Endymion Spring by Matthew Skelton

In a story that jumps between the early days of the printing press and the 21st Century, Matthew Skelton tells the story of Blake Winters, who is passing time in an Oxford Library while his mother does research. When a mysterious book pricks him on the finger as he is running his hand along the shelves, he is caught up in a mystery centuries old. Parallel stories tell the tale of Endymion Spring, the original printer's helper who worked with Johann Gutenberg as he was perfecting the invention of movable type, and the book with his name on the cover that Blake finds. Blake soon realizes he is the only one who can read the book. It holds secrets that are coveted by many people and puts Blake and his younger sister, Duck, into great danger. Fans of mysterious, magical fantasies will enjoy this. The audiobook is narrated by Richard Easton and includes an afterward where Skelton describes what how he came up with the story. Endymion Spring by Matthew Skelton. Listening Library, 2006.

Woods Runner by Gary Paulsen

Sam is a 13-year old boy living with his parents in Pennsylvania in 1776. They live on the frontier where  Sam spends most of his time in the woods hunting. Then one day a traveler arrives with news from the colonies. War has started and the Americans are fighting the British for independence. Soon, while Sam is off on a hunting trip, he senses something is wrong and rushes home. There he finds his house burned to the ground and his parents gone. They had been kidnapped and taken prisoner by Hessians fighting with the British. He begins to track them and discovers that his world has just become a very different, scary place. Paulsen concludes each chapter with a page of historical facts about some aspect of the Revolution, and in an afterward says that he wanted to remind people of the actual horrors of war. Fast moving and exciting, it's a great read. Woods Runner by Gary Paulsen. Wendy Lamb Books, 2010.

My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George

A timeless classic, My Side of the Mountain tells the story of Sam Gribley, who lives in New York City with his large family. Restless and interested in living on the land, he leaves home and heads to land in the Catskill Mountains that used to be his great-grandfather's farm, but has revered to woodlands. He is determined to live off the land and with the help of the town librarian, he gathers the information he needs to create a home out of tree, figure out what wild foods are edible, learn to hunt and trap, and capture and raise a baby falcon to help him hunt. Along the way he has to avoid a Forest Ranger that is hunting him, deal with reporters who are investigating stories of a "wild boy" living in the wilderness, and prepare for the long, cold winter. Details about what he cooks and eats, how he tans deer hide to make clothes and blankets, and the many other survival tips are fascinating. The audiobook version is well narrated by Jeff Woodman. He seemlessly slips from one character to the next. A Newbery Honor Book. My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George. Recorded Books, LLC., 1994. Original copyright 1959.