by E. B. White
Published by HarperCollins
ISBN: 978-0739477076
192 pages

Charlotte's Web is such an endearing book because of the emotional connections readers make with the characters.

Fern is a character who pulls us in from the very beginning with her passion and stubbornness. She fights for Wilbur's life on the day he is born by pleading with her father to recognize the injustice of killing a pig just because it is a runt. Her love for Wilbur is deep and we see in her the intensity of childhood and the innocence that allows her to see and hear things that the adults around her cannot. She, of course, changes over the course of the novel. As White says, 'She was growing up and careful to avoid childish things, like sitting on a milk stool near a pigpen.' (pg. 183) There is a certain inevitability to this change. It is one that her mother hoped for, as evidenced in her conversation with Dr. Dorian, but it's one that readers can't help accepting with a bit of sadness. In many ways, Fern's growing up, mirrors the changes that happen in the barnyard. Season come and go, animals are born, grow up, and die, and all of these things are part of the natural order of life.

Although Fern is a very important character, the two most pivotal characters in the book would certainly be Wilbur and Charlotte. Their friendship is at the essence of what Charlotte's Web is about. Like Fern, Charlotte feels responsible for protecting and taking care of Wilbur. Just like Fern, Charlotte too manages to save Wilbur's life but in a more lasting way. She teaches Wilbur and helps him to open his mind to possibilities. Through her encouragement, he is able to feel 'terrific' and 'radiant.'

Charlotte also helps Wilbur find courage and determination within himself. The closing scene at the fair when Wilbur remembers what motivates Templeton and is able to persuade him to retrieve Charlotte's egg sac, shows a great deal of growth. Wilbur learns to value himself and tries to live up to the words Charlotte writes about him. Over the course of the novel, others, like Mr. Zuckerman, learn to see those qualities in Wilbur and value him more for what he represents than for what he is worth as a meal.

by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 978-1416911722
352 pages

Uprising is a riveting book.  Haddix does an excellent job describing the terrible events leading up to the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire that took the lives of 146 people, mostly poor working girls.  Until September 11, 2001, it was the greatest workplace disaster in New York City history.  What makes the book especially moving is that it is told through the voices of three very different girls whose paths crossed due to the Shirtwaist Strike of 1909.  Called the Uprising of the 20,000, female garment workers went on the picket line for better working conditions, wages, and union protection.  The strike grabbed the attention of many around the country and helped re-energize the women's suffrage movement.  Through the characters of Yetta, a feisty union supporter, Bella, a new immigrant trying to survive and send money to her family in Italy, and Jane, a rich socialite who is struggling to find where she belongs, the story highlights the strike and fire from several perspectives.

The true tragedy is that so much of what happened was preventable.  While reading the book, so many problems foreshadow the disaster; lack of fire escapes, locked doors on the working floors, lack of enforcement of fire safety rules such as smoking in work areas.   The legacy of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire is that it helped create many of the laws that protect workplaces today.  Uprising is filled with triump and tragedy and is a fascinating look at a period of American history that still impacts us today.

by Michael Morpurgo
Published by Scholastic Press
ISBN: 978-0545403351
192 pages

I really enjoyed this book. The first-person narrative of a horse's experience of war was very touching. It reminded me of Black Beauty and other stories told from an animal's point of view. The story also had a lot to say about the impact of war and whether it is ever necessary. It is a great story with lots of adventure and lessons about friendship and bravery.

by Suzanne Collins
Published by Scholastic Press
ISBN: 978-0439023481
384 pages

I am a little late to The Hunger Games party, but finally was able to read it.  Reading a book that already has such a huge and loyal following is a little like going on a trip to a place you've heard lots about while trying to decide if it's really for you.  I wasn't disappointed though.  

Set in the future of what was once North America, The Hunger Games follows the main character Katniss Everdeen.  We learn that society has self-destructed and what remains is a country known as Panem, 12 districts and an all-powerful Capitol city.  As punishment for a failed rebellion, the Capitol has instituted the Hunger Games, a no-holds-bar battle to the death masked as entertainment.  To add insult, the competitors are children between the ages of 12 and 18, chosen by a random draw and forced to fight for their lives, while their families must watch from home.  The games are the worst of reality television, pagentry, manipulation, punishment, and reward wrapped into one.  Each competitor or "tribute"  wants to win, because it means his or her own survival, but winning also means killing the other tributes who might have been your friends if they had not been thrown into the arena with you.

Katniss is a complex character.  At sixteen, she is the provider for her family.  After her father's death in a mining accident and her mother's resulting depression, Katniss does what she must to keep her family alive.  She strays out of the boundaries of District 12 to hunt, an activity punishable by death if she's caught.  She learns to trade some of her catch for other essentials to keep her family from starving.  The harshness of Katniss life forces her to guard her emotions.  Life under the Capitol's control has taught her to hold her tongue to avoid bringing retribution to her family.  Once selected for the games, the rules change.  Although she hates the Capitol and sees the Hunger Games for what they really are, punishment for the districts' rebellion 70 years ago, she has to play along for the sake of her family and her district.

As most people are aware, there's a lot of violence in this book.  The tributes endure brutal attacks from each other and must survive the whims of the Gamemakers, those in the Capitol responsible for keeping the Hunger Games entertaining.  I found myself wincing more than once while reading.  This is a book I would recommend for my mature middle grades readers who aren't overly squeamish.  The Hunger Games is a great book full of intrigue and action.  I'm looking forward to reading the next two books in the series.