Readers follow seventeen-year-old Cassandra’s diary accounting her life with her extraordinary family in their crumbling castle. Her family slides into genteel poverty after her father falls into a long phase of writer’s block. Rose, Cassandra’s sister, is desperate to marry for riches as a way of supporting her family. The castle’s atmosphere changes when their new neighbors and landlords from America arrive. Rose and Cassandra discover that the heart cannot choose who it falls in love with no matter how hard the mind may try. Fans of Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte will be enchanted by this captivating and bittersweet read. The author, who is best known for her novel The Hundred And One Dalmatians, wrote I Capture The Castle during World War II when she moved to California. Cassandra’s story is inspired by the author’s experiences in England during the 1930s. ema |
| Title: I Capture The Castle Author: Dodie Smith (1896-1990) Publisher: Vintage Classics Copyright: 2012 Original Language: English Original Title: I Capture The Castle Original Publisher: William Heinemann Original Copyright: 1949 ISBN: 978-0-099-57288-6 Paperback pages: 566 Age range: 14 up Genre: Historical Fiction Book setting: 1930s England Author’s ethnicity: English Subjects: Artists, Castles, Love, Poverty, Romance, Sisters, Writers |
Tag Archives: Families
Boys Don’t Knit (In Public)
The Wolf Wilder
The Girl Who Buried Her Dreams In A Can
An Island Of Our Own
The Stone Lion
A stone lion watches people outside of a library every day. Though he is made of stone, he is fascinated by the people who sit next to him. The lion longs for the chance to become a warm breathing creature and run in the park near the library. One snowy night a homeless girl and her baby brother sit next to the lion. More than anything the lion wishes he could come alive to help them. This heartwarming story, illustrated with soft pastels, shows that though there are hardships, a little bit of kindness and compassion can change lives. ema
Title: The Stone Lion
Author: Margaret Wild
Illustrator: Rita Voutila
Publisher: Little Hare
Copyright: 2015
Original Language: English
Original Title: The Stone Lion
Original Publisher: Little Hare
Original Copyright: 2014
ISBN: 978-1-921894855
Hardcover pages: 32
Age range: 5-9
Genre: Picture Book
Author’s ethnicity: Australian
Author’s residence: Australia
Illustrator’s ethnicity: Finnish
Illustrator’s residence: Australia
Awards: 2015 Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Honour Book of the Year
Subjects: Depression-era, Homeless, Libraries, Lions, Reading
In The New World: A Family In Two Centuries
Robert and Margarete Peters and their children Johannes, who is eight, and Dorothea, who is six, emigrate from Germany to the United States in 1869. They leave behind severe economic conditions, their farm, family, and friends. They can take only what they can carry in the one trunk allowed in steerage aboard the Teutonia. They land in New Orleans and join a wagon train headed west to Nebraska, where they establish a farm outside Omaha. The book ends with fifth generation, multiethnic descendants of Robert and Margarete, who live on the same farm in Omaha, traveling back to their ancestral home in Germany to uncover their history. Detailed, delicate, and crisp pencil and watercolor illustrations enrich the fascinating, well-organized, flowing text in this excellent resource for social studies classrooms. Decorative maps on the endpapers show each family’s journey. mjw |
| Title: In The New World: A Family In Two Centuries Author: Christa Holtei Illustrator: Gerda Raidt Publisher: Charlesbridge Publishing Copyright: 2015 Original Language: German Translator: Susi Woofter Original Title: In Die Neue Welt: Eine Familiengeschichte in Zwei Jahrhunderten Original Publisher: Julius Beltz GmbH and Co. KG, Beltz Verlag Original Copyright: 2013 ISBN: 978-1-58089-630-6 Hardcover pages: 40 Age range: 5-10 Genre: Picture Book Book setting: Germany and Omaha, Nebraska, USA Author’s ethnicity: German Author’s residence: Germany Illustrator’s ethnicity: German Illustrator’s residence: Germany Subjects: Biography, Cultural identity, Emigration and immigration, Family life, Farmers, German Americans, Immigrants, Nebraska, United States 1800s |
The Green Bicycle
One of Saudi Arabia’s best-known and most controversial filmmakers has adapted her very successful film Wadjda for middle grade readers. Rebellious, 11-year-old Wadjda lives with her strict parents in modern day Riyadh and dreams of owning the green bicycle that she passes in a store everyday on her way to school. She wants to race her friend Abdullah, but riding bikes is frowned upon for girls and Wadjda’s parents refuse to buy the bike for her. Wadjda tries to raise the money buy selling bracelets and mixtapes that she makes. Fiercely independent, she doesn’t fit in at school, gets into a lot of trouble, and risks expulsion. She eventually enters a Quran competition in order to win the prize money and purchase the bike. She wins, but the school chooses to donate the money to Palestine on her behalf. She returns home to find that her mother has bought the bike and Wadjda then wins the race against Abdullah. Explanations of various elements of Saudi culture and its patriarchal society are woven into the story and provide helpful background for readers unfamiliar with the region. The film Wadjda (2012) was the first full-length feature to be shot entirely in Saudi Arabia and through 2013, the only feature-length film made in Saudi Arabia by a female director. The film has won numerous awards around the world. mjw |
| Title: The Green Bicycle Author: Haifaa Al Mansour Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers Copyright: 2015 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-0525-42806-0 Hardcover pages: 352 Age range: 8 up Genre: Fiction Book setting: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Author’s ethnicity: Saudi Arabian Author’s residence: Bahrain Awards: The film Wadjda (2012) won the 2013 Best International Feature Audience Award at the Los Angeles Film Festival Subjects: Bicycles and bicycling, Coming of Age, Female empowerment, Gender roles, Girls and women, Koran, Middle East, Music, Muslims, Quran, Sex roles, |
The Tea Party In The Woods
Kikko’s father forgot the pie he was going to bring to Grandmother’s house. Kikko runs through the snow-covered woods to give her father the pie before he reaches the home. Unfortunately, Kikko trips and ruins the pie. Although she is dispirited, she still plans on giving her grandmother the pie. As she continues to follow what she believes to be her father’s footprints, Kikko comes across a house she has never seen before. She meets speaking, clothed, and upright woodland creatures who invite her to their tea party. The mostly black and white charcoaled and penciled illustrations have touches of color and bring this enchanting tale of unexpected friendship and kindness to life. ema |
| Title: The Tea Party In The Woods Author: Akiko Miyakoshi Illustrator: Akiko Miyakoshi Publisher: Kids Can Press Copyright: 2015 Original Language: Japanese Translator: Kids Can Press Original Title: Mori no Oku no Ochakai e Original Publisher: Kaisei-Sha Publishing Co. Ltd. Original Copyright: 2010 ISBN: 978-1-77138-107-9 Hardcover pages: 32 Age range: 3-7 Genre: Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: Japanese Author’s residence: Tokyo Illustrator’s ethnicity: Japanese Illustrator’s residence: Tokyo Awards: A 2015 Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Book of the Year Winner Subjects: Acts of kindness, Grandmother, Party, Pies, Tea, Winter, Woods |
Salt To The Sea
As World War II comes to a close in the winter of 1945, refugees flee East Prussia as the Soviet Union advances in the area. Thousands gather at the coast of the Baltic Sea in the hopes of gaining freedom and security by obtaining a ticket on one of the ships. One of these vessels is the Wilhelm Gustloff. Sepetys’ courageous novel sheds light on the greatest tragedy in maritime history and how the carnage resulting from warfare collides with the lives of innocents. Though readers can find the story heartbreaking at times, hope and life are ever present in this novel told by four teenagers from different countries. The honest prose gives voice to those incapable of sharing their story. ema
Title: Salt To The Sea
Author: Ruta Sepetys
Publisher: Philomel Books
Copyright: 2016
ISBN: 978-0-399-16030-1
Hardcover pages: 400
Age range: 12-17
Genre: Historical Fiction
Book Setting: East Prussia
Author’s ethnicity: Lithuanian American
Author’s residence: Tenessee
Subjects: Death, Maritime tragedy, Refugees, Warfare, World War II
The Snow Rabbit
Two blonde sisters look out of their window at the snowy sky in this charming wordless picture book. One sister goes out and builds a snow rabbit. When she brings it inside to her wheelchair-bound sister and it begins to melt, they take it back outside and magical things start to happen. The sisters chase the rabbit and the wheelchair gets stuck in the snow. Finally the girls ride the rabbit, which has grown to an enormous size, back through the moonlight to the safety of their cottage. The 3-D hand-colored cut-paper illustrations, set in dioramas, dramatically lit, and photographed, add impact to the enchantment. mjw |
| Title: The Snow Rabbit Author: Camille Garoche (Princesse Camcam) Illustrator: Camille Garoche (Princesse Camcam) Publisher: Enchanted Lion Books, New York Copyright: 2015 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-59270-181-0 Hardcover pages: 56 Age range: 4-8 Genre: Wordless Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: French Author’s residence: Paris, France Illustrator’s ethnicity: French Illustrator’s residence: Paris, France Subjects: Children with disabilities, Magic, Rabbits, Sisters, Snow, Stories without words |
Apple And Rain
Thirteen-year-old Apollinia Apostolopoulou (Apple) has lived with her strict grandmother since her flighty mother went off to America to be a Broadway actress eleven years ago. Her grandmother makes her go to church on Sundays, won’t let her hang out with her girlfriends, and is too watchful. Apple craves the return of her mother and when she returns, Apple eagerly chooses to live with her. But things aren’t as Apple expects. Her mother does not have a job, is not responsible, and has another ten-year-old daughter, Rain, who has her own set of problems. Rain carries around a doll, which she believes is real and can’t take care of herself. Apple is reduced to being Rain’s babysitter and maid. Del, the boy next door, is a wonderful character who is sweet, smart, geeky, and adds humor to the book. Mr. Gaydon, Apple’s teacher, helps Apple by encouraging her to see poetry and writing as a creative outlet. This quick read about forgiveness, complicated relationships, and Apple’s growth and change is heartbreaking, emotionally intense, but honest. mjw |
| Title: Apple And Rain Author: Sarah Crossan Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Copyright: 2014 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-4088-5306-1 Hardcover pages: 332 Age range: 12 up Genre: Realistic Fiction Book setting: England Author’s ethnicity: Grew up in Dublin and London Author’s residence: Hertfordshire, England Awards: 2015 Carnegie Medal Nominee Subjects: Coming of age, Dysfunctional families, Family problems, Mothers and daughters, Poetry, Sisters |

Readers follow seventeen-year-old Cassandra’s diary accounting her life with her extraordinary family in their crumbling castle. Her family slides into genteel poverty after her father falls into a long phase of writer’s block. Rose, Cassandra’s sister, is desperate to marry for riches as a way of supporting her family. The castle’s atmosphere changes when their new neighbors and landlords from America arrive. Rose and Cassandra discover that the heart cannot choose who it falls in love with no matter how hard the mind may try. Fans of Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte will be enchanted by this captivating and bittersweet read. The author, who is best known for her novel 





Kikko’s father forgot the pie he was going to bring to Grandmother’s house. Kikko runs through the snow-covered woods to give her father the pie before he reaches the home. Unfortunately, Kikko trips and ruins the pie. Although she is dispirited, she still plans on giving her grandmother the pie. As she continues to follow what she believes to be her father’s footprints, Kikko comes across a house she has never seen before. She meets speaking, clothed, and upright woodland creatures who invite her to their tea party. The mostly black and white charcoaled and penciled illustrations have touches of color and bring this enchanting tale of unexpected friendship and kindness to life. ema
