Tag Archives: freedom

Ella Enchanted

by Gail Carson Levine

Unconditional Recommendation: In this fairytale retelling, Ella, cursed by a fairy to obey every command, sets out to break her curse and protect those she loves.

Age: Middle Grade
Series: Stand Alone
Pages: 232
Published: 1997
Genre: Fairytale, Fantasy

Awards: Newbery Honor (1998), Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children’s Literature (1999), Grand Canyon Reader Award for Teen Book (1999), Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award for Grade 6-9 (2000), Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children’s Book Award (1999)

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The War That Saved My Life (#1)

The War That Saved My Lifeby Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Conditional Recommendation: From a cruel mother to a good home, this is a young girl’s journey to freedom, healing, and identity through the help and care of her guardian during WWII.

Age: Middle Grade
Series: The War that Saved my Life, Book One
Pages: 316
Published: 2015
Genre: Historical

Awards: Newbery Medal Nominee (2016), Schneider Family Book Award for Middle School (2016), Odyssey Award (2016), Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children’s Book Award Nominee (2017), Judy Lopez Memorial Award for Children’s Literature (2016), Bluestem Book Award Nominee (2017), Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Middle Grade & Children’s (2015), Rebecca Caudill Young Readers’ Book Award Nominee (2017)

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