Nation by Terry Pratchett

After a great wave hits, Mau is the only survivor of his island village. He is joined by other survivors, some islanders like him, and one very different girl from the west. His people, the Nation, had a very rich culture and oral tradition of history. As they do the work of surviving each day, Mau battles with the voices of his people's past and the new experiences brought on by exposure to other cultures. Along the way, Mau grows from a regular boy to a great man.

This book will appeal to readers that enjoy survival stories, folklore, history, and even science. The interweaving of folklore throughout the story adds an element of mysticism that makes the reader wonder if there is some fantasy happening, too.

I'd recommend this book to middle schoolers.

I, Matthew Henson: Polar Explorer by Carole Boston Weatherford

This is a beautifully illustrated and well written account of Matthew Henson's life from the age of 13 when he began his first sailing adventure. It is told in the first person. Each page begins with a negative but completes with Henson overcoming that negative. For example; "I did not start as a cabin boy, climb to the ranks of an able-bodied seaman...to drift into humdrum jobs ashore. My dreams had sails." Facts about Henson's accomplishments such as learning to speak Inuit and carrying Peary to safety during during one of the polar attempts are woven into the text and speak to Henson's character. The story is a testament to Henson's determination to overcome prejudice and extreme hardships on his seven sttempts to reach the Notrth Pole. This would be an excellent book to use with character education. It is illustrated by Eric Velasquez and had starred reviews in Booklist, SLJ and Kirkus.