Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt by Deborah Hopkinson, illustrated by James Ransome

This absolutely beautiful book, written by Deborah Hopkinson and illustrated by James Ransome, is just what I needed to share with my 5th graders to complement their unit on the Civil War. It also gave me a chance to discuss historical fiction, the use of dialect, and descriptive language. The story led to some great discussion about slavery and plantation hierarchy as 12-year-old Clara's story brings history to life. I like to follow this one up with the shorter story,

Under the Quilt of Night, which includes a great author's note about Hopkinson's research into the history and folklore of the Underground Railroad.

For more information, be sure to check out Deborah Hopkinson's website at http://www.deborahhopkinson.com/Historical%20Fiction/clara.html She includes great links to sites with ideas for lesson plans and other activities that go with these books.

Beyonders: A World Without Heroes by Brandon Mull

Book one of the Beyonders series starts out with a typical day in the life of Jason Walker, who plays on his school's baseball team and works part-time at the local zoo. On this day, mysterious music leads him to a fall into another world where he soon gets into trouble trying to save a band of musicians who seem intent on riding a raft to their deaths over a waterfall. Forced to go on the run, he discovers that he has entered Lyrian, a world dominated by a ruthless wizard who rules with an iron fist and cruel magics. Curiosity and a strong sense of justice lead Jason into a quest that could mean the salvation of Lyrian--or his own doom. Along the way, he is joined by Rachel and together they makes some powerful friends--but possibly even more powerful enemies. This story will appeal to readers who enjoy epic adventure tales full of intrigue, battles against overwhelming odds, and a healthy dose of fantasy.