L. M. Elliott

Hardcover (1 to 2 lbs)

Texas

For fans of rich and complex historical novels like Girl with a Pearl Earring or Code Name Verity, Laura Malone Elliott delivers the stunning tale of real-life Renaissance woman Ginevra de' Benci, the inspiration for one of Leonardo da Vinci's earliest masterpieces. The young and beautiful daughter of a wealthy family, Ginevra longs to share her poetry and participate in the artistic ferment of Renaissance Florence but is trapped in an arranged marriage in a society dictated by men. The arrival of the charismatic Venetian ambassador, Bernardo Bembo, introduces Ginevra to a dazzling circle of patrons, artists, and philosophers. Bembo chooses Ginevra as his Platonic muse and commissions a portrait of her by a young Leonardo da Vinci. Posing for the brilliant painter inspires an intimate connection between them, one Ginevra only begins to understand. In a rich and vivid world of exquisite art with a dangerous underbelly of deadly political feuds, Ginevra faces many challenges to discover her voice and artistic companionship—and to find love.

Da Vinci's Tiger

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Light Hardcover (1 lb or less)

Virginia

A Revolutionary Friendship

Drawing from historical journals and letters, New York Times bestselling author Laura Elliot weaves a richly detailed tale about the extraordinary Peggy Schuyler and her revolutionary friendship with Alexander Hamilton. Perfect for fans of the smash Broadway musical sensation Hamilton! Peggy Schuyler has always felt like she’s existed in the shadows of her beloved sisters: the fiery, intelligent Angelica and beautiful, sweet Eliza. But it’s in the throes of a chaotic war that Peggy finds herself a central figure amid Loyalists and Patriots, spies and traitors, friends and family. When a flirtatious aide-de-camp, Alexander Hamilton, writes to Peggy asking for her help in wooing the earnest Eliza, Peggy finds herself unable to deny such an impassioned plea. A fast friendship forms between the two, but Alexander is caught in the same war as her father, and the danger to all their lives is real. Everything is a battlefield—from the frontlines to their carefully coded letters—but will Peggy’s bravery’s and intelligence be enough to keep them all safe?

Hamilton and Peggy!

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Iowa

When Henry Forester is shot down during a bombing run over France, the World War II pilot finds himself trapped behind enemy lines. In constant danger of discovery by German soldiers, Henry begins a remarkable journey to greedom. Relying on the kind ness of strangers, Henry moves from town to town--traveling by moonlight, never asking questions, or even the names of the people who help him along the way. Through his journey, Henry gains an understanding of the French and their struggle; and of his own place in a war that will change the face of Europe forever.

Under a War-Torn Sky

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Light Paperback (1 lb or less)

Indiana

An exciting novel for tweens that captures the dawn of the American Revolution.

Life is tough for thirteen-year-old Nathaniel Dunn, an indentured servant in colonial Virginia. Then in a twist of luck, he meets Basil, a kind schoolmaster, and an arrangement is struck lending Nathaniel's labor to a Williamsburg carriage maker. Basil introduces Nathaniel to music, books, and philosophies that open his mind to new attitudes about equality.

The year is 1775, and as colonists voice their rage over England's taxation, Patrick Henry's words "give me liberty, or give me death" become the sounding call for action. Should Nathaniel and Basil join the fight What is the meaning of "liberty" in a country reliant on indentured servants and slaves Nathaniel must face the puzzling choices a dawning nation lays before him.

"Filled with action, well-drawn characters, and a sympathetic understanding of many points of view." --ALA Booklist

Give Me Liberty

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North Carolina

In 1941, after Hitler declares war on the United States, unleashing U-boat submarines to attack American ships, Louisa June, with the waves outside her house carrying dangerous enemies, must help her mother after her father and brother are caught in the crossfire.

Louisa June and the Nazis in the Waves

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In this moving and timeless story, award-winning author L. M. Elliott captures life on the U.S. homefront during World War II, weaving a rich portrait of a family reeling from loss and the chilling yet hopeful voyage of fighting for what matters, perfect for fans of The War That Saved My Life.

Days after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, Hitler declared war on the U.S., unleashing U-boat submarines to attack American ships. Suddenly, the waves outside Louisa June's farm aren't for eel-fishing or marveling at wild swans or learning to skull her family's boat--they're dangerous, swarming with hidden enemies.

Her oldest brothers' ships risk coming face-to-face with U-boats. Her sister leaves home to weld Liberty Boat hulls. And then her daddy, a tugboat captain, and her dearest brother, Butler, are caught in the crossfire.

Her mama has always swum in a sea of melancholy, but now she really needs Louisa June to find moments of beauty or inspiration to buoy her. Like sunshine-yellow daffodils, good books, or news accounts of daring rescues of torpedoed passengers.

Determined to help her Mama and aching to combat Nazis herself, Louisa June turns to her quirky friend Emmett and the indomitable Cousin Belle, who has her own war stories--and a herd of cats--to share. In the end, after a perilous sail, Louisa June learns the greatest lifeline is love.

Louisiana

March 1945 World War II may be ending, but for nineteen-year-old pilot Henry Forester the conflict still rages. Shot down behind enemy lines in France, Henry endured a dangerous trek to freedom, relying on the heroism of civilians and Resistance fighters to stay alive. But back home in Virginia, Henry is still reliving air battles with Hitler's Luftwaffe and his torture by the Gestapo. Mostly, Henry can't stop worrying about the safety of those who helped him escape—especially one French boy, Pierre, who, because of Henry, may have lost everything. When Henry returns to France to find Pierre, he is stunned by the brutal after-math of combat: starvation, cities shattered by Allied bombing, and the shocking return of concentration camp survivors. Amid the rubble of war, Henry must begin a daring search for a lost boy—plus a fight to regain his own internal peace and the trust of the girl he loves. L. M. Elliott's sequel to Under a War-Torn Sky is an astonishing account of surviving the fallout from war.

A Troubled Peace

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#youngadult #hardcover #teen #historicalfiction #yaliterature #teenfiction #yafiction #teenfiction #childrensbooks

Illinois

Drew is an army brat, a hotshot athlete poised to be his high school's star pitcher, when he has to move for the sixth time in fifteen years -- this time to West Berlin, where American soldiers like his dad hold an outpost of democracy against communist Russia in Hitler's former capital. Meanwhile, in East Berlin, his cousin Matthias has grown up in the wreckage left by Allied bombing during World War II, on streets ruled by the Communist Party's secret police. From the opposing sides of the Cold War, Drew and Matthias begin to overcome the many ideological walls between them to become wary friends. They argue over the space race, capitalism, socialism, and even the American civil rights movement, and bond over rock 'n' roll -- music outlawed in Matthias's part of the city. If Matthias is caught by the Stasi's neighbourhood spies with the records or books Drew has given him, he will be sent to a work camp for 're-education'. At the same time, Drew's friendship with the East Berlin Jugend -- who ardently spout communist dogma -- raises suspicions about his family's loyalty to America. As the political situation around them gets all the more dire, Drew and Matthias's loyalty -- to their sector, their countries, their families, and each other -- will be tested in ways that will change their lives forever. Set in the tumultuous year leading up to the surprise overnight raising of the Berlin Wall in August 1961, and punctuated with real-life photographs, headlines, and personalities of the time, Walls brings to vivid life the heroic and tragic choices of the Cold War.

Walls

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This powerful Cold War novel tells the story of two cousins, one German and the other an American Army brat, as they navigate the political and social turmoil that threatens their friendship and ends in the abrupt rise of the Berlin Wall-which may separate them forever.



Drew is an army brat in West Berlin, where soldiers like his dad hold an outpost of democracy against communist Russia. Drew's cousin Matthias, an East Berliner, has grown up in the wreckage of Allied war bombing, on streets ruled by the secret police.



From enemy sides of this Cold War standoff, the boys become wary friends, arguing over the space race, politics, even civil rights, but bonding over music. If informants catch Matthias with rock 'n' roll records or books Drew has given him, he could be sent to a work camp. If Drew gets too close to an East Berliner, others on the army post may question his family's loyalty. As the political conflict around them grows dire, Drew and Matthias are tested in ways that will change their lives forever.



Set in the tumultuous year leading up to the surprise overnight raising of the Berlin Wall in August 1961, and illustrated with dozens of real-life photographs of the time, Walls brings to vivid life a heroic and tragic episode of the Cold War.





 

 

Heavy Paperback (2 to 4 lbs)

South Carolina

As a presidency unravels and the fight for women's rights intensifies, a teen girl's future will be determined by her willingness to seek the truth, in this stunning work of historical fiction perfect for fans of Monica Hesse and Malinda Lo. Patty Appleton is making history. As one of the Senate's first female Congressional Pages, she's not only paving the way for other politically minded girls, she has a front-row seat to debates dividing the nation, especially around women's rights and roles. The battle between the old ways and the new polarizes the women in Patty's life, and she finds herself torn between traditional expectations--to be anobedient daughter aspiring to become a perfect wife--and questions new friends like fiercely feminist Simone encourage her to ask. But the questions don't stop at women's rights: The Watergate scandal is intensifying. As evidence mounts that the White House engaged in crimes, smears, and cover-ups to manipulate an election, Patty worries her dad, a fundraiser for President Nixon, could somehow be involved. Determining truth from lies becomes ever more essential for the nation's future--and for Patty's as well. Illustrated throughout with remarkable real-life images and headlines, this timely exploration of 1973--the year of Watergate hearings, the Equal Rights Amendment, and Roe v. Wade--unfolds through the story of a young woman driven to question everything as she learns to think for, and rely on, herself.

Truth, Lies, and the Questions in Between ARC NEW

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Truth, Lies, and the Questions in Between

Wyoming

Instead of spending her teen years at parties and balls, Annie, an idealistic, poetry-loving patriot, finds herself nursing soldiers, hiding valuables, and running the household as the Civil War rages around her family's Virginia home.

Annie, Between the States

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It's 1943, and World War II is raging. To escape the terror of the Blitz, ten-year-old Wesley and fourteen-year-old Charles were evacuated from England to America. After a few near misses with German U-boats and a treacherous ocean crossing, the brothers arrived in Virginia. The culture shock is intense as the London boys adjust to rural farm life and have to learn new sports, customs, and spellings, plus contend with racial segregation and bullying.

As time goes by, the brothers begin to adapt to their new reality and blaze their own trails, writing letters home, making new friends, and pitching in to the American war effort. But just when Wes and Charles think they are safe from the terror of the battles raging thousands of miles across the sea, they encounter the very brand of soldiers they were trying to escape: Nazis, from a POW camp right around the corner and U-boats torpedoing American ships off the nearby Atlantic coastline. Suddenly, Charles, Wesley, and their new Virginian family must face the dangers of a foreign war coming too close to home.

Award-winning author L. M. Elliott brings a rarely told story of World War II on U.S. soil to light in this gripping and meticulously-researched novel, a companion to the beloved Under a War-Torn Sky.
Praise for Across a War-Tossed Sea
"Likable protagonists and a fascinating historical backdrop combine for a story well-told."
-Kirkus Reviews

"Serious issues of intolerance (religious freedom in Europe, racism in America, cruelty to German POWs) permeate the story without overwhelming it, making this a breezy and enlightening read. The occasional letters from the brothers to their father overseas are a nice touch, portraying an accurate kid's-eye-view of a terrible time in history."
-Booklist

"This historical novel would be a perfect fit for any collection seeking to engage readers in conversations around race, culture, and equality in America."
-School Library Journal

"Useful for a discussion on what life was like for the civilian population and especially the effect of war on young children and teens. . . ."
-VOYA

Praise for Under a War-Torn Sky

"An emotional, action-packed gem! Elliott paints a picture of war that we don't often see, one that is away from the battles, showing life and death in a war-ravaged land. An engrossing thrill-ride."
-KLIATT

"A powerful debut novel of adventure and salvation. Readers, young and old, will be moved by this fine book."
-Children's Literature

"It's packed with action, intrigue, and suspense, but this novel celebrates acts of kindness and heroism without glorifying war."
-Booklist

"Elliott's fluid style is woven together with vivid historical details from WWII, appropriate for adolescents who seek suspense-filled adventures."
-BookPage

Across a War-Tossed Sea

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It's 1953, and the United States has just executed an American couple convicted of spying for the Soviet Union. Everyone is on edge as the Cold War standoff between communism and democracy leads to the rise of Senator Joe McCarthy and his zealous hunt for people he calls subversives or communist sympathizers. Suspicion, loyalty oaths, blacklists, political profiling, hostility to foreigners, and the assumption of guilt by association divide the nation. Richard and his family believe deeply in American values and love of country, especially since Richard's father works for the FBI. Yet when a family from Czechoslovakia moves in down the street with a son Richard's age named Vlad, their bold ideas about art and politics bring everything into question. Richard is quickly drawn to Vlad's confidence, musical sensibilities, and passion for literature, which Richard shares. But as the nation's paranoia spirals out of control, Richard longs to prove himself a patriot, and blurred lines between friend and foe could lead to a betrayal that destroys lives. Punctuated with photos, news headlines, ads, and quotes from the era, this suspenseful and relatable novel by award-winning New York Times best-selling author L.M. Elliott breathes new life into a troubling chapter of our history.

Suspect Red

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For those who have ever felt out of place, this affirming and heartwarming book tells a powerful story of the American South, the love of a dog, and the power of music. Perfect for fans of Maxi's Secrets and How to Steal a Dog, and for anyone who's ever loved a dog.

Whip-smart Ariel doesn't fit in. Only in the winds of the Blue Ridge Mountains and spring storms that mirror the unhappiness she feels at home.

Her brother understands her, but he's in Afghanistan. Her father hasn't been the same since George deployed. Her mother focuses on Ariel's gorgeous sister. When Gloria is selected to be an Apple Blossom Parade princess, Ariel feels even more the outsider and takes to the hills.

There, during a raging storm, Ariel finds a lost dog who leads her to the safety of a cabin and Sergeant Josie, a former Army K-9 handler. Together--with music, dog-dancing, and a storm-child-crazy plan--the three outcasts find themselves.

In this whimsical tale of self-discovery, L. M. Elliott captures the flavor of Virginia's hunt country and Appalachia, while exploring definitions of beauty and belonging. Storm Dog will make readers proud to dance to their own rhythms.

Storm Dog

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March 1945World War II may be ending, but for nineteen-year-old pilot Henry Forester the conflict still rages. Shot down behind enemy lines in France, Henry endured a dangerous trek to freedom, relying on the heroism of civilians and Resistance fighters to stay alive. But back home in Virginia, Henry is still reliving air battles with Hitler's Luftwaffe and his torture by the Gestapo. Mostly, Henry can't stop worrying about the safety of those who helped him escape-especially one French boy, Pierre, who, because of Henry, may have lost everything.When Henry returns to France to find Pierre, he is stunned by the brutal after-math of combat: starvation, cities shattered by Allied bombing, and the shocking return of concentration camp survivors. Amid the rubble of war, Henry must begin a daring search for a lost boy-plus a fight to regain his own internal peace and the trust of the girl he loves.L. M. Elliott's sequel to Under a War-Torn Sky is an astonishing account of surviving the fallout from war.

Florida

This lyrical middle grade historical novel set during the Great Depression from award-winning author L. M. Elliott is a moving tale of the spirit of American persistence, found family, and the magical partnership between girl and horse. Bea wakes to Daddy's note in a hayloft, where he abandoned her with her little sister after the stock market crash took everything: Daddy's job at the bank, their home, Mama's health and life. How is Bea supposed to convince the imposing Mrs. Scott to take in two stray children? Mrs. Scott's money and Virginia farm are drying up in a drought and the Great Depression, too. She might have to sell her beautiful horses, starting with a dangerous chestnut that has caused tragedy in the past and injures her stableman shortly after Bea arrives. But wrestling with her own hurts and fears, Bea understands the chestnut's skittish distrust. She sees hope in the powerful jumper--if he can compete at horse shows, they might save the farm, and maybe Bea can even win a place in Mrs. Scott's heart.

Browse by categories

L. M. Elliott

Da Vinci's Tiger

L. M. Elliott

Hamilton and Peggy!

L. M. Elliott

Under a War-Torn Sky

L. M. Elliott

Give Me Liberty

L. M. Elliott

Louisa June and the Nazis in the Waves

L. M. Elliott

A Troubled Peace

L. M. Elliott

Walls

L. M. Elliott

Truth, Lies, and the Questions in Between

L. M. Elliott

Annie, Between the States

L. M. Elliott

Across a War-Tossed Sea

L. M. Elliott

Suspect Red

L. M. Elliott

Storm Dog

L. M. Elliott

A Troubled Peace

L. M. Elliott

Bea and the New Deal Horse