Andy befriends Onion John, a very odd man who lives in a hut in a small New Jersey town.  Onion John has some strange superstitions and beliefs which fascinate Andy, but not his father who wants Andy to be an engineer.  Through conflicts over Andy's friendship with Onion John, his father learns that he can't choose his son's career.  (JP) 

  1961  O’Dell, Scott.  Island of the Blue Dolphins.  Boston: Houghton, 1960. 

Imagine yourself on an island where there are blue dolphins, sea elephants, otters, and sea birds.  The Ghalas-at tribe lives on this island until a group of hunters comes and kills over half of the people.  Karana, an Indian girl is left without her parents and must learn to survive on her own. (JD) 

  1962  Speare, Elizabeth George.  The Bronze Bow.  Boston: Houghton 1961. 

Daniel, a renegade outlaw, is consumed with hatred for the Romans and is obsessively trying to avenge the death of his parents.   He must choose between a life of destructive hatred and a life of peace and love.  (MS) 

  1963  L’Engle, Madeleine.  A Wrinkle in Time.  New York: Farrar, 1962. 

Meg Murray and her brother Charles Wallace enter a strange world in search of their father. They are led in this search by a strange being who takes them through a wrinkle in time. Once there, they discover an evil force which will take a special power that they possess to defeat it. (JHP) 

  1964  Neville, Emily.  It’s Like This, Cat.  New York: Harper, 1963. 

Dave Mitchell is a fourteen-year-old growing up in New York City with his mom, dad, and his cat, Cat.  Dave and his lawyer father don't see eye-to-eye very often and their fighting causes his mother’s asthma to act up.  After Dave meets a girl and befriends a college boy with no family and lots of troubles, he learns that maybe his dad isn’t so bad after all.  (JP) 

  1965  Wojciechowska, Maia.  Shadow of a Bull.  New York: Atheneum, 1964. 

Manolo’s father was a famous bullfighter in Spain, gored through the heart by a bull.  Soon, Manolo will have to fight the bulls like his father.  But Manolo knows something about himself that others do not know.  He is a coward.  How will Manolo confront his fear? (MK) 

  1966  de Treviño, Elizabeth Borton.  I, Juan de Pareja.  New York: Farrar, 1965. 

Born a slave in the 1600s, Juan is owned by the Spanish painter Velázquez. Juan wants to learn how to paint, but the law forbids black slaves to be artists.  Juan learns anyway, secretly teaching himself.  Based on real people, the author “paints” you a story about the life of artist Juan de Pareja.  (MK) 

  1967  Hunt, Irene.   Up A Road Slowly.   New York: Follett, 1966. 

At the age of seven, Julie’s world is turned upside down.  After her mother’s death, she is sent to the country to live with her aunt.  As Julie goes through the joys and pains of growing up, she comes to terms with the unfairness of life. (JP) 

  1968  Konigsburg, E.L.  From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.  New York: Atheneum, 1967. 

Claudia takes her brother Jamie when she runs away from home to hide out in the city museum.  There they encounter the mystery of a two-foot high angel statue, supposedly sculpted by Michelangelo.  Claudia is determined to find out if the sculpture is authentic or a fake, but meanwhile she must tackle the problem of their dwindling funds and her reasons for running away.  (MA) 

  1969 Alexander, Lloyd.  The High King.  New York: Holt, 1968. 

When the most powerful weapon in the kingdom falls into Arawn’s hands, Assistant Pig-Keeper Taran and Prince Gwydion raise an army to march against the evil forces. When Taran’s army arrives at Arawn’s stronghold, Taran is forced to make the most crucial decision of his life. (MS)