After Iris

Twelve-year-old Bluebell Gadsby’s written and video diary chronicles life in a rowdy London family, and how Zoran, the new au pair, and Joss, the troublemaking boy next door, help to pull her out of her shell and cope with the loss of her twin three years before.

Catherine, Called Birdy

The thirteen-year-old daughter of an English country knight keeps a journal in which she records the events of her life, particularly her longing for adventures beyond the usual role of women and her efforts to avoid being married off.

Anastasia’s Album: The Last Tsar’s Youngest Daughter Tells Her Own Story

Illustrated in scrapbook style with young Anastasia’s photos and watercolor paintings, this intimate glimpse brings to life the unspoiled princess of the last of the czars. Drawing on precious personal keepsakes, personal letters and diaries, and memories of loved ones, this piercing portrait will enthrall all readers who are curious about Anastasia Romanoff’s fascinating–if tragically brief–life. Photos, many in color.

Mira in the Present Tense

Twelve-year-old Mira comes from a chaotic, artistic, and outspoken family in which it’s not always easy to be heard. As her beloved Nana Josie’s health declines, Mira begins to discover the secrets of those around her and also starts to keep some of her own. She is drawn to mysterious Jide, a boy who is clearly hiding a troubled past. As Mira is experiencing grief for the first time, she is also discovering the wondrous and often mystical world around her.

This book is originally published in the UK as Artichoke Hearts.

The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen

Thirteen-year-old Henry’s happy, ordinary life comes to an abrupt halt when his older brother, Jesse, picks up their father’s hunting rifle and leaves the house one morning. What follows shatters Henry’s family, who are forced to resume their lives in a new city, where no one knows their past. When Henry’s therapist suggests he keep a journal, at first he is resistant. But soon he confides in it at all hours of the day and night.

In spite of Henry’s desire to “fly under the radar,” he eventually befriends a number of oddball character, both at school and in his modest apartment building. And even though they know nothing about his past–at least, not yet–they help him navigate the waters of life after “IT.”

The Stone: A Persian Legend of the Magi

A retelling of the story told to Marco Polo about the Magi of Saveh, three wise men from a town in Persia, who followed a strange star and find a special child.

The Fitzosbornes in Exile

Michelle Cooper combines the drama of pre-War Europe with the romance of debutante balls and gives us another compelling historical page turner. Sophia Fitzosborne and the royal family of Montmaray escaped their remote island home when the Germans attacked, and now find themselves in the lap of luxury. Sophie’s journal fills us in on the social whirl of London’s 1937 season, but even a princess in lovely new gowns finds it hard to fit in. Is there no other debutante who reads? And while the balls and house parties go on, newspaper headlines scream of war in Spain and threats from Germany. No one wants a second world war. Especially not the Montmaravians—with all Europe under attack, who will care about the fate of their tiny island kingdom? Will the Fitzosbornes ever be able to go home again? Could Montmaray be lost forever?

Leonardo Da Vinci (Lifelines)

At just 12 years old, Paulo becomes an apprentice to Leonardo da Vinci, the brilliant artist and inventor. Dull is not how Paulo describes life in Leonardo’s busy studio. There are floors to sweep, paints to mix, errands to run, and drawings to be made. But there are mysterious events, too. Another apprentice is not all that he seems, and an evening visit to a hospital uncovers some very interesting happenings… Paulo’s diary tells of an exciting moment in Renaissance Italy; it’s a young boy’s insight into a fascinating time and place and his glimpse into the mind of one of the world’s greatest geniuses, as well as a story told from the heart.  

My Name Is Seepeetza

Her name was Seepeetza when she was at home with her family. But now that she’s living at the Indian residential school her name is Martha Stone, and everything else about her life has changed as well. Told in the honest voice of a sixth grader, this is the story of a young Native girl forced to live in a world governed by strict nuns, arbitrary rules, and a policy against talking in her own dialect, even with her family. Seepeetza finds bright spots, but most of all she looks forward to summers and holidays at home. This autobiographical novel is written in the form of Seepeetza’s diary.

My Diary from Here to There/Mi Diario De Aqui Hasta Alla

A young girl describes her feelings when her father decides to leave their home in Mexico to look for work in the United States.