Courtesy of the Upper School Book Club

Cheaper by the Dozen by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr., Ernestine Gilbreth Carey

A memoir penned by two siblings that has since been made into two movies, Cheaper by the Dozen tells the story of the 12 Gilbreth siblings as they grow up in a crowded home.

 

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

After being cursed to always be obedient by a fairy at birth, Ella grows up to be a defiant young woman in spite of her “gift”. Ella Enchanted follows Ella as she tries to find the fairy who cursed her in order to undo it and as she deviates from the traditional Cinderella story and from her expected role as a girl.

 

Girls Burn Brighter by Shobha Rao

Poornima and Savitha, two poor girls in a small village of India, become the best of friends before Savitha disappears from the village in a horrible crime. Poornima dedicates her life to finding her friend, taking her on a journey that ends in Seattle. Despite the crimes committed against them by men, Poornima and Savitha stay hopeful and committed to finding each other.

 

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

Louisiana teenager Rory arrives in London ready to begin boarding school just as horrific murders in the style of Jack the Ripper begin. With few leads and no witnesses, hope seems lost until Rory spots the man believed to be the prime suspect and discovers a previously unknown ability to see ghosts.

 

Akata Witch or What Sunny Saw in the Flames by Nnedi Okorafor

Albino teen Sunny moves to Nigeria, where she is bullied before she meets Orlu, Sasha and Chichi, who introduce her to the magical world of the Leopard People, where your worst defect becomes your greatest strength. Together, the teens form the youngest Oha Coven within the Leopard People and use their powers to track down a man responsible for killing and maiming children.