Crossing Bok Chitto: A Choctaw tale of friendship and freedom by Tim Tingle, illustrated by Jeanne Rorex Bridges.
Martha Tom, a young Choctaw girl, crosses the Bok Chitto River even though she has been told not to.  There she finds a slave church service out in the forest.  Martha makes friends with Little Mo, a young slave who returns her safely to the other side of the river after slowly and silently passing right under the noses of the Master and his family.  Then it is Little Mo’s turn to see the Choctaw people doing a wedding ceremony.  The two children cross back and forth, learning more about each other’s cultures.  But then comes the day when Little Mo’s mother is sold away.  The only solution is for them to escape.  It is his friendship with Martha Tom that will save their family.
This book is gorgeously illustrated, winningly written, and will sound a chord with most people.  The use of faith and song to tie two cultures together is done lovingly and with great respect for both.  This is one to hand to families looking for a deep, moving story whatever their faith or background.  Simply lovely.

Sigh. After casting around for an image of the great cover of this book, I give up. I present you a review with no accompanying cover, but know that it is quite a nice cover, especially considering this is historical fiction and those covers are so often not reflective of the actual story.
Desperate Journey by Jim Murphy.
This work of children’s fiction is written by that amazing author of children’s nonfiction, Jim Murphy. With this book, he proves that he is just as good at fiction as nonfiction. 12-year-old Maggie lives on a boat on the Erie Canal along with her father, mother, younger brother and uncle. Life on the canal is hard and lonely as the mules that pull the boat must be worked with, people who live on land not accepting their roaming way of life, and the constant motion of moving from place to place with cargo. Maggie’s father is known all along the canal as a man who is not afraid to fight but who only fights to right a wrong. Last year, her father fought Longfingered John and lost hundreds of dollars. Now the family is hurrying to their next port to get a bonus that will let them keep their boat. But when they stop along the way, Maggie’s father is accused of assaulting a man and beating him almost to death. Maggie’s uncle is accused as well.
With her father and uncle dragged off to jail, Maggie and her brother find themselves alone on the river with their ailing mother trying desperately to reach their next port to claim the bonus and then rush back down the canal for the trial.
This book is gripping. The constant pressure the family lives under as well as the roughness that surrounds them is daunting, but Maggie and her family continue to do the right thing and fight against the adversity they find themselves in. Maggie is a strong female character who manages to not lose her feminity while she does the work of a grown man. The characterizations of the family are three dimensional and well done. Only the villains of the story are two-dimensional and that is to be expected because that is how Maggie herself views them. I especially enjoyed the character of Billy Black, an unlikely hero in the story. The historical aspects of the book are vividly written and the small details woven into the story create a whole that is realistic.
Recommend this book to teachers to read aloud for historical fiction. Also recommend to young readers who enjoy survival stories and history.

The Dream-Maker’s Magic by Sharon Shinn is the third book in a series that started with The Safe-Keeper’s Secret.  Each book in the series is set in the same kingdom, but focus on different characters.  This book is about Kellen, a girl who is raised as a boy because her mother insists that she gave birth to a boy rather than a girl.  When Kellen starts school, she meets Gryffin, a very intelligent boy whose legs are damaged so that he walks with canes.  They are both outcasts of the village because of their differences, and they become fast friends.  Through the years, they meet a variety of characters as they work in bed and breakfasts and a bustling inn.  Their friendship is just starting to turn into something else when Gryffin’s life changes forever and he must leave their village for the capital city. 
If you enjoyed the previous two books in the series this one is just for you.  Though it features the stories of Kellen and Gryffin, readers get to see many of the other people of the realm.  Written in Shinn’s clean language the writing allows readers to completely embrace the magic within the story.  Recommend this to teens who enjoy either romance or fantasy.  The magical parts of the story are subtle, rather than wizards and zinging spells, which is part of the charm of the series as a whole.

Ouch! by Ragnhild Scamell, illustrated by Michael Terry.
Hedgehog has just finished creating the perfect nest to hibernate in, but as she stands back to admire it, an apple falls from the tree above her an lodges itself in her spikes.   Now she can’t fit into her snug nest anymore.  She asks Squirrel to help her, but when he tugs on the apple, three nuts get stuck along with the apple.  Hedgehog goes from one animal friend to anther asking for help and each time ends up with more and more things stuck to her back.  It isn’t until she asks Goat for help that the situation is resolved.
This book is great fun for kids.  It is the perfect length for preschool storytimes and will get kids giggling along at Hedgehog’s obvious dismay as each new item adds to her burden.  I can see this being a great addition to autumn storytimes.  It reads aloud well and there are plenty of character voices to add to the fun.  Share this one with a group or in your own snug nest at home.