The only life 10-year-old Moon can remember is living in the wilderness with his father, but when his father dies he has to fend for himself in the real world he’s never known.

Black Duck
Lisle, Janet

When Ruben meets the daring captain of the "Black Duck," the most elusive smuggling boat in Prohibition-era Rhode Island, it isn't long before he's keeping dangerous company.

Black Storm Comin’
Wilson, Diane Lee

In 1860, 12-year-old Colton, son of a black mother and a white father, takes a dangerous job with the Pony Express after his father abandons the family on their California-bound wagon train.

Blood on the River: James Town 1607
Carbone, Elisa

As page to Captain John Smith, 12-year-old orphan Samuel Collier settles in the new colony of James Town, where he must learn to distinguish between friend and foe.

Cornelia and the Audacious Escapades of the Somerset Sisters
Blume, Lesley M. M.

Lonely 11-year-old Cornelia becomes friends with an elderly neighbor who has many stories to share about the fabulous adventures she had traveling around the world.

A Drowned Maiden’s Hair
Schlitz, Laura Amy

At the Barbary Asylum for Female Orphans, 11-year-old Maud is adopted by three spinster sisters who want her to play an important role in their phony séances.

Gossamer
Lowry, Lois

A young apprentice dream-giver tries to save an eight-year-old boy from the effects of both his abusive past and the nightmares inflicted on him by the frightening Sinisteeds.

The Green Glass Sea
Klages, Ellen

In 1943, 11-year-old Dewey travels by train to Los Alamos, New Mexico to join her scientist father where he's working on a top secret government program.

Hattie Big Sky
Larson, Kirby

In 1917, after inheriting her uncle's homesteading claim in Montana, 16-year-old orphan Hattie Brooks has to fence and cultivate the harsh-but-beautiful land in order to keep it.

Heat
Lupica, Mike

Pitching whiz Michael Arroyo is banned from playing Little League baseball because rival coaches don’t believe he is only 12 years old and he has no parents to offer them proof.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Selznick, Brian

When Hugo, 12 years old and an orphan, meets a mysterious toyseller and his goddaughter, his secret life living within the walls of a Paris train station is jeopardized.

Letters from Wolfie
Sherlock, Patti

After lending his beloved dog to the Army to be a scout in Vietnam, 13-year-old Mark worries when the Army refuses to say when or if Wolfie will ever return from the war.

Life as We Knew It
Pfeffer, Susan Beth

Sixteen-year-old Miranda describes her family's struggle to survive after a meteor hits the moon, causing worldwide tsunamis, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

The Lightning Thief
Riordan, Rick

After learning that his father is Poseidon, god of the sea, 12-year-old Percy Jackson is sent to a camp for demigods where he and his new friends try to stop a war between the gods.

Oh, Rats!: The Story of Rats and People
Marrin, Albert

Get ready to look at rats in a whole new way! These intelligent, compassionate creatures are often greatly misunderstood.

Penny from Heaven
Holm, Jennifer L.

As she turns 12 during the summer of 1953, Penny gains new insights into herself and her family while also learning a secret about her father's death.

Project Mulberry
Park, Linda Sue

While working on a school project, Korean-American Julia and her friend Patrick learn a lot about silkworms – but also about tolerance, prejudice, friendship, patience and more.

Rules
Lord, Cynthia

Frustrated at life with an autistic brother, 12-year-old Catherine longs for a normal existence, but her world is further complicated by a friendship with a young paraplegic.

Shug
Han, Jenny

As the school year starts, 12-year-old Shug deals with her first crush, her parents’ bitter fights and a falling out with her closest girlfriend.

Wolf Brother
Paver, Michelle

6,000 years in the past, twelve-year-old Torak and his guide, a wolf cub, set out on a dangerous journey to fulfill an oath the boy made to his dying father.
 

Call Youth Services Department at 847-376-2839 for more information.