SAMURAI RISING

Yoshitsune was a young boy when his father’s life was taken ruthlessly during the war. This was the way of life for a samurai warrior during 12th Century Japan.   As in any war there are two sides: the winning side, Taira, and the losing side, Minamoto.  Both samurai clans fought to the end.

Afterwards Kiyomori, a Taira leader, allowed baby Yoshitsune to live with the monks rather than have him killed. Young Yoshitsune did not grow up to look like a warrior from a long line of samaurai, but was a frail, unskilled man who  yearned to escape the monastery in order to live up to the Minamoto legacy and overthrow the Taira clan.

It is not often that a reader will find a non-fiction children’s book that captures one's attention like a novel.  This particular book is captivating when describing the characters and the battles in careful detail. The author, Pamela Turner, does not hold back nor does she sugarcoat scenes; instead, she has shared the story in such a way that leaves the reader completely immersed in history. Turner does a noteworthy job providing pronunciations of names in Japanese as well as offering notes for her sources.

Samurai Rising is highly recommended. Find out what became of young Yoshitsune. 

For ages 13 and up.

WHAT DOESN'T KILL YOU MAKES YOU STRONGER

Life is not easy for ten-year-old Ada, living with her mean mother and younger brother in London at the eve of the Second World War. Born with a bad foot, Ada never learned to walk right, which made her mother ashamed of her. Ada is not allowed to go outside, or talk to anyone, and barely gets enough food from her mother. But Ada is a fighter, and takes care of her younger brother and tries to survive to the best of her ability. When the war starts, children are evacuated to the English countryside, away from major cities that might get bombed by the Germans, and Ada and her brother finally get away from their mother to live with a lady named Susan. Although Susan never wanted children, she takes care of the two children, and Ada's life truly begins, and it includes learning to ride a horse, making a friend, and even catching a spy. But what happens when the war ends?

The War that Saved my Life is a beautiful, sad, and heartwarming tale about a girl faced with the worst circumstances who decides to fight for her life. It is also a book about love and family, and the way that both can be found in unexpected places. Ada is a wonderful character to read about, because even though she is hurt, she is brave enough to take care of herself and find her voice.

Although this is mostly the story of Ada and her brother, it is also a historical fiction book. The descriptions of daily life in the English countryside at the beginning of the war are fascinating to read about. Ada and her brother Jamie have to live with a stranger, just as many children had to do to get away from the danger of large cities. And besides that, they have to live on food rations and stand in long lines to get any food at all. They have to look for suspicious activity and report it, and even take care of wounded soldiers. But all that seems bearable with caring people around them as the village comes together to help each other.

This is a book you won't want to put down until you get to its bittersweet conclusion. Fans of The Book Thief will especially enjoy this book.

For readers in 5th-8th grade.

WHO CAN YOU TRUST?

A book review from Jennifer - Montrose Branch Children's Librarian

Judy Award Winner Book:  Icefall by Matthew J. Kirby

Set in an unforgiving Nordic landscape, Solveig and her two siblings await news from their father, a Viking king. While a war wages, he’s sent them deep inside a fiord with his most trusted advisors. Initially, it seems a safe place to brave the long, bitter winter. But when Norse warriors appear, sent by her father, Solveig wonders if something is amiss. With more mouths to feed, rations are fewer and tensions begin to rise.

Solveig, besides warranting protection, has little value to her father. She’s neither destined to bring wealth through marriage, nor inherit her father’s crown. So when her father’s skald, or storyteller, suggests an apprenticeship – she eagerly accepts. Solveig quickly discovers the power of stories, both real and imagined. And through her storytelling, helps distinguish friends from enemies.


A gripping tale about loyalty. For grades 5 – 8.

ELEPHANTS HAVE FEELINGS TOO

AN ELEPHANT IN THE GARDEN by Michael Morpurgo sounds like a picture book for young children. In fact, it is a story that takes place in World War II Germany about a mother and her two children. the mother works at the local zoo in Dresden, and everyone is worried about what will happen to the animals if the city is bombed. So, the mother brings the elephant home from work every day. The children become great friends with the elephant, and the story follows them through dangerous and suspenseful situations. All with an elephant by their side. For grades 4 and up.

WHEN YOU CAN'T GO HOME

From Children's Librarian Jennifer at the Montrose-Crescenta Branch

Where The Streets Had A Name by Randa Abdel-Fattah

Hayaat’s grandmother, Sitti, likes to tell stories about her home in Jerusalem. Mostly, her eyes brighten when she talks. But when she describes the day – that awful day – her family was forced to move, her expression changes. Hayaat is Palestinian and lives with her grandmother behind the Israeli-built Separation Wall, in the West Bank City of Bethlehem. When Sitti falls ill, Hayaat believes it’s her heart, not her body, that’s suffering. It’s this realization that compels Hayaat to make the short but dangerous trip to Jerusalem. With a friend’s help, she vows to bring her grandmother soil from her native land.

In this book, Abdel-Fattah creates a portrait of everyday life in occupied Palestine. But without taking sides. Instead, she shows the strength of the human spirit, even in the most difficult of times. Abdel-Fattah balances the seriousness of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with what people naturally use to handle hard things – humor.

An engaging, must-read novel. Grades 5-8

BLOODY BATTLES OF SCOTLAND

Alex is off to Scotland to visit his Aunt Fiona, and hopefully find his parents who disappeared while on vacation there. As it turns out, his aunt is sick and he is sent to live with the neighbors McRae, who have three kids his own age. All is going well until Alex decides to explore the Castle Duncragglin caves that he heard about from a strange professor sitting next to him on the flight over. Suddenly, Alex and the McRae kids find themselves dodging soldiers and fighting alongside the famous Sir William Wallace, who freed Scotland from a mean English king. As Alex and his friends try to get back to modern times, the experience many exciting adventures along the way. THE BATTLE OF DUNCRAGGLIN by Andrew H. Vanderwal starts a little slow, but will please any avid historical fiction reader. For grades 5-8.

HUMAN VS. FAERIE

Imagine a world where fairies/faeries actually exist. Now imagine the faeries and the humans have a big war with each other and destroy parts of each others worlds. It's dangerous to be a human. Most people don't even leave their villages (formerly big cities). When they do venture out into the world, it's almost as if all of nature is out to get them. But Liza is different. She has a little faerie in her blood, and sets out on an adventure that will create a bridge between faeries and humans once again. Good story for 5th-8th grade.

GIVE ME SHELTER!

Living in the United States is a privilege that so many people take for granted. There are wars, hunger, displacement and violence all over the world that affects the human spirit in ways that one can not describe. Children especially are the once that suffer the most in this horrible situations. GIVE ME SHELTER: STORIES ABOUT CHILDREN WHO SEEK ASYLUM is edited by TONY BRADMAN and is about just that. Children that tried to escape war-torn countries in treacherous times are captured very vividly in these thought provoking chapters that will change your mind not only about immigration but also about the strenght of the human spirit.

For grades 4th and up.

BETWEEN TWO WORLDS

Tal is a teenage Israeli girl searching for reasons. She sends out a message in a bottle, only to hear from a young, angry Palestinian boy. The two exchange sporadic emails, seemingly prompted mostly by Tal, sharing their worlds and the frustration, sadness, and want for change between both sides of the border separating them. A BOTTLE IN THE GAZA SEA by Valerie Zenatti, shows both sides of a never-ending war between two cultures over the right to live in a place that defines both their histories. Told from both characters perspectives, the story is emotional, vivid, and pertinent for any readers 6th grade and up.