The Midwife's Apprentice

The Midwife's Apprentice
By Karen Cushman

I wasn't sure what to expect from this intriguing-looking little book, but it had a golden Newbery Medal sticker on the cover--and I'm interested in midwifery--so I thought I'd check it out!
And I loved it. Set in 14th century England, this is the story of a poor, nameless orphan girl who becomes the apprentice of a stern village midwife. Along with learning the skills needed to deliver babies (WAY back before most women went to hospitals to give birth), the girl gains the confidence to stand up for herself and slowly become part of a community.

Dive

Dive 
Book One: The Discovery
By Gordon Korman

This is the first book in an exciting trilogy about 4 teen scuba divers who "accidentally" get involved in the secret operation of treasure hunters in the Caribbean sea. It's a great story of underwater adventure, including shark attacks, sunken treasure, pirates, and modern day treasure hunters pretending to be scientists...

Guys Read: Funny Business

Guys Read: Funny Business
By Jon Scieszka

This is a great collection of short stories from some of the best writers around--Jeff Kinney, Eoin Colfer, Jack Gantos, Christopher Paul Curtis, and many others. There's something for everyone, really, and all of the stories are funny, or crazy, or witty, or something. Granted, I'm not a guy, and sometimes I didn't get the humor...but I still enjoyed the book!
Check out Jon Scieszka's awesome website for recommendations especially for guys: guysread.com

The Underneath

The Underneath
By Kathi Appelt

For those who love stories about animals, The Underneath is that, but also much, much more. Set in an East Texas bayou, it's a story of abuse and betrayal, but also deep friendship and love. The characters are an old hound dog, chained to a porch in the middle of a swamp, and his horrible, alligator-hunting owner named Gar-Face. There are also two kittens that somehow survive in this enchanted swampy forest, their calico mama, and a giant snake trapped in a clay jar. Stories of ancient people and beings, and magic, are all mixed up together in this fairy-tale-like novel.

Trains

Trains
By Lynn Curlee

This is a super interesting history of railroads--from the first steam engines to the development of high speed "maglev" trains (in Europe, China and Japan) that can go up to 300 miles per hour!
It gave me some perspective on the importance of the building of the transcontinental railroad, and how it was crucial to the shaping of the U.S.
And this book also reminds readers that while many train lines have been replaced by highways in this country, trains continue to play a big role in transportation in most other countries.

Code Talker

Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two
By Joseph Bruchac

This story is beautifully written, and explains a lot about what was going on in the Pacific Ocean theater of World War II. Narrated by Ned Begay, a Navajo Indian from New Mexico, this novel tells the story of how he joined the U.S. Marines at age 16--and was given the top secret mission of code talker. Because he could speak fluent Navajo (despite the U.S. attempt to wipe out that entire language and culture through Indian boarding schools) and it is a complicated language known by relatively few people, Ned was called to help develop a secret code for transmitting important military messages during battle. Code Talker describes Ned's experience in some of the most horrendous island battles against the Japanese, and the crucial role these brave Navajo code talkers played. The novel is historical fiction, based on real events.
I was amazed to learn that the Navajo code talkers were not officially recognized until 1969, almost 25 years after the end of the war--partly because the Navajo code was so secret and "unbreakable," the military wanted to keep it for future wars.