Books with author A. Rinaldi

Winner of the Christopher Award An ILA-CBC Children’s Choices Book A NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Book Welles Crowther did not see himself as hero. He was just an ordinary kid who played sports, volunteered at his local fire department, and eventually headed off to college and then Wall Street to start a career. Throughout it all, he always kept a red bandanna in his pocket, a gift from his father. On September 11, 2001, Welles was working on the 104th floor of the South Tower of the World Trade Center when the Twin Towers were attacked. That day, Welles made a fearless choice, and in doing so, saved many lives. The survivors didn’t know his name, but one of them remembered a single detail clearly: the man was wearing a red bandanna. Welles Crowther was a hero. Award-winning ESPN reporter Tom Rinaldi brings Welles's inspirational story of selflessness and compassion to life in this accessible young readers’ adaptation of his New York Times bestselling book. This powerful story of making a difference through our actions is perfect for helping the post-9/11 generation understand the meaning of this historic day through the eyes of one young man. “Rinaldi’s young reader edition of his award-winning adult story puts a face on that day (9/11), a hero’s face, and brings to young people someone who stood brave in the toughest of times and who, in the end, was lost doing his best to help others survive.”—VOYA

The Revolutionary War is raging. Food and firewood are scarce, and Tempe Wick is worried that she will not be able to care for her ailing mother and her family and still maintain the farm. Her ability to hold on to her world is threatened when a mutinous soldier demands that she lend him her beloved horse in exchange for keeping her brother’s rum-smuggling activities secret from the authorities. This dramatic historical novel is based on a real event that has been popularized into American legend.

As Confederate and Union soldiers take over their town, the local residents can do little more than hunker down in their homes while cannon and gunfire explode around them. But the battles are not only fought between soldiers. At home, fourteen-year-old Tacy and her disabled brother lock horns as David struggles with his desire to go to war. He has strong principles, and it tortures him to allow others to fight while he does nothing.In the aftermath of this great and terrible battle, in which so many soldiers sacrifice their lives for their beliefs, David gives his last full measure…and leaves Tacy struggling to make sense out of it all.

War is turning Juliet Bradshaw's world upside down. Her brother, Seth, rides with William Quantrill's renegade Confederate army, but he's helpless when the Yankees arrest Juliet along with the wives and sisters of Quantrill's soldiers as spies. Imprisoned in a dilapidated old house in Kansas City, Juliet is one of a handful of survivors after the building collapses, killing most of the young girls inside. When she's reunited with her brother, Juliet finds the life she had previously known is gone. Surrounded by secrets, lies, murder, and chaos, she must determine just how far she will go to protect the people and things she holds dear.

All my life I have done what myfamily wanted. I have performedand made them happy. Until now. Now I have broken out on my ownSarah Tracy has spent her entire life under constant supervision, always under the thumb of one older sibling or another. Now, at eighteen it's time for her to get married, so she is sent to dinner parties, plays, teas, soirees, talks, and chaperoned walks -- always accompanied, always watched.Sarah's tired of it -- tired of being shipped around, tired of being reminded that it's time to find a suitable husband. She knows that a husband is definitely not what she wants. But the year is 1861 and it's not proper for girls of Sarah's age to be single or independent.Then Sarah sees an advertisement looking for a young woman to oversee Mount Vernon, the beloved, though now dilapidated, family home of George Washington. Intent on securing the position, she lies to her family and her potential employer, and she becomes mistress of this decaying symbol of American freedom.And then comes the American Civil War. As battles rage around her, Sarah is determined to create a haven of peace at Mount Vernon. With consummate skills, feminine wiles, and a true sense of diplomacy, Sarah single-handedly manages to keep Mount Vernon out of the war. But while she is able to influence generals, soldiers, and even the president, she learns she doesn't hold such sway over her own heart -- as she also discovers true love.Based on a true story, this is the amazing tale of one girl's path to womanhood.

The second page-turning installment of award-winning historical-fiction author Ann Rinaldi's QUILT TRILOGY. "A definite plus for any historical fiction collection." - VOYAWhen her mother died, she told 14-year-old Walking Breeze to seek out her family-the Chelmsfords of Salem. She will find solace there. But Ebie Chelmsford has other ideas. Ebie knows that her half-Shawnee "cousin" will take her place as grandfather's favorite. And Ebie will do anything to stop that--even trying to prove that the girl is an imposter... Ebie thinks Walking Breeze is destroying the home Aunt Hannah has fought to keep together. But it's Ebie's actions, ultimately, that risk tearing apart the Chelmsford family, like the tattered threads of the family quilt.

Claire Louise Corbett and her Confederate family flee their home as Union soldiers shell their town of Vicksburg, Mississippi. They venture out from the safety of a cave only three times a day, when the Union army takes their meals at eight in the morning, noon, and eight at night. Although many of the townspeople suffer from a lack of food, the Corbetts receive extra rations from Claire Louise's brother, Landon, a doctor with the Union army. When Claire Louise discovers her brother tending to a Confederate soldier who is responsible for Robert E. Lee's "lost order" (causing the South to lose the Battle of Antietam), she is forced to make a difficult choice between family and friends.Award-winning historical novelist Ann Rinaldi paints a story of family, courage, and secrets during the forty-seven-day siege of Vicksburg, a battle that has sometimes been ignored in history because it ended the same day as the Battle of Gettysburg.

On the night of President Abraham Lincoln's assassination, his frantic wife, Mary, calls for her best friend and confidante, Elizabeth Keckley, but the woman is mistakenly kept from her side by guards who were unaware of Mary Todd Lincoln's close friendship with the black seamstress. How did these two women--one who grew up in a wealthy Southern home and became the wife of the president of the United States, the other who was born a slave and eventually purchased her own freedom--come to be such close companions? With vivid detail and emotional power, Ann Rinaldi delves into the childhoods of these two fascinating women who became devoted friends and confidantes amid the turbulent times of the Lincoln administration.

This novel of a girl and her family in Gettysburg as the infamous Civil War battle begins “brings a piece of history to life” (School Library Journal). As Confederate and Union soldiers take over their town, the residents of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, can do little more than hunker down in their homes while cannon and gunfire explode around them. But the battles are not only fought between soldiers. At home, fourteen-year-old Tacy worries about the safety of her African-American friend and locks horns with her disabled brother, David, as he yearns to go to war, frustrated and angry about sitting by while others do the fighting. But circumstances will soon bring both David and Tacy into the aftermath of this great and terrible battle—whose soldiers will not be the last to make the ultimate sacrifice… “A beautiful blend of hope and tragedy…this novel once again shows the author’s skill at giving historical events flesh and heart.”—Booklist

The final handcrafted installment by award-winning author Ann Rinaldi. "Whether they've covered the previous books or not, readers will enjoy this rip-roaring tale of adventure and suspense."-KirkusAmanda Videau had no idea what adventures she'd find on the journey North. But she never expected this After witnessing a crime, she goes into hiding, disguising herself as a worker in her great-grandfather's textile mill. For the first time in her life, Amanda must work to survive. And that means experiencing the horrible working conditions of the mill firsthand. Now, as Amanda fights for her newfound rights, she must also try to heal generations of deep Chelmsford family wounds. And that means facing the man behind the blue door--the man who tore apart the family quilt so many years ago.