Kids Book Index
Valynne E. Maetani
Claire’s father was once a gang member in Japan, though he later changed his life. Ten years after his death, that criminal history still affects Claire and her family. The story examines the continuing impact of a parent’s past on the people left behind, with Japan forming part of the family’s history. A glossary is included.
This book appears on 1 reading list across 1 edition.
A Song for Ella GreyDavid AlmondBased on the Orpheus and Eurydice legend, this retelling places ancient myth among modern teenagers in northern England. Claire, Ella, and their friends share bonds that seem unbreakable until the mysterious Orpheus arrives at the beach. His singing changes how they understand themselves, and Ella is drawn to him with particular intensity while Claire watches in pain. Love and self-discovery are central to this myth-inspired story.Fourteen and OlderOn the same reading list for the same age or grade groupView book details
Hold Tight, Don’t Let Go: A Novel of HaitiLaura Rose WagnerTwo teenage cousins, raised together as sisters, survive Haiti's 2010 earthquake. In the disaster's aftermath, they confront both bodily harm and emotional pain. Their experiences unfold in a Haiti devastated by the earthquake, a country described as already among the world's poorest before it struck. The novel follows the cousins as they live with the continuing consequences of the catastrophe and face despair alongside hope.Fourteen and OlderOn the same reading list for the same age or grade groupView book details
Iron Rails, Iron Men, and the Race to Link the Nation: The Story of the Transcontinental RailroadMartin W. Sandler, maps by Karen MinotThis account chronicles the drive to build a transcontinental railroad across the United States. In the 1850s, people seeking gold in the West often traveled for months on foot, by ship, or on horseback. Workers and machines set out from Sacramento and Omaha toward Utah, crossing mountains and deserts to connect the country from coast to coast. Archival photographs and maps document the project.Fourteen and OlderOn the same reading list for the same age or grade groupView book details