Crossing Stones: Historical Fiction

Crossing Stones by Helen Frost is a young adult book that would work well in a middle or high school classroom and as recreational reading for kids who enjoy historical fiction. Set in 1917, Crossing Stones centers on four teenagers, two boys and two girls, and their families and is told from multiple viewpoints. Crossing Stones is a novel in verse and as reviewer Jean Hatfield observes, "In Crossing Stones, Helen Frost uses a formal poetic structure to simulate the sense of stepping from stone to stone while crossing a creek to tell the story of 18-year-old Muriel Jorgensen, her family and their close neighbors, the Normans." Another recommended coming-of-age story is The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate, which features a strong female character growing up in Texas in 1899. Are there others you or your kids recommend? If so, please click on "Comments" below and share your favorite coming-of-age story.

(Cover art courtesy of Farrar, Straus & Giroux)