Recommendations based on Amos Fortune, Free Manby Elizabeth Yates

* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans

  1. Miracles on Maple Hill

    by Virginia Sorensen
    A family moves to a farm in Maple Hill to heal from the effects of war. They find joy and healing in nature and community.

    Marly's father just returned from the war; he is suffering from mood swings and depression, and seems to be tired all the time. Lee, Marly's mother, moves the family to Maple Hill, a town where the ... (Wikipedia)

  2. Johnny Tremain

    by Esther Forbes
    A young apprentice's journey of bravery, patriotism and heroism during the American Revolution.

    The story begins on July 23, 1773, in the Boston silversmith shop of elderly Ephraim Lapham, where Johnny is a promising 14-year-old apprentice. It is understood that someday he will marry Mr. ... (Wikipedia)

  3. Rifles for Watie

    by Harold Keith
    A story of resilience and courage set during the American Civil War.

    Jefferson Davis Bussey marches off to Leavenworth from Linn County, Kansas in 1861, on his way to join the Union volunteers. He is off to fight for the North, his zeal having been fueled by reaction ... (Wikipedia)

  4. The Bronze Bow

    by Elizabeth George Speare
    A young man's journey of redemption, as he struggles with anger, violence and oppression.

    This book is set in first-century Galilee . The main character, a young Jew named Daniel bar Jamin, who lives at the same time as Jesus of Nazareth . Daniel's father was killed in front of him, as an ... (Wikipedia)

  5. A Long Way from Chicago

    by Richard Peck
    Story of a brother and sister's adventures with their larger-than-life grandmother during their summer visits.

    "Shotgun Cheatham's" Last Night Above Ground - 1929" (originally printed in Twelve Shots: Stories About Guns, 1997). The first summer the children go to their grandmother's house, a reporter comes ... (Wikipedia)

  6. Carry On, Mr. Bowditch

    by Jean Lee Latham
    A young man's struggle to gain knowledge and self-confidence, inspiring a revolution in navigation.

    In Revolutionary War–era Salem, Massachusetts, a young Nat Bowditch, the smallest member of a sea-faring family, astounds his schoolteacher with his talent for mathematics. He dreams of someday ... (Wikipedia)

  7. The Lake House

    by Kate Morton
    A woman's search for answers to the mystery of her mother's disappearance, uncovering secrets of a long-lost family.

    An abandoned house... June 1933, and sixteen-year-old Alice Edevane is preparing for her family's Midsummer Eve party at their country home, Loeanneth. But by the time midnight strikes and fireworks ... (Goodreads)

  8. Walk Two Moons

    by Sharon Creech
    A young girl embarks on a road trip with her grandparents to find her missing mother, while reflecting on her own life and relationships.

    The novel is narrated by a 13-year-old girl named Salamanca (Sal). Sal's mother has recently left Sal's father, and Sal's grandparents are taking her on a cross-country car trip to Lewiston, Idaho to ... (Wikipedia)

  9. That Hideous Strength

    by C.S. Lewis
    A battle between good and evil, as a group of revolutionaries attempt to overthrow a sinister scientific organization.

    The book, written during the final period of World War II , takes place at an undetermined year "after the end of the war". Mark Studdock is a young academic who has just become a Senior Fellow in ... (Wikipedia)

  10. Katy and the Big Snow

    by Virginia Lee Burton
    A plucky snowplow named Katy saves the day when a big snowstorm hits the city.

    Katy, a brave and untiring tractor, who pushes a bulldozer in the summer and a snowplow in the winter, makes it possible for the townspeople to do their jobs. In 2009, we are celebrating the 100th ... (Barnes & Noble)

  11. Foreign Fruit

    by Jojo Moyes
    A love story set in the 1950s between a young English girl and an American man, exploring themes of cultural differences and societal expectations.

    The sleepy I950s seaside town of Merham offers little in the way of excitement. That is, in the eyes of young Lottie and Celia, members of the respectable Holden family who like nothing more than ... (Goodreads)

  12. Dark Destiny

    by Christine Feehan
    A psychic woman is forced to marry a powerful Carpathian vampire to save her family. They must navigate their bond and fight against their enemies.

    As a young girl, Destiny unknowingly let a vampire into her home, who then slaughtered her family and held her captive, forcing her to become like him. During this terrible time she was able to ... (Wikipedia)

  13. The Outlaws of Sherwood

    by Robin McKinley
    A retelling of the classic tale of Robin Hood and his band of Merry Men, fighting against injustice and tyranny in medieval England.

    New York Times bestselling author Robin McKinley's vivid retelling of the classic story of Robin Hood breathes contemporary life into these beloved adventures-with Marian taking a pivotal role as one ... (Barnes & Noble)

  14. Letters from Rifka

    by Karen Hesse
    A young Jewish girl flees Russia in 1919, hoping to reach America and escape persecution. Her journey is filled with danger and uncertainty.

    During the Russian Civil War of 1919, Rifka and her family must flee Russia because the Russian army are after her one of her brothers for leaving the army; the penalty for that is death for the ... (Wikipedia)

  15. The Lion and the Mouse

    by Jerry Pinkney
    A fable of unlikely friendship that teaches the importance of kindness and helping others.

    In a book where the only words are the sounds made by the animals, the story begins at dawn. A mouse escapes several predators before coming upon a lion. The lion lets the mouse go. Later, some ... (Wikipedia)

  16. The Plea

    by Steve Cavanagh
    A lawyer must defend his guilty client or face deadly consequences. Twists and turns abound in this legal thriller.

    When David Child, a major client of a corrupt New York law firm, is arrested for murder, the FBI ask con-artist-turned-lawyer Eddie Flynn to secure Child as his client and force him to testify ... (Goodreads)

  17. Dark Demon

    by Christine Feehan
    A Carpathian warrior falls in love with a human woman, but their happiness is threatened by an ancient evil force.

    Christine Feehan has worked magic on a legion of fans with her darkly thrilling Carpathian tales. Now she delivers the provocative story of a female vampire slayer who proves as seductive - and ... (Goodreads)

  18. Dark Celebration

    by Christine Feehan
    The Carpathians gather to celebrate the birth of new life, but danger lurks in the shadows threatening to destroy their happiness.

    Raven Dubrinsky, lifemate to the Prince has contacted other lifemates in an effort to join the Carpathians in a Christmas Celebration. Jacques' lifemate Shea is due to give birth at any time and the ... (Wikipedia)

  19. The Fire Within

    by Chris d'Lacey
    A young boy discovers a mysterious clay dragon that comes to life and changes his family's fate forever.

    A magical adventure about the power of dragons... When David moves in with Elizabeth Pennykettle and her eleven-year-old daughter, Lucy, he discovers a collection of clay dragons that come to life. ... (Goodreads)

  20. Hans Brinker, or the Silver Skates

    by Mary Mapes Dodge
    A heartwarming tale of a poor Dutch boy and his sister who dream of winning a skating race and buying their father a new pair of skates.

    In Holland , poor but industrious and honorable 15 year-old Hans Brinker and his younger sister Gretel yearn to participate in December's great ice skating race on the canal . They have little chance ... (Wikipedia)

  21. Cold Sassy Tree

    by Olive Ann Burns
    A coming-of-age story set in a small Southern town in the early 1900s, exploring love, loss, and family dynamics.

    On July 5, 1906, Enoch Rucker Blakeslee announces that he intends to marry Miss Love Simpson, a milliner at his store who is years younger than he. This news shocks his family, since his wife Mattie ... (Wikipedia)

  22. Booked

    by Kwame Alexander
    A young boy navigates life, love, and soccer while dealing with his parents' separation. Written in verse.

    New York Times, Bestseller ∙ National Book Award Longlist ∙ ILA-CBC Children's Choice List ∙ ALA Notable Children’s Book ∙ Book Links’ Lasting Connections ∙ Kirkus Best Book ∙ San Francisco Chronicle ... (Barnes & Noble)

  23. The Magician's Nephew

    by C.S. Lewis
    An epic journey through time and space, exploring the origins of Narnia and discovering its wondrous inhabitants.

    The story begins in London during the summer of 1900. Two children, Digory and Polly , meet while playing in the adjacent gardens of a row of terraced houses . They decide to explore the attic ... (Wikipedia)

  24. Stuck in Neutral

    by Terry Trueman
    A teenage boy with cerebral palsy contemplates his life and the possibility of his father ending it.

    The book follows Shawn McDaniel's first-person point of view . He is a 14-year-old boy with cerebral palsy, a neurological disorder that affects motor control. In Shawn's case, his entire body is ... (Wikipedia)

  25. Murphy's Law

    by Rhys Bowen
    Molly Murphy, a young Irish immigrant, becomes a private detective in early 20th century New York City. Chaos and danger ensue.

    The novel that started it all,, Murphy’s Law, will delight readers old and new of this remarkable, bestselling series.,Molly Murphy always knew she’d end up in trouble, just as her mother predicted. ... (Barnes & Noble)

  26. The Sign of the Beaver

    by Elizabeth George Speare
    A young boy left alone in the wilderness befriends a Native American and learns survival skills.

    The Sign of the Beaver tells the story of 13-year-old Matt James Hallowell, an 18th-century American settler. He and his father build a log cabin in the wilderness of Maine, then Matt is left alone ... (Wikipedia)

  27. Briar Rose

    by Jane Yolen
    A modern retelling of the classic Sleeping Beauty fairy tale, exploring the horrors of the holocaust.

    The book is divided into two parts, the "home", and the "castle". The ending is part of the "home" section, returning after the castle. The story is based around the German fairy tale of Briar Rose ... (Wikipedia)

  28. The Orphan Keeper

    by Camron Wright
    A young boy is kidnapped from his family in India and raised in the US. Years later, he seeks to reconnect with his past.

    Based on a remarkable true story Seven-year-old Chellamuthu’s life—and his destiny—is forever changed when he is kidnapped from his village in Southern India and sold to the Lincoln Home for Homeless ... (Barnes & Noble)

  29. Daughters of the Lake

    by Wendy Webb
    A ghost story that unravels the secrets of a family's past and the mysterious death of a woman found in a lake.

    The ghosts of the past come calling in a spellbinding heart-stopper from the “Queen of the Northern Gothic.”, After the end of her marriage, Kate Granger has retreated to her parents’ home on Lake ... (Barnes & Noble)

  30. Ginger Pye

    by Eleanor Estes
    A brother and sister's adventures in search of a missing pet, uncovering a mysterious thief.

    This book is about a puppy named Ginger. Jerry Pye, a resident in Cranbury, Connecticut in 1919, bought a puppy he wanted from Ms. Speedy for a hard-earned dollar he made while dusting the pews in ... (Wikipedia)