THE FELONY BAY DETECTIVES

Abbey Force is living with her awful uncle Charlie, a degenerate drunken gambler,  and his wife after her father falls into a coma in what looked like an attempt to hide jewels he had stolen from a wealthy client.  Still living on the plantation her family had once owned she yearns for everything to return as it once was, her father healthy, having Reward Plantation back, riding her horse and going to her old school.  

Alas, she's now helping the new owner also named Force, whose ancestors were once slaves owned by Abbey's ancestors.   Beatrice, the daughter her age, while recovering from a car accident explores her new home with Abbey and they accidentally stumble on some suspicious activities on a piece of the bay that should belong to the new plantation owners, Beatrice's family.   

Follow Abbey Force, one spunky and determined twelve year old who has more character than most adults, as she seeks to right  injustices, find truths and a way to pull her father out of his coma.  

The Girl From Felony Bay by J.E. Thompson is a fantastic new mystery series with a two amazing sleuths. The author beautifully weaves the issue of slavery and what it means in present day South Carolina through the point of view of these amazing protagonists. The second title, The Hangman's Bluff,  is also available. 

TWO GIRLS AND THE MYSTERY OF THE PREGNANT DOG

In The Disappearance at Hangman's Bluff, J.E. Thompson writes another suspenseful mystery set on the Reward Planation in South Carolina. Abbey and Bee are back and this time they can't figure out why someone would steal Yemassee, their neighbor, the judge's pregnant dog.  While searching for Yemassee they encounter the mean girl from school and her family, who blames Abbey's dad, who had just come out of a long coma, for their recent misfortunes and vows revenge. 


Set against the backdrop of a summer storm, this complex mystery adventure weaves in the history of slavery, black and white relationships and human compassion. Check out the other book as well, The Girl From Felony Bay.  
For readers in 6th - 8th grades. 

WHO YOU THINK YOU ARE IS NOT WHO YOU ARE

That's what Laura Ebony found out during a two week forced stay with her grandmother.  Although she wants to be a fashion model and popular, she's more of an outsider, called Larda by her classmates and the popular girls.  She thought all that would changed this year until she finds out that her class will be going on a field trip to her family's "slave shack". A shack to Laura's mind that has nothing but bad memories and now the whole class will know about her family's horrible past.  

The Laura Line by Crystal Allen turns in another engaging coming of age story weaving in history, genealogy, self esteem and even baseball.  For readers in grades 5th -8th. 

THE PRESIDENT'S SECRET

Beverly, Madison, and Eston Hemings are all brothers. They have a sister named Harriet and a mother named Sally. They all love the violin and learn how to be carpenters. They also live as slaves at Thomas Jefferson (the guy on the $20 bill's) plantation called Monticello. And, they have a secret. A secret that everyone knows but no one talks about. A secret of who their father is. Thomas Jefferson, writer of the Declaration of Independance, 3rd President of the United States, founder of the University of Virginia, and slave owner - is their father.


An honest look at race and slavery during the 1800s, Jefferson's Sons by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley takes you on a 20 year journey with the Hemings boys as they grow up as slaves on Monticello questioning everything around them and grow up into young free men, loose in a still young country founded by their father.

For lovers of historical fiction and family drama in grades 6-8.
Posted by Lessa

THE TRUE MEANING OF STRUGGLE

Isabel is a slave. Her mother is dead, she is sold to dreadful owners, her sister is sent away, and she suffers physical and mental punishment on a daily basis. But CHAINS by Laurie Halse Anderson (who also wrote the award winning novel SPEAK) is a fascinating book. Not only do you get a grueling perspective on the life of a slave, the story provides a unique window for seeing what it was like during the Revolutionary War. As Isabel struggles to decide her fate, she spies on the King's supporters and delivers food to the prisoners the British have captured. It isn't long before everything spirals out of control and Isabel must make some major decisions. This is the first in a new series. For grades 4 and up

MINTY THE SLAVE

Minty, the nickname of Harriet Tubman when she was a little girl, hates being a slave. All she thinks about is getting off the plantation. She is lucky in that she lives with her family, and they do their best to make her situation more bearable. But Minty is bound and determined to leave, and her father sees it best that he train her to live off the land. When Minty finally gets a chance to escape, she hesitates too long and the opportunity slips away. While she is saddened by her inability to follow through, she is not discouraged and vows to one day escape. MINTY: A STORY OF YOUNG HARRIET TUBMAN by Alan Schroeder is great for 3rd grade and up. This book also won the Coretta Scott King Award for Jerry Pinkney's gorgeous illustrations.

THE STARS GUIDE YOUR WAY

THE DRINKING GOURD by F. N. Monjo is a little bit of history with a twist of doing the right thing. Tommy Fuller gets in trouble at church one Sunday and is sent home, only to find a family of runaway slaves hiding in his barn. The Drinking Gourd, also known as the Big Dipper, contains the North Star which is leading Big Jeff and his family to Canada, and Tommy’s father is hiding them. Tommy’s father states that laws should not be broken, but there are exceptions to every rule. There aren't many historical fiction stories for the early reader, much less one that deals with the Underground Railroad. This is a great book to get younger readers into the historical fiction genre. For Kindergarten - 3rd grades.

WHAT WOULD YOU DO FOR LOVE?

THE BALLAD OF BELLE DORCAS by William Hooks is a dark and mystical old folk tale from the time of slaves in the Deep South. Belle Dorcas, the daughter of a white man and a black woman, is free-born, meaning that she is not born into slavery. She falls in love with a slave named Joshua and marries him, and together they work on the same plantation with a kind master. When a new owner takes over the plantation where Joshua is enslaved and threatens to sell him, Belle Dorcas seeks the help of a local conjure woman, that some might call a witch, who turns Joshua into a tree so that they may be together without the threat of slavery tearing them apart. Great for a little bit of black history, a greater bit of magic and a mysterious twist that makes Joshua more than a tree every night. Ages 9 and up.