The 2008 National Book Award for Young People's Literature

Summary: In the throes of the Revolutionary War, thirteen-year-old Isabel faces a harrowing choice. Promised freedom, she and her sister Ruth are instead trapped by a cruel couple in New York. When Isabel meets Curzon, a slave with Patriot connections, he urges her to spy on her owners. Reluctant but desperate, Isabel's resolve is tested when tragedy strikes Ruth. Will Isabel risk everything for a chance at freedom, or remain shackled by fear? As the nation battles for independence, Isabel's personal revolution begins, where loyalty and liberty hang in the balance.

Summary: In the bayou's depths, a calico cat and a chained hound forge an unexpected friendship. As the cat hides her kittens beneath a porch to escape a cruel man, their safety hinges on staying hidden. But when a kitten's curiosity leads to danger, their world teeters on the brink. Will love triumph over hate, or will their fragile happiness shatter? This tale of friendship and survival explores the power of promises and the peril of curiosity.