The titular character in Vaino: A Boy of New Finland by Julia Davis Adams (published 1929) faces war as his country declares independence from Russia, which is in the midst of a revolution itself. With his cleverness, Vaino is helpful to both his mother and his older siblings as they join the rebels (“Whites”) from

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Because of inheritance law, Major Hugh Darracott is now the heir of the Darracott home in The Unknown Ajax by Georgette Heyer (published 1959), even though his domineering grandfather Lord Darracott has never met him. After the recent death of his oldest son and oldest grandson, now Lord Darracott must invite this unknown grandson into

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Dry by Neal and Jarrod Shusterman (Simon & Schuster for Young Readers, 2018) is futuristic dystopian young adult novel, but it portrays what could be real life in the Western United States. Water becomes a scarce commodity in California when neighboring states turn off access to their water reserves. When the “Tap-Out” begins, the whole

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When I was younger, I read the first six (or so) books from The Work and the Glory series by Gerald Lund, which tells a fictionalized account of one family who lived during the first years of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Now the series is complete with nine books, and I

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Pran of Albania by Elizabeth Miller (published 1929) is a Newbery Honor book about a teenager in Albania whose world is changing as war comes to her region. After the author gives us a glimpse into the unique lifestyle of mountain-dwelling people, Pran and her family become refugees as the women and children flee the

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The titular character in the Regency novel Frederica by Georgette Heyer (published 1965) is not looking to get married. Ever since her father died, Frederica Merriville has been the guardian of her family, and even beforehand she was the principal person to run the household, since her mother has been gone for years. Now she

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It is perfect timing to discuss the history of authoritarianism in the world! On Tyranny: Twenty lessons from the Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder (first published in 2017) is a brief overview of the things that have happened in the past century that led to the regimes with totalitarian leaders, including the events in Nazi

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Emily’s Runaway Imagination by Beverly Cleary (published 1961) is a funny semi-autobiographical historical novel about a girl in the 1920s living in rural Oregon, written by the esteemed and well-beloved Beverly Cleary. I hadn’t know Cleary had written any historical fiction books; I’d only been familiar with her Ramona and Henry Huggins books, some of

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The picture book Turtle, Turtle, Watch Out! by April Pulley Sayre (illustrated by Annie Patterson; Charlesbridge, 2010) emphasizes the human and animal dangers to turtles, and the ways humans can help. The refrain “Turtle, turtle, watch out!” echoes throughout. Watercolor illustrations make this a friendly read, despite these dangers.

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