Historical fiction

A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielsen

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Scholastic 

Summary: When Gerta is 8, her father and brother Dominic go to West Berlin to look for work, preparing to move there from the east. While they’re gone, the Berlin wall goes up overnight. Four years later, she spots the two of them on an observation platform on the western side of the wall. Her father seems to be pantomiming for her to dig. When he manages to smuggle her a picture of a building, Gerta is sure he means for her and her other brother Fritz to start there and tunnel an escape route through the wall. As they work on their tunnel, their neighbors and friends grow more and more suspicious, and before long, completing it has become a life-and-death proposition. Grades 5-8.

Pros: An eye-opening story of life behind the Iron Curtain during the early 1960’s, with danger lurking everywhere for Gerta and her family, resulting in an exciting story from start to finish.

Cons: The page-turning suspense was so intense that I almost booked a cardiologist appointment before I was done.

Walking Home to Rosie Lee by A. LaFaye, illustrated by Keith D. Shepherd

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Cinco Puntos Press

Summary: The Civil War is over, and Gabe wants to find his mama. She was sold by his master when Gabe was so young that all he can remember of her is her smell of jasmine, her good cooking, and the scarf she wore to cover up a scar she received as a punishment for trying to escape. For the first time in his life, Gabe is free to travel away from the plantation where he was a slave, and he sets off to find Mama. For months, he travels through the south, meeting other newly-freed slaves, following leads, and enduring crushing disappointments. One day, he sees a woman setting pies on the windowsill of a hotel, her long scarf trailing behind her. That night, he sleeps snuggled against his mama, hoping other boys will be as fortunate as he has been. Ages 8-12.

Pros: Told in Gabe’s distinctive voice (“Had me thinner than a leaf with the sorrow of it”), this story fills a gap in historical fiction picture books with its narrative about Reconstruction. The author’s note tells how Gabe’s story is representative of many newly freed slaves who sought to reunite with loved ones.

Cons: The history of the Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation aren’t told here, so kids will need some background to understand Gabe’s story.

Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Disney-Hyperion 

Summary: Serafina’s always been pretty happy living in the basement of the Biltmore estate with her Pa. Sure, she’s a little different than other kids and her existence is a secret, but she enjoys prowling through the house at night, catching rats. Then one night she sees a man in a black cloak abducting a little girl. When he wraps the girl in his cloak, she disappears. Serafina barely escapes herself, but when she tries to tell her story the next morning, only one person believes her. That’s Braeden Vanderbilt, the nephew of the estate’s owner, whose tragic past has made him a bit of a loner as well. As more children vanish from the estate, Serafina and Braeden team up to try to figure out who the mysterious man is and what can be done to stop him…before it’s too late for them. Grades 5-7.

Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFZvSzfnm6I

Pros: This would be a great choice to teach the term “gothic novel”. Lots of dark creepiness everywhere, relieved only at the end when Serafina proves herself a true heroine and learns the amazing truth about her own past.

Cons: Preview this before giving it to a child. Pretty scary stuff, and occasionally a bit gruesome as well.

Danger in Ancient Rome (Ranger in Time) by Kate Messner

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Scholastic 

Summary: Golden retriever Ranger is back for his second time-traveling adventure, this time to Ancient Rome. He meets Marcus, a slave boy who works for a gladiator trainer, and Quintus, a new gladiator who is afraid he’s made the wrong decision. Ranger, whose search-and-rescue career was cut short because of his inability to resist squirrels, is able to use his finding abilities in a number of adventures, including a fire, Quintus’s disappearance, and the final brutal fight in the Coliseum. Despite the odds being stacked against them, Marcus and Quintus find satisfying happy ending, and Ranger is able to go back to his 21st-century family. Grades 2-4.

Pros: Readers ready to move on from the Magic Tree House will enjoy this time-traveling adventure that features a lovable dog.

Cons: Life was pretty tough there in ancient Rome. There are a few harrowing references to the public executions that preceded the gladiator fights.

The Detective’s Assistant by Kate Hannigan

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers 

Summary: 11-year-old Nell Warne has had a tough life, seeing her mother die, then her two brothers, and finally, her estranged father. With no other family left, she is unceremoniously dumped on her dead uncle’s widow, Aunt Kitty, in Chicago. Aunt Kitty has no interest in taking in an orphan. First of all, she blames Nell’s father for her husband’s murder. And secondly, she’s too busy with her career as the first woman detective in America, working for Pinkerton’s National Detective Agency. But there’s no other place for Nell, so the two of them end up traveling undercover to Philadelphia, Mississippi, and New York City to solve a series of mysteries. Their final case brings them to Baltimore, where Nell proves herself once and for all by helping Aunt Kitty thwart an assassination attempt on the new president, Abraham Lincoln. Grades 4-7.

Pros: The author’s note explains that Kate (Kitty) Warne was a real person, the first female detective in America. Both she and Nell are strong, spunky characters that are fun to read about, and their adventures read like a series of 19th-century Nancy Drew mysteries. The subplot about Nell’s father, Kate’s husband, and their involvement with the Underground Railroad just before the Civil War add interesting historical details.

Cons: Although the letters between Nell and her friend Jemma helped explain some necessary background, they sometimes felt like an interruption of the main plot.

Wrap-Up Wednesday: Middle Grade Historical Fiction

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

I believe at least one of these books will get some sort of Newbery recognition this year.  They are not only the best historical fiction I’ve read this year, but among the most memorable books overall.  Put your beach time to good use by picking up one of these this summer!

Catch You Later, Traitor by Avi.  Published by Algonquin Young Readers

Catch You Later, Traitor: Avi, .: 9781616205874: Amazon.com: Books

12-year-old Pete gets caught up in a tangle of lies and secrets in Cold War-era Brooklyn.  A good introduction to McCarthyism and the 1950’s, presented in a page-turning story.  Personal aside:  This book gets my vote for this year’s worst cover.

The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley.  Published by Dial Books.

This may be my favorite book of the year (so far).  Ada and her brother are evacuated to Susan’s house to escape the bombing of London during World War II.  Susan, overwhelmed by loss and grief, has no room in her heart to love these two children.  Ada, kept a virtual prisoner by her mother because of her club foot, is desperate to stay.  You can’t help but take the characters to heart, and the ending is so, so perfect.

Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan.  Published by Scholastic Press.

 So engrossing the 592 pages fly by.  Three stories–Friedrich in Germany just before World War II, Mike in Pennsylvania a few years later, and Ivy in California in the midst of wartime–share the common link of a magical harmonica. Music ties all three stories together in a satisfying conclusion.

Cast Off: The Strange Adventures of Petra de Winter and Bram Broen by Eve Yohalem.  Published by Dial Books.

Cast Off: The Strange Adventures of Petra de Winter and Bram Broen: Yohalem, Eve: 9780525428565: Amazon.com: Books

A maritime adventure worthy of the Bounty or Charlotte Doyle.  Petra and Bram struggle to survive on a Dutch sailing ship, complete with keel-hauling, pirates, and mutiny. Life in the twenty-first century never looked so good.

Cast Off: The Strange Adventures of Petra de Winter and Bram Broen by Eve Yohalem.

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Dial Books

Summary: When Petra de Winter’s wealthy father threatens to kill her, she runs away and hides on board the Golden Lion a ship sailing from the Netherlands to the East Indies.  Bram Broen, the mixed-race son of the ship’s carpenter discovers her and helps her stay hidden.  She disguises herself as a boy, which turns out to be fortunate when she is eventually discovered.  After surviving a keel hauling, she is put to work as the surgeon’s assistant, using skills she learned back home in Holland.  Told in alternating voices, Petra and Bram relate a story that includes piracy, mutiny, and lots of adventure.  Grades 5 and up.

Pros:  While more of a middle school book, good fifth grade readers will enjoy this page-turning adventure.  It would also make an exciting read aloud.

Cons: Pretty much every aspect of life for anyone living in 17th century Europe who wasn’t  wealthy, white, and male.

Daisy Saves the Day by Shirley Hughes

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Candlewick

Summary:  Even though Daisy loves her family and does well at school, times are tough, and she is sent out to live in a grand house and work as a scullery maid.  Her work is difficult and exhausting, but she works hard and tries to do what’s expected of her.  The two old ladies who own the house like her well enough, and when their niece comes from America, she encourages Daisy to read some of the books in the house.  All three women leave the house one day, to go see the coronation of a new king, George V.  Daisy’s left behind by herself, and decides to decorate the outside of the house with red, white, and blue clothing.  The only red she can find is the red flannel bloomers the ladies wear in the winter.  When they come home, they are horrified, and Daisy is in disgrace.  A few weeks later, though, she wakes up to the smell of smoke, and is able to put out a kitchen fire before it can do much damage, saving the house and its occupants.  As a reward, she is given enough money to be able to return home and go back to school.  Grades 1-4.

Pros:  This is a charming story about a winning cast of characters, particularly Daisy.  It has an old-fashioned feel to it, and illustrations reminiscent of Tasha Tudor.

Cons:  I looked for an historical note at the end, and was disappointed not to find one.

Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Scholastic Press

Summary:  Otto, lost in the forbidden forest, stumbles upon three mysterious girls and learns the story of how they were cast out by their father, the king, who wanted a son.  They give Otto a magic harmonica.  Many years later, the harmonica passes to Friedrich in Germany, then to Mike in Philadelphia, and finally, to Ivy in California.  Friedrich, born with a large birthmark on his face, is struggling to survive in 1933 Germany as Hitler is coming to power.  Mike is determined to keep himself and younger brother Frankie together when an unexpected stroke of good luck gets them out of their orphanage.  Is his new home too good to be true?  Soon after Ivy’s beloved older brother joins the army, her family is hired to run a farm owned by a Japanese family who has been taken away to an internment camp.  Are they spies, or just a family struggling to survive, like her own?  All three stories converge when the grown-up Friedrich, Mike, and Ivy are brought together in 1951 by their love of music.  Otto’s story concludes the book, revealing the missing part of the harmonica’s journey.  Grades 5-8.

Pros:  If you only read one book in 2015, here it is.  Look for this title next January when Newbery honors are announced.

Cons:  At 592 pages, this book is well into doorstop territory.  Younger readers may struggle to handle the four separate stories.

Gone Crazy in Alabama by Rita Williams-Garcia

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Amistad

Summary:  Sisters Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern are back in the final installment of this trilogy.  Having started their journey with their mother and the Black Panthers in Oakland, continued it at home in Brooklyn, they conclude with a visit to their grandmother and great-grandmother in Alabama.  Narrator Delphine is concerned that her family is breaking apart.  Her new stepmother is expecting a baby, Uncle Darnell and his favorite niece Vonetta are no longer speaking, and their great-grandmother and her sister refuse to see each other, although they both enjoy relating their own versions of family history to the three girls.  It takes a near tragedy to bring the family together again, but in the end all members of Delphine’s family, even her California mother, are under one roof, and the bonds of sisterhood are stronger than ever.  Grades 4-7.

Pros:  The first two books in this series were multiple award winners, and this one is sure to be too.  Chock full of unique, well-drawn characters, rich historical details, and you-are-there settings, this is historical fiction at its best.

Cons:  This book will be more enjoyable for readers who have read the first two.