Blos, Joan W. A Gathering of Days.
The journal of a 14-year-old girl, kept the last year she lived on the family farm, records daily events in her small New Hampshire town, her father's remarriage, and the death of her best friend. J-PBK BLO, J-HF BLO 
Dorris, Michael. Morning Girl.
Morning Girl, who loves the day, and her younger brother Star Boy, who loves the night, take turns describing their life on an island in pre-Columbian America; she witnesses the arrival of the first Europeans to her world. J-PBK DOR 
Edmonds, Walter Dumaux. The Matchlock Gun.
In 1756, during the French and Indian War, 10-year-old Edward is determined to protect his home and family with the ancient, and much too heavy, Spanish gun that his father had given him before going to war. J-HF EDM
Fritz, Jean. The Cabin Faced West.
Ten-year-old Ann overcomes loneliness and learns to appreciate the importance of her role in settling the wilderness of western Pennsylvania. J-HF FRI
Griffin, Judith Berry. Phoebe the Spy.
During the Revolution, Phoebe Fraunces has a chance to save the life of General George Washington while he has dinner at Mortier House in New York City. J-HF GRI
Lovelace, Maud Hart. Betsy, Tacy and Tib.
In the Midwest at the turn of the century, these girls form an everlasting friendship in spite of, or because of, their escapades. (series) J-PBK LOV
MacLachlan, Patricia. Sarah, Plain and Tall.
When their father invites a mail-order bride to come live with them in their prairie home, Caleb and Anna are captivated by their new mother and hope that she will stay, but fear her homesickness will cause her to leave. J-HF MAC, J-PBK MAC
Or try these Quick Picks - a few shorter books for an easier read
Cohen, Barbara. Molly’s Pilgrim.
Told to make a Pilgrim doll for the Thanksgiving display at school, Molly is embarassed when her mother tries to help her out by creating a doll dressed as she herself was dressed before leaving Russia to seek religious freedom. J-HF COH
Dalgliesh, Alice. The Courage of Sarah Noble.
An eight-year-old girl finds the courage to go alone with her father to build a new home in the Connecticut wilderness and to stay with the Indians when her father goes back to bring the rest of the family. J-HF DAL
Fritz, Jean. Who’s that Stepping on Plymouth Rock?
Relates the history of Plymouth Rock since the Pilgrims first landed to the present day. J-HF FRI
Moss, Marissa. Rachel’s Journal: The Story of a Pioneer Girl.
In her journal, Rachel chronicles her family's adventures traveling by covered wagon on the Oregon Trail in 1850. J-HF MOS
Or check out some of these books for a longer read
Brink, Carol. Caddie Woodlawn.
The adventures of an eleven-year-old tomboy growing up with her brothers on the Wisconsin frontier in the mid-nineteenth century. J-HF BRI, J-PBK BRI
Lenski, Lois. Strawberry Girl.
Birdie's family has just moved to the Florida backwoods, and making the new farm prosper won't be easy--what with the heat, the droughts, the cold snaps and the neighbors. J LEN, J-PBK LEN
Lord, Bette. In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson.
In 1947, a Chinese child comes to Brooklyn where she becomes Americanized at school, in her apartment building, and by her love for baseball. J-PBK LOR
Montgomery, L.M. Anne of Green Gables.
Anne, an eleven-year-old orphan, is sent by mistake to live with a lonely, middle-aged brother and sister on a Prince Edward Island farm and proceeds to make an indelible impression on everyone around her. (series) J-HF MON, J-PBK MON
Wilder, Laura Ingalls. The Little House in the Big Woods.
A year in the life of two young girls growing up on the Wisconsin frontier, as they help their mother with the daily chores, enjoy their father's stories and singing, and share special occasions when they get together with relatives or neighbors. J-HF WIL, J-PBK WIL |
