Richards, Natalie D. Six Months Later. Naperville: Sourcebooks Inc., 2013. 9781402285516. 336 p. $9.99. Gr. 7-11.
Chloe can’t understand what has happened! Everything was fine when she fell asleep during Study Hall. But now, 6 months later, she is learning that she is smarter than she used to be. Is dating the ‘hottest’ guy in school. And is hanging out with ‘friends’ that would have never given her the time of day. She has ‘lost’ her best friend Maggie, but seems to have crazy flashbacks when she comes in contact with the school ‘thug’. Not only does Chloe need to find out what happened, but she has to convince those closest to her that she isn’t ‘crazy’ and that something terrible has happened! Will Chloe ever find out what happened? Will she be able to trust those that know her secret? A true page turner!
Suspense/Mystery Krista Goodzinski, Riverside Middle School
Wein, Elizabeth. Rose Under Fire. New York: Hyperion, 2013. 9781423183099. 360 p. $17.00. Gr. 8 and up.
Rose loves to fly planes and is excited when she is sent to England to transport planes during WWII. Rose is an experienced pilot at the age of 18, and learned all of her skills at home in Pennsylvania. But not only is Rose a pilot, she is a poet, which will serve her well after she is captured in flight, and taken to a concentration camp in Germany. At first, Rose was convinced that she would be released once her captors realized that she was an American, but that was not the case. Over the next 9 months, Rose will endure some of the harshest treatments that were handed out within the concentration camps. She also learns or the horrific ‘studies’ that were done on other young women, which were to ‘benefit’ Hitler’s cause. Will Rose be able to escape these horrible conditions or will she be another victim of the holocaust? It will take a lot of courage and hope in order to survive.
Historical Fiction (WWII) Krista Goodzinski, Riverside Middle School
Ross, Michael Elsohn. A World of Her Own: 24 Amazing Women Explorers and Adventurers. Chicago: Review Press. 2014. 9781613744383. $19.95. Gr. 7 and up.
This compilation of 24 amazing women provides the trials and struggles that were endured so that women of today have the opportunity to explore, hike, and navigate our big planet. It also celebrates their successes and accomplishments! The women highlighted include scientists, astronauts, environmentalists, and many more. This resource would be useful to teachers in many different subject areas.
910.92 Women Explorers Krista Goodzinski, Riverside Middle School