Grades 6-8

The Railway Children

Book cover: 'The Railway Children'
Author(s): 
Edith Nesbit
Rebecca, Peter and Phyllis are three British children (around the turn of the century) who live in a large, beautiful house in London with their lovely and creative mother and their very attentive father. One night their lives change dramatically when their father is mysteriously called away. The children and their mother have to "play at being poor" for awhile, pack up only what seems necessary and move to a house out in the country near a railway station. The story tells of their adventures in and around the railway station and the gradually unfolding mystery regarding their father.

The Weka-Feather Cloak

Book cover: 'The Weka-Feather Cloak: A New Zealand Fantasy'
Author(s): 
Leo Madigan
I have to be perfectly honest. I didn't expect to like this book. The idea of an overtly Catholic fantasy-adventure story trying to make it's way into the genre dominated by Harry Potter? Well... I skeptically picked up the book and read four or five chapters the night it arrived in the mail. It seemed interesting but things didn't seem to be making much sense yet. I picked it up again the next day and the plot thickened. A few more chapters and I was hooked.

Sun Slower, Sun Faster

Book cover: 'Sun Slower, Sun Faster'
Author(s): 
Meriol Trevor
Thirteen-year-old Cecelia Morne was staying at Welston Manor for a time (not long after World War II ended) while her parents were out of the country. This family estate in the countryside near Bristol, England, was owned by her uncle, Ambrose Morne. Ambrose had a great-nephew, Richard, who was also staying there. Cecelia ("Cecil") soon become good friends with Rickie and his tutor, Dominic. One day Dominic showed Cecil and Rickie a small room hidden in a wall of the old manor. A little later, the two children entered the room. It had a door on each wall.

The Good Bad Boy

Author(s): 
Father Gerald Brennan
Neumann Press has reprinted another delightful novel by Father Brennan in one of its lovely hardbound editions (they also offer it in a quality softcover edition). This short, easy-to-read novel was a wonderful addition to a rainy afternoon for our family. Although aimed at an 8th-grade boy typical of the 1940s, the diary format and "everyday" charm appealed to my entire family. It would be an especially good book for a reluctant or struggling reader to tackle successfully on their own.

Cobra Island

Book cover: 'Cobra Island'
Author(s): 
Rev. Neil Boyton, S.J.
Frank Gaze, known by his friends as Scouty, is accompanying his father on a trip to India during World War I. When an enemy vessel destroys their ship and all on board must flee in lifeboats, Scouty is separated from his father. He and his companions become separated from the other lifeboats and are forced to land on a deserted island in the Indian Ocean.

A Long Way from Welcome

Book cover: 'A Long Way from Welcome: A Mystery in Paris'
Author(s): 
Echo Lewis
In this story Echo Lewis takes us from the small town of Welcome, Indiana, all the way to Paris, France alongside Maggie, a shy teenager who would really rather stay at home in her comfortable small town surroundings. Maggie is visiting her new step-dad's sister in an ancient convent in the heart of the city. There she becomes wrapped up in her new home and friends and in a mystery involving a series of art heists plaguing Paris.

The Small War of Sergeant Donkey

Book cover: 'The Small War of Sergeant Donkey'
Author(s): 
Maureen Daly
Chico Felippo is a young boy living in a small village in Southern Italy. It is 1944 and most of the war has moved north, but the American Army has a special "Remount Depot" nearby where donkeys are trained to assist the soldiers in the difficult mountain fighting. Chico loves these animals and becomes friends with many of the Americans as well as one particularly beloved animal, "Sergeant Donkey". The entire town suffers from a shortage of food because all of the donkeys which worked the fields had been seized by the Germans earlier in the war.

The Sinking of the Bismarck

Author(s): 
William L. Shirer

Back in print! It was May 1941 and the British were struggling to hold back the Germans (this is of course before the United States had entered World War II). Since the summer of 1940 the Germans had access to the harbors and airfields of western Europe from Norway to southern France. Their submarines, warships and bombers were wreaking havoc on Britain's supply convoys crossing the Atlantic which was seriously threatening Britain's survival.

The Assisi Underground

A true story of Italian Catholics helping Jews escape from the clutches of the Nazis during the Holocaust. It focuses on Padre Rufino, the superior of St. Francis' own church of San Damiano. I especially love the scene where a Mother Abbess who is hiding Jews in her cloister stands up to the Nazi officials and refuses to allow them to search the convent. Most appropriate for upper grade school or high school, depending on the sensitivity of your children. The movie is very well done, appears to be very carefully researched and was filmed on location is Assisi, Italy.

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