Summer Road Trip! 5 More Books Set in Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, and Michigan

A Light in the Storm: The Civil War Diary of Amelia Martin, Fenwick Island, Delaware, 1861, by Karen Hesse
Part of the “Dear America” series, this middle grade novel from Newbery Medal winner Karen Hesse follows the plight of 15-year-old Amelia Martin, who lives with her parents on Delaware’s Fenwick Island. Her fictionalized diary starts on Christmas Eve of 1860, when the country is on the brink of civil war. The book details Amelia’s struggles to formulate her own beliefs on slavery and secession, even as she watches her neighbors, friends, and even her own parents become divided by the issues at stake in the Civil War. Based on the plight of real-life hero Ida Lewis, who saved 22 people while working as a lighthouse keeper in the Civil War era, the book brings to life the turmoil of war and the atmosphere of 1860’s America through rich historical details as well as period photographs and documents. This book is sure to please fans of historical fiction as well as Civil War buffs and enthusiasts of the “Dear America” series.

Under the Blood-Red Sun, by Graham Salisbury
This award-winning novel doesn’t fit the popular image of Hawaii as an island paradise filled with sandy beaches, tropical breezes, and sun-drenched surfers. Instead, author Graham Salisbury takes readers back to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. Told from the point of view of a Japanese American boy, the book details the trials of 13-year-old Tomi’s family after his father and grandfather are arrested and incarcerated. An easy read, this novel manages to accurately capture the camaraderie of boyhood friends while delving into darker issues like racism and cross-generational conflicts.

A Long Way From Chicago: A Novel in Stories, by Richard Peck
A Newbery Honor Winner and National Book Award Finalist, this lighthearted novel captures the quirkiness of small-town life through short stories about Joey and Mary Alice’s summer trips to their eccentric grandmother’s house in rural Illinois. Narrator Joey and his younger sister Mary Alice hail from Chicago at a time when Al Capone and Bugs Moran ruled the streets, but the book focuses on their annual weeklong visits with Grandma Dowdel each August from 1929-1942. Each episode seems funnier than the last, as Grandma, Joey, and Mary Alice tackle adventures from besting the local sheriff and conquering the town toughs, to arranging an elopement, and feeding the downtrodden. In each story, Richard Peck skillfully captures the spirit of the times, from digging through the ice bin for a bottle of orange soda to taking a thrilling trip on the newest mode of transportation, the biplane. A whimsical story that will have you laughing as each escapade unfolds.

Chasing Redbird, by Sharon Creech
Set on a farm near Bybanks, Kentucky, Chasing Redbird tells the story of 13-year-old Zinny Taylor, a middle child struggling to find herself and come to terms with the deaths of her aunt and cousin. She finds solace by uncovering an old foot trail that runs through the woods behind her house, working through her emotions as she clears the path. The book’s quirky characters and natural setting add to its Southern charm, even as Creech deals with complex issues such as sibling rivalry, grief, and a budding romance.

Bud, Not Buddy, by Christopher Paul Curtis
In Flint, Michigan, at the height of the Great Depression, 10-year-old Bud decides to hit the road to search for his father. His only clues to his father’s identity are some flyers his departed mother left behind that advertise performances by jazz musician Herman E. Calloway. Through a mixture of ingenuity and old-fashioned good luck, Bud finally meets up with Calloway in Grand Rapids, where the none-too-thrilled musician owns a club. Although Bud doesn’t receive the warm welcome he was hoping for, he finds a family of sorts in Calloway’s band, giving the book something of a fairytale ending. While this novel doesn’t shy away from the harsh realities of life in the Great Depression, particularly for African-Americans, the author’s sense of optimism and hope pervade this feel-good story. A fast and, at times, funny read, this book is ideal for reading aloud and one that readers will want to pick up again and again, with something to offer for adults as well as middle graders and teens.
What books are helping you wind down your summer?