By: Cynthia Kadohata
Weedflower is the story of a twelve-year-old Japanese-American girl named Sumiko living in the 1940s during World War II. Sumiko is the only Japanese girl in her school, and she has very few friends. But Sumiko finds comfort with her family and their garden. Sumiko's entire world is turned upside down as a result of Pearl Harbor. Even though Sumiko was born in America and had never been to Japan, she and her family are forced into an interment camp, because everyone believes they are spies. Sumiko soon learns that she is just as unwanted in the internment camp, as she was at home. The reason Sumiko is so unwanted is because the internment camp she is forced to live in was built on a Mohave reservation. As Sumiko learns this she tries to befriend a Mohave boy in an attempt to feel less unwanted.

This is a really great book about World War II, and how the American public turned on Japanese-Amercans because they were Japanese. It shows the discrimination they faced and how they chose to deal with being outsiders. Sumiko never really let being an outsider stop her from doing what she liked, and it is important for children to know they can follow their dreams even if it's not the norm.

By: Doris Gwaltney
Homefront is a story that takes place in 1941 America. It's about a teenaged girl named Margaret Ann and all she wants is her own room. When her older sister leaves for college, Margaret Ann is about to get everything she wants. This all changes when she finds out her British cousin is coming to live with her. To Margaret the war in Europe isn't real, and she can only focus on how her cousin is ruining all her plans. It isn't until Margaret's older brother enlists in the Navy, the becomes all too real for Margaret. She then finds an unlikely friend in her cousin.

This is a good book on World War II, because it shows the war from the perspective of a child instead of an adult. It's also a good book on friendship. Margaret dislikes her cousin because she feels like she's ruining everything. But then Margaret realizes there are more important things for her to be concerned about than having her own room. Once she realizes this she puts aside her and her cousin's differences and they become friends.

By: Chen Jiang Hong
The Magic Horse of Han Gan is about a young boy who loves to draw and paint, but his parents cannot afford to buy him the brushes and paper he needs. So he works for a delivery service to help out his family and on one of the deliveries he starts drawing a horse in the sand. The person he delivered the food to just happened to be a famous painter and he sees Han's drawing and tells him to come back the next day. When Han returns the next day there are paper and brushes for him to use to paint. Han Gan only every paints horses though, and he becomes a very famous painter. He then is sent to an art institute by the emperor because he has such great talent.

This is an excellent book for young children to read because it encourages creativity and following your dreams. Han Gan didn't get discouraged that his parents could not afford brushes and paper for him to paint on. Instead he continued to follow his passion of painting and eventually he fulfilled his dream of becoming a famous painter. It is really important for children to know that they should never be discouraged to follow their dreams, and this book helps show them that.

By: Linda Buckley-Archer
The Time Travelers is about Peter and Kate who are just two normal teens living in Derbyshire, England. When they visit Kate's father's laboratory there is a freak accident with the anti-gravity device and Peter and Kate are knocked unconscious. When they wake up they are in 1792 England and are running for their lives. They meet Gideon, who is a cutpurse and a gentleman and enlist his help to retrieve the time machine that was stolen from them. The time machine is their only way home and they must venture throughout London on a quest to get it back.

This is an excellent book about friendship. At the beginning of the story Peter and Kate can't stand each other, but as they travel throughout London they learn to appreciate each other. They also learn how to trust each other when their lives depend on it. This book also encourages imagination and a sense of adventure. These are both very important parts of growing up and should be encouraged always.