- A Friendship for Today by Patricia C. McKissack
- Ham the Astrochimp by Richard Hilliard
- Jesse Owens: Fastest Man Alive by Carole Boston Weatherford
- Lawn Boy by Gary Paulsen
- Leepike Ridge by N.D. Wilson
- Me and the Pumpkin Queen by Marlane Kennedy
- Pete and Fremont by Jenny Tripp
- Rickshaw Girl by Mitali Perkins
- The Story of Jonas by Maurine F. Dahlberg
A Friendship for Today by Patricia C. McKissack
When Resemary Patterson begins attending a previously all-white
school, she faces many challenges. An unlikely friendship with
mean Grace Hamilton and a lonely injured cat named Rags help her
succeed at Robertson Elementary.
Ham the Astrochimp by Richard Hilliard
Here's the true story of a chimpanzee born in the African jungle
in the late 1950's who became one of the first space travelers on
a daring mission that helped open the way for humans to travel
into space.
Jesse Owens: Fastest Man Alive by Carole Boston Weatherford
In lyrical prose, read how the fastest man alive triumphed over
racial prejudice in the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
Lawn Boy by Gary Paulsen
While other twelve-year-olds are on summer vacation, Lawn Boy
uses his grandmother's gift of an old riding lawnmower to start a
business that grows faster than crabgrass and brings him
unexpected wealth and trouble, along with a lesson in big
business.
Leepike Ridge by N.D. Wilson
Eleven-year-o;d Tom Hammond falls asleep while floating down the
river and awakes as rapids slam him into the rocks and finally
pulls him down into a dark, uncharted cave system where he
discovers inner strength, truths about his dead father, and an
ancient secret that could cost him his life even if he finds a
way out of the mountain.
Me and the Pumpkin Queen by Marlane Kennedy
Mildred, a very determined eleven-year-old, tries to grow a giant
pumpkin to win the Circleville Pumpkin Festival to honor her
deceased mother who was a former "Pumpkin Queen."
Pete and Fremont by Jenny Tripp
Pete, the magnificent pink poodle who is the former star of the
Circus Martinez, gets help from hateful Rita the chimp and scary
Fremont the homesick grizzly bear to get back to the top, while
Pete devises a plan to free Fremont.
Rickshaw Girl by Mitali Perkins
Intending only to help her father but struggling against
Bangladeshi expectations for women, Naima breaks a social rule,
cripples her father's ability to earn a living for his family and
must now find a way to repair the damage.
The Story of Jonas by Maurine F. Dahlberg
In 1859 Jonas, a thirteen-year-old slave, travels with a wagon
train and his master's son from his home in Missouri to the gold
fields in Kansas Territory, not seeking gold but instead seeking
his freedom.