Arthur Bean, soon-to-be a rich and famous author, has set two goals for himself: to win the school writing contest and to win the heart of his secret crush, Kennedy. But his life has had some major twists and turns lately, and the recent loss of his mother definitely complicates things.  Ages 9-12 

Madison Stokes average life changes when quiet, secretive Alyssa Hawkins moves to town. When Madison takes Alyssa under her wing, the two girls quickly bond over chocolate-chip cookies and become best friends but when a secret threatens their friendship Madison if it is right to come clean with the truth.  Ages 12 and up 

Following the death of his father, 13 year old Ben reluctantly travels to India with his Grandmother where he finds himself compelled to be near the Hindu elephant boy-god, Ganesh.  Ages 12 and up

When her eight-year-old neighbor is stricken with polio in 1955, eleven-year-old Laurie discovers that there is power in her imagination as she weaves a story during her visits with him and other patients confined to iron lung machines.  Ages 8-12

Life is hard enough for Tansy, but when Dad sends her to a wrinkled old babysitter named Miss Stella, Tansy, with the help of her best friend Parveen, gradually learns to manage all the changes in her life and make unexpected new friends in the process.  Ages 8-11

David and his family live in Denmark during the Nazi occupation, until September 1943 when their neighbors help smuggle them to Sweden to escape Hitler’s orders to send the Danish Jews to concentration camps. Includes a recipe for honey cake, typically made to celebrate the Jewish New Year.  Ages 7-10

When Kit visits her father after many years, she wonders what his sleek new boat is for, since she does not see any evidence of fishing, but notices that he has plenty of money and is making secret arrangements at night.  Ages 12-17

When his parents go to Africa to work as missionaries, twelve-year-old Henry’s eccentric aunts, Pigg and Mag, take him on a cross-country car trip, allowing him to gain insight into his family and himself.  Ages 10-14

Zee and his friends don’t like the way the new mall’s shopkeepers treat them. Zee paints graffiti on a wall in protest, but it is painted over. When he tries again, he gets caught. Can Zee and his friends make peace with the shopkeepers?  Ages 14 and up

Jamaican-born Jacob Armstrong and his sister are on the road from Canada to Mexico along with their mother, her new husband, Fred Finkle, and his children, and when he gets there, Jacob hopes to find a soccer game he can get into.  Ages 8-13

After his mother and stepfather die in a Vancouver mudslide, eleven-year-old Andy Flynn, having been saved by leprechauns, is taken by his stern aunt to Halifax, Nova Scotia, where he meets the charming father he thought was dead, and where he must decide what place to call home.  Ages 12 and up

Young Marianne escapes Nazi Germany to the safety of Britain, but she does not speak English, she is not welcome in her sponsors’ home, and she misses her mother terribly, which all add up to a difficult struggle to survive.  Ages 10 and up