Special Collections
American Girl (Historical Fiction)
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Meet Julie
by Megan McdonaldMoving is no fun, even just a few miles away. Julie Albright, a nine-year-old girl growing up in 1974 learns that life can be unfair when she has to move across town and attend a new school - one different than her best friend Ivy. Julie has other dreams too - like playing basketball. She is excited when she learns that her new school has a real basketball team. But soon, Julie finds herself facing a change she never expected.
Meet Josefina
by Valerie TrippJosefina is a girl of heart and hope growing up in New Mexico in 1824 -- a place of big skies and hard work, danger and dreams. Josefina's stories tell how she and her family watch their old ways cross paths with the new. Josefina is lucky to have her family and faith to help guide her through all the changes in her life! Josefina and her sisters are struggling after Mama's death. But a surprise from Mexico lightens their hearts and brightens their future.
The Light in the Cellar
by Sarah Masters BuckeyMolly wishes that she and her English friend, Emily, had exciting volunteer jobs that would help win World War II. Instead, they're magazine delivery girls at Oak Knoll Hospital, and soon discover that something very unpatriotic is going on at Oak Knoll -- and their snooping leads them into deep trouble!
Kit's Story Collection (The American Girls Collection)
by Valerie TrippThis book contains: Meet Kit Kit Learns a Lesson Kit's Surprise Happy Birthday Kit! Kit Saves the Day Changes for Kit All of the books in this volume teach a different type of lesson while telling a fictional story based in a real time period. Also available from Bookshare: "Kit's Home Run."
Kit's Home Run
by Valerie TrippKit Kittridge loves Baseball just about as much as anything else in the world! But with the Great deprssion she has to settle for playing it rather than watching it. One day after playing a game with some of her friends she learns something about one of the borders in her home that she never knew before.
Kirsten's Surprise
by Janet ShawKirsten wants her first Christmas in America to be special for her family. She would like to recreate St. Lucia's Day, a tradition celebrated in Sweden on Christmas Eve. To do this she needs costumes from a trunk in another town. Will she convince her father to get the trunk even though it's a long journey by horse-drawn sleigh in the bitter cold?
Kirsten Saves the Day
by Janet Shaw"At last it's summer! Even Kirsten's chores, like going to the stream to catch fish for dinner, seem like play in the fine Minnesota weather. One day while she's fishing, Kirsten leaves the stream to explore the woods beyond the farm.
There she finds a treasure-a bee tree packed with honeycombs. Kirsten knows Papa could use the honey to trade for things the family needs. So she decides to surprise him by bringing the honey home. Kirsten needs help, so she asks her brother Peter to go with her. But they don't know that bears are after Kirsten's treasure, too."
Bookshare also has "Meet Kirsten," "Kirsten's Surprise," and "Kirsten Learns a Lesson."
This file should make a fine embossed braille copy.
Kirsten Learns a Lesson
by Janet ShawKirsten has a hard time in her new American school because she doesn't speak English very well. Miss Winston, her new teacher, is strict and not very understanding. Things get worse when Miss Winston comes to live with the Larson family. Kirsten's only escape is playing with her secret friend Singing Bird, the Indian girl. When Singing Bird suggests running away forever, Kirsten must decide where she belongs. Kirsten does learn some important lessons in school, but she learns something even more important about herself.
Kirsten and The Chippewa
by Janet ShawWhen Kirsten Kirsten's dog is about to drown, a group of Indians rescue him for her. She had been frightened of the Ojibway, but she learns that they are friendly people. This book includes notes on the history relevant to this story and a good and easy recipe for Bird's nest Pudding. This is a wonderful book for a book report. This file should make an excellent embossed braille copy.
Kaya Shows the Way
by Janet ShawSUMMERTIME MEANS salmon fishing at thundering Celilo Falls-and horse racing, games, parades, feasting, and dancing, too! Kaya loves to join in the fun, but she's also got something serious on her mind: searching for her lost sister, Speaking Rain.
Thousands of Indian families and friends gather at Celilo Falls each summer, and Kaya hopes that someone may have word of her sister. Kaya's older sister, Brown Deer, is on her mind, too. Brown Deer will soon marry Cut Cheek, a thought that makes Kaya both glad and sad. She lost one sister when she had to leave Speaking Rain with the enemies. Now will she lose Brown Deer?
Kaya's Hero
by Janet ShawA IS IN AWE of a young warrior woman named Swan Circling, who's so fearless, she doesn't even flinch when a runaway horse gallops straight at her! Swan Circling goes with the men into battle, bringing them fresh horses and tending to the wounded. If I were as strong as Swan Circling, Kaya thinks, I'd find a way to get my sister back. Swan Circling has heard the children calling Kaya "Magpie," the nickname she got for being irresponsible. Although Kaya has made mistakes, she wants very badly to be friends with Swan Circling. Will Swan Circling want to be friends with her? Kaya's Hero is the third in a series of beautifully illustrated books about growing up as a Nez Perce girl-before America became a country. What was it like to be a girl long ago? The American Girls Collection takes you inside the worlds of girls who lived during exciting times in the past. As you read their stories, you can imagine how different life was back then. But you'll also discover that their feelings, ideas, and dreams are just like yours.
Kaya's Escape!
by Janet ShawEnemy raiders are invading Kaya's village. Kaya's mother tells her to run for the woods with her blind sister, Speaking Rain. But as Kaya runs to help her horse escape too, she and Speaking Rain are captured.
Julie Tells Her Story
by Megan McdonaldJulie is enjoying working on her school project, "The Story of My Life," until she comes to the part about "The Worst Thing That Ever Happened." That would be her parents' divorce, and she doesn't want to tell her class about that. Julie tries to find a different "Worst Thing" to tell about-and after her big basketball game, she thinks maybe she's found the solution to her problem. But as her parents and sister rally around her, Julie finds herself thinking about her family in a new, and more hopeful, way.
Julie's Journey
by Megan McdonaldJULIE is joining her cousins on an old-fashioned wagon train to celebrate the Bicentennial. She can't wait to try pioneer life, especially riding a horse. But her cousin's horse turns out to be a handful, and Julie is afraid to ride him again. When cousin April laughs at her, Julie stops talking to April-not so easy to do while living in a covered wagon! As the journey grows harder, Julie wonders why she ever wanted to come. Then she makes a remarkable discovery that could bring something of real historic value to the wagon train. But there's only one way to get it-on horseback.
Julie and the Eagles
by Megan McdonaldJulie and Ivy are eating snow cones in Golden Gate Park when they hear an odd sound. It's a baby owl-and it needs help. At a wildlife rescue center, Julie meets Shasta and Sierra, two bald eagles. Shasta's wing is injured, and Julie hopes he'll be able to fly again-but that can happen only if the rescue center raises enough money to release the eagles back into the wild. Julie feels sure that if people knew about the eagles, they'd want to help. For Earth Day, Julie thinks of a unique way to tell the public of the eagles' plight. But money isn't exactly pouring in ... and time is running out.
Josefina's Surprise
by Valerie TrippThe second Christmas after their mother has died, Josefina and her three sisters find that participating in the traditions of Las Posadas helps keep memories of Mamá alive. Can the Montoya girls overcome their loss and move on together to honor their Mamá's memory?
Josefina's Song
by Valerie TrippWhen Josefina and her father visit their shepherd, Santiago, they learn that Santiago is blind. He and his grandson, Angelito, care for the sheep. Even though Papa is very fond of Santiago, he is hesitant to have a blind man and a nine-year-old boy in charge of his sheep. It takes an accident to change his mind. Other books about Josefina are also available from Bookshare. Because of the words written in Spanish, this file will need some extra attention in order for it to make an excellent embossed braille copy.
Happy New Year, Julie
by Megan McdonaldJulie knows the holidays will be difficult this year, but when her sister, Tracy, refuses to go to Dad's house for Christmas, Julie feels as if her family is falling apart. Over the holidays Julie finds comfort spending time with her best friend, Ivy Ling.
The Lings are getting ready for Chinese New Year, and helping with their preparations distracts Julie from her sadness about her own family. Then she learns that her whole family is invited to the Lings's New Year banquet. Julie tries to share Ivy's excitement, but her heart sinks-with Mom, Dad, and Tracy there, how will they all get along?
Happy Birthday, Molly
by Valerie TrippAn English girl is coming to stay at the McIntires', and just in time for Molly's birthday! Molly and her friends are very excited, until Emily Bennett turns out to be quite different from the glamorous girl they pictured. Emily is shy, and she seems unfriendly.
Then Molly discovers that Emily is worried about her family in war-torn London, just as Molly is worried about her father, and the girls become good friends. They even plan to turn Molly's tenth birthday celebration into a real English tea party.
But the friendship starts to fall apart when they can't agree about what's important, and it takes a special birthday surprise to help them patch up their hurt feelings.
Happy Birthday, Kirsten!
by Janet ShawExciting new things come to the Larsons' farm in Minnesota in the springtime-including a big new barn and a tiny new baby. But changes bring new worries and more work for Kirsten, too. First she is afraid for Mama's health. Then caring for a baby keeps her so busy that her life seems to be nothing but chores. Soon Kirsten doesn't even have time to help with the surprise she and her friends are planning for their teacher, Miss Winston. And when she has to miss school to help out at home, she worries that her friends will forget her. But Kirsten's hard work is rewarded, and her tenth birthday becomes a celebration of family and friendship.
Changes for Samantha
by Valerie TrippTimes change for Samantha when she moves to New York City to live with Uncle Gard and Aunt Cornelia. They change for Nellie, Samantha's servant friend in Mount Bedford, too.
But Nellie's changes aren't as happy as Samantha's and Nellie has to find work again. When her friend disappears, Samantha thinks Nellie has been lost forever, but after a long and scary search, Samantha finds Nellie in a New York orphanage.
The orphanage is not a good place for Nellie, so the girls plan a daring escape.
Changes for Rebecca
by Jacqueline Dembar GreeneRebecca thinks it's a grand idea to make a movie with her cousin Ana, but when gentle Ana plays the role of a cruel factory boss, the fun turns sour.
Later Rebecca goes to the factory where Ana's brother and father work, and she's horrified at the terrible conditions but she knows the workers desperately need their jobs.
There's got to be a way to make things better at the factory, and Rebecca is determined to do her part--even if it means marching straight into danger.
Changes for Rebecca is a children's book for children eight and up but adults can enjoy and learn something valuable from it as well. This book is the sixth book in the Rebecca's six-book series. Each story in the series reveals more about Rebecca, a lively Jewish girl, who grows up in 1914 in New York. The books in the Rebecca series include: Meet Rebecca, Rebecca and Ana, Candlelight for Rebecca, Rebecca and the Movies, Rebecca to the Rescue, and Changes for Rebecca. Every book of the series not only features a fictional, realistic story and illustrations, but also has a historical "Looking Back" section. In this "Looking Back" section, the author describes some of the historical characteristics of Rebecca's 1914 time period in a style which children can understand and adults can appreciate.
Changes for Molly
by Valerie TrippFrom the book: "Dad is coming home! Molly can hardly wait to see him. She's especially excited because he'll arrive in time to see her dance the part of Miss Victory in the big Red Cross show. Molly isn't worried about her tap dancing because she's the best in Miss LaVonda's dance class. But she wants to look sophisticated so Dad will know how much she's grown up while he's been away at war. Unfortunately, Molly's hair is all wrong. When Jill finally finds a way to give Molly glorious curls, everything seems to be perfect. Then Molly gets sick. Things couldn't be worse-until the doctor comes just in time."
Changes for Kristen
by Janet ShawThe Minnesota winter is bitter cold. It seems very long to Kirsten and her family, who are crowded in their tiny log cabin. Kirsten looks forward to the days she's allowed outside to help her brother Lars with his trap line. One day she brings home a baby raccoon she's found in the woods, and trouble begins for Kirsten and her family. The raccoon gets loose and starts a fire that destroys the Larsons' home and everything in it. The future seems bleak, and the family is discouraged until Kirsten and Lars make a frightening but important discovery in the woods. What they find means better times for the Larsons