Twelve year old Hazel Rothbury is sent to work with her aunt in a factory in New York in hopes of sending money back to her family. To get to New York, Hazel is to go on the renowned ship - the R.M.S. Titanic. Hazel is sent with a small shoulder bag containing barely over £2, and some clothes. The prices in third class can go up to 8 pounds, and when Hazel boards the ship, the ticket agent says that the price is £3. Back in 1912, £3 was a massive amount for a poor family, roughly equal to $400 today! Hazel does not have the money, so she hides in a big bag and stows away on the ship. She is discovered by one of the workers on the ship, and the worker (Charlie) is incredibly kind, so he gives Hazel a one-person cabin, including amenities.

During the course of the voyage, Hazel makes new friends and enemies, discovers very interesting facts about the ship, perfect for her interest in journalism. Her particularly special friend, Mrs. Abelman is very kind to her, and even lends her a special notebook to write down everything about the Titanic, for her career in journalism. When Hazel hears about the colossal iceberg on the route of the ship, she gets extremely scared. Mrs. Abelman gets stuck on the ship, and no one knows that she is there. Hazel hopes that herself and her friends will survive the catastrophe. Will they stay alive, or will they sink along with the ship? Hazel was a budding journalist, who had great hopes to publish a journal about the secrets of the Titanic.

It all starts on a completely normal day when Rebel the dog wakes up. He wakes up his master, Tom, and slobbers all over him until he wakes up. He smells bacon sizzling in the fat in the kitchen. He runs downstairs and he sits in the kitchen until Mum gives him the delicious bacon rind. It all sounds wonderful, and Rebel is sure that the day will be amazing. Little does he know that something will go very wrong… Rebel lives on a farm, and he goes everywhere with Tom. When most of Tom’s duties are done, he and Rebel sit together, play and relax. This was a time of war, when the King took over everything. If you didn’t like the king, you wouldn’t be able to hate him anymore, because you would be dead. 

The next day, Rebel is blissfully sleeping, when he is suddenly woken up with the cries of “I said you don’t have a choice!” Rebel immediately woke up, and his first thought was to save his beloved Tom. He sprints downstairs, only to see two of the King’s guards. They are going door to door, demanding double property taxes. Tom almost says that he does not support the King, but he remembers that saying that would cost him his life. Tom meets a man who persuades him to join the Reds, a group to overthrow the King. Tom leaves, and as Rebel is an obedient dog, he waits until Tom comes back. When Tom comes back, he lies to his parents that he didn’t join the Reds. Later the next day, he leaves. Rebel waits, until he realizes Tom won’t come back. He goes to look for Tom, and along the way, he makes new friends and enemies. He faces adventure, and barely survives. Will he and Tom be reunited? Read the book to find out.

Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus is set in Arizona, where a girl named Aven Green is about to start high school. She is absolutely dreading it, because one of her best friends Connor moved away. She does have another friend though, Zion. There are approximately 3,000 kids in the school, and Aven aims to make friends with 10-15% of them. Oh, I’m forgetting one thing. Aven doesn't have arms, and she is adopted. Even though she is missing a part of her body, it doesn't stop her from doing normal, everyday things, like soccer, or eating her dinner. She even eats with her feet!

Her parents are managers of an amusement park, and one of the employees, Henry, doesn't have a good memory. He is old and one day, something dreadful happens. Will he survive until the end of the book? A number of interesting things happen to Aven, both good and bad. She accidentally dresses up as what her friend said, “a cannibalistic Nazi,” dumps her crush, and goes to her first school dance! Will Aven survive high school, or will she end up defeated by it? Read the book to find out.  

Lily Alone is set in modern times. It follows a girl named Lily, and her siblings Baxter, Bliss and Pixie. Lily’s mum (Kate) is upset because her husband Paul died. To console her, Lily suggests that she go to the local pub, and have a couple of drinks then go right back home. Kate meets a “charming lad” named Gordon at the pub. Kate also buys a credit card off one of her old friends. Because of the credit card, Kate wanted to go to the mall to buy clothes for a date with Gordon. Lily is worried each time they buy something that the card will get refused. Kate is a mother and as most other mothers do, she wants her child to be happy. She tries and tries to get Lily to buy something, but she doesn't want to. 

During the date, Gordon invites Kate on a trip to Spain, and Lily was shocked that her mum agreed to go on it! Kate says that it will be fine, and calls her ex-husband Mikey to come over and babysit. Mikey never shows up, so it’s up to Lily to take care of her siblings. Money and food run out, so the kids are forced to beg for their supper. Lily and her siblings eat quite a bit, so when  people are picky eaters, they pounce and gulp the food down. So many changes have happened to the Green children when their mother left. Will all of them survive this?

The story begins in the modern times where Tina is the main character. Her sisters are named Phil and Maddie. She is going to start junior school (which is elementary school for us Americans) and she wants to take her favorite doll, Baby. Tina’s mum doesn’t let her, but she takes Baby anyway. When she goes to school, her teacher Mrs. Lovejoy separates her from her  sisters. Tina is stuck next to the bully Selma. The story follows Tina when Mrs. Lovejoy wants to make a butterfly garden. Tina is overjoyed, but her spirits sink when she realizes that Selma will be working with her. This collaboration project will change the lives of both characters, as they even become slight friends!

What kind of a situation do you think a young girl is in to have to wake up in the middle of the night to move to a completely different state? Louisiana's Way Home is set in the 1970s. It follows a 12 year old girl named Louisiana and her granny. It starts when Granny wakes her up at 3:00 am, because they have to move all of a sudden, to a different state. During this time, Louisiana faces many challenges such as getting lost and also injuring herself. At the end… wait a second! I can’t tell you the ending. Read the book to find out what happens next!

Imagine you are a soldier in 1914 fighting the biggest war that humanity has ever experienced. Remember, WWII hasn't happened yet. You are in a muddy trench, careful not to lift your head too high, because you will get shot. The story Private Peaceful begins in the English countryside of Devon.  The characters are Tommo, Charlie, Big Joe Peaceful and Molly Monks.  It is set just before WWI starts in England.  Before the war, they all live mostly happy lives, until the Colonel forces their mother to work for him. The children live with their Grandma “Wolf” that they hate with all their might.  But after the Colonel's wife dies, their mother doesn’t have to work for him any more.They enjoy time with their mother until… the war starts.