Bread and Roses, Too

By Katherine Paterson
Period: Early 20th century Massachusetts
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Noelle

In 1912 in Lawrence, Massachusetts, the mainly foreign-born workforce in the mills decides to strike against the mill owners who cut their pay. Rosa is a very Catholic Italian girl whose father is dead and her mother and sister work in the mills. Rosa is determined to get a good education and have a better life than the mills, but she is taken aback by the whole-hearted support for the strike that her mother and sister display. She teeters daily on the edge of terror that something awful will happen to her family in the strike as the situation worsens. Meanwhile, Jake is an uneducated American boy working in the mills and bouncing about from place to place to avoid his alchoholic, abusive father, sometimes even stealing to get by. Jake makes the acquaintance of Rosa when she takes pity on him and lets him sleep in her kitchen one night. Neither feels like they can trust adults or even each other. As the strike worsens, families in New York and Vermont offer to take strike children away for safety, and Rosa and Jake end up in a Vermont home with an older couple. Rosa pines for her family and Jake, posing as her brother, is determined to steal money from the old couple and get away from his past forever. Will Jake get away with his crime? Will Rosa's family survive the strike? Told from the point of view of both Jake and Rosa, this very interesting historical novel will draw readers into a world of hunger, injustice and hard work tempered with the fact that even in the midst of the worst situations, kindness to others can make a difference. A solid effort by an author of many classics, such as Bridge to Terabithia, Jacob Have I Loved and The Great Gilly Hopkins.

A Long Way From Chicago

By Richard Peck
Period: Depression era--Illinois
Newbery Honor
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Noelle

Joey and Mary Alice live in Chicago in the 1930's, but every summer, they are sent down to a small town in Illinois for a week to visit their Grandma Dowdel. Grandma Dowdel is larger than life, making her own rules and taking nothing from nobody. But they discover through their visits that Grandma also has a wicked sense of humor and a heart bigger than all of Illinois. Readers will laugh when she uses a corpse to scare the wits out of a big city reporter sniffing around a small town story, or when she has Joey impersonate a ghost to allow two lovebirds to escape their parents. But they'll also feel warmed to see her put one over on the bank to get her friend Effie Wilcox's house back from foreclosure or to see her go back to help take care of the woman who gave her her first job. This book is that rare combination of humor and heart that will win over everyone who reads it. You'll want to continue and read the NewberyAward winning sequel, A Year Down Yonder.

The Witch of Blackbird Pond

By Elizabeth George Speare
Period: Colonial America
Newbery Medal 1959
Rating: 4 1/2 stars
Reviewed by Noelle

In the year 1687, Katherine "Kit" Tyler is aboard the ship the Dolphin, arriving in the colony of Connecticut from the tropical island of Barbados where she had grown up with her grandfather. But upon his death, Kit finds herself poor, and heads for the only family she knows she has--her Aunt Rachel in America. Although her new family does make her welcome, Kit doesn't fit into the harsh New England Puritan lifestyle. Her fine clothes are better than anything her new family could afford and as unfit for housework as Kit is herself. Her very differentness causes jealousy and hard feelings amongst her cousins Judith and Mercy. Kit feels discouraged by everything from the strict religion they observe to the unending work she makes a mess of to the unwelcoming weather to her loyalty as a subject to the King during a time when revolution against England is beginning to brew. Even when one of the richest young men in town, William, chooses to court her, Kit is at a loss because her real attraction is to the son of the captain of the Dolphin, Nate. But she finally finds some solace when she meets Hannah, the old woman who lives by the edge of Blackbird Pond. Some call her a witch, but Kit knows her for a kind Quaker woman who gives Kit, Nate and even an abused child named Prudence some peace. Although Kit is forbidden to visit with Hannah, she continues, but little does she know that her friendship with the old woman will result in a terrible chain of events that threaten not only Hannah, but everyone who had befriended her. Will Kit ever find happiness in Connecticut? And can she escape the terrible fate that she brought upon herself? This excellent historical novel will bring readers right into a world where politics and religion mix with fear and superstition and the daily drudgery of carving out a life in the New World. Fascinating and believable.

Mr. Revere and I

By Robert Lawson
Period: American Revolution, Boston
Rating: 4 1/2 stars
Reviewed by Noelle

Scheherazade is a horse that came over with the British army during its occupation of Boston before the American Revolution. She is proud of the army and of her Leftenant owner and scorns Boston with its country bumpkins who are challenging His Majesty's empire. But when her owner loses Scheherazade in a wager, she is eventually rescued and given to none other than Paul Revere. Now called "Sherry," she soon embarks on a new life of hard travel for Paul Revere is called upon to deliver messages as far away as Pennsylvania and New York as the colonies prepare for war. But as Sherry spends more and more time with this new family, witnessing the Boston Tea Party and the injustices the British are piling upon the city, she begins to think differently about how wonderful the British Empire is. And finally, there is one midnight ride that makes Sherry realize whose side she wants to be on. There isn't a better way to learn some history than to read of this thrilling tale of plotting a revolution from behind the scenes. Horse lovers will particularly like this story.

The Teacher's Funeral

By Richard Peck
Period: Early 20th century America, Midwest
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Noelle

Richard Peck hits the right spot with this comedy. In 1904 in small town Indiana, the schoolteacher has just died. Russell is 15 and hoping this means he is finally done with school so he can head out to the Dakotas and join harvesting teams. No such luck! The new schoolteacher is none other than Tansy, Russell's older sister. No one is keen on going to school, so Tansy has her work cut out for her, even from her brother. The school bell's clapper gets wadded up so it can't be rung and the boys' privy catches fire. And that was the first day! And there are more pranks and hardships to come! But somewhere along the way, some learning also happens, and some respect for Tansy. Surprisingly, the expectations she has for her class starts changing some of the expectations they had for themselves. If you don't have fun reading this story, you must be doing something wrong!

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle

By Avi
Period: 1832 England
Newbery Honor 1991
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Noelle

"Not every thirteen-year-old girl is accused of murder, brought to trial, and found guilty." So begins Charlotte Doyle's tale in the year 1832. Charlotte has been raised in England like a proper little lady and is placed alone on board the ship the Seahawk to travel to America to meet her family who had already crossed the Atlantic to Providence. She is the only passenger on board and is horrified by the primitive conditions and the rather hostile looks she gets from the crew. She is impressed only by Captain Jaggery and his smooth manners and compliments. But soon Charlotte is torn, for the crew confides that the captain is mistreating them and that steps may soon be taken against him. Should Charlotte believe these low-class crew members or the gentlemanly captain? Her choice leads to disaster. Then timid Charlotte Doyle decides to take matters into her own hands. This story is an exciting tale on the high seas, full of adventure, and Charlotte is caught right up in it. By the book's end, Charlotte has changed from a shy, fearful girl to someone bold and brave and readers will be immersed in her adventure of a lifetime.Avi has written dozens of wonderful books, many of them award-winners, and this story is one of his best. Find out more about him at Avi's website.

The Coastwatcher

By Elise Weston
Period: World War II, America
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Noelle

Hugh is at his South Carolina beach house during the summer of 1943 avoiding the polio epidemic in the cities while World War II is raging overseas. He spends hours every day "coastwatching"--keeping an eye out for German submarines called U-Boats which have been bombing American supply ships in the Atlantic Ocean. A couple of times Hugh thinks he sees a periscope and some flashing lights at night, but his parents just think he has an overactive imagination. And there is no way he is going to share this information with his older sister Sally and cousin Tom--they already make fun of him. But then Hugh starts to come across more clues and he begins to wonder if someone might be hiding in the old abandoned Spook House up the beach. Hugh finally tells Tom and Sally about his suspicions and then things begin to zip fast-forward towards a very dangerous conclusion. This is a quick moving and thrilling story about fighting the war at home. This is a great story for any kid who likes adventure and has dreamed of catching the bad guys!

The Winter People

By Joseph Bruchac
Period: French & Indian War
Rating: 4 1/2 stars
Reviewed by Noelle

Saxso is a 14 year old Abenaki boy living during the time of the French and Indian War. He is warned one night that the Long Knives (Englishmen) are hidden around the village, intent on attacking it. The warning is in time to get most of the women and children on the road to safety, but when Saxso returns to the village with another to rescue a child, he discovers his own mother and sisters have been taken captive by the Bostoniak. Saxso must then race to rescue his family before they are taken too far away. This is a very exciting story, filled with historical details, battles, daring deeds and more. Lovers of adventure or just a good yarn will enjoy this story. A big thumbs up!

The Book Thief

By Markus Zusak
Period: Nazi Germany
Rating: 3 3/4 stars
Reviewed by Noelle

The Book Thief is one of those novels that becomes more and more involving as you read it. The book is narrated by none other than Death itself (which is very confusing in the beginning, but bear with it). We are introduced to Liesel, whose brother dies on the train en route to the foster home near Munich her mother is bringing them to. It is 1939, a time when Hitler was in power, war was upon the world, and Germany was not the best place to be. Liesel is almost 10 years old, can't read, is being abandoned by her mother, and her brother just died. Still, she steals her first book, The Gravedigger's Handbook, when it falls from the pocket of one of the gravediggers at her brother's burial. Soon, Liesel learns to read and becomes enraptured with words. She settles into her new foster home, learning to love her new parents and making new friends. But everything changes when her father starts hiding Max in the basement. Max is a Jew in a time when Jews were being sent to concentration camps and to help one was to invite horrible punishments. Liesel's story becomes one about love, life, books, friendship, doing the right thing and the wrong thing, and most of all, about the power of words. To live in Nazi Germany was not pleasant, and this book does not hide what it was like to be poor and in a country at war without enough food or money to go around. While one could never say it was a happy story, still it is a story of great strength. For those who choose to read it, much will be gotten out of it.

Here Lies the Librarian

By Richard Peck
Period: Early 20th century America
Rating: 3 3/4 stars
Reviewed by Noelle

Richard Peck continues his series of books that marry a sense of humor to a historical period of time, usually focusing on small town life in middle America. This particular story is set in Indiana and is told from the point of view of PeeWee, also know as Eleanor. PeeWee's world consists of herself and her older brother Jake and the living they are trying to scrape from running a garage fixing those brand new inventions, automobiles. But everything turns topsy-turvy when four young women studying to become librarians appear to run the local library. Not only are the girls rich, intelligent and beautiful, they also drive fabulous automobiles. Suddenly PeeWee starts yearning to be more than just Jake's little sister. She finds that when the chips are down, she is up to the challenge. As one character asks her, "Who'd want to be on the pit crew when you could be in the race?" If you enjoy unique characters, learning a little about cars and history, and some laughs, you will enjoy this Richard Peck story.

11,000 Years Lost

By Peni R. Griffin
Period: Prehistoric times
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Noelle

Eleven year old Esther finds a prehistoric spearhead near her school, and an archeological team comes to dig up the site. Esther is fascinated by the dig, but she gets more than she bargained for when she finds a window into the past. She walks through and finds herself in Ice Age Texas. She almost immediately meets two young girls who are part of a group of mammoth hunters, and soon Esther finds she could come in the door but she can't get back out. The group adopts the strange girl into their family, and Esther slowly learns their language and the skills needed to survive in their version of the world. As her group trails the mammoths, soon Esther finds herself torn between finding a way back home and trying to save her new family from some of the changes of the future when mammoths will be extinct. If you have ever been interested in prehistoric times, or even if you aren't, this is a fascinating story of primitive survival, families, and how far humans have come in the world.

Far Traveler

By Rebecca Tingle
Period: Medieval England
Rating: 3 1/2 stars
Reviewed by Noelle

Aelfwheyn is the niece of King Edward, and has been living her life quietly with her mother, who rules the Mercian territory on her own. But when Wyn's mother suddenly dies, the king wants to make sure that territory is under his control. King Wilfrid from the north comes to seek an alliance with her, but Wyn is too cowed to do much of anything. But when King Edward arrives and tells her she shall either be married to one of his allies or sent off to a nunnery, she decides it is time to take a chance. She cuts off her hair, disguises herself as a boy and a traveling storyteller, and ends up joining forces unintentionally with Wilfrid. Things come to a head when she finds out about a plot against her uncle. She should choose her new life with Wilfrid, or play the royal role she was brought up to fulfill? This is very good storytelling, and if you like a story set in medieval England, you'll love it. Readers who like this tale would also like Rebecca Tingle's first novel, The Edge on the Sword.

The Sherwood Ring

By Elizabeth Marie Pope
Period: American Revolution
Rating: 3 3/4 stars
Reviewed by Noelle

On his deathbed, Peggy Grahame's father tells her that she is to be sent to the family estate of Rest-and-be-thankful in New York state and into the care of her Uncle Enos. And, by the way, many of the Grahame family can see the ghosts of their ancestors. Well, Peggy arrives at the manor and ghosts immediately begin appearing to her. Specifically, the ghosts of Richard, his sister Barbara, Richard's wife Eleanor, and the bandit Peaceable Sherwood. Through the ghosts, Peggy learns of the time of the American Revolution and how Richard is assigned to capture Peaceable and the clever way that Peaceable slips through their fingers. She also learns about the romances between Richard and Eleanor and Barbara and Peaceable. What the ghosts are telling her happens to correspond with some events going on in Peggy's current life, and she finds their visits are to guide her. Peggy becomes fascinated with the past, but it also helps her to deal with the present. This is a fascinating story, with just a touch of romance. The characters are all clever and interesting, and it is easy to become involved in the stories, both past and present. If you like historical fiction stories, this one is a winner.