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Historical Fiction

**PRISONER B-3087

Prisoner B-3087
Author Information
Author's Last Name: 
Gratz
Author's First Name: 
Alan
Publisher: 
Scholastic
Publication Date: 
2013
2013 Nomination (not yet selected): 

Six years. Ten concentration camps. Through the cruelty, starvation and hard labor, Yanek Gruener was determined to survive. Without his family, all he had to cling to was hope and a vision of freedom. Based on a true story. From the last two paragraphs of Chapter 1, I was hooked. Chapter after chapter I found myself marveling at Gratz’s writing, as he described the horrors of the Holocaust as seen through one young man’s eyes. Without using overly graphic details or belaboring the harshness of the world in which Yanek was quietly fighting for survival, Gratz conveys the realities of Nazi cruelty in a way that is disturbing, riveting and appropriate for a younger teen audience. His language is stark and honest, enabling the reader to create a vivid picture of the scenes in their head, showing, instead of telling. Though a very intense read (have tissues ready), it is also a quick read with short chapters, and the subject matter of the Holocaust is sure to attract droves of teen readers. Broken down by Yanek’s location (i.e. the Krakow ghetto, Birkenau Concentration Camp, Death March to Dachau), the story is very easy to follow. Each chapter holds horrifying acts of cruelty, astonishing acts of desperation and heroic acts of bravery. Though a work of fiction, Gratz incorporates many factual details and true stories from Jack (Yanek) Gruener’s experiences. Ten to Fourteen. Alicia Blowers

DODGER [AUDIO]

Dodger
Author Information
Author's Last Name: 
Pratchett
Author's First Name: 
Terry
Narrator's First Name: 
Stephen
Narrator's Last Name: 
Briggs
Publisher: 
Harper Audio
Publication Date: 
2012

Dodger, 17, survives in nineteenth century London by scouring its sewers for jewels. When he sees a girl desperately flee from a horse-drawn carriage trying to escape captors, he takes action that leads him to encounters with Sweeney Todd, Charles Dickens, and Benjamin Disraeli. Stephen Briggs brilliantly conveys the sorrow, dry humor, and danger in this historical fantasy. (14 up)

THE DIVINERS

Author Information
Author's Last Name: 
Bray
Author's First Name: 
Libba
Publisher: 
Little, Brown
Publication Date: 
2012

See annotation under "Audio." 

THE LIONS OF LITTLE ROCK [AUDIO]

Lions of Little Rock
Author Information
Author's Last Name: 
Levine
Author's First Name: 
Kristin
Narrator's First Name: 
Julia
Narrator's Last Name: 
Whelan
Publisher: 
Listening Library
Publication Date: 
2012

In 1958, 12-year-old Marlee's forbidden friend, fearless Lizzie, helps her find  her own voice in concert with the adults around her who have been quietly acquiescent to the battle against integration that closed high schools in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1958. The novel’s verbal power offers a viable alternative for Julia Whelan’s uniquely voiced and perfectly-timed audio narration. (10-14)

THE MIGHTY MISS MALONE

Author Information
Author's Last Name: 
Curtis
Author's First Name: 
Christopher Paul
Publisher: 
Wendy Lamb
Publication Date: 
2012

See annotation under "Audio."

MOON OVER MANIFEST [AUDIOBOOK]

Moon Over Manifest
Author Information
Author's Last Name: 
Vanderpool
Author's First Name: 
Clare
Narrator's First Name: 
Jenna
Narrator's Last Name: 
Lamia, et. al.
Publisher: 
Listening Library
Publication Date: 
2011
2013 Nomination (not yet selected): 

Note: Renominated for new narrator -- Twelve-year-old Abilene has just been sent to live in the town where her father grew up. A drifter since childhood, he doesn't have any living relatives, but for a time, he found a home in Manifest, Kansas. Though upset about being sent away, Abilene takes the opportunity to dig into her dad's (and the town's) storied past. Jenna Lamia's young voice suits Abilene and the story's other characters while the use of multiple narrators helps listeners keep track of the story as it jumps between 1936 and 1918. Audio. Colleen Beaupre

BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY

BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY
Author Information
Author's Last Name: 
Sepetys
Author's First Name: 
Ruta
Publisher: 
Philomel
Publication Date: 
2011

HEART OF A SAMURAI

Author Information
Author's Last Name: 
Preus
Author's First Name: 
Margi
Publisher: 
Amulet
Publication Month: 
August
Publication Date: 
8/1/10

This fictional account of Manjiro, the 14-year-old Japanese boy whom whalers rescued in 1841, is filled with hardship and adventure as well as an outsider's perspective on nineteen-century American culture. Gritty details and authentic illustrations evoke the period.

What I Saw and How I Lied

Author Information
Author's Last Name: 
Blundell
Author's First Name: 
Judy
Publisher: 
Frances Foster
Publication Date: 
2008
2013 Nomination (not yet selected): 

After World War II, Evie and her parents are vacationing in Palm Beach when ex-GI Peter arrives. New lies and old secrets complicate Evie’s blossoming crush in this taut historical thriller.

This is a great book.

After World War II, Evie and her parents are vacationing in Palm Beach when ex-GI Peter arrives. New lies and old secrets complicate Evie’s blossoming crush in this taut historical thriller.

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