An elderly man shares his life story with his grandson, complete with long, dangerous walks to school, war, love and marriage, and a very special protector.
Intermediate (ages 9-14)
Material appropriate for intermediate age groups
Escape To West Berlin
In 1961 East Berlin, thirteen-year-old Heidi copes with the stress of a crisis with her best friend, government pressure on her father to leave his West Berlin job, her mother’s pregnancy, and the ever-present threat of the closing of the border.
Year of No Rain
In 1999, when rebel soldiers come to their village in southern Sudan, Stephen and his friends escape but hope to be able to return again.
The Bamboo Flute
In 1932, during Australia’s deep economic depression, young Paul meets Eric the Red–a wandering swagman–who teaches Paul how to play the bamboo flute and brings music back into Paul’s life.
Shadow Spinner
When Marjan, a thirteen-year-old girl with a disability, joins the Sultan’s harem in ancient Persia, she gathers for Shahrazad the stories which will save the queen’s life.
The Girl With The Broken Wing
Twins James and Amanda are baffled as to why a girl with a broken wing shows up outside their attic window one night, demanding to be let in and then not leaving except to cause trouble, until one day her purpose becomes clear.
Land Of Yesterday, Land Of Tomorrow: Discovering Chinese Central Asia
An informative look at the little-known Xinjiang Province of China, closed to foreigners in 1949 and only reopened in 1984, detailing its history, its use as a testing ground for nuclear weapons, its natural resources, and its people.
19 Varieties of Gazelle: Poems of the Middle East
Nineteen poems about the Middle East and about being an Arab American living in the United States.
The Subtle Knife
As the boundaries between worlds begin to dissolve, Lyra and her daemon help Will Parry in his search for his father and for a powerful, magical knife.
In Ned’s Head
Eleven-year-old Ned, who prefers the name Treb, uses his diary to record his wild thoughts about romance, school, and the rest of his eventful life.