evil In Disguise


Deborah McClatchey - 2010
    Little do they know that the unsuspecting, yet odd-looking turtle, is a fiend in disguise. The town bully, Victor Lockett, kidnaps the reptile and finds out he’s made a terrible, terrible mistake! The turtle is now on the loose and the killings begin. Elmer Jacks, the pet shop proprietor, finally reveals the true identity of the turtle to the two boys. He says there is an old scroll that was lost which holds the answer to the cursed tortoise and can revert it back to human form. Charlie’s pretty neighbor, Sunni Russell, joins them on their hunt for the beast. With her help, they search the Internet for the answer to the reversal of the curse. But will they find it? And most importantly, if they find the turtle, will the special words on the scroll even work?

Daddy-Long-Legs


Jean Webster - 1912
    For the first time in her life, she had someone she could pretend was "family." But everything was not perfect, for he chose to remain anonymous and asked that she only write him concerning her progress in school. Who was this mysterious gentleman and would Jerusha ever meet him?

The Paint Horse (White Cloud Station)


Trudy Nicholson - 2015
    But Paintbox was taken from her by his spiteful former owners and there was nothing Lucy could do. Despite having Hope, Lucy never got over losing Paintbox. The worst part was, she had no idea what became of him until, one day, a mysterious letter arrives…. www.whitecloudstation.com A White Cloud Station short story.

The Wave


Todd Strasser - 1981
    And before long The Wave, with its rules of "strength through discipline, community, and action", sweeps from the classroom through the entire school. And as most of the students join the movement, Laurie Saunders and David Collins recognize the frightening momentum of The Wave and realize they must stop it before it's too late.

Boone Shepard


Gabriel Bergmoser - 2016
    You might have heard the rumours—whispers of an evil plot involving time travel, dangerous experiments, a secret fortress, a terrible book, famous authors and, regrettably, murder. You might also have heard of heroes who were caught up in this plot, fighting to do the right thing. That sounds a lot more impressive than it actually was. My name is Boone Shepard. I’m here to set the record straight.”Boone is taking a break from writing for The Chronicle newspaper to hunt down and destroy every last copy of a very rare, very dangerous book. But then his editor calls to demand he investigate a missing persons case deep in the Scottish Highlands—in the company of his rival, photographer Promethia Peters—and he is forced to abandon his personal goals and get back to work. Restless and begrudging, Boone is unprepared when this hunt leads him back to the one story that won’t stop chasing him—his own. Boone Shepard is the first in a series of young adult novels following the adventures of an Australian expat, errant journalist and accidental hero.

What Katy Did


Susan Coolidge - 1872
    When Katy meets her Cousin Helen, an invalid, Katy is awed by her kindness, prettiness, and generosity. Katy is determined to become more like Helen, a resolution that lasts only a few hours. Soon, however, Katy gets a chance to become more like cousin Helen than she ever wished as she finds herself confined to her bedroom for four years as a result of an accident. Much of the story is focused on the change Katy undergoes during her illness. Helen visits again to advise Katy to learn from her experience and to try to become the center of the house by making her room and herself more attractive to others. One way Katy decides to take Helen's advice is through assuming the responsibility of running the house, a job that consists of giving the servants instructions and ringing her bell to summon her sisters when she has a task for them. As soon as Katy has learned the lesson about how to care for others, she recovers and regains the ability to walk. Grade 5-8

Bird & Sugar Boy


Sofie Laguna - 2006
    I live with my dad who has a big tattoo that says Live to Ride. He is so strong he can lift up a car, but he can't tell me what he's thinking. Maybe he's thinking about my mother who shot through.Sugar Boy is my best friend. We hang around down at the river, in the bush tunnel, or beside the railway tracks riding our bikes fast enough to beat the train. There's only two of us, but we're the whole team.I don't know what would happen if I didn't have Sugar Boy . . .

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.

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

Valkyrie Academy Dragon Alliance: Collection Books 6-10


Katrina Cope - 2020
    With this power, she has a better chance to protect her friends and allies. Except, her magic has captured the dark elves' attention, and when they attack Asgard, they make the fight personal endangering her friends' lives.Desperate for help and answers, Kara discovers the elusive Loki proves harder to track down than expected. He has promised aid but fails to intervene.Enemies turn allies, and allies become enemies. Kara must decipher who is on her side before it's too late. No one is safe, not even the dragons.The dragon rider, twisted Norse tale you won't want to miss, continues. In this collection, the intensity increases. Hang onto your seat for nail-biting suspense, exhilarating adventures, entertaining dragons, and epic battles. The mischievous Loki will never cease to amaze, and with the help of her dragon, the beloved wingless Valkyrie, Kara, must rise from underdog to champion to save Asgard from Ragnarok.The omnibus edition of Valkyrie Academy Dragon Alliance contains books 6-10:AmbushedWarnedAbductedBesiegedDeceived