Like the main character in R.J. Palacio’s Wonder, Melody, in Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper, was born with a disability — in her case, cerebral palsy, which has affected her body, but not her brain. Wheelchair bound, and unable...
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Not every couple looks like they could be soul mates when they first meet. In the case of Natasha and Daniel, of The Sun Is Also a Star by Nocola Yoon, there is a racial difference, a personality disconnect, and tough life circumstances. Each...
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In the work of historical fiction Caravaggio Signed in Blood, the Renaissance artist is depicted as a brawling, unrepentant, street fighter in Rome, spoiling for his next battle. Equipped with a flashing sword and an eye to mayhem, he encounters...
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Eighty years ago, a nickel was worth something. One nickel could buy candy, a ticket to a movie, and real food for a meal. It was during the Great Depression, and life was far from ideal even in Key West, Florida. Huge mounds of smelly garbage...
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On April 9, 1940, Germany invaded Denmark. The Danish Army put up little resistance, and by that afternoon Germany occupied Denmark. The German government promised the Danes that life would go on normally if they didn’t resist their new overlords...
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How we treat each other does matter; it can sometimes determine who lives and who dies. Betty Glengarry is a force of evil who suddenly arrives one day in the small Pennsylvania farming town of Wolf Hollow. Everywhere she goes, she spreads lies...
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The first time Steve sees the white-winged wasps he is sure they are really angels. Not only do they look like ethereal creatures, they can also speak to him. They say, “We’ve come because of the baby. We’ve come to help. We can fix what’s wrong...
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