Historical Fiction – Page 4

Terrible Storm by Carol Otis Hurst

Apparently I have a fascination with snow books at the moment as we are still knee-deep and frozen in the Midwest. Terrible Storm relates Hurst’s grandfather’s experiences surrounding The Blizzard of 1888. Both grandfathers were going about their daily business; one was chopping wood and the other delivering milk when the storm hit, they both take cover and remain snowed in for three days. The social grandfather is stuck in a barn with several animals for company while the more solitary grandfather is stuck at the White Horse Tavern with a group of people.

While it isn’t a thrilling tale it has a good storyteller quality to it. Eventually each grandfather makes it back to their own comfort zone by shoveling out with other townsfolk. The illustrations are beautifully drawn and show a different era, making it a wonderful way to show students how people dressed and worked in the 1800’s. No snow blowers or cars (Grandfather Fred delivered milk in a horse-drawn wagon). I love to read this kind of HF to students because they are so amazed by the differences and this one in particular is a quick read, making its point with little text compared to many other elementary historical fiction picture books. I enjoyed the author’s note at the beginning about her grandfathers tales. Click here for Carol Otis Hurst’s website. This one is the perfect choice for an easy read-aloud about history or the weather. I picked this one up from the public library and I think on my next visit I need to look for books on Spring!! I’m picturing a beautiful book about tulips!

Alabama in 1955-Separate is not equal

The $66 Summer
John Armistead
(2000)

This one caught my eye while hanging around the YA section of the public library. It was propped up with a bunch of other books for February’s Black History Month. While I don’t agree with a one month celebration of our combined history the book appealed to me. I read the first chapter and thought maybe it was going to be a tough read- George’s father is a mean, drunk, racist! I got all that from the first chapter when he wakes George up to go fishing. They stop outside of town at a diner and their waitress acts “uppity,” which causes a problem for the rest of the fishing adventure. What I loved is that, even though George’s dad points out the behaviour, George just doesn’t see it or get what his father’s so worked up about! George’s blind eye made the book worth reading.

Their fishing boat overturns and once home George’s mom argues with his dad and then calls her mom to complain wickedly about her husband’s repeated drunkeness. Mom bans Dad from ever taking George fishing again and Grandma shows up to support her daughter during this small crisis. Fortunately Grandma decides to take George home with her for the summer. She promises to pay him to work in her grocery store and he can hang out with two old friends in his spare time. Esther and Bennett are Elizabeth’s children and Elizabeth helps Grandma in the store/cafe and lives in an old cabin close by. Elizabeth and Ms. Tilly (grandma) have been friends for years. The close relationship between Elizabeth and Ms. Tilly is exactly why George didn’t get his father’s earlier racial frustration. George obviously takes after his grandmother.

George, Esther and Bennett have fun exploring and working through the summer yet there is tone of anger and despair as they each deal with personal demons. Esther has graduated from the 8th grade and she needs to make money for room and board if she wants to attend the black high school several towns away. George has his father to worry about and Bennett is in a constant state of worry, working for Mr. Vorhise, another mean man who raises dogs for fighting. Elizabeth’s husband, Staple, disappeared 4 years ago and they still can’t solve the mystery of his unexpected absense. The book takes some unbelievable twists and turns, some of which I never, ever expected!
My favorite quote from the book:

Esther talked about little else but going back to the pines at Mr. Vorhise’s pond and finding the bank robbers’ money. She wanted to know how much money they’d taken, so she went to the colored folks’ library-a small, one-room brick building in town beside the colored cafe-to search back through old newspapers to find information on the robberies. The library had newspapers dating back only to 1945.
She had me go to the white library to see what I could find. The librarian told me the old library burned down in 1926, and all the books and newspapers were destroyed. Besides, she said, the Pontola County Times didn’t start up until the beginning of WWII. p. 109

I love any reference to libraries while I’m reading but this one struck me because of the difference between the two libraries: not in the description but in the detail. There is a fullness to the history of the white library and the black library, in contrast, is so much less-only a one-room small brick building. George has a librarian to discuss things with and Esther only has a small building with no newspapers before 1945.
John Armistead’s story from the back of the book is interesting as well. He is a former pastor, teacher and was the religion editor of the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal. He lives in Tupelo, MS and has a second book, Return of Gabriel, which follows Esther through the Civil Rights era. I want to read this one as well. I like how he showed this era-complete with the awful truth of injustice – with courtesy, grace and friendship.

Highly Recommended

middle grade-YA fiction

5/5 peaceful stars

Leo and the Lesser Lion

by Sandra Forrester

2009

296 pages

This is Mary Bayliss Pettigrew’s story. It involves her whole family during the Depression. Bayliss has an older brother, Leo and an older sister, Kathleen. Her and Leo are like “two peas in a pod”-pulling pranks and finding all sorts of ways to get in trouble together. Even though it’s the Depression and her father, the country doctor, gets paid in potatoes the family has a good life, a happy life. It never lasts, though and this tragedy comes in the form of a boat, given to Bayliss from Leo on her birthday. The first part of the story deals with Leo’s death and Bayliss’ painful recovery. While she misses Leo, her father takes in two orphan sisters and this second stage makes the Bayliss’ story shine as she adjusts to making room for these two very different sisters.

My thoughts: I loved Bayliss. She was plucky and had a wonderful best friend, Annie, who always gave her good advice. I loved the strong brother/sister relationship between Leo and Bayliss, which thankfully, we get to experience first hand not just in flashbacks. I thought the struggle in Bayliss’ heart was real and true; how difficult it would be to share your family with strangers when your heart feels broken. I, also, thought Bayliss’ father’s struggle with God was candid and accurately portrayed. My favorite character was Tommie Dora, Bayliss’ grandmother, who was rough and a bit crusty but like good bread, really soft and a little sweet in the middle. This one didn’t make me sob as much as other tragedy books, which was okay and I can’t explain the difference, except maybe because the sadness was mixed with an awful lot of Depression happiness!

Here’s an example of the joy:

It couldn’t have been more than two seconds later when somebody jerked the quilt off me, and then Mother was yelling in my ear, “Rise and shine, sugar! This morning is a gift.”

This morning is a gift. I’d heard those words hundreds-maybe thousands-of times in my life. Mother would say them on steamy summer mornings and frosty winter ones. On any day she judged to be especially fine. And my mother seemed to think most mornings were especially fine. (p. 43-44 Leo and the Lesser Lion, Sandra Forrester)

I guess it’s because this family comes closer to each other and not apart that I didn’t fall apart-I was rooting for them, too.
I checked this out from my local library so it counts for the library challenge!

Highly Recommended

Upper Elementary/Middle Grade Fiction

5/5 peaceful stars

tweetmeme_style = ‘compact’;

http://tweetmeme.com/i/scripts/button.js

Civil Rights Chapter Books

I cried this morning (Sunday) in my kitchen when I finished Yankee Girl by Mary Ann Rodman. The only one around to witness my tears as I set the book down on the counter was my 14-year-old slightly jaded son. He saw my moment though and said “why are you crying, Mom?” to which I replied “It was a good book”. He hugged me. [smile]

Yankee Girl

By Mary Ann Rodman

2004

I love how powerful literature can be and this is a perfect example. Mary Ann Rodman reconstructs her own childhood during the Civil Rights Movement in Jackson, MS. In this recreated story Alice Ann Moxley is the main character and her father is an FBI agent. Because of his job the family moves from Chicago to Jackson in 1964. Alice tries hard to make friends from her first day and she can’t quite get it together. She wants to be friends with “the cheerleaders,” you know, the popular, pretty girls of 6th grade but they won’t have anything to do with her ‘cuz she talks like a Yankee. She does make friends with her next door neighbor, Jeb, which is fine but well, he is a boy, after all and not the close companionship she was seeking. Through Jeb she learns the ins and out of Southern “rules” like you don’t introduce yourself to the “help.” Jeb repeats all these “rules” like he’s talking about what he ate for lunch-it’s second nature to him and he doesn’t really understand why Alice doesn’t just know these things too.

Two weeks before school begins Alice’s family learns her school will be integrated for the first time. Reverend Taylor’s daughter, Valerie joins Alice’s class and with charm and grace endures all manner of horrific taunting from her classmates . Since the cheerleaders didn’t accept her attempt at friendship, Alice figures she’ll try to make friends with Valerie. Hmm, not so easy in Mississippi, 1964. Valerie doesn’t want to be friends with any white kids she plainly tells Alice. Some of the antics pulled by the cheerleader group are sick but believable if you’ve read any of the accounts of The Little Rock Nine at Central High in Little Rock, AR.

I loved Alice’s character, even as I wanted to shake her! Somehow every young girl goes through this terrible trial and error of friendship. The complexity of trying to be liked and included; the essential human need to be part of group overshadowed Alice’s journey until she figures out what is truly important and she figures it out much earlier than many do in life. Through Alice and Valerie’s fathers we experience many of the days tragedies up-close as Alice’s father is called to work frequently and Reverend Taylor works alongside Dr. King.

Highly Recommended-High Elementary-Middle School Fiction

5/5 peaceful stars

Several weeks ago I read another interesting historical fiction set in 1917 Alabama. I read this one with my long distance friends and reading buddies (V and A-when are we going to talk about this book??). I think the two pair well together.

The Best Bad Luck I Ever Had

by Kristin Levine

2009

Synopsis:

Harry “Dit” Sims and Emma Walker are the unlikelist of friends. Emma, the educated twelve-year-old daughter of Moundsville’s new postmaster, is all wrong as far as Dit’s concerned. Dit was told the new postmaster would have a boy his same age, not a girl. But the rest of the town is more surprised by the family’s color than whether Emma’s a boy or a girl. No one said the new postmaster and his family would be black.

It’s 1917, Moundville, Alabama and Dit finds friendship with Emma to be a completely new arena for him. While I enjoyed their friendship it did not capture my attention as much as Yankee Girl. I enjoyed Dit and Emma and liked how they grew in cultural knowledge of each other. I just did not get as involved in their friendship as much. I don’t know what makes the difference-what it is about the story that makes you fall in love with characters?? Levine’s story is well-developed but at the end when Emma’s family moves back East I was left feeling empty; life in Moundville changed only temporarily.

Both books are wonderful and worth the read.
Highly Recommended-High Elementary-Middle School Fiction
4/5 peaceful stars

Kristin Levine’s website click here.

Happy Reading!!

Splendor on Christmas

Splendor; The Luxe #4

Anna Godbersen

Alloy Entertainment, 2010

I’m overjoyed to have read this lovely tale and yet sad, sad, sad to have completed it! I tried hard to finish reading it last night while I was waiting for Santa but my eyes grew way too weary and I had to close the book. After we finished unwrapping all of our wonderful gifts I finished reading while everyone else was playing new PS3 games and I was drinking my traditional Christmas Bloody Mary.
The book, written by Anna Godbersen and the drink, concocted by my husband=both delicious!

(Subtle spoilers Beware)

Godbersen’s conclusion to the Luxe series brings resolution in some way to each and every character-some good, some bad. Elizabeth is happily setting up her new house purchased for her by her husband, Mr. Cairns and dealing with her pregnancy. She makes some startling discoveries about her husband and I cheered her as she connected the dots! Her sister, Diana, is tripping around Cuba, working and searching for Henry Schoonmaker. Henry is in Cuba not seeing the war as he planned but helping his Colonel with sailboat racing. He feels like a failure until he finds Diana again. Penelope Schoonmaker, Elizabeth’s diabolical “best friend” and Henry’s wife has found something to keep her occupied while Henry is off “battling” the enemy. A prince has come to town and Penelope sets her sights on wearing this particular crown, even with her husband heading back to town. Carolina Broad, maid turned heiress, learns some valuable lessons as well and her story, while interesting does not turn out how she expects it at all.

My thoughts: I really loved this series and am sad to have finished reading it. I liked the closure this final book brought to these characters I love. While not a Hollywood ending the book does a great job of showing us in what direction each character will head and each character proves to be a survivor in one way or another. I am excited to see what other topics or time periods Anna Godbersen will take on. This series is so well-thought out, the plot intertwining us with such great details from this glittering era.

Highly Recommend-YA fiction

4/5 peaceful stars

Click here to read my stepdaughter’s review of the second Luxe novel.

Dress Envy

Envy

#3 Luxe Novel

by Anna Godbersen

2009

I just put Splendor(the 4th and last Luxe novel) on hold at my local library and I hope the patron who has it right now reads really, really fast. I am so intrigued by the ending of this one-I want to find out how everyone turns out, especially Diana!

It’s been two months since Will’s death and Elizabeth is struggling to get back out into society. Her younger sister, Diana, is torn between hating and loving Henry Schoonmaker. While Henry loves Diana he married Penelope, Elizabeth’s conniving best friend, to save Diana’s reputation. Then there is the maid-turned-socialite, Carolina Broud, who has to find how she fits into this back-stabbing world. It sounds oh, so soap opera-ish except Godberson crafts the story well, layer upon layer. Instead you find yourself trying to finish the book all in one night just to know how everything clicks together.

The entire entourage heads off to Palm Beach, Florida, which is a perfect change of venue. Penelope spends her time worrying about Diana while Diana shifts between taking care of Elizabeth and finding moments with Henry. There are some amazing powers at work here as several characters grow stronger. I especially appreciate Henry as he learns to make decisions on his own.

I loved this third installment and felt like Godbersen is taking her characters to new heights. Elizabeth’s decisions prove her natural strength. Sadly, the more Elizabeth makes good decisions for herself and her family, Penelope makes bad decisions, tumbling her down a path of no redemption.
If you haven’t picked up the Luxe and you enjoy historical fiction-give yourself this gift!!
Visit Anna Godbersen’s site here.

4/5 peaceful stars

recommended high school and above

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate

by Jacqueline Kelly

2009

Synopsis

Calpurnia Virginia Tate is eleven years old in 1899 when she wonders why the yellow grasshoppers in her Texas backyard are so much bigger than the green ones.With a little help from her notoriously cantankerous grandfather, an avid naturalist, she figures out that the green grasshoppers are easier to see against the yellow grass, so they are eaten before they can get any larger. As Callie explores the natural world around her, she develops a close relationship with her grandfather, navigates the dangers of living with six brothers, and comes up against just what it means to be a girl at the turn of the century.
from Barnes and Noble website

This book is wonderful! The cover art, which flows all around the book, continually caught my eye as I read, pulling me into Callie’s natural world. She is a heroine most extraordinaire! Her quest for knowledge is divulged to us immediately as she looks for the answers to why grasshoppers in her yard do not look the same. Her thoughts on this matter lead her to seek out her grandfather, a quiet somewhat frightening man to Callie, who spends most of his time ensconced in his library or in his backyard laboratory. At first afraid to talk to him, he soon sees Callie as his scientific partner as the two set out to gather specimens and talk about the world around them. Grandfather and Callie have a grand time spending time together until Mother decides it’s time to start learning how to bake a good pie, knit socks and other homemaker activities necessary to a woman of the time.
Before she seeks out her grandfather though she tries to get answers from her county seat library. She’s heard her grandfather and the Reverend discuss Charles Darwin’s The origin of Species and she thinks this book will help her figure out what to do. In order to get to the county library she has to hitch a ride with her favorite older brother, Harry. In 1899 one has to ask the librarian for the book and Callie is slightly embarressed to ask for this controversial book (funny this book is still controversial)

I stepped up to the counter and whispered, ‘Please, ma’am, do you have a copy of Darwin’s book?’ She leaned over the counter and said, ‘What was that?’
‘Mr. Darwin’s book. You know, The Origin of Species.’
She frowned and cupped a hand behind her ear. ‘You have to speak up.’
I spoke up in a shaking voice. ‘Mr Darwin’s book. That one. Please.’
She pinioned me with a sour look and said, ‘I most certainly do not. I wouldn’t keep such a thing in my library. They keep a copy in the Austin library, but I would have to order it by post. That’s fifty cents. Do you have fifty cents?’ p 14

Poor Callie-looking for the library/ librarian of today! I love how the pinched librarian can’t even call it a book! Our heroine is constantly ahead of her time. She soon figures out what is exactly up with the grasshoppers in her yard, makes quite a few other discoveries with her grandfather and wishes she could make plans to go off to university like her brother Harry. Oh, and she does get her hands on a copy of that book-it was waiting right inside her grandfather’s library for her.

There is no fairy tale ending though for Callie. Her mother still wants her to learn the art of being a good homemaker and her family is still relatively confused by her desire to go off the beaten path but we do get a sense that Callie will find someway to branch off. This book would make an excellent holiday gift for girls on your list.
I read an interview with Kelly on HipWriterMama, where she said she had book marks with the cover art available-just email her and she would sign and deliver! I did email her and she did send them-obviously a very lovely person!! Thank you, thank you Jacqueline Kelly!!

Boycott Blues

This wonderful picture book features a hound dog with a guitar for a narrator and tells the story of the 1955 bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama. The text flows like a blues song and brings this important historical time to life because kids can’t help but be pulled in. Focusing on this part of Rosa Park’s story inspires us to really see how brave she was as well as all the people who carried on this life-changing boycott. As a peaceful teacher it offers me the opportunity to speak of non-violent protests on a grand scale.
The illustrations are very surreal, match the text so well and make you stop and really look. I love Brian Pinkney’s artwork-Max found two sticks is one of my favorite picture books.

I read Boycott Blues today to fifth grade students as part of our ongoing history quest; most of them were mesmerized. The few that weren’t just can’t seem to help themselves. They understood the story enough to ask good questions before, during and after we read the book. It’s very beneficial to have books just like this in order to understand important moments in history better without being dry and wordy.

Boycott Blues; How Rosa Parks inspired a nation (2008)

by Andrea Davis Pinkney;

illustrated by Brian Pinkney.

5/5 peaceful stars

Click here for The Reading Tub’s review.

Sent by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Two weeks ago I was so excited when my two new boxes of Titlewave books arrived because inside was a copy of Sent! I read it over that next week and loved it. I didn’t want to put it down-life always gets in the way though and I did have to stop more than a few times-but I was always anxious to pick it back up!

Sent (2009) is the second in Margaret Peterson Haddix’s new Missing series. Click here to read my thoughts on Found, the first one in the series.

This outstanding new series mixes history with sci-fi time-taveling fun! Most children would love to find out they are related to royalty-and in this book 13-year-old Chip is Edward V, King of England and Alex is his younger brother Richard, Duke of York. Edward is worried their uncle, Richard of Gloucester is going to have them killed and take the throne for himself. Jonah, Chip, Alex and Katherine travel back to the 15th Century to “fix time” and interesting things happen to teenagers trying to fit into language, mannerisms and costumes of a very different time period. I loved imagining independent Katherine existing in a the not-to-female-friendly 15th Century! I don’t know a lot about this historical era but it is very exciting to read all the mystery and intrigue of the day! Highly recommend this series and cannot wait to see where the next book will take us. 5/5 peaceful stars

Click here for Margaret Peterson Haddix’s exciting website.

Looks like she has a brand new book out in November!! No mention of when the third Missing book will be out though.

I know you’re all asking “what else was in those boxes of new books??”

For curious minds here is a partial list:

Allie Finkle’s Stage Fright by Meg Cabot

Umbrella Summer by Lisa Graff

43 Old Cemetary Road; Dying to meet you by Kate Klise

Julia Gillian (and the quest for joy) by Alison McGhee

the entire new and improved Herculeah Jones mystery series by Betsy Byars

The Clever Stick by John Lechner

Elephants cannot dance! by Mo Willems

A pocket can have a treasure in it by Kathy Stinson

Read it, don’t eat it! by Ian Schoenherr

Yeah, more forthcoming reviews to write:)

What about you? What has you excited this week?

Be Peaceful,

Michelle

ps: the book fair has been busy today as well-and it has taken me all day to write this (yikes!) because of bfair business and visitors stopping by –Tina from booksaremything dropped by and bought two books!!

Historical Fiction at its best

I finished Rumors, the second Luxe novel by Anna Godbersen! If possible, it was even more intriguing than the first one. I don’t want to rehash the book because it’s been out there for awhile but here is the tag line on the back of the book:

True love. False friends. Scandelous gossip. Welcome back to Manhattan. 1899.

You gotta love that dress as well although if I had a choice I would definetely pick the dress from book one! Penelope I am not!!
Since Elizabeth is “dead” the story focuses attention on Diana, who with her spunk and playful attitude is my favorite character. I loved crossing back to Elizabeth and Will’s story and hearing about the California frontier. I prefer a good character-driven story but this one really has it all as the characters just feed into this incredible plot line.
I had to put the book down several times to scream, for joy and dismay. This time I did not get to read it out loud to my husband (click here for my post about The Luxe/reading to my husband) but I did have to catch him up several times, read certain sections to him and he was seriously stunned when I finished reading it one night while he was away! Anna Godbersen put in an incredible amount of time researching this era, I think and I enjoying understanding more about this time period. Thanks again to Janssen for reviewing this series.

If you have not read this series and you enjoy historical fiction, please go out and buy a copy-the paperbacks are a very reasonable $9.99-you will not be disappointed.

Harper Teen website click here.

Other highlights of the week.
Well, of course the Nobel Peace Prize-joy mixed w/ fear.
Lost my copy of Keeping the moon by Sarah Dessen-read it one day and the next it was poof!!
I have a new phone in my life-the Propel in lime green.
I am pretty excited even though I am not material type:)