Stolen Children by Peg Kehret

When 14 year-old Amy gets a new babysitting job for a well-to-do family in her tow, she gets caught up in a kidnapping plot. When two criminals kidnap Kendra, the 3 year old girl Amy is babysitting, she is taken as well. The kidnappers take them to an abandoned cabin and record video messages to send to the parents leading up to the ransom demand. While trying to keep Kendra safe and comfortable, Amy tries to think of ways to send clues in the DVDs to help the parents and police find her. Meanwhile, she has to deal with the kidnappers, one of which has a volatile temper. Amy fears they plan to kill her when they return the Kendra since her family isn't able to pay any ransom. Exciting, suspenseful, with a brave, resourceful heroine, Stolen Children is a great read. Stolen Children by Peg Kehret. Dutton Children's Books, 2008.

The Boy Who Saved Cleveland by James Cross Giblin

It's hard to imagine Cleveland, Ohio as a small settlement of log cabins, but in 1798, that's how it was. Seth Doan is 10 years old and adjusting to the hard life of the wilderness after moving with his family from Connecticut. To survive, the family members farm, hunt, scavange, and depend on corn that was bought to tide them over until their own crops come in. When Seth's sister and father come down with a mysterious ailment (malaria), it is up to Seth to make the 2 mile walk to the mile to grind the corn daily so that his family doesn't starve. A realistic picture of the hardships of pioneer life. The Boy Who Saved Cleveland by James Cross Giblin. Henry Holt and Company, 2006