Recommendations based on A Single Shardby Linda Sue Park

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

  1. Princess Academy

    by Shannon Hale
    A young girl's journey of self-discovery and empowerment, finding her own strength and potential.

    Miri is a fourteen-year-old girl from Mount Eskel, an isolated territory of Danland, who has never been allowed to work with the rest of the villagers in the quarry that keeps the community alive. ... (Wikipedia)

  2. The Whipping Boy

    by Sid Fleischman
    A prince and his whipping boy switch places and embark on an adventure to escape danger and learn about each other.

    Prince Horace can be annoying and craving attention from his father, he frequently misbehaves—to the point he is nicknamed "Prince Brat." Since he is a prince, no one may raise a hand against him. ... (Wikipedia)

  3. Bud, Not Buddy

    by Christopher Paul Curtis
    A young boy searches for his father during the Great Depression, encountering adventure and unexpected kindness along the way.

    The story opens with Bud being placed with a new foster family, the Amoses'. Bud soon meets Todd Amos, their 12-year-old son, who teases him mercilessly and calls him Buddy. After a fight with Todd, ... (Wikipedia)

  4. The Goose Girl

    by Shannon Hale
    A young princess must overcome great obstacles to reclaim her rightful throne.

    When crown princess Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee was born, she did not open her eyes until her aunt held her. The woman became her nursemaid and constant companion, nicknaming her Ani and telling ... (Wikipedia)

  5. Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow

    by Jessica Day George
    A girl with a magical gift must break a curse to save her family. A retelling of the Norwegian fairy tale "East of the Sun and West of the Moon."

    When a great white bear promises untold riches to her family, the Lass (as she's known) agrees to go away with him. But the bear is not what he seems, nor is his castle. To unravel the mystery, the ... (Barnes & Noble)

  6. Book of a Thousand Days

    by Shannon Hale
    A lady's maid and her mistress are locked in a tower for seven years. The maid's journal tells of their struggles and eventual escape.

    Dashti, a mucker from steppes of the Eight Realms, begins a diary as she looks for a job after her mother dies of illness. Eventually, she finds and accepts a position as the new maid of Lady Saren, ... (Wikipedia)

  7. The Tale of Despereaux

    by Kate DiCamillo
    An epic adventure of an unlikely hero, on a quest to save his kingdom and restore justice.

    A noble mouse named Despereaux saves a princess named Princess Pea. Book one tells a story about a small, sickly mouse named Despereaux who was born in a castle with his eyes open. Despereaux, unlike ... (Wikipedia)

  8. Dragon Slippers

    by Jessica Day George
    A young girl's quest to save her family from ruin, through discovering the power of courage and strength.

    Poor Creel. She can't believe her aunt wants to sacrifice her to the local dragon. It's a ploy to lure a heroic knight so that he will fight the dragon, marry Creel out of chivalrous obligation, and ... (Goodreads)

  9. A Year Down Yonder

    by Richard Peck
    Young girl moves to her grandmother's for a year, discovering life's hard lessons and unexpected joys.

    The year is 1938, and the Great Depression has hit the Dowdel family hard. 15-year-old Mary Alice is sent downstate to live with Grandma Dowdel while her mother and father remain in Chicago. Her ... (Wikipedia)

  10. A Long Walk to Water: Based on a True Story

    by Linda Sue Park
    A boy's story of courage and perseverance, as he faces the civil war in Sudan.

    A Long Walk to Water begins as two stories, told in alternating sections, about a girl in Sudan in 2008 and a boy in Sudan in 1985. The girl, Nya, is fetching water from a pond that is two hours’ ... (Goodreads)

  11. 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)

  12. The Witch of Blackbird Pond

    by Elizabeth George Speare
    A young girl's struggles to find her place in a Puritan Connecticut town.

    In April 1687, 16-year-old Katherine Tyler (known throughout the story as Kit Tyler) leaves her home in Barbados after her grandfather dies and a 50-year-old man tries to marry her. She relocates to ... (Wikipedia)

  13. These Is My Words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine, 1881-1901

    by Nancy E. Turner
    A young woman's struggle for independence, chronicles her journey through the American Southwest.

    “Belongs on your must-read list. This novel is a gem.” — Omaha World-Herald Nancy E. Turner's unforgettable, These Is My Words, melds the sweeping adventures and dramatic landscapes of, Lonesome ... (Barnes & Noble)

  14. Because of Winn-Dixie

    by Kate DiCamillo
    A girl's journey of self-discovery and healing, as she finds friendship in an unlikely companion.

    Kate DiCamillo's beloved, best-selling debut novel is now available in a paperback digest edition. Kate DiCamillo's first published novel, like Winn-Dixie himself, immediately proved to be a keeper—a ... (Goodreads)

  15. The One and Only Ivan

    by Katherine Applegate
    A gorilla named Ivan, who lives in a mall, finds hope and freedom through his art and the help of his friends.

    The story is placed at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall by the Video Arcade. Ivan, the gorilla, has lived in captivity at the Big Top Mall for 9,855 days by his own tally. , He lives in his domain, and is ... (Wikipedia)

  16. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

    by Lisa See
    Story of two women in 19th-century China, exploring the power of female friendship.

    In rural Hunan province called Puwei (nicknamed the Common Beauty Village), a county in China, Lily is destined to become a, laotong, pair with Snow Flower, a girl of the same age from Tongkou (the ... (Wikipedia)

  17. Catherine, Called Birdy

    by Karen Cushman
    An adolescent girl's story of rebellion, seeking freedom in a restrictive society.

    The following is a description of the novel as it appears on the cover: "[T]he fourteen-year-old daughter of an English country knight keeps a journal in which she records the events of her life, ... (Wikipedia)

  18. The Emperor of Nihon-Ja

    by John Flanagan
    A young warrior embarks on a quest to restore the rightful ruler to the throne of Nihon-Ja.

    Horace (the knight) is missing. Months have passed since he was sent on a military mission to the court of the Emperor of Nihon-Ja with his friend, former wardmate, and Scribeschool apprentice ... (Wikipedia)

  19. Liar & Spy

    by Rebecca Stead
    A young boy's journey of self-discovery, navigating the complexities of bullies and friendships.

    The day that Georges (with a silent s, named for Georges Seurat ) moves from a house to an apartment with his family, he sees a boy walking two dogs, disappearing into a locked door under the lobby ... (Wikipedia)

  20. The City of Ember

    by Jeanne DuPrau
    A city on the brink of destruction, two young people race against time to unlock its secrets.

    As the book starts off, a coalition of architects, scientists, and doctors known as "The Builders" have built Ember, an isolated, underground city with enough supplies for its inhabitants to survive ... (Wikipedia)

  21. The Great Brain

    by John D. Fitzgerald
    A series of humorous adventures of a young boy's mischievous schemes and life lessons.

    The best con man in the Midwest is only ten years old. Tom, a.k.a., the Great Brain, is a silver-tongued genius with a knack for turning a profit. When the Jenkins boys get lost in Skeleton Cave, the ... (Goodreads)

  22. Homeless Bird

    by Gloria Whelan
    A young girl's story of courage and resilience in the face of adversity.

    Like many girls her age in the India of her time period, thirteen-year-old-Koly is getting married. Full of hope and courage, she leaves home forever. But Koly's story takes a terrible turn when in ... (Goodreads)

  23. Stargirl

    by Jerry Spinelli
    An uplifting story of a unique girl who challenges her classmates to be their true selves.

    The book begins with a brief introduction to the main character, Leo, at an early age, which is followed by his move from his home state of Pennsylvania to Arizona when he is 12. Before the move, his ... (Wikipedia)

  24. Messenger

    by Lois Lowry
    A young boy's mission to save his community, using his bravery and ingenuity.

    Matty, who was introduced in Gathering Blue as "Matt", now lives with Seer, who was originally named Christopher and is a blind man rescued by the people of the Village years earlier. Outside the ... (Wikipedia)

  25. Rise of the Evening Star

    by Brandon Mull
    A coming-of-age adventure of a teenage girl, who discovers powerful magic and must save her world.

    At the end of the school year, Kendra and her brother Seth find themselves racing back to Fablehaven, a refuge for mythical and magical creatures. Grandpa Sorenson, the caretaker, invites three ... (Goodreads)

  26. Half Magic

    by Edward Eager
    Four siblings discover a magic coin that grants wishes, but only halfway. They embark on adventures and learn valuable lessons along the way.

    Four children wish on a Half Magic coin that gets their mother Alison half-way home, rescued by Mr Smith. Mark's wish zaps them to a desert without island, where half-talking cat Carrie gabbles to a ... (Goodreads)

  27. The Good Earth

    by Pearl S. Buck
    A story of humble farmers facing the struggles of poverty and the upheaval of social change.

    The story begins on Wang Lung 's wedding day and follows the rise and fall of his fortunes. The House of Hwang, a family of wealthy landowners, lives in the nearby town, where Wang Lung's future ... (Wikipedia)

  28. Leven Thumps and the Whispered Secret

    by Obert Skye
    Leven Thumps must save the dreamscape from the evil Sabine and discover the whispered secret to restore balance.

    After escaping a deranged dream-master and destroying the hidden gateway, Leven Thumps and his band of travelers must now journey across Foo and restore Geth from his shape as a toothpick to the ... (Goodreads)

  29. A Wind in the Door

    by Madeleine L'Engle
    A magical journey exploring the mysteries of the universe and the power of love.

    Main character Meg Murry is worried about her brother Charles Wallace, a 6-year-old genius bullied at school by the other children. The new principal of the elementary school is the former high ... (Wikipedia)

  30. 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)