Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl

Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl is 283 of a sorrowful journey through the Holocaust translated by B. M. Mooyaart-Doubleday from Anne's Dutch writing. Anne was a Jew during the Holocaust and hid on the upper floor of an office building. She hid with her family, another family, and other individuals. This book is Anne Frank's diary where she wrote down her feelings in this difficult time. Before the end of the war, everyone hiding was captured by the Nazis and separated in various death camps. Anne and her sister died from sickness in the camps.

The Upstairs Room

The Upstairs Room is 196 pages of hardships a split up family had to go through in the Holocaust. Annie and Sini are split up from their other sister and father when they have to go into hiding because they are Jews. They lived the next few years of their life in an upstairs room, barely walking, talking, and going outside. A major setting in the story is the hiding place.
The hiding place is a major setting in the story. This is were Sini and Annie were squashed into to hide from the Germans. At one point in the story, the Germans are so close to them but didn't know they were there! It was a small almost cupboard-like space that they boarded up inside a closet so they would not be found. Miraculously, the girls made it out of the war to bring their family back together and start a "new" life.

A Wrinkle in Time

This masterpiece, A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L'engle is 211 pages of a race in different dimensions to rescue Meg's father. Meg, Charles Wallace, the twins, and their mother have been longing for their father to come home from a scientific mission in the 5th dimension for the government. He hasn't been home in years. After running into some strange characters, they tesser to Camazots, Charles Wallace is taken over by IT, and rescue a longed for father. A main theme in this story is Love.

A main theme in this story is Love. If Meg did not love her father, she would have not traveled to strange places to save him. She wouldn't have risked her life to go back to Camazots to save Charles Wallace from IT if she did not love him either. Also, love is a big part of saving Charles... but you have to read this amazing story to find out how.

Boy of the Painted Cave

Boy of the Painted Cave by Justin Denzel is 158 pages of exciting events that could have taken place in the Early Stone Age. Tao who is fourteen years old and has a bad foot, loves to draw, but such things are forbidden in his clan unless you are the Chosen One who paints in the Secret Cavern. Tao befriends a wolf dog (also taboo) and the dog becomes his companion. He also meets Graybeard, the shaman of the clans, and Graybeard gives Tao art lessons in his hidden cave where he lives on this own. In the end, the clan people find out about the laws that Tao breaks and send him to fight Saxon, the sacred bull. Graybeard then dies, and Tao becomes the new Cave Painter, following in Graybeard's footsteps.
A setting that is very important to the plot of the story is the Secret Cavern. The Secret Cavern is a chamber in the Big Cave through many winding turns, and is where the Chosen Ones (Cave Painters) paint animals on the walls to have to spirits give them good hunting. It is Tao's reason for breaking the taboo and drawing, because it is his life's dream to paint in the Secret Cavern. The Chosen Ones are the only ones allowed to paint in there, and Tao believes that he will not be the Chosen One because of his bad foot. When Tao does become the new Chosen One he can now paint in the beautiful chamber.

Red Scarf Girl

Red Scarf Girl by Ji-Li Jiang is 272 pages of Ms. Jiang's life in China during the Cultural Revolution as a young girl. Ji-Li lived a luxurious life and had anything that anyone could ever want. However, when the Cultural Revolution comes, everything goes downhill for the Jiang family. She was one of the best in her class and elected for anything having to do with leadership until her family's political class status interferes with everything forever. Will things ever get back to normal? You have to read this moving story to find out.

Shakespeare's Secret

Shakespeare's Secret by Elise Broach is 243 pages of a thrilling mystery to find a hidden diamond and uncover the real Shakespeare. Hero, her parents (who love old literature), and her sister move into a new house in a new town where their house is known for a hidden diamond somewhere in it. Hero befriends Mrs. Roth, her neighbor, and they uncover the real Shakespeare and find the diamond that belongs in a 500 year old necklace with much history behind it. Hero's house is a very important setting to the story.
Hero's house is a very important setting to the story. Her house is where she learned all about Queen Elizabeth which is who the necklace might have belonged to. This is also where Hero finally finds the missing diamond. I would reccomend this book to people who enjoy mysteries and learning about history.