Kids Book Index
Silvana Gandolfi
Set in Palermo, Sicily, this novel follows Santino, a talented young runner whose family is torn apart by the Mafia. Before his first communion, his father and grandfather steal money to pay for the celebration, unknowingly taking it from dangerous people. Mafia violence separates two brothers, and Santino must decide whether to remain silent or pursue justice after the attack on his family.
This book appears on 1 reading list across 1 edition.
Jazz Owls: A Novel of the Zoot Suit RiotsMargarita EngleTold in verse, this novel recounts the events surrounding the 1943 Zoot Suit Riots through Ray and his sisters Marisela and Lorena, a Mexican American family in Los Angeles. As U.S. sailors attack young Mexican Americans wearing zoot suits, police pursue the victims and the media assigns blame. The siblings’ lives also include dancing, school, wartime family separation, and questions of identity.Twelve to FourteenOn the same reading list for the same age or grade groupView book details
Lifeboat 12Susan HoodThis novel in verse draws on the experiences of Ken Sparks, a thirteen-year-old child evacuee leaving wartime England for Canada during the Blitz. Ken travels aboard the SS City of Benares with other children, hoping to escape the bombings. Six hundred miles from shore, a U-boat torpedo strikes the ship. Ken boards Lifeboat 12, where passengers, including six boys, face eight days in the Atlantic with tightly rationed food and water while rescue efforts appear to have missed them.Nine to TwelveLexile Text Measure 610LATOS Book Level 4On the same reading list for the same age or grade groupView book details
Something Rotten: A Fresh Look at RoadkillHeather L. MontgomeryHeather L. Montgomery investigates roadkill through the work of a wildlife researcher drawn to animals found along roadways. The book includes the examination of a rattlesnake killed on the road, prompted by questions about how its fangs retract when its mouth closes. It looks at how dead animals found on roads can contribute to scientific statistics, news, and environmental challenges. The subject combines animal anatomy with the effects of roads on wildlife.Older ReadersOn the same reading list for the same age or grade groupView book details