The Lily Pond by Annika Thor –ESSENTIAL

Thor, Annika The Lily Pond, 224 pgs. Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 20011. $12.74. (Rating: G in all catagories)
A second book is a series, Stephanie is a World War II refuge who has been given a safe haven. Having grown up in Vienna, Stephie and her sister are sent away to Sweden to escape Nazi-occupied Vienna, leaving behind their parents. (The first book). In this book, Stephie is given the opportunity to continue her education, which means she has to live with a family on the mainland. Now she has to contend with the rigors of school, a crush on an older boy, missing and worrying about her parents, and growing up.
This book can function as a stand alone, although I would get the first book as well, A Faraway Island. As far as historical fiction goes, this is a wonderful book to have in your collection. This book really draws the reader in and allows them to feel the emotions of the main character. (Her parents are fictional, and here I am still extremely worried about them!!) The story is multi-layered, yet still a simple and engaging read.
Elementary –ESSENTIAL Reviewer: Stephanie MLS graduate.

The Story of Britain from the Norman Conquest to the European Union by Patrick Dillon - ADVISABLE

Dillon, Patrick. The Story of Britain from the Norman Conquest to the European Union, illustrated by P.J. Lynch, 341 pages.  Candlewick Press, 2010. $21.99.  NONFICTION.So much has happened in England since the Norman Conquest, and this book tries to tell it all.  It includes a brief overview from the Middle Ages, the Tudors, the Stuarts, the Georgians, the Victorians, and the Twentieth Century.  The book has pictures, maps, and timelines.  It is one thousand years of history in a 341 page book.  If you are looking for a brief overview of the history of England, than this is the book for you.  It does not, however, provide many details.  For example, the entire American Revolution spans one page.  That's not very much detail.  Of course, if someone wants to then turn around and learn more about a certain topic, then they can read more details.  I am no England scholar, but I think this is a great volume of British history.  EL, MS, HS - OPTIONAL.  Brent Smith, Reading Teacher

The Sons of Liberty Book 2: Death and Taxes by Alexander Lagos and Joseph Lagos-OPTIONAL

Lagos, Alexander  and Joseph Lagos. The Sons of Liberty Book 2: Death and Taxes,176 pages, Random House, 2011, $14.99. Language-G, Mature Content-G, Violence-PG

Having escaped slavery years before, brothers Graham and Brody are now apprentices in Benjamin Franklin's print shop in Philadelphia at the outbreak of civil unrest. As the Colonists begin to fight back against the British, the streets erupt in violence. The brothers use their super powers, obtained in Book 1,  to find Graham's girlfriend and fight injustice and demons on both sides of the conflict. The Sons of Liberty is American history on steroids. The plot is a mash-up of historical fiction, super hero action, social commentary and pure craziness, and it was pretty hard to follow until I went back and read Book 1.  The pictures are visually stunning and will captivate any willing reader. Ultimately however, I felt the superhero angle was like cheese sauce over broccoli; it was a gimmick to get you to read historical fiction, and this book is much more fictional than historical. MS/HS-OPTIONAL. Reviewer: Gretchen 

The Friendship Doll by Kirby Larson -OPTIONAL

Larson, Kirby The Friendship Doll, 208 pgs. Delacorte Books for Young Readers , 2011. $9.59. (Rating: G in all categories)
An interesting piece of historical fiction, this book starts in the 1920’s, when over fifty Japanese dolls, called Ambassadors of Friendship, were sent to the United States. This is the story of one of those dolls –Miss Kanagawa, as she encounters children through the decades, and finds she can communicate with some of them. Each section of the book features the dolls encounter a new child, each in a different time period, such as the depression, and offering her advice.
I realize the doll is used as a thread to tie together the unique stories of each child. However, I must say that it just plain creeped me out - imaging this sentient doll trapped in a box for long periods of time, just waiting (even with good intentions) to influence a susceptible child. That being said, the individual stories of the children in the various time periods were wonderful. They were well written, engaging, and featured just enough ‘history’ to set the tone without overriding the voice of the character. This might be worth purchasing just for that component, especially if you want to represent elementary age children during the early to mid 1900’s.
ELEMENTARY –OPTIONAL Reviewer: Stephanie MLS graduate.

Defiance (Resistance Book 2) by Carla Jablonski & Leland Purvis -OPTIONAL

Jablonski, Carla and Purvis, Leland Defiance (Resistance Book 2), 128pgs. First Second, 2011. $12.74. (Language-G, Violence- PG; Sexual Content-G.)
Paul and his family live in Nazi occupied France during World War II. Rather than remain powerless, they each fight back in their own way, taking part in the Resistance. Even though he is just a young boy, Paul has been posting his own political commentary via his drawings around town. His older sister is getting involved in her own right, by romancing information out of a German soldier. Eventually things come to a head when the siblings find out a Resistance food drop might become a Nazi trap. Can they find the Resistance group that hides in the woods and warn them in time?
This is a second book in a series, and I don’t believe it can function as a stand alone. There is a lot going on that was probably laid out well in the first book, but only serves to be overwhelming without it. Also confusing was the artwork depicting female characters, all the women looked like the same stressed out person to me – they were hard to tell apart. I think this is a unique perspective, told from the point of view of French Youth in France, and the graphic novel presentation is perfect timing. My advice is to wait for the third concluding book, and buy the entire series.
MS, HS – OPTIONAL Reviewer: Stephanie MLS graduate.