Hey, Girls, You're Up!

It seems like I have been reading alot of books for boys. Now, girls, it's your turn!
The Magic Half by Annie Barrows tells the story of Miri, a girl who has older twin brothers and younger twin sisters. After moving to a new home, Miri is lucky enough not to have to share her bedroom with her little sisters. But the bedroom is in the attic and the wallpaper is purple with orange vines and there's a bench in the closet big enough to be a coffin! After her brother breaks her glasses, Miri loses her temper, clocks him in the head with a shovel and is sent to her room. She notices a broken lens taped to the floor molding. When she holds it up to her eye, she is transported to 1935 and meets Molly. Molly insists that Miri was sent to the past to save her from greedy Horst, who wants Molly's inheritance. Molly must help Miri and get back to the future before.....well, read the book and find out! Third through fifth grade girls would love this book.
The Hope Chest by Karen Schwabach is historical fiction. Violet's older sister, Chloe, a suffragette, has left home and Mother and Father refuse to talk about her. When Violet finds a packet of letters written from Chloe to her, she realizes that Mother and Father have been hiding them from her. Violet decides to run away to New York to be with Chloe. She is befriended by Myrtle, an African American girl who is also unhappy with her life. Once they track down Chloe, they all travel together promoting women's right to vote. My favorite part of this book is the last paragraph:
"But now she knew what it was like to stand your ground. She knew what it was like to keep on when things seemed hopeless. And she knew that with patience and hard work, a radical, ridiculed idea--like women voting--could become as acceptable and ordinary as oatmeal." Whoa! Powerful! Fourth through eighth graders, here's a book that's captivating and will meet your historical fiction requirement for school.