Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
2010 Newbery Honor winner
This book is as delightful to hold in your hands as it is to read. It is a set of stories within a story, of a little girl who tries to find a better life for her family. As she travels on her quest across the land, Chinese folktales come to life, and Minli is both clever and kind to those she meets. The author's illustrations are rich and beautiful.
Ages 8-12 Folk tales, fantasy
Extra Credit by Andrew Clements
First of all, I have to tell you that I read everything Andrew Clements writes. He is a good story teller, and children enjoy his books even more than I do!
This book is about an extra credit project assigned to a not-so-good student who does not want to repeat a grade at school. Her project ... write to a pen pal. The country she picks ... Afghanistan. Once she has written her letter, another story unfolds. The best student in the Afghan village is a boy, and it would be unwise, in the eyes of the village elders, for a boy to be writing an American girl. In the end, his sister is responsible for writing the letter that is in fact dictated and added to by this same boy.
Ages 8-12 School story, multicultural - a fast read
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly2010 Newbery Honor winner
I love this book! It is long (340 pages), and I was sad to finish it. The time is 1899, the place is Texas. Calpurnia, the only girl in the seven siblings, begins to look at the wild world around her and to ask questions. Her grandfather, an avid, reclusive naturalist, pays no attention to any of the children until Calpurnia one day audaciously asks a question of him. It turns out the two make wonderful science companions, as they go on walks, collect insects and plants, and work on grandfather's continual experiment - to distill a decent alcohol from pecans. Calpurnia is 11 and is expected to marry, and raise a family. She is learning about herself, her interests and is thinking that maybe she wants to go to college.
Ages 10-16 Science, history, and reminders of what girls can do today that was unthinkable not so long ago.
