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Horror Fiction

Middle School

Early Fiction

Tingle, Rebecca. The Edge on the Sword. J Tingle, R., CASS (BK.) JFIC Tingle, R.
King Alfred's daughter, fifteen-year-old Aethelflaed, fears her upcoming marriage to King Ethelred, a man her father's age, but if the rebel Danes have their way, she needn't worry, since she won't live until the wedding.

Medieval History

Avi. Crispin: the Cross of Lead. J Avi, CASS (BK.) JFIC Avi, CD (BK.) JFIC Avi
He is no thief, much less a murderer, but when the steward of the manor declares the young orphaned serf Crispin both, the boy flees, finding surprising help along the way from the huge traveling performer named Bear.
Cushman, Karen. Catherine, Called Birdy. J Cushman, K., JPB Cushman, K., CASS (BK.) JFIC Cushman, K., CD (BK.) JFIC Cushman, K.
Irrepressible Birdy keeps her sense of humor despite her mother's attempts to make her a medieval lady and her father's efforts to marry her off to the highest bidder.
Konigsburg, E.L. A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver. J Konigsburg, E., JPB Konigsburg, E.
While in heaven awaiting the results of King Henry II's judgment, Eleanor of Aquitaine, her mother-in-law, Abbot Suger, and the loyal knight William join Eleanor in telling the story of her life.
Wilson, Diane. I Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade. J Wilson, D., JPB Wilson, D.
Despite her crippled foot and the status of Mongolian girls in the 1300s in China, Oyuna is determined to race on a horse of milk-white jade, as her grandmother has prophecied.

1700s-1800s

Anderson, Laurie Halse. Fever, 1793. J Anderson, L., JPB Anderson, L., CASS (BK.) JFIC Anderson, L.
When their hired girl dies suddenly, Mattie and her family have no idea this is only the beginning of a deadly epidemic that kills not only with fever, but with hunger, crime, and selfish behavior.
Cushman, Karen. The Ballad of Lucy Whipple. J Cushman, K., JPB Cushman, K., CASS (BK.) JFIC Cushman, K.
Despite her better judgment, California Morning Whipple is forced to leave civilized Massachusetts for the gold rush of California, where adventure and tragedy await.
Fleischman, Paul. Bull Run. J Fleischman, P., JPB Fleischman, P., CASS (BK.) JFIC Fleischman, P., CD (BK.) JFIC Fleischman, P.
Sixteen very different people take you right there as they describe the events surrounding the Battle of Bull Run.
Hobbs, Will. Jason's Gold. J Hobbs, W., JPB Hobbs, W., CASS (BK.) JFIC Hobbs, W.
Hoping to catch up with his older brothers, fifteen-year-old Jason sets off alone for the gold strike in Yukon territory, never guessing it will take him 10,000 miles to reach them.
Hoobler, Dorothy and Thomas. The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn. J Hoobler, D., JPB Hoobler, D.
Fourteen-year-old Seikei has dreams of becoming an eighteenth century samurai, but when he witnesses a theft and the magistrate asks for the boy's help in finding the missing ruby, Seikei has more adventures than he dreamed possible.
Hotze, Sollace. A Circle Unbroken. J Hotze, S.
Recaptured from the Indians, white Kata Wi cannot believe the stern, harsh white man who is now her father will help her return to her Sioux family, but it is her only hope.
Lasky, Kathryn. Beyond the Divide. J Lasky, K., JPB Lasky, K.
After fourteen-year-old Meribah and her father leave their narrow Amish community for California, they realize there is both great opportunity and great cruelty in the outside world.
Paulsen, Gary. Soldier's Heart. J Paulsen, G., CASS (BK.) JFIC Paulsen, G., YA PBK Paulsen, G.
Once he has experienced the Civil War, Charley Goddard is no longer the fifteen-year-old who excitedly joined the Minnesota Volunteers.
Peck, Richard. Fair Weather. J Peck, R., JPB Peck, R., CASS (BK.) JFIC Peck, R.
Thirteen-year-old Rosie cannot believe she and her siblings will get to visit Aunt Euterpe to see the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago, and she certainly never guesses how it will change the course of her life.
Peck, Richard. The River Between Us. J Peck, R.
No one thought the two strangers that stepped off the boat in Grand Tower, Illinois in 1861 could so alter the lives of Tilly and her family, but as Grandma Tilly tells the tale to Howard Hutchings fifty-five years later, he knows they have.
Rinaldi, Ann. Wolf by the Ears. YA PBK Rinaldi, A.
Mostly white Harriet Hemings must choose between living at her beloved Monticello as a slave in a golden cage and living free in a strange and hostile world.

Early 1900s

Auch, Mary Jane. Ashes of Roses. J Auch, M., JPB Auch, M.
Despite the difficulty of surviving on their own as new Irish immigrants in 1911, sixteen-year-old Rose and her younger sister insist on staying in America when both their father and mother return to Limerick.
Bunting, Eve. SOS Titanic. JPB Bunting, E.
Titanic passenger Barry doesn't know whether to worry more about the vengeful Flynn boys down in steerage, the impression he's making on their attractive sister, or his steward's dire predictions for their voyage.
Donnelly, Jennifer. A Northern Light. J Donnelly, J., CASS (BK.) JFIC Donnelly, J., YA PBK Donnelly, J.
Mattie would love to go to Barnard College, escaping the drudgery, poverty, and abuse of her life in the rural New York of 1906, but what about her promise to her dead mother and the proposal of handsome Royal Loomis?
Ibbotson, Eva. Journey to the River-Sea. J Ibbotson, E., CASS (BK.) JFIC Ibbotson, E.
When the orphaned Maya is plucked from her familiar boarding school and sent to live with horrible relatives in the Amazon, her new teacher, Miss Minton, the exotic country, and an unexpected but marvelous adventure make up for everything.
Jocelyn, Marthe. Mable Riley: A Reliable Record of Humdrum, Peril, and Romance. J Jocelyn, M.
Though Mable hopes leaving home to be her older sister's teaching assistant will be exciting, she feels it is often humdrum . . . until she meets the town's suffragist.
Namioka, Lensey. Ties That Bind, Ties That Break. J Namioka, L., JPB Namioka, L.
Ailin's father and her own spirit allow her to escape foot-binding, changing the entire course of her life.
Peck, Richard. The Teacher's Funeral: A Comedy in Three Parts. J Peck, R., CD (BK.) JFIC Peck, R.
Their school being a tiny one in the rural Indiana of 1904, Russell Culver and his little brother Lloyd have real hope that the death of their switch-wielding teacher, Miss Myrt Arbuckle, will mean the end of their schooling, until they learn that their big sister Tansy will be the new teacher.

The Great Depression

Curtis, Christopher Paul. Bud, Not Buddy. J Curtis, C., JPB Curtis, C., CASS (BK.) JFIC Curtis, C.
During the Depression, Bud flees an abusive foster home in Flint and sets out for Grand Rapids, where he plans to confront the famous band leader he believes is his father, Herbert Calloway.
Levine, Gail. Dave at Night. J Levine, G. , JPB Levine, G., CASS (BK.) JFIC Levine, G., CD (BK.) JFIC Levine, G.
At the Hebrew Home for Boys, orphaned Dave's nights out in Depression-era Harlem are one of the few bright spots.
Peck, Richard. A Year Down Yonder. J Peck, R., JPB Peck, R., CASS (BK.) JFIC Peck, R.
Mary Alice is surprised to find that living her sophomore year in the country with eccentric Grandma Dowdel is not only bearable, but often highly entertaining.
Ryan, Pamela Munoz. Esperanza Rising. J Ryan, P., JPB Ryan, P., CASS (BK.) JFIC Ryan, P.
After her father's murder, Esperanza loses her privileged life of wealth in Mexico and becomes a poor farm laborer of the Depression in the United States.

World War II

Isaacs, Anne. Torn Thread. J Isaacs, A.
Knowing that Jews are being gassed at death camps, Eva's father uses is remaining influence to get her sent to the labor camp where her sickly sister already slaves.
Lowry, Lois. Number the Stars. J Lowry, L., JPB Lowry, L., CASS (BK.) JFIC Lowry, L., CD (BK.) JFIC Lowry, L.
Annemarie finds herself in danger when she and her family try to smuggle her best friend Ellen and Ellen's family out of Nazi-occupied Denmark.
Reuter, Bjarne. The Boys from St. Petri. J Reuter, B., JPB Reuter, B.
Lars makes it into the secret club that plays pranks on occupying Nazis, but he must bring Otto and his dangerous plans for sabotage along.
Salisbury, Graham. Under the Blood-Red Sun. J Salisbury, G., JPB Salisbury, G., CASS (BK.) JFIC Salisbury, G., CD (BK.) JFIC Salisbury, G.
Japanese-American Tomi Nakagi's happy if imperfect life changes drastically the day the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor.
Taylor, Theodore. The Bomb. JPB Taylor, T., CASS (BK.) JFIC Taylor, T.
Sorry, his teacher, and his grandfather pay the ultimate price for their opposition to an American bomb test in their lagoon. They are luckier than the other inhabitants of the Bikini Atoll.
Yolen, Jane. The Devil's Arithmetic. J Yolen, J., JPB Yolen, J., CASS (BK.) JFIC Yolen, J.
Bored and confused by stories of the Holocaust, Hannah is shocked when she's transported back to 1940s Poland and relives this dreadful time.

Post-World War II

Curtis, Christopher. The Watsons Go to Birmingham---1963. J Curtis, C., JPB Curtis, C., CASS (BK.) JFIC Curtis, C.
The Watsons are taking Kenny's older brother south to be straightened out by a summer with Grandma Stone, but they find Birmingham a dangerous place in the summer of 1963.
Krisher, Trudy. Spite Fences. J Krisher, T.
Maggie struggles to name and face her fears: her mother's physical abuse of her, a neighbor's attempt to rape her, and the outrageous assault on her adult friend, black Zeke.
Szablya, Helen. The Fall of the Red Star. J Szablya, H.
As a member of the Resistance against the Hungarian secret police, Stephen hopes to keep the Russian tanks from returning to Budapest.

High School

Bradford, Richard. Red Sky at Morning. YA PBK Bradford, R., CASS (BK.) FIC Bradford, R.
Josh's deadpan style and wicked sense of humor make his account of his high school years with his southern belle mother in the mountains of New Mexico, while his father commands a ship in World War II, hilarious, despite the sobering and abrupt entrance Josh must make to adulthood at its end.
Chevalier, Tracy. Girl with a Pearl Earring. YA PBK Chevalier, T. , FIC Chevalier, T., CASS (BK.) FIC Chevalier, T., FIC Chevalier, T. LARGE PRINT
As a maid in the Vermeer household, the young and pretty but uneducated Griet must use all her natural caution and intelligence to avoid disaster, particularly when her Master wants her to be not only an assistant but also a model.
Crichton, Michael. Timeline. YA PBK Crichton, M. , FIC Crichton, M., CASS (BK.) FIC Crichton, M. , FIC Crichton, M. LARGE PRINT
Three graduate students follow their professor to medieval France in the hope of rescuing him, but the physics student who remains behind becomes their only hope of returning to our world.
Donnelly, Jennifer. A Northern Light. YA PBK Donnelly, J., J Donnelly, J., CASS (BK.) JFIC Donnelly, J.
Mattie would love to go to Barnard College, escaping the drudgery, poverty, and abuse of her life in the rural New York of 1906, but what about her promise to her dying mother and the proposal of handsome Royal Loomis?
Harper, Karen. The Poyson Garden. FIC MYS Harper, K.
Despite being only slightly better than a prisoner, the young Princess Elizabeth knows she must find out who is trying to poison all the Boleyns, or she won't live long enough to become Queen.
Kidd, Sue Monk. The Secret Life of Bees. YA PBK Kidd, S., FIC Kidd, S., CD (BK.) FIC Kidd, S.
A girl who accidentally shot and killed her mother at the age of four, and who now lives with her bitter, abusive father, hardly seems lucky, but when Lily runs away with only a picture of the black Madonna and the words "Tiberone, S.C." as a guide, she is lucky enough to find the perfect home.
King, Laurie. O Jerusalem. FIC MYS King, L.
Forced to regroup in the middle of a disastrous case in England, Sherlock Holmes and his young partner, Mary Russell, go to Palestine to help British agents, but first they must prove themselves by figuring out what mystery needs solving.
Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. YA PBK Lee, H., FIC Lee, H. PBK Lee, H., CASS (BK.) FIC Lee, H., CD (BK.) FIC Lee, H., FIC Lee, H. LARGE PRINT, J Lee, H., JPB Lee, H., CASS (BK.) JFIC Lee, H.
Scout Finch learns how evil racism can be when her father, an attorney, defends a black man accused of rape.
Myers, Walter Dean. Fallen Angels. YA PBK Myers, W. , FIC Myers, W.
Too poor for college, Richie enlists with a vague idea of doing his part against Communism in Vietnam. He is soon fighting simply for his life and the lives of his fellow soldiers.
Paulsen, Gary. Soldier's Heart. YA PBK Paulsen, G., J Paulsen, G., CASS (BK.) JFIC Paulsen, G.
Once he has experienced the Civil War, Charley Goddard is no longer the fifteen-year-old who excitedly joined the Minnesota Volunteers.
Potok, Chaim. The Chosen. YA PBK Potok, C., FIC Potok, C.
Orthodox Jew Reuven meets Hasidic Daniel as an opponent on the ball field, but he has sympathy for Daniel when he sees Daniel with his demanding father.
Rinaldi, Ann. Wolf by the Ears. YA PBK Rinaldi, A.
Mostly white Harriet Hemings must choose between living at her beloved Monticello as a slave in a golden cage and living free in a strange and hostile world.
Smith, Betty. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. YA PBK Smith, B., FIC Smith, B., CASS (BK.) FIC Smith, B.
Despite poverty, hunger, cold, ignorance, an alcoholic father, and a mother who loves her brother more, Francie Nolan grows into a beautiful and educated young woman with a life full of possibilities.
White, Ellen Emerson. The Road Home. YA PBK White, E.
Now home, Rebecca can't come to terms with her experiences as an army nurse in Vietnam, so she sets off to find the maimed veteran whose letters gave her reason to keep going when she was in 'Nam.
Willis, Connie. To Say Nothing of the Dog or, How We Found the Bishop's Bird Stump at Last. FIC SF Willis, C.
The Oxford historians are already cracking under the pressure of Lady Shrapnel's project to re-create the Coventry Cathedral of the 1800s. Then one of them, on a "drop" in Victorian England, brings a cat back to the late 21st century, and they must scamble to avoid a complete breakdown of the space-time continuum.
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