Rodina: Rodzina Clara Jadwiga Anastazya Brodski, a strong and stubborn Polish orphan, leaves Chicago on an orphan train, expecting to be adopted and turned into a slave—or worse, not to be adopted at all. As the train rattles westward, she  begins to develop attachments to her fellow travelers, even the frosty orphan guardian, and to believe that there might be good homes for orphans—maybe even for a big, combative Polish girl. But no placement seems right for the formidable Rodzina, and she cleverly finds a way out of one unfortunate situation after another until at last she finds the family that is right for her. 

Catherine Called Birdy: Rebellious thirteen-year-old Catherine is the daughter of a well-to-do family in 14th century England. Her mother wants to teach her how to be a lady and her dad wants to marry her off, but Catherine herself has other ideas…A wildly popular Newbery Honor book. Introduction by Linda Sue Park.

The Midwife's Apprentice:  A girl known only as Brat has no family, no home, and no future until he meets Jane the Midwife and becomes her apprentice. As she helps the short-tempered Jane deliver babies, Brat—who renames herself Alyce—gains knowledge, confidence, and the courage to want something in life for the first time. Introduction by Lois Lowry.

Matilda Bone: Into the fascinating, pungent setting of Blood and Bone Alley, home of leech, barber-surgeon, and apothecary, comes Matilda, raised by a priest to disdain worldly affairs and spend all her time in study and prayer. To Matilda’s dismay, her new occupation will not involve Latin or writing, but practical tasks: lighting the fire, going to market, mixing plasters and poultices, and helping Red Peg the Bonesetter treat patients. She is appalled by the worldliness of her new surroundings, and the sharp-tongued saints she turns to for advice are no help at all. 

Grayling's Song:It’s time for Grayling to be a hero. Her mother, a hedge witch, has been turned into a tree by evil forces. Tangles and toadstools! Lacking confidence after years of being called “Feeble Wits” by her mother, Grayling heads off dubiously into the wilds in search of help, where she finds a weather witch, an aromatic enchantress, a cheese soothsayer, a slyly foolish apprentice, and a shape-shifting mouse named Pook.