Because of Winn-Dixie

Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

Winn-Dixie was a dog causing a ruckus in the Winn-Dixie grocery store that was adopted by the narrator of the book. The girl was living in a poor southern neighborhood with her father (who she usually refers to as "the Preacher".) Her mother had left the family earlier. She meets many people in the community and befriends many of the "oddballs". She learns many of their backstories and gains respect for them. Inspired by Gone with the Wind, they decide to hold a big outdoor party with everyone invited (even her "enemies"). It seems to go well, but then a thunderstorm hits. They go for cover, but lose track of the dog. After trying to find the dog, they find out the dog had never left. They all learn that nobody is perfect and understanding can go a long way.

Missing May

Missing May by  Cynthia Rylant

Some people live in rural West Virginia and go on some redneck adventures. They try to see a psychic, but she is dead. They long to visit the capitol. Money is in short supply. One guy has a near death experience. This all comes about from the life of the protagonist who was orphaned and was bounced around with different families. She settled on one but then there was a death. It is a case of "different" life.

Hatchet

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

A boy is on a bush flight to visit family in the Canadian wilderness when the pilot has a medical emergency. The boy tries to radio for help. However, the signal is not strong and they only make erratic communication. Eventually, the plane crashes and only the boy survives. He initially hopes to be rescued and dreams of burgers. Then he starts to struggle with the resources he has. (The hatched is one important tool.) He is able to survive until he is finally rescued. It is a familiar survival story told fairly well.

Johnny Tremain

Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes

Johnny Tremain is a kid that is down on his luck. He tries to present himself to a wealthy man who is a possible relative and gets accused as a thief. He luckily gets out of it when somebody testifies to his benefit. This angers the relative and he continues to run into trouble. He eventually gets associated with Paul Revere and the American Revolution. I remember not liking this book when we read it back in school. It is a bet better with age, but does drag on.

The Sign of the Beaver

The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare

A boy is alone in the frontier plains. A white trapper comes by and asks for hospitality, however, he takes the gun they have. The boy tries to get by, but ends up in an accident. Some Indians help him and restore is health. He gives the son reading lessons. In the process, they get to know each other and become friends. The boy later takes part in additional activities in the Indian family and befriends them. He learns of some the travesties inflicted on the Indians. When the Indians are set to move, they offer the boy a chance to join them. He is tempted, but he chooses to stay to await his family. The Indians and the boy separate with mutual respect. Shortly after, his family arrives and he is able to share the story. This book is a feel-good story showcasing the positive individual interactions among individuals in different cultures while not hiding away from some of the damage that has been inflicted by groups. 

Justin Morgan Had a Horse

Justin Morgan Had a Horse by Marguerite Henry

To pay back a debt, a farmer gave two horses. One appeared to be a small runt. A boy remained attached to the horse and worked to tame him while living in Vermont. After a while, it was discovered that the horse was strong and could win hauling contests. Later it raced and was able to beat even New York thoroughbreads. It was a "mut" like Americans and was involved in key points in early American history. Eventually, the boy was able to claim the horse in his last days. The horse was the foundation of the Morgan bread. This is a quick historical novel.

Out of the Dust

Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse

During the dust bowl, times were tough. A girl lives with her pregnant mother and father. Her father is s struggling farmer who has struggled with drinking. He leaves kerosene sitting near the stove which ends causing a fire, killing her mother. The girl tries to help herself as dad struggles. Eventually, they make peace together as dad finds a new woman and they are willing to make a new family. The book helps bring out the ways that everyone suffered during the dust bowl and depression.

The Crossover

The Crossover by Kwame Alexander

Two twin boys love basketball. Their dad was a pro basketball player, but his career was cut short due to injuries. He did not want to see a doctor because his father died when he went to the hospital. One of the twin boys gets a girlfriend. This causes some jealousy at the hands of the other which he took out on the basketball court by hitting him with a bad pass. This caused him to be suspended. After a period of atonement, he started to get in a better position with his family. He was playing a game with his dad.  Alas, dad was having health problems and refused to see a doctor.  Dad collapsed and was finally rushed to the hospital. The boy was able to play a big basketball game, but dad passed away. It is a quick moving basketball book that ends with a teerjerker.

Brown Girl Dreaming

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

The author was born in Ohio, then moved to the south and lived with her grandparents for a while before the family moved up to Brooklyn. There were a few trips back to the south after that. Her grandmother was a devout Jehovah's Witness and made sure the kids studied the bible. Her grandfather was a smoker and her father was largely absent. Subtle racism was still a challenge in the late-1960s south. A black person may be able to enter an establishment, but may not be served. New York was a different experience than she expected. She had a fairly supportive family and was doing fairly well financially, though they did have some challenges of poverty at various time. There were various struggles going on, but from the optimistic view of a child it was the small bits of everyday life that were more important.

Ginger Pye

Ginger Pye by Eleanor Estes

I did not like this one as much as Pinky Pie and Moffats. The family gets a dog Ginger. There are some not so good people in the neighborhood. Ginger disappears. They find Ginger in the end.

Bridge to Terabithia

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

An elementary school boy (Jess) looks forward to being the fastest boy at his rural Virginia school. However, a girl (Leslie) moves in and ends up beating all the boys. This leads to the gradual ending of the races. (They would not want to race with a girl.) At first he keeps his distance, but gradually he becomes good friends with her. She has moved out there with her family from the DC suburbs. They spend time together and become good friends. They also work to help avenge a "mean girl" who took treats from his little sister. Later Leslie helps console the mean girl from her separate issues. Jess and Leslie have their own little place in the woods by a creek that they call Terabithia.

One day, Jess's teacher invites him to come to DC with her to tour a museum. While on their way, Jess thinks about inviting Leslie. However, he justifies not doing it. When he gets home, he finds that Leslie has died. This is hard for him. The tail end deals with him dealing with the grieving process. He first denies it, later accepts it, and then decides to use some of Leslie's family's lumber to build a bridge.

It is a well-written exploration of friendship, fitting in and dealing with death.

From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg

A suburban girl decides to run away from home to New York City. She enlists her younger brother to join her. She has found an unused train ticket they can take. Her brother has a good amount of money earned from playing war with other kids. They hide their stuff in their musical instrument cases and then go off towards school, only to hop the train to the city. There, they plan on staying in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. They hide out around closing time, then sneak to their area to sleep. They bathe in the fountain (which they also discovered to be a source of income.) They do voyage to other areas of the city.

They see a new statue at the museum that is rumoured to be from Michelangelo. It was purchased cheaply at an auction from a wealthy lady. They decide to find out more. They do library research and carefully look at it to identify a stamp that could identify it as original. They send a letter to the museum. (They type the letter on demo typewriter and open a PO box to receive responses.) Alas, the museum responds that they already knew about that and continue to investigate.

Finally, the kids decide to go visit the rich lady. There they agree to tell the lady the details of their experience in return for details on the statue. The lady has proof of the statue's provenance. However, she does not want to share it. She is willing to give it to the kids in her will after she passes away. She also agrees to return the kids to their home in her Rolls Royce. In the end, we learn that her lawyer is the kid's grandfather.

Through their journey in the city, the kids learn to get along better and build off each other's strengths. They also learn to get bold and solve problems. The book is told somewhat from the view of the rich lady, with many "clippings" included.

Dicey's Song

Dicey's Song by Cynthia Voigt

Dicey does not have a good life. Her mother has abandoned her and her siblings. She lives with her grandmother who has adopted her. Her grandmother is poor and must get aid to support the kids. She is going through puberty and has to get a bra with grandma. Eventually, she flies on an airplane and goes to see her mother in the hospital. Her mother dies and they don't even have the money to bury her. Eventually they find a solution and make it back home. She thinks her grandmother was very knowledgeable about traveling, but then discovers that this is her first time to leave home. The book is a bit sappy and slow moving, but well written.

Freewater

Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson

Some slaves escape the plantation and find "Freewater", a colony of free blacks. There are many others there, including those living in the trees. People enjoy their freedom. However, some want to return back to the plantation to find family members. One had promised to show where the escaped slaves were. Others tried alternative ways to get freedom. 

Meanwhile, back at the plantation, there is a big wedding celebration coming up. There is also a side story where a little girl follows a slave on an errand and sees how cruelly the whites treated the "darkies". A multitude of different events culminate in the wedding celebration, with the wedding tent burned down and many slaves escaping.

Slavery is viewed through very modern sensibilities. The term "darky" is used as the racial slur, rather than terms that would be more offensive today. Family is also viewed as extremely important. Would slaves really find it worth sacrificing freedom for many slaves just to be with one of their family members? The book implies that family binds are even more powerful than the whip in keeping slaves in order.  The slave community is portrayed as a bit of Utopia, with the plantation whites as primarily materialists. The ending destruction seems to be a set for a hollywood film. the book really bumps up the drama to tell the story. 

The Ramona Quimby Audio Collection

The Ramona Quimby Audio Collection by Beverly Cleary (illustrations by Tracy Dockray )

This is an audiobook collection of the Ramona books. She starts out as a preschooler and ends up in fourth grade. She is rambunctious and cares a lot about how people feel about her. However, she often reads people incorrectly. The books were written over a period of 44 years, with each book seemingly set in an idyllic version of those days - generally in anonymous Portland area.

Beezus and Ramona (1955)

This is the most distinct book in the Ramona series. It is more from the view of the other characters than Ramona herself. Ramona is always getting into trouble. She wants big construction equipment. She invites all of her preschool friends over for a party - without telling anyone else. She is just a big pain. However, mother and her sister had similar issues when they were young.

Ramona the Pest (1968)

Now the series is more from Ramona's point of view. She is in kindergarten. It is interesting that back then it was perfectly normal for kindergarteners to walk to school themselves.

Ramona the Brave (1975)

Now she is approaching first grade. Some kids call his sister a name and Ramona defends her - offending her sister. Ramona does other "brave" things.

Ramona and Her Father (1977)

Her father loses his job. Money is tight. He also smokes at home. Ramona and his sister work to get him to stop smoking. In the end, he gets a job at a supermarket. I was wondering what the smoking thread would be like. Looks like it was new enough to identify smoking as "bad". (Newbery honor book)

Ramona and Her Mother (1979)

Dad has a job he doesn't like. Mom still works her job. There is a fight with mom and dad over pancakes. Mom helps with some sewing. Beeezus wants a haircut from a beauty salon, but it ends up bad. There are other random episodes.

Ramona Quimby, Age 8 (1981)

Romona has a degree of unintentional mischief. She cracks an egg on her head - only to find it is a raw egg. She throws up all over the school. She feels her teacher does not like her. However, it is all a misunderstanding. She is gradually growing up. 

Ramona Forever (1984)

Things start to change. Howie's uncle visits. He later becomes engaged to Ramona's aunt. Ramona's mom is pregnant. Ramona will now have to deal with being a big sister. Ramona and her sister also take care of burying the cat. Dad has teaching jobs far away. However, he decides to take a grocery store manager job instead so they can stay close.

Ramona's World (1999)

Ramona is now in fourth grade. She has a baby sister. She gets a new friend. While playing, she falls through the floor into the downstairs ceiling (and gets stuck there, only to be rescued.) She is old enough to cat sit - and even watch her baby sister for a bit. The world has moved on to be more modern. The author has done a nice trick of moving the life of the characters forward a year at a time, while keeping the setting "modern" as it moves a decade ahead.

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor

Mississippi in the great depression is heavily segregated. The whites go to a high school named after a Confederate. They have a bus that takes them to school. The blacks go to a mediocre school. New textbooks go to the white students. Only after the books have deteriorated to poor condition do the blacks get them. Violence is still present. Whits are seen as superior to blacks. Officials won't prosecute whites for crimes against black. The black families farm as an attempt to get by. Some walk great distances from farm to school (and thus there is not a whole lot of education of older black children.) The protagonist's father goes away to work. There are various conflicts and threats to people, land and livelihood. It feels like the fairly common tale of racism in the segregated south.

Bomb: The Race to Build - and Steal - the World's Most Dangerous Weapon

Bomb: The Race to Build - and Steal - the World's Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin

The quest to build the first atomic bomb required a lot of work - and subterfuge. Despite being allies at the time, the Soviets and Americans did not trust each other. The Soviets were keen to insert spies into the research establishment in order to get the secrets. The Americans had responded with their own degree of secrecy and misleading paths. The work eventually succeeded and the bomb was created and dropped on Japan. This book targets children, but doesn't talk down to them. It makes for an easily accessible history.

King of the Wind

King of the Wind by Marguerite Henry

The book takes place in Canada, Morocco and England. A horse has a poor pedigree (the documentation of which is later "lost") However, a boy has trust in the horse. The horse wins races and gains acclaim. It was written a few generations ago and takes place in the more distant past. People that like horses may like it, but I had trouble getting involved with the book. 

Call It Courage

Call it Courage by Armstrong Sperry

Call it Courage is the story of a young Polynesian boy who is initially branded a coward. He then overcomes his fear of the sea to go on a solo voyage. He successfully fends for himself out on the ocean and makes it back home as a brave man. It seems very similar to the story that was later adopted for Disney's Moana.

Maniac Magee

Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli

"Maniac" Magee was orphaned at a young age, and forced to live with relatives in a dysfunctional marriage. He eventually runs away. He has near super-human athletic and knot-untangling abilities. He also has the naivety and willingness to do just about anything that suits him. He is perfectly comfortable hanging out with bison and eating their vegetables as he is joining random families for dinner.

He finds himself in a town with a heavy black/white segregation. However, he is oblivious to it. He borrows a book from a black girl, and becomes "adopted" by their family as he returns it. He gets along great with the younger siblings, and does a great job doing chores there. However, some old-timers are not comfortable with a white guy in their part of town. So, he goes back to the zoo, and eventually helps an old former-minor leaguer learn how to read. After he dies, he ends up staying with a "white-trash" family, cajoling the kids to go to school. This family thinks the blacks are out to get them. However, he manages to get the black and white families to finally come to peace with each other - in part by setting up the situation where a former black "bully" could save a white boy from a dangerous situation.

In the end, the town is more at peace with each other, though not necessarily "happily ever after". The theme of race relations is fairly blatant, though more subtle is the general theme that it is easy to "hate" somebody you don't know (and much harder to hate them once you know them well.) This was fairly well written, and manages to be fairly serious, while still being somewhat light-hearted, though not quite as light as Spinelli's other books.