Courage Requires Fortitude

Beardance

Cloyd Atcitty returns to the high country with his rancher friend Walter. Walter is searching for a lost cache of Spanish gold and Cloyd is hoping to find a family of grizzly bears.

Bridge to Terabithia

Jess and Leslie become special friends as they create a magical secret world that they call Terabithia.

Catfish and Mandala

This autobiographical account tells of a Vietnamese American who feels like an outsider in both America and Vietnam.

Children of the River

At thirteen, Sundara fled Cambodia with her aunt's family to escape the Khmer Rouge army, leaving her parents, two siblings and the boy she has loved since childhood behind.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

The exciting experiences of Harry Potter are described as he goes from being an ordinary boy to being an unusual student at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Hatchet

After a plane crash, thirteen-year-old Brian survives 54 days in the wilderness, initially with only the aid of a hatchet given to him by his mother.

Joey Pigza Loses Control

When Joey Pigza meets his dad, Carter, for the first time in years, he meets a grown-up version of his old hyperactive self.

Nightjohn

Nightjohn, an enslaved African American, risks severe punishments by teaching a young slave girl to read.

Othello

Othello, a brave and frequently absent Moor general, is tricked by the evil lago into believing his beloved Desdemona has been unfaithful.

Parrot in the Oven

Manny, fourteen years old, is confronted with an alcoholic father, friends involved in gangs, and a rough neighborhood. Manny struggles to make the right choices and to somehow belong.

Parvana's Journey

After her father's death, 13-year-old Parvana, disguised as a boy, wanders alone through the war-torn Afghanistan looking for her mother and siblings who had disappeared in the tumult of the Taliban takeover of Mazar-e-Sharif.

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

Set in Mississippi during the 1930s, this modern classic portrays the struggles of the Logan family, determined to retain the land they own in the face of threats, harassment, and prejudice.

Sarny

The Civil War is over, and Sarny has been released from the shackles of slavery. This sequel to Gary Paulsen's acclaimed novel, Nightjohn, follows Sarny as she searches for her children after the war.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

The adventurous journey of four English children is traced as they discover the magical land of Narnia behind an old wardrobe.

The Pearl

The intriguing story of a poor Mexican pearl diver who finds the largest pearl ever seen is a suspenseful reading experience.

The Hobbit

In the land of Middle Earth - inhabited by dwarves, elves, goblins, dragons, and humans - Bilbo Baggins, the hobbit, encounters many adventures when he is persuaded to join a band of dwarves on an expedition to recover a stolen treasure hidden by a thieving dragon.

The House on Mango Street

A young girl living in a Hispanic neighborhood in Chicago ponders her environment and evaluates her relationships with family and friends.

The Phantom Tollbooth

Milo, a very bored boy, drives his toy car through a tollbooth that mysteriously appears in his bedroom and arrives in the Kingdom of Wisdom. There he learns the importance of words and numbers, patience and responsibility.

Under the Blood Red Sun

This novel depicts 1941 Hawaii through the eyes of a thirteen-year-old Japanese American boy, Tomi Nakaji, as he struggles with the racism, violence, and hardship that arise when his father and grandfather are wrongfully arrested after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

Whirlgig

Brent Bishop discovers the meaning of accountability when his drunken action causes the death of Lea Zamora.

Wringer

The annual pigeon shoot provides the young boys of the community the opportunity to prove their fortitude and manhood by serving as "wringers."