Going on a Journey

In The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, a china rabbit named Edward needs go on a journey before he can learn the most important lesson of all: that even a heart of the most breakable kind can learn to love, to lose, and to love again.

Oftentimes we need the catalyst of a change in our circumstance in order to grow. This is one reason why taking a journey can change us in a deep and profound way.

Here is a reading list that features other great journeys.  How do these characters change from the beginning of the book to the end of the book?  What did their journey teach them?

Younger Readers

1. Grandfather’s Journey by Allen Say
A Japanese-American man recounts his grandfather's journey to America, which he later undertakes himself, and the feelings of being torn by a love for two different countries. Through compelling reminiscences of his grandfather's life in America and Japan, Allen Say gives us a poignant account of his family's unique cross-cultural experience. Illustrated with memorable full-color paintings, this is Say's most personal and remarkable picture yet of the bridging of the two cultures.   Get it at Changing Hands Bookstore here.

2. Red Knit Cap Girl by Naoko Stoop
Red Knit Cap Girl lives with her animal friends in an enchanted forest. There is so much to see and do, but more than anything Red Knit Cap Girl wishes she could talk to the Moon. Join Red Knit Cap Girl and her forest friends on a journey of curiosity, imagination, and joy as they search for a way to meet the Moon.
Gorgeously illustrated on wood grain, Red Knit Cap Girl's curiosity, imagination, and joy will captivate the hearts of readers young and old as her journey offers a gentle reminder to appreciate the beauty of the natural world around us.  Get it at Changing Hands Bookstore here.

3. In the Land of Milk and Honey by Joyce Carol Thomas
Lemons as big as oranges, the cool Pacific Ocean, mountains that rise up beyond the outstretched bay—California beckons as one girl makes her way west on a journey filled with excitement, hope, and the promise of a place where people from all paths come together and music fills the air.  This is the true story of author Joyce Carol Thomas's trip from Oklahoma to California in 1948, when she moved there as a girl. During that time, many people went west, drawn by warmth and possibility, reflected in the people of all cultures and ethnicities who started a new life there. Coretta Scott King honoree Joyce Carol Thomas and Coretta Scott King Award winner Floyd Cooper capture the anticipation of a bright adventure and a world filled with freedom and opportunity.  Get it at Changing Hands Bookstore here.

Older Readers

1. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
This Newbery Honor book features magic, adventure, friendship, and even a dragon who can't fly!
In the valley of Fruitless Mountain, a young girl named Minli lives in a ramshackle hut with her parents. In the evenings, her father regales her with old folktales of the Jade Dragon and the Old Man on the Moon, who knows the answers to all of life's questions. Inspired by these stories, Minli sets off on an extraordinary journey to find the Old Man on the Moon to ask him how she can change her family's fortune. She encounters an assorted cast of characters and magical creatures along the way, including a dragon who accompanies her on her quest for the ultimate answer.  Get it at Changing Hands Bookstore here.

2. The Wanderer by Sharon Creech
"The sea, the sea, the sea. It rolled and rolled and called to me. Come in, it said, come in."
Thirteen-year-old Sophie hears the sea calling, promising adventure and a chance for discovery as she sets sail for England with her three uncles and two cousins. Sophie's cousin Cody isn't sure he has the strength to prove himself to the crew and to his father. Through Sophie's and Cody's travel logs, we hear stories of the past and the daily challenges of surviving at sea as The Wanderer sails toward its destination -- and its passengers search for their places in the world.  Get it at Changing Hands Bookstore here.

3. The Arrival by Shaun Tan
The Arrival is a migrant story told as a series of wordless images that might seem to come from a long forgotten time. A man leaves his wife and child in an impoverished town, seeking better prospects in an unknown country on the other side of a vast ocean. He eventually finds himself in a bewildering city of foreign customs, peculiar animals, curious floating objects and indecipherable languages. With nothing more than a suitcase and a handful of currency, the immigrant must find a place to live, food to eat and some kind of gainful employment. He is helped along the way by sympathetic strangers, each carrying their own unspoken history: stories of struggle and survival in a world of incomprehensible violence, upheaval and hope.  Get it at Changing Hands Bookstore here.

4. Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu
Once upon a time, Hazel and Jack were best friends. But that was before he stopped talking to her and disappeared into a forest with a mysterious woman made of ice. Now it's up to Hazel to go in after him. Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen," breadcrumbs is a stunningly original fairy tale of modern-day America, a dazzling ode to the power of fantasy, and a heartbreaking meditation on how growing up is as much a choice as it is something that happens to us.  Get it at Changing Hands Bookstore here.

Class Structure and Poverty

One of the biggest problems for the people in Nottingham is poverty.  When Prince John raised taxes, people could no longer afford basic essentials like food.  Some even lost their homes when they couldn't afford the mortgage.  Robin Hood and his merry men decide to fight against the rich (people like Prince John, who have more than they need) to give to the poor (people like Much and his father, who don't have enough food to eat).

What would you do if you lost your home?  Where would you live?  How would you eat if you don't have enough money to afford food?

Here are some other stories that deal with the topic of class and poverty.

1. Princess Academy: Palace of Stone by Shannon Hale

Coming down from the mountain to a new life in the city is a thrill to Miri. She and her princess academy friends have been brought to Asland to help the future princess Britta prepare for her wedding.There, Miri also has a chance to attend school-at the Queen's Castle. But as Miri befriends students who seem sophisticated and exciting she also learns that they have some frightening plans. Torn between loyalty to the princess and her new friends' ideas, between an old love and a new crush, and between her small mountain home and the bustling city, Miri looks to find her own way in this new place. Get it at Changing Hands Bookstore here.

2.  Daphne’s Book by Mary Downing Hahn

Daphne is the weird girl in Jessica's class--the one no one wants to talk to or even be seen with. But when the girls are assigned to be partners in the Write-a-Book contest at school, they find they have a lot in common and start spending time together outside of the project. As their friendship deepens, Jessica stumbles on a terrible secret about Daphne's life. Jessica promises not to tell anyone. But sometimes it takes a true friend to break a promise instead of keeping one. Get it at Changing Hands Bookstore here.

3.  Splendors and Glooms by Laura Amy Schlitz

Newbery Medalist Laura Amy Schlitz brings her sorcery to a Victorian gothic thriller — an enthralling, darkly comic tale that would do Dickens proud.

The master puppeteer, Gaspare Grisini, is so expert at manipulating his stringed puppets that they appear alive. Clara Wintermute, the only child of a wealthy doctor, is spellbound by Grisini’s act and invites him to entertain at her birthday party. Seeing his chance to make a fortune, Grisini accepts and makes a splendidly gaudy entrance with caravan, puppets, and his two orphaned assistants.

Lizzie Rose and Parsefall are dazzled by the Wintermute home. Clara seems to have everything they lack — adoring parents, warmth, and plenty to eat. In fact, Clara’s life is shadowed by grief, guilt, and secrets. When Clara vanishes that night, suspicion of kidnapping falls upon the puppeteer and, by association, Lizzie Rose and Parsefall.

As they seek to puzzle out Clara’s whereabouts, Lizzie and Parse uncover Grisini’s criminal past and wake up to his evil intentions. Fleeing London, they find themselves caught in a trap set by Grisini’s ancient rival, a witch with a deadly inheritance to shed before it’s too late. Get it at Changing Hands Bookstore here.  

4.  The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes
At the heart of the story is Wanda Petronski, a Polish girl in a Connecticut school who is ridiculed by her classmates for wearing the same faded blue dress every day. Wanda claims she has one hundred dresses at home, but everyone knows she doesn’t and bullies her mercilessly. The class feels terrible when Wanda is pulled out of the school, but by that time it’s too late for apologies. Maddie, one of Wanda’s classmates, ultimately decides that she is "never going to stand by and say nothing again." This powerful, timeless story has been reissued with a new letter from the author’s daughter Helena Estes, and with the Caldecott artist Louis Slobodkin’s original artwork in beautifully restored color. Get it at Changing Hands Bookstore here.  

5.   How to Steal a Dog by Barbara O’Connor
Georgina Hayes is desperate. Ever since her father left and they were evicted from their apartment, her family has been living in their car. With her mama juggling two jobs and trying to make enough money to find a place to live, Georgina is stuck looking after her younger brother, Toby. And she has her heart set on improving their situation. When Georgina spots a missing-dog poster with a reward of five hundred dollars, the solution to all her problems suddenly seems within reach. All she has to do is “borrow” the right dog and its owners are sure to offer a reward. What happens next is the last thing she expected.  Get it at Changing Hands Bookstore here.  

6.  Trash by Andy Mulligan

One unlucky-lucky day, Raphael finds something very special and very mysterious. So mysterious that he decides to keep it, even when the city police offer a handsome reward for its return. That decision brings with it terrifying consequences, and soon the dumpsite boys must use all of their cunning and courage to stay ahead of their pursuers. It’s up to Raphael, Gardo, and Rat—boys who have no education, no parents, no homes, and no money—to solve the mystery and right a terrible wrong.

Andy Mulligan has written a powerful story about unthinkable poverty—and the kind of hope and determination that can transcend it. With twists and turns, unrelenting action, and deep, raw emotion, Trash is a heart-pounding, breath-holding novel.  Get it at Changing Hands Bookstore here. 

Loyalty

Loyalty is faithfulness or a devotion to a person, country, group, or cause.  In the play Robin Hood, there are a lot of examples of loyalty.  The merry men stood by Robin's side and demonstrated loyalty.  Robin Hood and the merry men stayed loyal to the belief that King Richard was coming back.  And Maid Marian stayed loyal to Robin Hood when she goes back to the castle.  

Here are some other stories that deal with the topic of loyalty.

1. Survivors #1: The Empty City by Erin Hunter

 Lucky is a golden-haired mutt with a nose for survival. He has always been a Lone Dog, relying on his instincts to get by. Other dogs have Packs, but Lucky stands alone.

Then the Big Growl strikes. Suddenly, the ground is split wide open. The Trap House is destroyed. And all the longpaws have disappeared.

Now Lucky is trapped in a strange and desolate new world with no food, foul water, and enemies at every turn. He falls in with others left behind, including his littermate Bella, a Leashed Dog. Relying on other dogs—and having them depend on him—brings new dangers that Lucky isn't prepared for, but he may not be able to survive on his own. Can Lucky ever be a true Pack Dog? Get it at Changing Hands Bookstore here.

2.  Liar and Spy by Rebecca Stead

An instant New York Times bestseller, Liar & Spy is a story about games and friendship. Seventh-grader Georges moves into a Brooklyn apartment building and meets Safer, a twelve-year-old self-appointed spy. Georges becomes Safer's first spy recruit. His assignment? Tracking the mysterious Mr. X, who lives in the apartment upstairs. But as Safer becomes more demanding, Georges starts to wonder: How far is too far to go for your only friend? Get it at Changing Hands Bookstore here.

3.  The Dragonet Prophecy (Wings of Fire) by Tui Sutherland

The seven dragon tribes have been at war for generations, locked in an endless battle over an ancient, lost treasure. A secret movement called the Talons of Peace is determined to bring an end to the fighting, with the help of a prophecy -- a foretelling that calls for great sacrifice.

Five dragonets are collected to fulfill the prophecy, raised in a hidden cave and enlisted, against their will, to end the terrible war.

But not every dragonet wants a destiny. And when the select five escape their underground captors to look for their original homes, what has been unleashed on the dragon world may be far more than the revolutionary planners intended... Get it at Changing Hands Bookstore here.