Best Selling Books by Gloria Whelan

In 1913 Russia, twelve-year-old Katya eagerly anticipates leaving her St. Petersburg home, though not her older cousin Misha, to join her mother, a lady in waiting in the household of Tsar Nicholas II, but the ensuing years bring world war, revolution, and undreamed of changes to her life.

As Rosalind continues to straddle the proper English world of her family and the culture of 1920s India where they live, her support of Gandhi and his followers in opposing British rule grows and she considers trying to carry the rebels'' message to Edward, Prince of Wales, during his visit.

Kindness has incredible consequences in this compelling novel set in colonial India from a “master storyteller” (Publishers Weekly) and National Book Award-winning author. It is India, 1918, six months after the end of World War I, and Rosalind awaits the return of her father from the war. Rosalind is kept from boarding school in England at her mother’s insistence. While her father has been at war, Rosalind sees the country slowly change. A man named Ghandi is coming to power, talking about nonviolence and independence from Britain. Rosalind longs to live the life that her heart tells her, not what her parents prescribe for her, but no one seems to listen. This penetrating story, told with lush and vivid detail, contrasts Rosalind’s privilege and daily experiences in India with the hardship of the people around her. As she comes of age during this volatile period of history, will she find the courage to claim her own identity and become her own person? National Book Award–winning author Gloria Whelan’s “insight into history and her characters’ minds make every moment of this saga believable” (Publishers Weekly, starred review). This paperback edition includes an excerpt of All My Noble Dreams and Then What Happens, the standalone companion to Small Acts of Amazing Courage.

Prince Albert comes up with a royally creative solution to Queen Victoria’s modesty concerns in this true story that reveals an overlooked splash of history. Poor Queen Victoria! She loves to swim, but can’t quite figure out how to get to the water without her devoted subjects glimpsing her swimming suit. (Because, of course, such a sight would compromise her regal dignity.) Fortunately for the water-loving monarch, it’s Prince Albert to the rescue with an invention fit for a queen! This quirky tale about the longest reigning monarch in British history is as fun as it is authentic, and the book includes a picture of the actual bathing machine Prince Albert created.

Eight-year-old Zulviya, her sister and her cousin, her mother and her grandmother... they all belong to the loom. For generations the women of Zulviya''s family have earned their living by weaving rugs by hand. The rugs are valuable and the women are proud of their beautiful handiwork. But the work is hard. It takes months to weave a rug; each one contains hundreds of thousands of knots. Before one work day has passed, Zulviya will tie thousands of knots. As she sits at her work, Zulviya weaves not one but two patterns. The pattern on the loom will become a fine rug. She weaves a second pattern in her mind. There she sees the green of the Afghani hills, the bright blue of the nearby lake, and the vivid orange of the setting sun. And Zulviya takes comfort in the landscape in her mind. Gloria Whelan''s other picture books in the Tales of the World series are Yuki and the One Thousand Carriers (2008 Society of Illustrators Gold Medal winner) and Yatandou (a Junior Library Guild selection). Ms. Whelan lives in Michigan. Pascal Milelli''s illustration clients include Harper''s, The Atlantic, and Scribner Books. His picture book, The Art Room, by Susan Vande Griek, received the Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator''s Award from the Canadian Library Association in 2003. Pascal lives in Vancouver, Canada.

To save his family, a logger goes down the river—and brings along his wife and daughter When Annabel’s father sells their house in Detroit, she is thrilled by the idea of life on a farm. But when they reach their little plot of land, she sees that her daddy has been swindled. The rocky ground is hard and unforgiving, and nothing will grow there. Ruined, her father has no choice but to take the only job he can find: chopping down trees in the lush Michigan forest. For Annabel, life in the camp is dreary—but it is about to get a whole lot worse. When her father is chosen to accompany the year’s load of logs as it floats down the river, Annabel and her mother take up residence in the wanigan, the floating cookshack that follows the men. This rough-hewn one-room cabin will house them for three months. As uncomfortable as it is, Annabel learns that sometimes, a river can be a home.

Gloria Whelan weaves an imaginatie tale of politcal intrigue that exploress the horrific consequences of misplaced power. With sweeping strokes of realism that focus on our nation''s health care reform, Whelan demonstrates how the best intentions can pave the way for great evil.

The National Book Award-winning novel about one remarkable young woman who dares to defy fate, perfect for readers who enjoyed A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park or Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai. Like many girls her age in India, thirteen-year-old Koly faces her arranged marriage with hope and courage. But Koly''s story takes a terrible turn when in the wake of the ceremony, she discovers she''s been horribly misled—her life has been sold for a dowry. Can she forge her own future, even in the face of time-worn tradition? Perfect for schools and classrooms, this universally acclaimed, bestselling, and award-winning novel by master of historical fiction Gloria Whelan is a gripping tale of hope that will transport readers of all ages.

Ella May lives on a plantation but she doesn''t live in the great house. She is a slave. It''s dark in the morning when Ella May heads to the fields to pick cotton. And it''s sunset when she comes home. But her day isn''t done, not yet. Ella May still has important work to do. She''s got to listen. Each night Ella May and her friends secretly listen outside the windows of their master''s house. The children listen in the hopes of gleaning information about their fates and those of their loved ones. Who will be sold? Who will stay? The lives of slaves depended on the inclinations of their owners. They had no control over their daily lives or futures. But they could dream. And when the promise of freedom appears on the horizon, the children are the first to hear it. Gloria Whelan''s other titles in the Tales of Young Americans series include Friend on Freedom River (Jefferson Cup honor book) and Mackinac Bridge: The Story of the Five-Mile Poem (2007 Michigan Notable Book). Ms. Whelan lives in Michigan. Mike Benny''s illustrations have appeared in Time, GQ, and The New Yorker magazines. His awards include three gold and two silver medals from the Society of Illustrators. He also illustrated America''s White Table. Mike lives in Austin, Texas.

After her father’s death, a girl adjusts to life away from the river she loves The river is where Lily’s father taught her to fish; it is where she played all summer; it is what sang her to sleep at night in their cabin. But when her father dies while fishing, it is the river that Lily blames. Unable to make ends meet, she and her mother sell their cabin and move into town to live above the family hardware store. Even though she’s angry, the river keeps calling her home. With a pair of wire cutters she borrowed from the store, Lily snips the fence that’s keeping her out of their old property. Living in their cabin is a mysterious man named T. R. Tracy, a veteran who lost his legs in the war. Together they bond over the river, and together they will learn to forgive.

In 1850 the Detroit River was a major track along the Underground Railroad -- the last step to freedom. The journey across the river was dangerous, especially in winter and especially for a 12-year-old boy. When Louis''s father left him in charge of the farm he offered his son this advice, "If you don''t know what to do, just do what you think I would have done." Louis relies upon his father''s words of wisdom when a runaway slave and her two children come looking for safe passage. In the second title in our Tales of Young Americans series Gloria Whelan -- author of National Book Award winning Homeless Bird -- beautifully creates a suspenseful coming-of-age story while illuminating a difficult time in America''s past. Ms. Whelan''s narrative again shows the human spirit will forever shine brightly in dark times. Freedom River - part of our Young Americans series - will quickly become a favorite for its important message and look at history from a youngster''s eye. Artist Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen - a Sleeping Bear Press favorite - treats the material as only he can. Each illustrated page demonstrates the same mastery and devotion to his craft as the young heroes he brings to life.

In the depths of the Depression, a young girl goes to live in the country Although the Depression has destroyed Detroit’s economy, Elsa cannot imagine living anywhere else. She loves her friends, her family, and the hustle and bustle of the great industrial city. But when a mysterious illness forces her to miss half of fifth grade, her parents take drastic action and send her to stay with her grandmama to heal. Not just for a week. Not just for a month. For the entire summer. Elsa is frightened of her stern German grandmother and doesn’t think she could ever feel at home in the peaceful Michigan countryside. The nights are too quiet and the days are too boring, and she has nothing to amuse herself with except her journal. But as the Lake Huron summer wears on, Elsa learns to take joy in empty places and live for the beauty of nature.

One girl too many . . . When a girl is born to Chu Ju''s family, it is quickly determined that the baby must be sent away. After all, the law states that a family may have only two children, and tradition dictates that every family should have a boy. To make room for one, this girl will have to go. Fourteen-year-old Chu Ju knows she cannot allow this to happen to her sister. Understanding that one girl must leave, she sets out in the middle of the night, vowing not to return. With luminescent detail, National Book Award-winning author Gloria Whelan transports readers to China, where law conspires with tradition, tearing a young woman from her family, sending her on a remarkable journey to find a home of her own.

His family''s quest for the truth takes them from the political inferno of Central America to the snowy woodlands of northern Michigan.

Nine-year-old Hannah would do almost anything to go to school with all the other children in town. But Hannah is blind, and her parents keep her at home, where she is safe. Then Lydia Robbin, a strong-willed teacher, comes to town and convinces Hannah’s parents to send her to school. At first Hannah is overjoyed. But she soon learns that there are many obstacles—and people—that stand in her way. Hannah will need tremendous courage to prove to her classmates, her parents, and herself that Miss Robbin was right to believe in her. History Stepping Stones now feature updated content that emphasizes Common Core and today’s renewed interest in nonfiction. Perfect for home, school, and library bookshelves!

When Grandma dies, her five children and their children descend on her farmhouse to divide the possessions in an orderly manner and in hopes of making everyone happy.

As the Soviet Union crumbles, one ballerina dreams of Paris It is 1991, and revolution is coming to the Soviet Union, but in Leningrad, life goes on as it always has. Food is scarce and luxuries are few, but for a young dancer named Tanya, life is a beautiful dream. She dances all day and all night, performing on the stage of the greatest theater in Russia. Her family has sacrificed everything for her dream, and their efforts are finally paying off. Soon the company will tour Europe, and Tanya will see Paris—a city so beautiful that she has begun to contemplate the unthinkable: leaving the Soviet Union forever. Paris offers a chance for defection, which would mean saying good-bye to her family. But as the group prepares for the trip, politics and romance tempt her to stay in Leningrad. Soon Tanya must choose her path. Does her future lie in Paris—or in a new Russia?

In a moving story, the author of The Secret Keeper and Goodbye, Vietnam tells of a father and daughter overcoming their grief at the loss of wife and mother, and their dramatic attempts to resolve the conflicts in their relationship. A Children''s Choice Book for 1980.

Because the Sioux had killed her Papa at the Battle of Little Bighorn, eleven-year-old Miranda struggles with her mama''s prejudice and her own experiences with Indians in the Wild West Show.