The Glory Field

In this novel, Myers tells the saga of the Lewis family from the 1700s to the present day. Their experiences represent milestones in African-American history. The family's founder, Muhammad Bilal, is captured, shackled, and transported from Africa to America aboard a slave ship. His noble spirit and love of freedom inspire his descendants, who triumph over the evils of slavery, injustice, poverty, and prejudice. Each generation of the Lewis family derives strength of spirit from love of family and from the Glory Field—a plot of land in South Carolina hallowed by the blood and toil of ancestors

The Clay Marble

• Introduction: The story of the Clay Marble, by Minfong Ho, takes place in Cambodia during the late 1970's. A communist group called the Khmer Rouge took control of the country and treated the people with great brutality. People were forced to leave the cities and work as farmers in the fields. They had very little to eat and many were killed for stealing food or trying to escape. Then soldiers from neighboring Vietnam invaded Cambodia to fight against the Khmer Rouge.

• Main characters:   Dara   Sarun   Jantu   Nea   Chnay 

Roll of Thunder• In this fictionalized account, Mildred D. Taylor recounts her own

memories of growing up in a large family and being faced with racial discrimination. This story tells of a black family's struggle to survive racism and poverty in Mississippi during the Depression Era. Nine-year old Cassie Logan learns of the social injustice in her as her happy world collapses. Cassie begins to see that the Anglo community sees her as inferior to themselves because of the color of her skin. Through house burnings, night riders, and extreme hatred, Cassie and her family fight to keep the land that belongs to them.

• Critics have addressed Taylor's ability to write about the horrors of racism with pride, strength, and respect for humanity. Readers are touched by the turmoil that Cassie and her family have to go through. Middle school students would be intrigued by the action, as well as able to see life through Cassie's eyes.

Johnny Tremain• The story begins in the Boston silversmith shop of Ephraim Lapham, where

protagonist Johnny Tremain is a promising apprentice. The Lapham shop soon receives a challenging order from prominent merchant John Hancock. While preparing Hancock's order, Johnny's hand is badly burned because of an accident, crippling it beyond use. With only one good hand, Johnny can no longer be a silversmith. He is forced to find a living elsewhere.

• After a series of rejected jobs, Johnny turns to Mr. Lyte, a successful businessman. After explaining that his mother told him that he and Mr. Lyte were related, Johnny is asked to prove this relationship by showing Lyte the silver family cup with the family's coat of arms. The next day, Johnny brings the cup, but Lyte claims it to be stolen from him; Johnny is arrested. Eventually, Johnny is freed by the court's decision. Finally, Johnny settles into a job with a newspaper, the Boston Observer. The Observer is a Whig publication, and under its employment Johnny is introduced to the larger world of pre-revolutionary Boston politics. As months go by and tension between Whigs and Tories rises, Johnny evolves to become a dedicated Whig himself. Johnny matures and reevaluates many personal relationships, including that with Cilla, who becomes a trusted friend and fellow Whig.

• The novel reaches its climax with the outbreak and immediate aftermath of the Battles of Lexington and Concord.