Hello, my friends!
Today, I have the joy of sharing a post that my good friend, and fellow writer, Rachel W. wrote!
In this post, Rachel shares 8 book recommendations from four categories, fantasy/mystery, historical fiction, non-fiction/biography, and picture books, with a summary of each. Let’s get started!

Fantasy / mystery:

Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
Following a peculiar advertisement in the newspaper, four gifted children pass a series of tests to become members of the Mysterious Benedict Society. They go on a mission as spies at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, and through the ensuing events, they find the value of each other. You can test your wits right along with the characters in this book!

Princess Academy by Shannon Hale
Miri lives in a mountain village, where for generations everyone has quarried stone. The spot is chosen for a princess academy, designed to produce a suitable bride for the prince. Miri is forced to be one of many girls at the academy, and although it’s rough, when bandits attack the village, Miri realizes the mountain dweller’s unique power and must help save her village.
Historical fiction:

Words on Fire by Jennifer A. Nielsen
Audra is living in Lithuania during the Russian invasion. When the Cossacks show up at her family’s door, her parents insist she flee, taking with her a mysterious package. On a journey to deliver the package, Audra becomes involved with a resistance movement. Can she have a chance to rescue her parents?

Calico Captive by Elizabeth George Speare
Follow the journey of young Miriam Willard as she & her family are captured by Native Americans during the French and Indian War. They are forced to march north to Montreal, where a turn of events change Miriam’s life forever.
Non-fiction / biography:

The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown
This book is about the University of Washington rowing team and their journey to the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. It follows the story of Joe Rantz, a crucial part of the team, and also gives insight into Nazi Germany and the demanding sport of rowing. I really enjoyed the young reader’s edition!

Women at the Edge of Discovery by Kendall Haven
Explore the lives of 40 lesser-known women scientists in this fascinating book. I learned about science careers I didn’t even know existed! Many women have contributed to many aspects of science & discovery, as you will learn in this book.
Picture books:

This is How We Do It by Matt Lamothe
Delightfully illustrated narrative following a day in the life of seven kids from around the world. Learn more about daily life in Russia, India, Italy, Japan, Uganda, Peru, and Iran. Great for people of all ages!

Armstrong: The Adventurous Journey of a Mouse to the Moon by Torben Kuhlmann
From the perspective of a mouse, this marvelously illustrated story tells about the mouse’s journey to the moon. He faces several obstacles along the way but ultimately discovers the joy of exploration.

Thank you so much for sharing, Rachel! I am definitely going to have to check out your selections. And if you all want to see more of Rachel’s favorite books, check out her Goodreads!
Thank you so much for reading! What are some of your favorite books?


About Rachel
Rachel is a Midwest gal, total bookworm, and aspiring writer. She enjoys running cross country, swimming, and snowshoeing. Rachel’s favorite genres are historical fiction, fantasy, biography, and middle grade. She is currently working on a fantasy story about two sisters and a secret organization to resist the government.
Oh, great post! I love Words on Fire! One of my favorite books!!! Definitely gonna have to check out the books I haven’t read on this list!
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Aw, thanks, Kayti! I can’t wait to read it! Thank you! =D
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This is awesome! I’ve heard of a lot of these books, but I’ll have to check out the ones I haven’t heard of.
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Thanks, Annabelle! Me too!
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Great post Rachel- thanks for letting her share all those great books with us Pearl I can’t wait to check some of them out!!
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Yup! I’m hoping we can head to the library sometime this week to check some of them out! =D
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