4.7/5 The Apprenticeship of Lucas Whitaker ­ DeFelice, Cynthia. Twelve-year-old Lucas Whitaker, orphaned in 1849 when his entire family is claimed by consumption, takes a job as an apprentice with Doc Beecher, and learns the truth about the difference between superstition and science.

7.6/4 (974.4) Blizzard! ­ Murphy, Jim. Presents a history based on personal accounts and newspaper articles of the massive snowstorm that hit the Northeast in 1888, focusing on the events in New York City.

7.6/3 (973.7) The Boys' War ­ Murphy, Jim. Thousands of boys fought in the Civil War, kids from 12 to 16, fighting with, and against, grown men. Some went to war over slavery; some went to protect their families. Many didn't even know the reasons; they just wanted an adventure, a reason to escape boredom. This is the story of those boys. Based on diary entries and letters, THE BOY'S WAR tells all about their war: why they joined, what they wore, how they lived, what they ate, if they survived, if they didn't. You'll go with them from the homestead to the training camps right into the heat of battle. And by the end, you'll know them.

8.1/9 (391.4) Chew on This: Everything You Don't Want to Know about Fast Food ­ Schlosser, Eric. A behind-the-scenes look at the fast food industry.

4.4/7 Fever 1793 ­ Anderson, Laurie Halse. In 1793 Philadelphia, sixteen-year-old Matilda Cook, separated from her sick mother, learns about perseverance and self-reliance when she is forced to cope with the horrors of a yellow fever epidemic.

7.6/4 (977.3) The Great Fire ­ Murphy, Jim. Thirty-one hours of terror, over 100,000 people were forced to flee the flames. You will meet some of the people who were there and learn more about the Great Fire of Chicago on October 8, 1871.

6.2/9 (810.8) Guys Write for Guys Read ­ Scieszka, Jon.6. There's something for every guy in this collection of stories, mini-memoirs, advice, poems, comics and drawings chosen by readers on the Guys Read web site.

6.0/1 (641.3) It's Disgusting and We Ate It ­ Solheim, James. A collection of poems, facts, statistics, and stories about unusual foods and eating habits both contemporary and historical.

2/8 King of Shadows - Cooper, Susan. While in London as part of an all-boy acting company preparing to perform in a replica of the famous Globe Theatre, Nat Field suddenly finds himself transported back to 1599 and performing in the original theater under the tutelage of Shakespeare himself.

7.1/1 (579) Microscopic Life in the Home ­Ward, Brian. Describes different kinds of microbes, both beneficial and harmful, that are found in the home.

7.3/1 (612) Microscopic Life in Your Body ­ Ward Brian. Describes different kinds of microbes, both beneficial and harmful, that are found in the human body.

7.0/1 (664) Microscopic Life in Your Food ­ Ward, Brian. Describes different kinds of microbes, both beneficial and harmful, that are found in the human body.

6.3/5 Path of the Pale Horse ­ Flieschman, Paul. Lep, an apprentice to a doctor, helps his master take care of yellow fever victims in Philadelphia during the epidemic of 1783.

7.2/6 (979.4) The Perilous Journey of the Donner Party- Calabro, Marian. Uses materials from letters and diaries written by survivors of the Donner Party to relate the experiences of that ill-fated group as they endured horrific curcumstances on their way to California in 1846-47.

7.4/2 (362.1) Phineas Gage: a Gruesome but True Story about Brain Science ­ Fleischman, John. Phineas Gage was truly a man with a hole in his head. In 1948, when a thirteen-pound iron rod was shot through his brain, he miraculously survived to live another eleven years and become a textbook case in brain science.

5.2/4 (362.1) Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio ­ Kehret, Peg. The author describes her battle against polio when she was twelve and thirteen and her efforts to overcome its debilitating effects.

6.7/2 (591.5) What Stinks? ­ Singer, Marilyn. Why do some animals, insects, plants and trees smell the way they do? Find out how they use smells to mark their territories, defend themselves, communicate, or even attract a mate.