If you haven't read this 2009 Newbery winner, what are you waiting for??

Gaiman, Neil (2008). The Graveyard Book. Grades 5 and up.

Gaiman creates a character named Nobody "Bod" Owens, who is raised in a graveyard, which he wandered into as a toddler. The very night that he was found and adopted by Mr. and Mrs. Owens, a ghostly couple, his own family was murdered by a man called "Jack." After much deliberation, the inhabitants of the graveyard decide to accept Bod and protect him from "Jack" who still pursues the boy. Mr. and Mrs. Owens adopt the boy as their own, but also appoint a guardian named Silas. Until he is a teen, Bod experiences various adventures, both in and out of the graveyard, often having to be rescued by his guardian, Silas.

Although the book may seem chilling and dark, it is filled with bits of humor and emotion that make Bod a very likeable and believable character.

Women who passed as men during the Civil War

Silvey, Anita. I'll Pass for Your Comrade: Women Soldiers in the Civil War. Grades 5 and up.

Fascinated by her own family's Civil War history, Ms. Silvey set out to research and locate information on the women who were unfortunately left out of most American history books and television programs. While there are several books on this subject for grownups, Ms. Silvey has brought this fascinating history to a younger readership. Her research resulted in an excellent look at these women's roles and their reasons for joining the various regiments. Ms. Silvey provides the reader with illustrations and photographs showing these women dressed as men in military uniform, which may easily fool the reader, just as they did the actual generals and soldiers.

This is a great look at Civil War history that younger readers may be unfamiliar with. For (young) history buffs and novices alike!