The Journey

The 2010 novel 90 Miles to Havana by Cuban-American author Enrique Flores-Galbis is the coming-of-age tale of Julian, a young Cuban boy who, along with his two older brothers, travels to Miami as part of Operation Pedro Pan in the 1960s. The operation was a covert mission between Cuban and American authorities, with the help of the children’s parents, to evacuate Cuban children from the country during a time of political turmoil under new dictator Fidel... Read 90 Miles to Havana Summary

Across a Hundred Mountains is a 2006 novel by Reyna Grande. It won the American Book Award. The novel tells the story of two women, Adelina and Juana. Every few pages, the novel alternates between each woman’s story. Adelina is an adult working at a woman’s shelter in Los Angeles and has devoted her life to searching for her father, who went missing many years ago. At the beginning of the novel, Adelina finally finds... Read Across A Hundred Mountains Summary

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Artemis Fowl (2001) is the first of 11 fantasy novels in the Fowl Adventures series. It was written by Eoin Colfer, an Irish writer, and details the titular character’s attempt to restore his family’s fortune by kidnapping an elf named Holly Short. Taking place in Colfer’s home country of Ireland, the novel is also his first foray into the fantasy genre. The novel explores themes of community, environmentalism, and the line between magic and science.In... Read Artemis Fowl Summary

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Boy of the Painted Cave is a 1996 middle-grade historical fiction novel by Justin Denzel set 18,000 years ago in prehistoric France. The novel is told in the limited third-person point of view and follows Tao, a 14-year-old boy with a disability, who longs to be a cave painter for his clan. Tao has difficulty walking with his right foot, and he compensates for this by using a spear as a crutch. The crutch allows... Read Boy of the Painted Cave Summary

Brian's Return (1999) is a young adult fiction novel and the fourth book in author Gary Paulsen’s Hatchet series. Paulsen draws on his personal experiences from the wilderness to create Brian’s outdoor adventure and survival narrative throughout the series, stating in the author note, “Virtually all that happens to Brian in these books has happened to me at some point in my life” (112). Paulsen was awarded the Newberry Honor in 1988 for Hatchet, the first... Read Brian's Return Summary

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Dogsong, first published in 1985, is a young adult novel by American author Gary Paulsen, who wrote Dogsong while he was training his dog sled team for his first Iditarod run. It was awarded the Newbery Honor Award in 1986. Paulsen, who was a popular author of young adult and children’s contemporary literature, is best known for books in the coming-of-age genre, often dealing with surviving the wilderness and embracing nature. He authored more than... Read Dogsong Summary

Football Genius is a middle grade sports fiction novel by former NFL player Tim Green. A graduate of Syracuse University’s College of Law, Green played in the NFL for eight seasons before turning his focus towards broadcasting, law, business, and creative writing. In the novel, protagonist Troy White discovers an almost supernatural ability to predict football plays, wrestles with his father’s abandonment, and pushes back against the nepotism and bullying on his own high school... Read Football Genius Summary

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Home of the Brave is a 2008 juvenile novel by Katherine Applegate that is written entirely in free verse. The story revolves around the protagonist, a young boy named Kek, who has fled from violence and upheaval in his native Sudan and traveled alone to the United States. Kek’s father and older brother were killed in an attack on their camp, and Kek was forced to leave his mother behind to save his own life... Read Home of the Brave Summary

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Parvana’s Journey by Deborah Ellis follows 13-year-old Parvana as she makes her way across war-torn Afghanistan in search of her mother and siblings. Published in 2002, this novel is a sequel to the international bestseller The Breadwinner, which was adapted as a 2017 animated film, and is the second in a series of four called The Breadwinner series. Although Parvana’s Journey is a work of fiction, Ellis bases the setting of the novel on the... Read Parvana's Journey Summary

Pax is a heartwarming Children’s book by Sara Pennypacker showcasing the friendship between a young boy named Peter and his Fox, Pax. Pax is illustrated by Jon Klassen and was on the National Book Award Longlist. Sara Pennypacker has published 19 books, including Pax (2016), Summer of the Gypsy Moths, as well as the bestselling Clementine and Stuart series.Plot SummaryIn Pax, war brews at an unknown time in an unknown place, and Peter’s father forces... Read Pax Summary

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