Breathing Room

by Marsha Hayles
Lexile:  800
Genre:  Historical Fiction

Evvy is 13 years old when she arrives at the Loon Lake Sanatorium.  She has a contagious disease called tuberculosis (TB) and has been sent there by her family to get well.  She meets some new friends who help her to adjust to the hard realities of life in a sanatorium.  Some of her friends will not survive. Will Evvy be able to remain strong enough to fight her disease and get back to the family she loves?


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Hush

Image
by Jacqueline Woodson Lexile:  640 Genre:  Realistic Fiction Toswiah Green doesn’t know who she is anymore.  Is she Evie Thomas?  Or is she a combination of the two?  When Toswiah’s father, a police officer, witnesses a murder and decides to testify about the truth of what he saw, she and her family must assume new identities and move on to an uncertain future.  Now she is Evie and has to live in a strange new city, make new friends, and watch her father fight the loss of a career that he loved second only to his family.  Toswiah misses her old life and can only hope that her family can figure out who they are in their new life.
Read more

Where I Belong

Image
 by Marcia Argueta Mickelson Genre: Realistic Fiction Millie Vargas knows that after she graduates from high school, her life is going to change.  She has a full ride scholarship to Stanford University, but hasn't worked up the courage to tell her mother yet because her mom depends on her to help the family stay together.  Her mom works long hours as a housekeeper for the wealthy Wheeler family who is in the midst of a senate race.  When Mr. Wheeler turns his campaign focus on immigration, he unknowingly places Millie's family in a tough situation.  Millie's family came across the border illegally and worked hard to earn their citizenship.  Millie wants to stay out of the conversation, but her mom and others, feel that she should get involved and do whatever she can to support others who have not been as fortunate as her family.  
Read more

Almost Autumn

Image
by Marianne Kaurin Lexile:  870 Genre:  Historical Fiction 15 year old Ilse is waiting to go on her first date to the movies.  Only Hermann never shows up.  He is too embarrassed to face her even though his explanation is a good one.  The trouble is, there is no way he can tell her where he was or what he was doing.  It is October of 1942 in Oslo, Norway and changes are happening.  Ilse and her family are Jewish and they are slowly watching their lives disappear.  First it's just that the orders stop coming into her father's tailor shop.  Then, they have to register and get their papers stamped with a "J".  And then, her father is arrested and taken away with no explanation.  It is a dangerous time to be Jewish in Oslo.
Read more