Walk Two Moons was published in 1994 and won the Newbery Medal in 1995. It follows Salamanca Tree Hiddle’s story as she herself tells Phoebe Winterbottom’s story, and has great scenes of Sal with her grandparents as they roadtrip from Ohio to Idaho and her memories of family, friends, and teachers.
Excerpts:
“‘Everybody is just walking around concerned with his own problems, his own life, his own worries. And we’re all expecting other people to tune into our own agenda. ‘Look at my worry. Worry with me. Step into my life. Care about my problems. Care about me.’ Gram sighed. Gramps scratched his head. ‘You turning into a philosopher or something?’” (p. 70-71)
“Once, before she left, my mother said that if you visualize something happening, you can make it happen. For example, if you are about to run a race, you visualize yourself running the race and crossing the finish line first, and presto! When the time comes, it really happens. The only thing I did not understand was what if everyone visualized himself winning the race?” (p. 196)
“I kissed the willow. ‘Happy birthday,’ I said. In the sheriff’s car, I said, ‘She isn’t actually gone at all. She’s singing in the trees.’ ‘Whatever you say, Miss Salamanca Hiddle.’ ‘You can take me to jail now’” (p. 268).
Bloomability is a 1998 book about Dinnie Doone as she moves from the U.S. to a boarding school in Switzerland. She makes a diverse group of friends and has a few exciting adventures, and her journey helps you think about the concepts of home, travel, family, and friends.
Excerpt:
“In the middle of October, I finally got a letter from my mother in which she said, among other things, that she wasn’t much of a letter writer, but that she beamed me good thoughts every day. Inside the envelope was a wee picture she’d painted. It was a girl fishing by a river, and the girl was me” (p. 93).
Ruby Holler is a more recent book, published in 2002, which shares the adventures of Dallas and Florida – orphans and twins – with Tiller and Sairy – an older couple, with splashes of intrigue from a mysterious character named Z and the “bungling” managers of an orphanage named Mr. and Mrs. Tepid. It is wonderful storytelling, complete with money-burying, boat-paddling, and brownie- and bacon-making.
Excerpt:
“‘What’s a little rain?’ he said. ‘What’s a little water? What’s a little lostness?’ He dipped his paddle hard into the water. ‘Charge!’ Florida yelled above the noise of the river. Ahead was a bend, and they aimed for the middle of it” (p. 196).
Moo is the latest book from Sharon Creech, published in August of 2016! It is about a 12-year old girl named Reena and a very stubborn cow named Zora and talks about taking care of animals, finding your community, dealing with loss, and why it is important to be kind.
Excerpts:
“The truth is, she was ornery and stubborn, wouldn’t listen to a n y b o d y, and selfish beyond selfish, and filthy, caked with mud and dust, and moody: you’d better watch it or she’d knock you flat.”
“listening to the ROARS and SCEEEEEECHES / and scrabbles and warbles / staring at the l a z y crawls / of bored animals. / Yes, for a time that’s how we lived.” (Available via Overdrive from Sharon Creech’s official website http://www.sharoncreech.com/books/moo)