A fictional account of the experiences of Jim Jarvis, a young orphan who escapes the workhouse in 1860’s London and survives brutal treatment and desparate circumstances until he is taken in by Dr. Barnardo, founder of a school for the city’s “ragged” children.
Historical Fiction
Historical Fiction genre
The Grand Mosque of Paris: A Story of How Muslims Rescued Jews during the Holocaust
When the Nazis occupied Paris, no Jew was safe from arrest and deportation. Few Parisians were willing to risk their own lives to help. Yet during that perilous time, many Jews found refuge in an unlikely place–the sprawling complex of the Grand Mosque of Paris. Not just a place of worship but a community center, this hive of activity was an ideal temporary hiding place for escaped prisoners of war and Jews of all ages, especially children.
But Can the Phoenix Sing?
Escaping the Warsaw Ghetto to a life of danger and freedom as a partisan in the forest of Parczew, fourteen-year-old Misha Edelman learns a harsh lesson about survival that parallels the story of the mythical phoenix.
Stones in Water
The day Roberto and his friend Samuele are rounded up by German soldiers and put on a train marks both a beginning and an end. The boys have now become part of the war, providing forced labor for the Nazis at various work camps deep inside German territory. And it’s the ending to all they’ve known — before their lives as children in Venice, their innocence. For Roberto, the present is unbearable — backbreaking work, near starvation, and protecting Samuele’s secret that, if discovered, would mean death for both boys. Escape is Roberto’s only hope, but the Russian winter is upon the land — and any hope seems remote.
Grace
When young English woman Grace Darling spots a wreck offshore, she enlists the aid of her father to rescue the survivors–an act that brings her the adoration and rejection of her nation. By the author of A Chance Child.
A Templar’s Apprentice
Scotland. 1307. Thirteen-year-old Tormod MacLeod is different. He knows things before they happen. Even his own brother treats him differently, and all Tormod can do is bide his time until he’s old enough to leave the village and make something of himself. His chance comes sooner than expected when a Templar knight asks him to deliver a secret message. But Tormod’s efforts end up endangering both their lives. What follows is a desperate journey to escape the army of King Philippe le Bel of France. If he is to survive, Tormod must learn to harness the powers within. “Kat Black is a refreshing voice in young adult fiction–wonderfully original, compelling, and thought-provoking.” –Allen Say “A fascinating book . . . with a depth of history. The blend of religion and the supernatural make this a very intriguing novel. Engrossing, well-researched, and well-told.” –Ed Masessa, Scholastic Book Fairs and author of #1 NY Times bestseller The Wandmaker’s Guidebook “A Templar’s Apprentice hooked me from the first page and never let up. With her amazing gift of bringing ancient settings to life, Black creates a world so complete that when I closed the book I could still feel its pull on me. With one surprising turn after the next, she brings the reader along on an exhilarating adventure of Templar Knights, a stolen map, a mysterious carved statue, and a brave boy with second-sight. I can’t wait for the next in the series.” —Wendy Mass, author of A Mango-Shaped Space
Moonrunner
Twelve-year-old Casey, an American boy who has just moved to Australia, chances upon a herd of wild brumbies, which reminds him of the wild mustangs of his home in Montana, and the relationship he develops with the stallion Moonrunner changes his life.
The Fire-Raiser
Set in New Zealand at the beginning of World War I, this novel depicts four children who band together to find out who has been setting fire to buildings all over town.
The Hollow Tree
Winner of the 1999 Canadian Governor General’s Award. It is 1777, and 15-year-old Phoebe Olcott is thrown headlong into the turmoil of war when her beloved cousin Gideon is hanged for being a British spy. When she finds a secret message from Gideon, containing the names of Loyalist families to be protected by the King’s soldiers, she decides to deliver it to the British general at Fort Ticonderoga. Thus begins an enthralling wilderness journey, where Phoebe is accompanied by a cat, a bear cub, and Jem Morrissay, a young Loyalist heading to British Canada himself. Award-winning author Janet Lunn has brought a little-known piece of our history to vivid life.
The Boy from over There
Avramik, a young Holocaust survivor, has difficulties adjusting to life on a kibbutz in the days before the first Arab-Israeli War.