Historical fiction with a wicked twist. Listening for Lions is a breathtaking story of tragedy, deception, and triumph against all odds. National Book Award-winning author Gloria Whelan sets this richly historical coming-of-age adventure in British East Africa in the year 1918. This irresistible novel entangles an orphaned girl in a deceit filled plot. Young Rachel Sheridan is made to leave her beloved Africa for England, where she must pose as the deceased daughter of a nefarious couple in an effort to gain them an enormous inheritance. Her irrepressible spirit and extraordinary wit turn her from victim to heroine in a surprising and empowering tale of a remarkable young woman.

Eight-year-old Zulviya, her sister and her cousin, her mother and her grandmother... they all belong to the loom. For generations the women of Zulviya's family have earned their living by weaving rugs by hand. The rugs are valuable and the women are proud of their beautiful handiwork. But the work is hard. It takes months to weave a rug; each one contains hundreds of thousands of knots. Before one work day has passed, Zulviya will tie thousands of knots. As she sits at her work, Zulviya weaves not one but two patterns. The pattern on the loom will become a fine rug. She weaves a second pattern in her mind. There she sees the green of the Afghani hills, the bright blue of the nearby lake, and the vivid orange of the setting sun. And Zulviya takes comfort in the landscape in her mind.

Koly's parents have arranged a marriage for their only daughter and now, like many girls her age in India, she will leave home forever. She yearns to flee, but tradition dictates that it's too late to turn back. On her wedding day, Koly's fate is sealed.

Caught up in a current of tradition that threatens to sweep her toward a terrifying fate, Koly finds herself cast out, lost in a strange and cruel world. But sometimes, courage and hope can be more powerful than tradition, and fate can be taken into one's own hands.

Books for the Teen Age 2001 (NYPL) and 2000 National Book Award Winner

Prince Albert comes up with a royally creative solution to Queen Victoria's modesty concerns in this true story that reveals an overlooked splash of history.
Poor Queen Victoria She loves to swim, but can't quite figure out how to get to the water without her devoted subjects glimpsing her swimming suit. (Because, of course, such a sight would compromise her regal dignity.) Fortunately for the water-loving monarch, it's Prince Albert to the rescue with an invention fit for a queen
This quirky tale about the longest reigning monarch in British history is as fun as it is authentic, and the book includes a picture of the actual bathing machine Prince Albert created.

A riveting tale about love and sacrifice by a National Book Award winner.

The Disappeared. Los desaparecidos. This is the name given to those who opposed Argentinaas dictatorial government and were kidnapped to ensure their silence. With her hometown of Buenos Aires ensconsced in the political nightmare, Silvia devises a plan to save her missing brother. Sheall make Norberto, son of the general who arrests dissenters, fall in love with heraand heall have his father set Eduardo free.

Told in alternating chapters, this powerful and poetic story follows Silvia as she spirals into Norbertoas world, and Eduardo as he struggles to endure physical and emotional torture. Will Silviaas scheme reunite her family? Or will the pursuit of freedom cost these devoted siblings their lives?

Megan spends her summers traveling around the Irish countryside with her family. They move from place to place, hauling their camper heind their old car. But they aren't on vacation. This is their way of life. Megan and her family are Travelers.

Deep in the Alaskan wilds, 9-year-old Rachel dreams of owning and racing a sled dog one day. When her father, who breeds and races huskies, gives her the runt of the litter, Rachel names the puppy Silver and sets out to prove he's a champion.

Illus. in black-and-white. "Nine-year-old Hannah, living on a farm in 1887 Michigan, is referred to as 'poor Hannah' because she is blind.  In this brief historical novel, Hannah tells of a turning point in her life when Miss Robbin, the new teacher, comes to board with them and eventually persuades the family to let Hannah attend school. A touching, believable story with strong characterizations and sense of place."--Horn Book.  

We all have to live together, whether we do it with enthusiasm or grace, reluctance or despair. In this skillfully drawn collection, National Book award-winning Michigan writer Gloria Whelan presents short stories and a novella that look at people living together who have reached a crisis point. Whether her characters are old or young, male or female, in settings that are urban or rural, they wrestle with anger, loneliness and frustration, but ultimately demonstrate bravery, trust, determination and, often, the ability to learn something new. Whelan considers a variety of narratives about people coexisting, breaking apart, or coming together. The subdued lives of older women are shaken by a scandalous invasion; a man looks around him to discover he will be living the rest of his life in the wrong place with the wrong people; a married couple, grown apart, find themselves locked together; suburbanites reach out tentatively to the distant city; a house and the ghosts who inhabit it change lives. A final section contains Whelan's novella, """"Keeping Your Place,"""" which follows a family as their lives and their home change during the years of the Vietnam War. After the loss of her husband, a mother and the three children must make a final visit to their beloved cabin in the woods and come to a crucial decision. Well known for her writing for young readers, Whelan's stories in Living Together will be a welcome surprise for adults who may be new to her quirky, relatable characters and quietly powerful narrative.

"Historical fiction at an easy level is hard to find, and this pioneer story, narrated by 10-year-old Libby Mitchell on her journey from Virginia to Michigan in 1837, is smoothly written and appealing. The wagon trail is not easy, and Whelan is careful to include a taste of the hardships. She's also careful in her presentation of the Potawatomi Indians, who figure in the story when the Mitchells nurse one of their own children back to health. The story, though brief, is well developed."--Bulletin, Center for Children's Books.  

The woods of southern Michigan are getting corwded, so Libby Mitchell and her family load up their covered wagon and move north. They settle on the shores of Lake Michigan--right next to the Indian camp where Libby's friend Fawn lives! But Libby and Fawn soon find out that greedy men are trying to cheat the Indians out of their land. Now the girls must think of a way to stop them--before the people and animals who call the forest their home lose it forever. This poignant, beautifully-told story concludes Gloria Whelan's American history trilogy. Publishers Weekly gave a starred review to the second title, Night of the Full Moon, calling it a "satisfying chapter book...as captivating as any in the Little House series."