The Whale, the Sea and the Stars

When Gerda the blue whale was very small, her mother would sing a beautiful song telling her that if she were ever lost she should look to the stars and they would guide her. Then it’s time for the little whale to leave home. Her adventures take her from the warm waters of the equator to the freezing poles. Along the way she meets clever killer whales, playful penguins, a friendly polar bear and the ancient narwhale. Then one day, the little whale realizes she wants to find somewhere to stay forever. How will she know she’s found the right sea for her? With her mother’s song in her heart, Gerda follows the stars to a place she knows she can call home.

Someday We Will Fly

Lillia, fifteen, flees Warsaw with her father and baby sister in 1940 to try to make a new start in Shanghai, China, but the conflict grows more intense as America and Japan become involved.

Lifeboat 12

In 1940, a group of British children, their escorts, and some sailors struggle to survive in a lifeboat when the ship taking them to safety in Canada is torpedoed. Includes historical notes.

The Wind Called My Name

When ten-year-old Margarita Sandoval’s family moves to Wyoming during the Great Depression, she faces racism, homesickness, and the possibility that her grandmother’s land in New Mexico may be lost.

The Afterwards

When her best friend, Ness, dies suddenly, Ember finds a way into the Afterworld, determined to bring Ness back.

All The Stars Denied

When resentment surges during the Great Depression in a Texas border town, Estrella, fifteen, organizes a protest against the treatment of tejanos and soon finds herself witih her mother and baby brother in Mexico.

There’s No Base Like Home

Sophia Garcia, thirteen, wants to excel at softball like her older sister, Ellie, and make her family proud, but when she is chosen for a different team and position than Ellie, she must learn to succeed by being herself.

The Boneless Mercies

Four female mercenaries known as Boneless Mercies, weary of roaming Vorseland, ignored and forgotten until they are needed for mercy killings, decide to seek glory by going after a legendary monster in this reimagining of Beowulf.

American Road Trip

Brothers Teodoro and Manny Avila take a road trip to address Manny’s PTSD following his tour in Iraq, and to help T. change his life and win the heart of Wendy Martinez. Includes information and resources about PTSD.

Una Huna?: What Is This?

Ukpik loves living in her camp in the North with her family and she especially loves thinking up names for her brand new puppy. When a captain from the south arrives to trade with Ukpik’s father, she’s excited to learn how to use forks, knives, and spoons. At first, Ukpik enjoys teaching the other children how to use these new tools. But soon, she starts to wonder if they’ll need to use the new tools all the time, and if that means that everything in camp will change. After a conversation with her grandmother, Ukpik realizes that even though she will learn many new things, her love for her family and camp will never change – and it even inspires her to find a name for her puppy!

Worlds of Words

International Collection of Children’s and Adolescent Literature

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