Feathers by Jacqueline Woodson

Hope is the thing with feathers
that perches in the soul,
And sings the tune - without the words,
And never stops at all.
~ Emily Dickinson


Frannie has been reading this poem in her sixth grade class and just doesn't know what to think about it. What is hope? Does everyone have it? Frannie begins to question everything when a boy who looks white shows up at her almost all black school in the 1970's. Some of her classmates begin calling him Jesus Boy and she wonders what his story is. Frannie is not sure if she wants to find out.

This delightfully written Newbery Honor book deals with hope, race, friendship and family. Follow Frannie in Feathers as she tries to make sense of everything in her world.

The Liberation of Gabriel King by K. L. Going

Poor Gabriel. He's just finished 4th grade and fears going into 5th grade. He's so afraid of 5th grade that he's trying to convince his best friend Frita to stay in 4th grade. Why is he afraid of 5th grade? It's because he's being bullied for his smaller size. What would a best friend do? Frita has an answer. She plans to help Gabe face each of his fears during the summer months so he'll be ready to face 5th grade when school starts again and liberated from those fears - and he has a long list of them.

The setting for this story is 1976 in Georgia. Frita is the only African American student in Gabriel's 4th grade classroom of white students. So as she's helping him face fears such as spiders, alligators, and bullies we learn that Frita also has fears that are much more serious - the Ku Klux Klan. Frita and her parents with Gabe and his parents speak up for the rights of all people at a rally that shows us, the readers of The Liberation of Gabriel King, that friendship and family can help us to be brave and face our fears.

Penny From Heaven by Jennifer L. Holm

It's the second day of Spring Break, tomorrow is Easter, and it's snowing here in Michigan. It's April and snowing! I know very well that we still get snow in April but when we're on vacation it seems like it should be sunny and warm. I decide to take it as a great day to get cozy indoors and read a book! I had started reading Penny From Heaven by Jennifer L. Holm about two months ago and never finished it. Readers do that, you know. It's okay to put a book down and try something else. Today was different. I wanted to read it because it had won a Newbery Honor award this year so I knew there must be a good story inside. I was not disappointed. I began all over again from the first page and finished it in one day - it was that good!

When you read about Penny you will know her just like any other real girl. The author, Jennifer L. Holm, tells her story so well that you are convinced she could be your friend or any other girl you know. Even her many aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents seem like folks you'd want to spend a day with. There are sad things that have happened to Penny and do happen in this book. Her father is not alive but Penny does not know what happened to him. Her mother never talks about him. Her Italian family, her dad's family, treats her like a princess because they are sadly missing her dad so much. The setting is the early 1950's and the aftereffects of World War II still trouble Penny's two families. But don't let the sadness keep you from reading this book. There are also many funny characters and plots to keep you reading along. Yes, there is a happy ending. When I finished this book I was so happy for Penny that my eyes were full of tears. You see, she had become a real person that I cared very much about. I had happy tears knowing that Penny was going to be alright and so was her loving family.

Barnstormers, Game One by Phil Bildner and Loren Long

Three kids, a mystery and a magic baseball…..that is the cover of Barnstormers, Game 1. Set in the late 1800’s this is the first book in a series, each book detailing one game of the Travelin’ Nine baseball team. Griffith, Ruby, and Graham Payne travel with the team that is made up of their father’s war buddies. Their father was catcher for the Travelin’ Nine, but he was killed in the war. The team is now traveling across the country to help their buddy’s family raise money. The Payne’s mother is now the catcher for the team, but no one can know she is playing, women are not allowed to play baseball. To help disguise this, she goes by her husband’s name, Guy.

Strange things happen during their first game. There is a train signal that keeps popping up on the field; fog, tracks and a locomotive appear and disappear. As if this isn’t strange enough, the opposing team and fans do not see any of it! The Travelin’ Nine try to play the game, but with all the distractions can they win? Griffith feels responsible because the night of his father’s funeral his uncle gave him some advice and a warning. Can Griffith, figure out what is going on, can his siblings help and what does their father’s beat up baseball have to do with the mysterious happenings? We get a few clues, in Game 1 of the series. The biggest problem for the reader is Game 2 does not come out until May!

Throughout the book the author uses baseball phrases from the late 1800's. To help the reader understand, he gives definitions in the margins. Loren Long's illustrations help bring the story to life. If you love baseball or mysteries, this series could be for you!

Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs by Betty Birney

After learning about the Seven Wonders of the World, Eben McAllister wanted to leave his small town, Sassafras Springs, MO, to see the World. When he informs his Pa of his plan, Eben’s Pa challenges him to find Seven Wonders right in his own small town. If Eben can find seven wonders in seven days in Sassafras Springs, his Pa will buy him a train ticket out West to visit his cousins and see mountains. This story takes place in small town Missouri in 1923. This is a wonderful, wholesome story about the wonders that surround us in our own town. Join Eben on his journey around Sassafras Springs and see what he discovers.