Valora Luck works as a servant for the crotchety Mrs. Sloane. Mrs. Sloane purchases tickets for them both on the maiden voyage of the Titanic, but dies before it can leave port. When Valora attempts to take their first class room alone, she is turned away for being Chinese. But Valora needs to get on that ship. Her last living relative, her twin brother, is a passenger in third class on his way to a job in Cuba. Valora knows that if she can get on board and find him, they can convince the circus magnate on board to hire them as acrobats and they can start a new life in America together. But fate has other plans, and there's more danger aboard the Titanic than she could have ever dreamed.

I should perhaps confess that I never saw the famous movie, but even if I had I'm sure this would still be my favorite fictionalized account of the Titanic. With a large cast of characters, constant schemes, layers of deception, and stunning fashions this is a story I can get behind. Inspired by the eight Chinese passengers of the Titanic who really existed and about whom so little is known due to the racism of the era. A not-to-be-missed historical drama.

Luck of the Titanic by Stacey Lee 

Erica's Picks 
6th - 8th
​tags: 

One year ago Nora's family went out for dinner to celebrate her birthday. One year ago, Nora's mother was killed when a shooter opened fire in the restaurant. Ever since, her father has kept her close and withdrawn from everyone else, even pulling Nora out of school. This year for Nora's birthday her father has chosen a remote celebration, miles from the nearest person. They get out their gear to explore a slot canyon. But when the worst happens, their remote location means no one can hear their cries for help. So it's up to Nora to survive, find her father, and save them both.

This novel starts and ends in prose but when Nora is fighting for survival in the canyon it switches to powerful verse. The story moves quickly as her situation goes from bad to worse and death seems inevitable. Watching Nora fight is thrilling and inspiring as she combats the real environment around her and the memories that have haunted her ever since her mother's death. A quick, impactful read.

The Canyon's Edge by Dusti Bowling

Erica's Picks
4th - 6th grade
​tags: character driven, contemporary fiction, family life, fast-paced, mental illness, novels in verse, survival

After living a life terrified of being turned in by a neighbor for not being patriotic enough, Twelve year old Sora and her family make the dangerous decision to try and escape to South Korea as the front line of the war moves closer to their village. Fleeing into a war zone with limited resources is dangerous enough without having to worry about being caught by their own country men and punished for trying to defect. In the chaos of a bombing Sora is separated from her parents and left with her eight year old brother to protect. As they struggle through the hunger, cold, and war happening around them they wonder if they will ever see their family again, or if they are even alive.

This harrowing journey is incredibly moving. The resilience of Sora to push on and care for her brother despite everything is astonishing. While appropriate for a middle grade audience, the realities of life at the time are not sugarcoated and you should be prepared for a tear-jerker. The ultimate message though is one of hope and empathy.

Brother's Keeper by Julie Lee 
Erica's Picks
4th - 7th
tags: family life, fast-paced, global perspectives, historical fiction, people of color, survival, tear-jerker

Melati looks like a typical teen: going to a movie with a friend, talking about music and celebrity crushes. But inside her head, she is constantly waging war with a djinn. Her father is already dead, and the djinn tells her about all the horrible things that will happen to her mother if she doesn't obey. The djinn loves numbers, so she placates it by doing things like tapping in multiples of three. Sometimes, she can do this discreetly while appearing normal and sometimes she loses hours of her life to it. Melati is used to envisioning horrible fates, but that doesn't make it easier when something truly horrifying comes to pass. Riots break out between the Malay and Chinese and Melati sees people massacred. She is quickly separated from her friend and has no way of contacting her mother. How can Melati survive alone in the chaos when she struggles in everyday life?

This book, which takes place during the 1969 race riots in Kuala Lumpur, is gripping, intense and violent. Melati is a powerful character and I found the way she framed her OCD as a djinn inside her head fascinating. Every character is carefully crafted and fully fleshed out. The writing was beautiful and the plot unrelenting. 

Erica's Picks
8th grade
​tags: character driven, global perspectives, historical fiction, mental illness, people of color, survival

Kira's earliest memories are of survival in the woods where she was found as a child with no memory of her past. Now she trains dogs to help find people in the wilderness. Her adopted family trains elite search-and-rescue dogs. The dogs are part of Kira's family as much as the humans in her life, and sometimes she feels like the dogs understand her better. When a child goes missing in the Sierra Glades National Park after a series of disappearances, Kira's family reports for duty. But this is not a regular mission. The similarities to Kira's own past cause flashbacks and a reunion with estranged family members brings dangerous secrets to the surface. On top of it all is the mystery of what or who might be behind the string of missing persons in the Park.

Barnes is a master of characterization and everyone we meet in the book is layered and nuanced. She manages to do this while maintaining a fast-paced plot. Of course I love the focus on dog characters and was fascinated to read about the particulars of search and rescue. 

The Lovely and the Lost by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Erica's Picks
7th & 8th
Tags:

​A six seater plane is flying over the Amazon toward the city of Manaus. Fred has been watching the movements of the pilot’s hands on the fuel gauge, throttle, and joystick. Behind Fred are a girl and her brother. They have the same brown skin and long eyelashes. Lila is protective of her little brother Max who is trying to eat the seat belt. In the next row is a pale girl with blond hair down to her waist.  Con’s ruffled collar is clearly bothering her and she stares out the window avoiding contact.
Suddenly the pilot begins to belch repeatedly, his hand gives a violent jerk and the plane dips and lurches away from the river and down towards the canopy.  The children emerge from the crash but the pilot is dead.
Suspicious of each other and low on survival skills, the children try to find food and shelter.  The discovery of a map leads them to head for Manaus.  On the way they fall into an ancient city and meet the Explorer, a man with a mysterious past and keen survival skills who teaches them to eat tarantula eggs among other lore.  As his heart softens to the children, he must balance his need to protect the city and forest with his desire to lead them to safety.
“And all of you - do not forget that, lost out here, you were brave even in your sleep. Do not forget to take risks. Standing ovations await your bravery,' Con swallowed. 'But I'm afraid,' she whispered. The Explorer nodded, scarred and dusty and matter-of-fact. 'You are right to be afraid. Be brave anyway.”
Do yourself a favor and embark on this amazing adventure in this wise and wonderful survival story.
  


Tessa's Picks, 4th-7th grade, Adventure, Survival, People of Color

Veronika, Caroline, Isobel, and Eleanor have lived on a deserted island for as long as they can remember.  The four girls do everything together and look identical except for their hair color.   Irene and Robbert tell them that their parents all died in a plane crash and do their best to take care of them and provide them with an education.  Despite their tragic circumstances they live a relatively happy and normal life.  Or at least that's what they always believed.  Then one day a very different girl appears on the island who makes them question everything.


The book is written from Veronika's perspective and her limited knowledge and her inability to see how unique her life is creates tension as little hints are dropped which left me constantly guessing and trying to extrapolate to figure out what was going on. It reminded me of psychological thrillers like The Twilight Zone.  Veronika even talks in a way that is a bit off (read a bit of the beginning to see if you can get used to this style or not.)

The Different Girl by Gordon Dahlquist


Erica's Picks 
6th - 8th Grade
Tags: Character Driven, Dystopian, People of Color, Science Fiction, Survivor

When World War III ravaged the world a small group managed to survive in the remote Alaskan wilderness.  Juneau is one of the children of these survivors and has learned how to live off the land and tap into the heart of nature to work magic. When her tribe is taken while she's out hunting she ventures out of the safe zone for the first time and what she discovers shakes her to the very core: a whole city, completely untouched.  Is everything she was ever told a lie?  But her tribe is still missing and she must find them.  Now she has to survive in an environment she is completely unprepared for in a world where she has no idea whom to trust.

This story is told in the alternating perspectives of Juneau and Miles, the son of a pharmaceutical exec who wants to find Juneau to unlock the secret of why the adults in her tribe never age.  The pacing is quick and fans of Katniss will enjoy the capable Juneau.  Fans of supernatural stories will enjoy Juneau’s nature-based magic and animal lovers will enjoy Juneau's pets (dogs and a bird.)  

After the End by Amy Plum


Erica's Picks
7th & 8th Grade
Tags: Fast Paced, People of Color, Supernatural, Survivor

 When Ben's mother dies all he wants is some time to be alone, but his father has other plans. One day he announces that he's sold their house and bought a sailboat and that the family is going to spend a year sailing around the Bahamas. Ben is so upset with his father he doesn't even want look at him, so living on a 30 foot long boat with him 24/7 seems like the worst fate imaginable--until the worst truly does happen. One morning Ben and his brother  wake up in the middle of the ocean to find their father gone, and a storm bigger than any they've ever seen brewing on the horizon.

The characters and their interactions are well portrayed, but the main force driving the plot is the unrelenting action as the boys struggle to survive. This book is perfect for those seeking a fast-paced adventure novel, especially for students who like survival stories or have an interest in sailing. 

The Great Wide Sea by M.H. Herlong

Erica's Picks
5th - 8th Grade
Tags: Adventure, Family Life, Fast-Paced, Survival