Heart of a Shepherd (by Roseanne Parry)

This is the story that we Americans tell ourselves about who we are: good, decent, hard-working, educated, spiritual people, caring for our families, friends, neighbors, and land. We come of age by facing the fire, doing what has to be done, loving deeply but quietly. As 11-year-old Brother says here, learning from his father, "That's my mission, and I'll see it done." True or not, this vision of ourselves holds an atavistic power, and in the hands of talented first-time author Rosanne Parry, it is devastatingly emotional, even when nothing bad is happening in the story.

There are many different types of tearjerkers, and some even earn their tears honestly. but there are none more powerful or honest than stories like this -- the simple tale of a kid struggling to grow up decent and strong. Even better when that kid is supported by a loving family, a tight-knit community, and wise elders who help him along the always difficult path from childhood to adulthood. That's the story we all want our children to read -- and to emulate.