Tag Archives: historical fiction

Jun14

Summer Reading: The Mighty Miss Malone 

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After a very, very long hiatus, summer reading is finally back! Check back periodically to read my book reviews as I read away the hazy hot and humid days of summer!

The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis

http://www.nobodybutcurtis.com



Genre: historical fiction

Recommended for: grades 4 and up

Deza Malone and her family struggle to return to normalcy after a tragic accident involving her father forces them to leave their home in Gary Indiana.

Topics/themes: families, African-Americans, the great depression, Joe Lewis (boxer), resilience, poverty, character development, alliteration, words

My two cents:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I’m happy to finally have had the opportunity to have read this book. It was recommended to me by a colleague shortly after it came out and I’m just getting around to it now.

As I’ve seen in many of Curtis’ books his characters rely on the strong relationships with family and friends. Deza and her family are smart and caring and were it not for the fact they are African-American and living during the Great Depression their story might be completely different. In his afterwards, Curtis talks about poverty in America today.  This book could be a great springboard for conversations about education, and children, and the impact that poverty has on their lives.

Pair with:

Children of the Great Depression by Russell Freedman

Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor

Bird in the Box by Andrea Davis Pinkney

Lucky Beans by Becky Birtha

Bud Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis

Aug3

Summer Reading: The Ugly One

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http://leannestatlandellis.com/The_Ugly_One.html

The Ugly One by Leanne Statland Ellis.  Historical Fiction.

For as long as Micay can remember, with the exception of her family, all of the people in her village call her “Ugly One” because of the deep scar that runs from her eye to her lip.  She is an outcast who is ridiculed, bullied, and ignored.  When Paqo the village shaman makes Micay his pupil she is confused by what the Gods might have in store for her.

Themes/Content: Incas, storytelling, Machu Picchu, self-esteem, beauty, shamans, Peru, macaws, rituals, gods and goddesses, descriptive language, context clues, loneliness, destiny, family

Recommended for: Grades 6 and up, readers who are interested in the ancient Incas or Machu Picchu, readers who need reassurance about self-image

My Two Cents: This book is very different from anything I have read lately.  The text is very descriptive and yet also feels slightly primitive. It is more introspective, possibly because Micay spends so much time alone.  When the book begins she is very self-conscious about her appearance, and to some extent, brings her isolation upon herself.  Her self-isolation and negative self-image only serve to fuel her tormentors.  As much as she tries to stay strong, she is hurt by their words and actions.

Her life begins to change when a stranger from the jungle presents her with a gift of a baby macaw, who becomes her companion and confidante. She names him Sumac Huanacauri, or “Beautiful One,” and it is Sumac who leads her to the Shaman and her destiny.

It took me a little while to get into this book, but after a few chapters I was hooked.  One aspect of the book that I appreciate is the fact that even though the people in her village have shunned her, her family, especially her sister, sticks by her and tries to gives her support.

Some of the descriptions of the activities and rituals of the ancient Incas may be disturbing, and although possibly historically accurate, may not be appropriate for all readers.  The author includes a glossary, although she also explains the Quechua (language) of the Incas in context.  Ellis also includes an author’s note and additional resources.  With my limited knowledge of the ancient Incas, I would have liked the author’s note to explain her choices a bit more.

Similar/Paired Books from EHUE Library:

  • Calvert, Patricia. The ancient Inca. New York: F. Watts, 2004. Print.
  • Clark, Ann N. Secret of the Andes. New York: Puffin Books, 1980. Print.
  • Gruber, Beth, Johan Reinhard, and National Geographic Society (U.S.). Ancient Inca : archaeology unlocks the secrets of the Inca’s past. Washington, DC: National Geographic, 2007. Print.
  • Mann, Elizabeth. Machu Picchu. New York: Mikaya Press, 2000. Print.
  • Scheff, Duncan. Incas. Austin, TX: Steadwell Books, 2002. Print.
  • Silate, Jennifer. The Inca ruins of Machu Picchu. Detroit, MI: KidHaven Press, 2006. Print.

Favorite Quote: “The more you observe, New Voice, the more you understand.  Once you can interpret the voice of the world, you become its revealer.” (Ellis, Leanne S. The Ugly One. New York: Clarion Books, 2013. 135. Print.)

The Final Word(s): Pretty good for the right reader. 🙂

Jul28

Summer Reading: Navigating Early

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Navigating Early by Clare Vanderpool. Historical Fiction.

http://www.clarevanderpool.com/navigatingearly.html

After his mother’s death, Jack Baker’s move from Kansas to a boarding school in Maine causes him to feel like a fish out of water.  His relationship with his father is distant both physically and emotionally and when his father has to postpone his visit, Jack finds himself on an adventure with an eccentric classmate who is on a quest to find Pi.

Themes/Content: Friendship, family, Pi, Boarding schools, Polaris, death, Ursa Major, bears, navigation, math, rowing (crew), fathers and sons, WWII, Appalachian Trail, Maine, Billie Holiday, synonyms, similes, National Geographic Magazine, military, adventure, first person narratives, synesthesia, autism, quests

Recommended for: Grades 5 and up, students and adults, students who like math, students who like historical fiction, students who like adventure, discussing constellations or stars, discussion of Pi (as well as pie,) discussion of simile, read aloud, character study

My Two Cents: Clearly this has been the summer for reading some outstanding books, because Navigating Early is certainly another winner.  I love it when an author combines such a unique storyline with such powerful characters.  There are two story threads that entwine around each other.  The first is the story of the friendship between Jack and Early.  The second is the story of Pi, interpreted by Early who sees the story in the infinite decimals places of Pi.  Pi’s story is paralleled in the quest that Jack and Early make as they navigate their way along the Appalachian Trail.

Vanderpool’s story is creative and smart and her characters are completely captivating. I laughed out loud at Jack’s sarcastic and slightly self-deprecating sense of humor.  Early is outwardly confusing  and eccentric, but as the story progresses we realize that internally, he has a much tighter grasp on reality than he communicates.  (My opinion is that Early has a type of synesthesia although Vanderpool, in her author’s note, is not quite so specific.)  Given his determination and quirkiness, Early reminds me of Owen Meany (A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving.)

There are a multitude of curricular tie-ins with this book and it would make an outstanding read aloud. I’m grateful that Vanderpool included “Pi: Fact or Fiction” in her author’s note.  (If she hadn’t, rather than completing this book review right now, I’d be trying to calculate the digits of Pi.)

Similar/Paired Books from EHUE Library:

  • Buchan, Jamie. Easy as pi : the countless ways we use numbers every day. Pleasantville, NY: Reader’s Digest, 2009. Print.
  • Dowd, Siobhan. The London Eye mystery. Oxford: David Fickling Books, 2008. Print.
  • Mass, Wendy. A mango-shaped space : a novel. New York: Little, Brown, 2005. Print.
  • McCallum, Ann. Eat your math homework : recipes for hungry minds. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge, 2011. Print.
  • Neuschwander, Cindy. Sir Cumference and the dragon of pi : a math adventure. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge, 1999. Print.

Favorite Quote: (It was hard to pick just one.) “Connecting the dots. That’s what Mom said stargazing is all about.  It’s the same up there as it is down here, Jackie. You have to look for the things that connect us all.  Find the ways our paths cross, our lives intersect, and our hearts collide.” (Vanderpool, Clare. Navigating Early. New York: Delacorte Press, 2013. 291. Print.)

Final Word(s): A unique and amazing read!  Love it! 😀

Jul13

Summer Reading: Sophia’s War

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Sophia’s War by Avi.  Historical Fiction.

http://www.avi-writer.com/books/books/sophia.html

Sophia Calderwood, vowing to avenge her brother’s treatment in a British prison, takes drastic and dangerous steps to aide the Patriots as they struggle to win the American Revolution.

Themes/Content: The American Revolution, family, Benedict Arnold, John Andre’, Nathan Hale, New York (during the American Revolution), spies, trust, war prisons/prisoners, first person narrative, women in the American Revolution

My Two Cents:  Recommended for grades 5 and up.  Avi again does not disappoint with this well researched historical piece.  He does an amazing job of capturing Sophia’s voice and the apprehensive climate of the time.  Sophia’s War weaves three stories, two of which are historically accurate (Benedict Arnold and the war prisons) and one (Sophia’s tale) which is completely fictional.  Sophia’s personal war is a two-fold.  She’s at war with the British, but she also struggles internally and questions her motives as she helps the patriots.  Is she truly taking these actions to ensure the victory of her country or is she just trying to get revenge for being disregarded at a young age by the man she admired.

Includes a glossary of 18th Century terms, author’s note and a bibliography.  Although there are some descriptions of the horrors of war, none are overly graphic.  This would be an outstanding read aloud for our 5th grade when studying the American Revolution.  As much as I love historical fiction, I have to say that I’ve never been excited about history.  Avi has show me a different perspective by creating such an engaging story which makes these historical events come alive.  No longer are Arnold, Andre’, and Hale simply historical figures, they are developed characters with strengths and flaws.

Pair this with books from EHUE Library:

  • Allen, Thomas B. George Washington, spymaster : how the Americans outspied the British and won the Revolutionary War. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic, 2004. Print.
  • Anderson, Laurie H. Chains : seeds of America. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2008. Print.
  • Griffin, Judith B. Phoebe the spy. New York: Scholastic, 1977. Print.
  • Hale, Nathan. One dead spy : the life, times, and last words of Nathan Hale, America’s most famous spy. New York: Amulet Books, 2012. Print.
  • Murphy, Jim. The real Benedict Arnold. New York: Clarion Books, 2007. Print.
  • O’Dell, Scott. Sarah Bishop. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1980. Print.
  • Purcell, Martha S. Spies of the American Revolution. Logan, Iowa: Perfection Learning, 2003. Print.
  • Thompson, Paul B. Liberty’s son : a spy story of the American Revolution. Berkeley Heights, NJ: Enslow Publishers, 2010. Print.

Favorite Quote: “Dear Reader: It is a terrible thing to see a man hang.  But that is why I did what I did.  Was I right to act in such a way?  You must decide.”  (Avi. Sophia’s war : a tale of the Revolution. New York: Beach Lane Books, 2012. Print.)

The Final Word(s): Awesome! Two thumbs up! Read it! 😀