The Hundred Dresses

What the blurb says:

"I've got a hundred dresses."
Nobody can believe it -
Wanda wears the same old blue
dress every day.
"A hundred dresses --- all lined up!"
If Wanda really does have
a hundred dresses, she's certainly
keeping them hidden . . .
but why?

The View From Saturday

What the blurb says:

Their path to the state finals started with the sixth grade championship. Mrs. Olinski had expected victory, for her team was quick and informed and worked together perfectly. No one had expected them to trounce the other two sixth grades, but they did. Their victory was so profound that the sixth-grade math teacher, Mrs. Sharkey, confided to the music teacher, Ms. Masolino, that for the first time in the history of Epiphany Middle School there was a chance --- just a possibility, mind you --- that a sixth grade team might beat the seventh grade.

Favorite excerpt:

Mrs. Olinski allowed them to stand there until three minutes seemed like thirty. Then she sent them back to their seats. "Since you cannot describe what you have done, I would call belching loudly to interrupt our class an unspeakable act. Unspeakable. And because you cannot explain how to do it, I would say that you cannot teach either."

Crispin: The Cross Of Lead

What the blurb says:

"Asta's son" is all he's ever been called. The lack of name is appropriate, because he and his mother are but poor peasants in fourteenth-century medieval England. But this thirteen-year-old boy who thought he had little to lose soon finds himself with even less --- no home, family or possessions. Accused of a crime he didn't commit, he has been declared a "wolf's head." That means he may be killed on sight, by anyone. If he wishes to remain alive, he must flee his tiny village. All the boy takes with him is a newly revealed name --- Crispin --- and his mother's cross of lead.

A master of breathtaking plot twists and vivid characters, Avi brings the full force of his storytelling powers to the world of medieval England.

Favorite excerpts: 

"Do you ever smile, boy?" he demanded. "If you can't laugh and smile, life is worthless. Do you hear me?" he yelled. "It's nothing!"


"Crispin," he said after a moment of silence, "I'll give you some advice. You're full of sadness. Those who bring remorse are shunned. Do you know why?"


I shook my head.


"Because sorrow is the common fate of man. Who then would want more? But wit and laughter, Crispin, why, no one ever has enough. When I think on the perfections of our Savior, I choose to think most upon His most perfect laughter. It must have been the kind that makes us laugh too. For mirth is the coin that brings a welcome. Lose your sorrows, and you'll find your freedom."

Number the Stars

What the blurb says:

Ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen and her best friend, Ellen Rosen, often think about the way life was before the war. But it's now 1943, and their life in Copenhagen is filled with school, food shortages, and Nazi soldiers marching in their town.

The Nazis won't stop. The Jews of Denmark are being "relocated," so Ellen moves in with the Johansens and pretends to be part of the family.

Then Annemarie is asked to go on a dangerous mission. Somehow she must find the strength and courage to save her best friend's life. There's no turning back now.

Favorite excerpt:

From the afterword:

So I would like to end this with a paragraph written by that young man, in a letter to his mother, the night before he was put to death.

. . . and I want you all to remember - that you must not dream yourselves back to the times before the war, but the dream for you all, young and old, must be to create an ideal of human decency, and not a narrow-minded and prejudiced one. That is the great gift our country hungers for, something every little peasant boy can look forward to, and with pleasure feel he is a part of - something he can work and fight for.

Jacob Have I Loved

What the blurb says:

Louise has had enough of her twin sister. Caroline is beautiful. Caroline is talented. Caroline is better. Growing up on the small island of Rass in Chesapeake Bay, Caroline seems to do nothing but take from Louise: their parents' love, Louise's chances for an education, her dreams for the future. They have spent their lives entwined - sleeping in the same room, eating at the same table, learning in the same classroom - and yet somehow nothing can bring them together. Louise's only hope lies in seeking a place for herself beyond the stretch of Rass's shores and her sister's shadow. What will it take for her to break free?

Messenger

What the blurb says:

For the past six years, Matty has lived in Village and flourished under the guidance of Seer, a blind man known for his special sight. Once, Village was a place that welcomed newcomers and offered hope and homes to people fleeing poverty and cruelty. But something sinister has seeped into Village, and the people have voted to close it to outsiders. All along, Matty has been invaluable as a messenger between Village and other communities. He hopes someday to earn the name of Messenger. Now he must make one last journey through the treacherous Forest to spread the message of Village's closing and convince Kira, Seer's daughter, to return with him. Matty's only weapon against his increasingly dangerous surroundings is a secret power he unexpectedly discovers within himself. He wants to heal the people who have nourished his body and spirit and is willing to offer the greatest gift and pay the ultimate price.

Gathering Blue

What the blurb says:

Kira, an orphan with a twisted leg, lives in a world where the weak are cast aside. She fears for her future until she is spared by the all-powerful Council of Guardians. Kira is a gifted weaver and is given a task that no other community member can carry out. While her talent keeps her alive and brings certain privileges, Kira soon realizes that she is surrounded by mysteries and secrets. No one must know of her plans to uncover the truth about her world - and to find out what exists beyond it.