Books with author VirginiaHamilton

A family tries to unravel the secrets of their new home which was once a stop on the Underground Railroad in this Edgar Award–winning book from Virginia Hamilton.The house held secrets, Thomas knew, even before he first saw it looming gray and massive on its ledge of rock. It had a century-old legend—two fugitive slaves had been killed by bounty hunters after leaving its passageways, and Dies Drear himself, the abolitionist who had made the house into a station on the Underground Railroad, had been murdered there. The ghosts of the three were said to walk its rooms…

Discover this masterpiece from Virginia Hamilton that was the first book to win the Newberry, the National Book Award, and the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award.Mayo Cornelius Higgins sits on his gleaming, forty-foot steel pole, towering over his home on Sarah’s Mountain. Stretched before him are rolling hills and shady valleys. But behind him lie the wounds of strip mining, including a mountain of rubble that may one day fall and bury his home. M.C. dreams of escape for himself and his family. And, one day, atop his pole, he thinks he sees it—two strangers are making their way toward Sarah’s Mountain. One has the ability to make M.C.’s mother famous. And the other has the kind of freedom that M.C. has never even considered.

Edgar Award Winner: A teenager and his family must uncover the haunting historical legacy of their Civil War–era house. Shortly after moving into an old, spooky home, thirteen-year-old Thomas Small and his family start hearing strange noises. The house has a past, and when Thomas discovers a hidden passageway that may have been part of the Underground Railroad, the family realizes the house has a history as well. To find out all there is to know about the House of Dies Drear, Thomas must explore secret rooms—and the secrets of lives lived centuries before, lives that tell the story of America’s troubled early years.

Hamilton’s classic coming-of-age tale: The National Book Award– and Newbery Award–winning novel about a young man who must choose between supporting his tight-knit family and pursuing his own dreamsMayo Cornelius Higgins perches on top of a homemade forty-foot tower, considering two destinies. Behind him is his family’s beloved house at the foot of a mountain that strip mining has reduced to loose rubble. In front of him, the beautiful Ohio River Valley and the great world beyond. As M.C. weighs whether to stay with the family and home he loves or set off into the world on his own, there appear on the horizon two strangers who will make his decision all the more difficult.

All of the kids at school stay away from “Bluish,” but when Dreenie and Tuli learn to see beyond her differences, they discover a true friend Ten-year-old Natalie is different from the other kids at her New York City magnet school: She is often absent, wears a knit cap, and uses a wheelchair. Her classmates have nicknamed her “Bluish” because her pale skin is tinted blue from chemotherapy. Dreenie is fascinated by and a bit frightened of Bluish—she watches her from afar and writes about her in her journal. As the school year progresses, Dreenie and her friend Tuli learn to see beyond Bluish’s differences and discover a fiercely independent, spirited girl who isn’t so different from them after all. But it’s not easy being friends with someone who’s sick, and Dreenie doesn’t always know how to act. Hamilton delivers a lesson of compassion and demonstrates the power of friendship to overcome even the most trying of situations.

Thomas must keep the treasure of Dies Dear from landing in the wrong hands, but there are many secrets beneath Drear House, and not everyone can be trustedThomas Small and his best friend Pesty Darrow have been keeping the secret of the vast treasure that’s hidden in Mr. Pluto’s cave, once a stop on the Underground Railroad. Pesty also has to keep the treasure a secret from her family, who want it for themselves. And there are plenty more secrets in the underground passageways—hidden rooms, Indian legends, and terrifying ghosts. Now Thomas thinks that Pesty might be keeping some secrets from him, too. If they can’t trust each other, how will they ever protect the treasure? This ebook features an illustrated biography of Virginia Hamilton including rare photos from the author’s estate.

Now in Laurel-Leaf, Virginia Hamilton's powerful true account of the sensational trial of a fugitive slave.The year is 1854, and Anthony Burns, a 20-year-old Virginia slave, has escaped to Boston. But according to the Fugitive Slave Act, a runaway can be captured in any free state, and Anthony is soon imprisoned. The antislavery forces in Massachusetts are outraged, but the federal government backs the Fugitive Slave Act, sparking riots in Boston and fueling the Abolitionist movement.Written with all the novelistic skill that has won her every major award in children's literature, Virginia Hamilton's important work of nonfiction puts young readers into the mind of Burns himself.

History, legend, and rumor surround the house, once a station on the Underground Railroad and the home of long-dead abolitionist Dies Drear. Virginia Hamilton continues the Dies Drear chronicles of suspense through a series of dramatic events. We again meet Thomas Small and his family, loyal Mr. Pluto, clever Pesty Darrow, and her aloof brother Macky. And we are introduced to the unforgettable Mrs. Darrow, whose mind twists back on itself like an ancient tunnel of the Underground. Professor Small, cataloging the priceless antiques of the vast, hidden treasure, must face the question -- to whom does the treasure belong? To Pluto, who guarded it and faithfully kept its secret in memory of Dies Drear? To the foundation that owns the property? The storehouse is in danger not only from thieving Darrow men, but also from the real peril of collapsing walls in the treasure cavern. The time for decision has come. In a brilliant move, Professor Small solves his dilemma. And Thomas and Macky are able to face squarely an old conflict between them.

In this powerful novel researched in NYC schools, Newbery Medalist Virginia Hamilton documents the struggle young people face as they simultaneously assert their independence and yearn for guidance.Friendship isn't always easy. Natalie is different from the other girls in Dreenie's fifth-grade class. She comes to school in a wheelchair, always wearing a knitted hat. The kids call her "Bluish" because her skin is tinted blue from chemotherapy. Dreenie is fascinated by Bluish -- and a little scared of her, too. She watches Bluish and writes her observations in her journal. Slowly, the two girls become good friends. But Dreenie still struggles with with Bluish's illness. Bluish is weak and frail, but she also wants to be independent and respected. How do you act around a girl like that?

The “unforgettable” novel from the Newbery Medal–winning author tells the true story of a runaway slave whose capture and trial set off abolitionist riots (Kirkus Reviews).Anthony Burns is a runaway slave who has just started to build a life for himself in Boston. Then his former owner comes to town to collect him. Anthony won’t go willingly, though, and people across the city step forward to make sure he’s not taken. Based on the true story of a man who stood up against the Fugitive Slave Law, Hamilton’s gripping account follows the battle in the streets and in the courts to keep Burns a citizen of Boston—a battle that is the prelude to the nation’s bloody Civil War.

Four young people must master their powers in order to escape from a barren, dangerous land in these three novels by a Newbery Medal winner. The Justice Trilogy includes:Justice and Her Brothers: For Justice and her identical twin brothers Levi and Thomas, the summer begins like any other. But as the slow days pass, Justice begins to notice a strange energy between her brothers, beyond their normal twin connection. Thomas becomes increasingly bossy and irritable, while Levi seems weak and absentminded. And there are changes happening within Justice, as well. Soon she discovers that she possesses a mysterious, extraordinary ability—and she and her brothers must uncover the secrets behind their newfound powers.Dustland: Using their psychic abilities, four children have formed a unit: Justice, the Watcher; Dorian, the healer; Thomas, the magician; and Levi, the sufferer. Together, they mind-travel to a strange future world called Dustland. And together they can survive anything. But when tensions run high between Thomas and Justice, will Thomas leave them stranded in this desolate land? With the future of their unit uncertain, the children are threatened by an even greater danger: Mal, the evil entity that controls Dustland. The Gathering: Justice, Dorian, Thomas, and Levi have unfinished business in the future. Joining together once again and time-traveling to Dustland, they hope to guide the inhabitants out of the dangerous, barren place in the hopes of finding a safer home. But neither they nor the residents of Dustland are truly safe as long as the sinister Mal remains in power. This volume includes all three of these stories filled with fantasy and adventure, by an author who has won many awards, including the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, the Hans Christian Andersen Award, and the Coretta Scott King Award, as well as the National Book Award for her novel M.C. Higgins, the Great.