American Regional

A young girl grows up in the sooty shadow of the coal mines of West Virginia. When the whistle blows, Christina knows her father is coming home. Every day he emerges from the pit with his skin caked in coal dust. He's 50 now and he's been working in the mines since he was 12 years old. It's dangerous, backbreaking labor, but he does it because he loves his family. As far as Christina is concerned, there is no job in the world more honorable than digging coal. Danger is always close at hand in the mines. There are cave-ins, explosions, and diseases. But no matter what happens, Christina and her family always stick together. This meticulously researched look at life in a coal camp shows that no matter how dark the pit, love will always shine through.

A Cajun girl tries to keep her family together on the Louisiana bayou. It's been almost 2 years since Suzette's father caught 2 bullets in his back. Since then, he's been bed-ridden, too sick to hunt or fish or do any of the things a bayou man must do to keep his family fed. While he heals, Suzette scours the swamps around her house for fish, gators, or anything she can sell to put food on the table. It's hard, but Suzette is a proud Cajun, and work doesn't scare her. When an Indian girl appears on the bayou, Suzette finds in her a friend - and maybe a way to save her family. This moving novel lovingly depicts the warmth and vitality of Cajun people and a time when the bayous seemed to stretch forever.

It's the worst blizzard in fifty years! Delores is very ill, but there's no way to get through the snow. How long will she be stranded at school? Out on the South Dakota prairie, the winters are fierce. This storm is the worst one yet: It's below freezing outside, and the winds are howling. All of the other kids have gone home, but Delores's family can't get to her, so she has to stay at the school. Between a fuel shortage and having to boil snow for drinking water, it's been hard for both Delores and her teacher, Miss Martin. Now Delores is very ill. How will Miss Martin get her to the doctor in all this snow?   Prairie School was inspired by letters from children at a real South Dakota prairie school, which Lenski then visited during the severe blizzards of the winter of 1950.   This ebook features an illustrated biography of Lois Lenski including rare images and never-before-seen documents from the author's estate.

A Chinese boy struggles to adapt to life in the big city. In Chinatown, the streets are crowded and the air is filled with delicious smells. Felix Fong and his family just moved to San Francisco from a town in the countryside, and they have never seen so many people. Felix's siblings are thrilled by the constant hustle and bustle, but he misses their old house. He liked having grass to play in and a pond to swim in. The city is overwhelming, and it doesn't feel like home. But soon Felix begins to have adventures in San Francisco. He makes friends and even gets a job. Before he knows it, he forgets about being homesick and learns to fall in love with the city.

Will Sally and her family ever be able to go home? When heavy rains cause the river to flood, Sally, her family, and many of their neighbors have to evacuate their homes. With nothing but the clothes on their backs, they seek shelter at the local school. At first, it seems like an adventure, but as reports come in of whole houses being washed away, Sally learns the meaning of being a true friend and a good neighbor.   Flood Friday is based on the actual flooding of western Connecticut in 1955.   This ebook features an illustrated biography of Lois Lenski including rare images and never-before-seen documents from the author's estate.

A young boy dreams of music and sunshine in the Great Smoky Mountains. As far as Billy is concerned, there's no sight more beautiful than the sun setting over the Blue Ridge Mountains. When the day is done, he sneaks away from his work to watch the sun go down. If his father knew, he would call Billy lazy, but Mama would understand. She knows life in the mountains is hard and that there's no point in living if a person can't take time to appreciate what he has. Billy dreams of the day when he can pick up his fiddle and sing the folk songs of his people. Until then, he will be content with the sun. This beautifully written novel tells a story of simple fun and irresistible pleasures in 1 of the most beautiful regions in the United States.

The entire ranch is thirsty-will the rains ever come? Tomboy Charlie loves the ranch and the outdoors, especially now that she has a horse of her own and can ride like a true cowboy. She doesn't understand why her mother keeps after her to help out in the house, too. But ranch life is hard, especially when there's a drought. There isn't enough water for the crops or cattle, and horrible dust storms sweep away the soil. If it doesn't rain soon, her family could lose everything. Charlie must learn that on a ranch, everyone's job is important if they are to survive-and that a good cowboy always obeys orders.   This classic story depicts Texas ranch life during the droughts of the early twentieth century, as one girl tries to find her place in the world.   This ebook features an illustrated biography of Lois Lenski including rare images and never-before-seen documents from the author's estate.

What would it be like to live on a houseboat on the Mississippi River with two parents, four kids, eight chickens, several turtles, a dog, and a cat? Patsy and her family are about to find out! At first, Patsy is upset when her parents decide to move from their home in River City, Illinois, to a houseboat on the Mississippi River. She'll miss her house and friends, and she's sure the trip downriver will be boring. Gradually, she and her brother and sisters get used to their new life. Patsy grows to love the ever-changing river, where she even learns to swim. But she can't help longing for a real house-on land.    Houseboat Girl is based on the experiences of real families living on the Mississippi River in the summer of 1954.   This ebook features an illustrated biography of Lois Lenski including rare images and never-before-seen documents from the author's estate.

Judy lives in a tent with her family. Will they ever be able to afford a farm with a real house? Ten-year-old Judy and her family are migrants, moving from farm to farm with each new season. Starting in Alabama, they travel to Florida and up the East Coast all the way to New Jersey, always looking for steady work. Every time Judy feels as if they're beginning to put down roots, they have to move on. It's hard for her to catch up in school; it's hard to make and keep friends. Judy likes the people she meets along the way, but she longs for a real home. Will her family ever have a farm of their own?   Judy's Journey is a realistic depiction of the life of migrant farm workers in the mid-1900s.   This ebook features an illustrated biography of Lois Lenski including rare images and never-before-seen documents from the author's estate.

A boy and his grandpa hope to strike oil in drought-ridden Oklahoma. It's hot in Oklahoma. There's no wind, the wells are dry, and the ground is dead. Orvie's family is doing everything they can to keep their farm going. If they miss a payment on the mortgage, the bank will take their home away, and they'll have nowhere else to go. Farming is tough, honest work, and it's no way to get rich. For years, Orvie's grandfather has sworn that there's oil under their land, and as soon as it starts bubbling up, they'll have more money than they know what to do with. But when the oil boom sweeps across Oklahoma, Orvie will find there are some problems that money can't solve. This rich portrait of life during the Oklahoma oil boom provides a lovingly detailed look at a forgotten time in history.