Gloria Whelan

Illus. in black-and-white. "Nine-year-old Hannah, living on a farm in 1887 Michigan, is referred to as 'poor Hannah' because she is blind. In this brief historical novel, Hannah tells of a turning point in her life when Miss Robbin, the new teacher, comes to board with them and eventually persuades the family to let Hannah attend school. A touching, believable story with strong characterizations and sense of place."--Horn Book.

Poor Queen Victoria! She loves to swim, but can't quite figure out how to get to the water without her devoted subjects glimpsing her swimming suit. (Because, of course, such a sight would compromise her regal dignity.) Fortunately for the water-loving monarch, it's Prince Albert to the rescue with an invention fit for a queen! This quirky tale about the longest reigning monarch in British history is as fun as it is authentic, and the book includes a picture of the actual bathing machine Prince Albert created.

Left an orphan after the influenza epidemic in British East Africa in 1918, thirteen-year-old Rachel is tricked into assuming a deceased neighbor's identity to travel to England, where her only dream is to return to Africa and rebuild her parents' mission hospital.Left an orphan after the influenza epidemic in British East Africa in 1918, thirteen-year-old Rachel is tricked into assuming a deceased neighbor's identity to travel to England, where her only dream is to return to Africa and rebuild her parents' mission hospital.

"Historical fiction at an easy level is hard to find, and this pioneer story, narrated by 10-year-old Libby Mitchell on her journey from Virginia to Michigan in 1837, is smoothly written and appealing. The wagon trail is not easy, and Whelan is careful to include a taste of the hardships. She's also careful in her presentation of the Potawatomi Indians, who figure in the story when the Mitchells nurse one of their own children back to health. The story, though brief, is well developed."--Bulletin, Center for Children's Books.

When young Charlie Brightelot first spies the mysterious barracks in the woods near his home, he's not sure what to think. His father explains that the barracks will soon house young men serving in the Civilian Conservation Corps. President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the work relief program to help employ millions of young men during the Great Depression. Not everyone is happy to see these young men and Charlie's father questions their value. But when a fire threatens the forest, Roosevelt's "Tree Army" springs into action.

Rosalind is caught between two worlds as Gandhi's nonviolent revolution takes hold in this companion to Small Acts of Amazing Courage that "seamlessly weaves history and culture into a novel that stands on its own" (Booklist). Rosalind inhabits two worlds in 1920s India. There is the world of her heritage--English to the core, with her strict father who is a major in the British Indian Army, her grieving mother, and a tutor to educate her within the walls of the luxurious estate her family occupies. And then there is the world of her homeland--or the land that feels like home, anyway. The world where followers of Gandhi surround her, and the streets are full of poverty and the whispers of independence. The two worlds are colliding, and despite what Rosalind has been raised to think, she begins to resent the heavy hand of British rule. When her father's military position provides Rosalind the opportunity to meet the Prince of Wales, she has the chance to tell him about the injustice she witnesses in the streets of India. Rosalind desperately wants to do what is right, but will she have the courage? And what will be the consequence?

We all have to live together, whether we do it with enthusiasm or grace, reluctance or despair. In this skillfully drawn collection, National Book award-winning Michigan writer Gloria Whelan presents short stories and a novella that look at people living together who have reached a crisis point. Whether her characters are old or young, male or female, in settings that are urban or rural, they wrestle with anger, loneliness and frustration, but ultimately demonstrate bravery, trust, determination and, often, the ability to learn something new. Whelan considers a variety of narratives about people coexisting, breaking apart, or coming together. The subdued lives of older women are shaken by a scandalous invasion; a man looks around him to discover he will be living the rest of his life in the wrong place with the wrong people; a married couple, grown apart, find themselves locked together; suburbanites reach out tentatively to the distant city; a house and the ghosts who inhabit it change lives. A final section contains Whelan's novella, """"Keeping Your Place,"""" which follows a family as their lives and their home change during the years of the Vietnam War. After the loss of her husband, a mother and the three children must make a final visit to their beloved cabin in the woods and come to a crucial decision. Well known for her writing for young readers, Whelan's stories in Living Together will be a welcome surprise for adults who may be new to her quirky, relatable characters and quietly powerful narrative.

In 1913 Russia, twelve-year-old Katya Ivanova eagerly anticipates leaving her St. Petersburg home, though not her older cousin Misha, to join her mother, a lady in waiting in the household of Tsar Nicholas II, but the ensuing years bring world war, revolution, and undreamed of changes to her life. Teacher's Guide available. Reprint.

Discovering that her arranged husband-to-be is too young and desperately ill, thirteen-year-old Koly knows that her life will never be the same after she is married and so must find a way to make things better for herself despite the difficulties she must endure due to family traditions in her native India. A National Book Award Winner. Reprint.

When shy, ten-year-old Lucy comes to live with her aunt and uncle at their mission school, she's surprised at the number of harsh rules and restrictions imposed on the children. Why, she wonders, should the Indians have to do all the changing? And why is her aunt so strict with them? Then a girl called Raven runs away in protest, and Lucy knows she must overcome her timidity and stand up to her aunt--no matter what the consequences. Once again Gloria Whelan has taken a chapter from our past and transformed it into gripping, accessible, historically accurate fiction.

Deep in the Alaskan wilds, 9-year-old Rachel dreams of owning and racing a sled dog one day. When her father, who breeds and races huskies, gives her the runt of the litter, Rachel names the puppy Silver and sets out to prove he's a champion. "The writing is smooth at a low reading level. Effectively planned appeal for transitional readers."--Bulletin, Center for Children's Books.