Symphony conductor Don Fernando longs to hear the sounds of the shofar. Like other conversos during the Spanish Inquisition, he has to hide his Jewish religion and pretend to follow the teachings of the church. But when he is asked to perform a concert celebrating the new world, he and his son Rafael devise a clever plan to usher in the Jewish New Year in plain sight of the Spanish nobility.

Raised a Catholic, when 12-year-old Miguel suddenly learns that his ancestors were Jewish, his world seems to turn upside down. Rushing from the house, he becomes lost in the desert. Captured by a band of Apaches, after a daring escape he meets Rushing Cloud, a Tohono O'odham youth who is running away from a mission school. As the boys travel toward home, Miguel learns to survive in the desert, but more importantly, he begins to see his heritage in...

When Rebecca helps her injured neighbor, Mr. Rossi, by caring for his pigeons, she discovers a strange black pigeon with an eerie message warning Mr. Rossi of danger, and consults a fortune teller to learn if she is in danger, as well.

When Rebecca attends summer camp in the country because of the spreading polio epidemic in New York City, she is troubled by a bully in her tent and another fellow camper who is strangely secretive.

Nine-year-old Rebecca Rubin eagerly helps her cousin Ana, newly arrived from Russia, to adjust to life in New York City, but when their teacher says the two must sing together at a school assembly, Rebecca worries that her big moment will be ruined.

Ten-year-old Rebecca Rubin is injured during a strike at the sweatshop where her uncle and cousin work when she tries to give a speech, while keeping a big secret from her family.

In August, 1775, while spending a month on her cousin's farm in the French countryside, Marie takes care of her younger sisters, picks vegetables, and helps her cousin find a way to earn money so she won't be sent away from home.

"Rebecca is thrilled to spend the day at a real movie studio, and when a super, spectacular opportunity presents itself, she is quick to volunteer. But how will this scene play out? Then, on a visit to Coney Island, Rebecca gets the chance to use her acting skills to lighten the mood in an embarrassing situation--and her climbing skills to rescue someone in a dangerous spot. But a factory tour makes Rebecca believe her skills are needed there, too....

"Rebecca Rubin is growing up in the bustling city of New York in 1914. She dreams of being a star on the silver screen, but her performance this year is on the stage at school. She has to share the spotlight with her cousin Ana, though, and Rebecca fears the audience will laugh instead of applaud. Will Ana hurt or help the performance? Then, being included in a special plan fills Rebecca with joy. But what act of kindness teaches her the true meaning...

Taking a break from practicing for a holiday dance performance to accompany her friend Davy to the beach, Maryellen finds a barnacle-encrusted ring buried in the sand that looks like lost treasure and is desperately sought by a group of strangers.