Puppet- Eve Wiseman

Puppet is an “awful” book; not in the writing but in the horrific historical episode it looks at. We have read and been horrified by the numerous books related to the holocaust. Puppet looks at another piece of the Jewish story, where Jews are accused of murdering Christian children for their blood.

When Esther diappears in her small Hungarian village, the Jewish community is accuse of “blood libel.” Her best friend Julie, suspects that Esther, greatly abused and unhappy in her domestic situation, has taken her own life. But the horror takes on a life of its own, and the authorities are determined to find a scapegoat. To that end, they force a young Jewish boy, Morris, to confess to having seen the Jews perform this ritualistic murder in the synagogue. The trial begins, and at first it appears that the authorities may hold sway, but the enterprising lawyer for the defense begins to pick out inconsistencies in the testimony, and indeed, outright impossibilities.

This is a heart-rending story; one that will have you grappling with a world that could, and still does, allow such atrocities. When will we ever learn?

Death in the Air- Shane Peacock

Well, Shane Peacock has done it again in the second of his stories of the early days of Sherlock Holmes. Although reading the first one sets the scene for this one and acquaints us with Sherlock’s background and family life, Death in the Air also can be read on its own. After solving a nefarious murder in Eye of the Crow and receiving no credit for it, Sherlock is increasingly determined to become a great detective acknowledged by all. When he is a close spectator of a great trapeze artist’s untimely fall, he is immediately convinced that it is a murder that he alone can solve. His investigations take him into the seediest parts of London, pitted against the notorious Brixton gang. If he can bring them to justice, he would have to be credited with an amazing coup and be given the reward that he so desperately needs to finance his education and to save his mentor and employer from ruin. The relationship between Sherlock and Bell is compelling and I trust will continue to receive a place in future novels. Whether Sherlock attains his goals in this novel, I shall leave for the reader to discover.

What World is Left- Monique Polak

Although all books that relate to the holocaust are horrendous, the emotions evoked by What World is Left increases as you realize that the story is that of the author’s own mother. A non-religious Jewish family in Holland, Anneke’s family cannot believe that they are being sent to Theresienstadt, a “model” concentration camp in Czechoslovakia. Her father, an artist, is forced to use his skills in the camp for propagation. Anneke is forced into hard labour and learns just how much the human spirit and body can endure in order to survive.

I would highly recommend this for grade 8 right through high school. It would be a valuable addition to your Literature Circles list as well.

Listen to this excellent interview with Monique and her mother.

http://www.moniquepolak.com/video.html

Greener Grass- Caroline Pignat

Historical fiction at its best, Greener Grass is a poignant look at the great famine in Ireland of 1847, after entire potato crops were destroyed by blight. Seen through the eyes of fourteen-year old Kit, we are overwhelmed with the utter devastation which led to famine and death. Many landlords evicted tenants for non-payment of rent, and they were forced to exist on seaweed soup once daily. Many perished. As all good historical fiction shoud do, this takes us into the heart of Ireland and the hard choices that need to be made when survival is at stake. Kit is a resourceful and strong character who evokes our sympathy and draws us into the plight they faced. This will make a fine addition to both elementary and high school libraries and should be included in lists of excellent historical fiction.

Wild Geese is the name of the anticipated sequel.

Gwen- Carolyn Pogue

Gwen is another home child story, so I was expecting something somewhat similar to others I have read. But Gwen is unique in particular because of the character. Although she loses her father early on and becomes an orphan sent to one of Barnardo’s homes, she never loses her indomitable spirit. Her sojourn there gains her many friendships, which are sundered when they are sent to Canada. Unfortunately, Gwen’s first experience is horrific, and when she has to rebuff advances from the man of the house, she takes matters into her own hands and treks back to Peterborough to ask the Matron for a new place. A unique writing style and a courageous character combine to make this an excellent read, and a great addition to your Canadian history collection. This is likely most suitable for readers from grade 5-8.

The Schooner’s Revenge- Robert Sutherland

The Schooner’s Revenge is a story for your adventure loving readers. Based on the war of 1812, it centres on fourteen-year old Ben who becomes a cabin boy on the ship Nancy. When it is destroyed by the enemy, the crew must find a way to bring provisions to the beleaguered fort. After successfully accomplishing this feat, they next decide to board and take command of the other two American ships. With great attention to historical detail, this is not only educational, but a fast and riveting read. I would recommend this for study of that particular war, as well as for those who simply enjoy a good adventure. I am reminded of Victory by Susan Cooper and of The Pole by Eric Walters.

Eye of the Crow- Shane Peacock

A wonderful combination of mystery and historical fiction, Eye of the Crow takes us to the early years of the one and only Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock’s parents are social outcasts because of their unconventional marriage and Sherlock is determined to better their circumstances. Always with an eye for detail, young Sherlock is mystified by the heinous slaying of a woman in a seedy part of London. Convinced there is more to this crime than is immediately evident, he begins to investigate and becomes embroiled in a series of escapades which eventually culminate in him becoming a prime suspect in the crime. There are more mysteries to come and this will be a fine addition to our mystery genre. As mentioned in a previous blog, this will be a fine companion for the Enola Holmes mysteries by Nancy Springer. One wonders how independent authors have chosen to embark on mysteries so linked by time and characters.

Eye of the Crow is one of the 10 nominated books for the 2009 Snow Willow awards! Don’t miss it!

Three For A Wedding- Mary C. Sheppard

All right, I don’t often rave about a book or series but I am about to. I just read Three For A Wedding ,having read One For Sorrow previously. The calibre of this writing is extraordinary. I have been doing some thinking lately about “classics” and what current books might fit into that category. I believe this is a classic series. It reminds me of the “Anne” books, at a somewhat higher interest and reading level. I’m not sure of the genre; historical fiction isn’t quite right as there isn’t a central historical truth. I think of them more as a “period” piece, where through the exquisite writing and character development, you are effortlessly transported to another time period. One of the things I admire greatly about Sheppard’s writing is the relevancy for today’s readers. It becomes very clear, although Three For A Wedding takes place in the ’80’s, that youth of then had many of the same interests, troubles and friendship concerns as youth today. They are coming-of-age novels, and have given me a flavour and picture of Newfoundland which I have never had before.

Three For A Wedding focuses on Violet Blue and her family. Her older sister Jenny is getting married; a bit of a surprise as she had lost her fiancee some years before. Unknown cousin Grace-Mae, arrives early for the wedding and she and Violet could not be more different. Grace-Mae is the typical rich kid, lazy and expecting everything to fall into her lap, which it generally does. Violet keeps her distance but suspects there are things about this cousin she does not know. Throw in the handsome twins for the love interest, Violet’s ongoing battle with her mother over career choice, and all the antics that occur in the planning of a small town wedding, and you have a recipe for fascination. I would recommend this highly for grade 6 right through high school, and an exceptionally fine adult read as well.

Over the next while, I would like to develop a new list of classics. Maybe about 10 for Picture Books, Middle Years and YA. By classics, I mean books you think every child should read. I know there are many more than 10, but if we stick to publications of the last ten years, perhaps we could come up with our own “must read” list. Can you help? Can you give me your ideas on best books for kids? I’d love anyone’s help with this.

The Case of the Missing Marquess- Nancy Springer

I rarely set aside a book unfinished (and, no, it wasn’t the above title.) The one I just couldn’t go back to is called A Step From Heaven by An Na. I’m sure the theme of an immigrant to the United States from Korea is a most worthy one. Na writes in the voice of young Young Ju and you can trace the voice changing as the protagonist grows older. But it just did not have any drawing power for me. So I picked up another one, The Case of the Missing Marquess, an Enola Holmes mystery, and was drawn right in. I believe this would appeal to many of our girls who are enjoying the Lady Grace mysteries, as the time period is somewhat similar. Springer does a masterful job of invoking the sights, sounds and smells of Victorian England. For me, it brought to mind the writings of Anne Perry, an adult Victorian author whose mysteries I sometimes enjoy.

Enola Holmes lives with her somewhat eccentric and definitely free-thinking and often absent-minded mother, Enola has often felt very much like an afterthought having been born much later than her older brothers, Sherlock and Mycroft. Only when her mother disappears do the older brothers arrive and take charge. When they discover the state of affairs, they make plans to pack Enola off to boarding school. Bereft of all she holds dear, she disguises herself and runs away to try to discover her mother’s whereabouts and the reason for her leaving. Arriving in London, she becomes embroiled in the possible kidnapping of a young marquess and becomes prey to the seedier side of London’s inhabitants. Altogether, I found this to be action-packed, quaint without being absurd, and a celebration of the individuality of a young woman at a time when it was rarely appreciated. This would be a great read for children from grade 5 through 8; and possibly might capture some of our younger high school readers as well.

I am pleased to see that there are already several more titles in this series and will be happily recommending these to my students. They might also be a nice companion to Shane Peacock’s Eye of the Crow- a young Sherlock Holmes mystery, nominated for this year’s Snow Willow award.

Victory- Susan Cooper

Finally, I figured out how to insert a picture again- thanks, Jennifer. I think it’s so much nicer to have a visual for the book you’re reading about.

Victory is another outstanding novel by Susan Cooper, well-known author of The Dark is Rising sequence. True to form, there is always a fantastical twist to her stories and this is no exception. The story follows the lives of two eleven-year old children, but that is where the similarity ends. Sam Robbins is an 1800’s farm boy who has been pressed to serve in the navy, along with his uncle. Treated like a slave with little hope of escape, Sam gradually discovers in himself a love for the sea and becomes part of the great Battle of Trafalgar, where Lord Nelson meets his demise. The story is first person and past tense. We are also a part of Molly’s world, two hundred years later. This is told in present tense and third person narrative. This will enable readers to transition between the parallel plot lines most readily. Although there seems to be no likely connection between these two characters, Cooper gradually brings their lives closer together through Molly’s unusual interest in HMS Victory and an old book, The Life of Nelson, discovered in a quaint bookstore! I wonder just how much that bookstore owner really knew! The connection she feels becomes even stronger when she finds a piece of the flag left in a secret hiding place in the book. Molly is facing her own trials; her life having been uprooted from her home in England to America. Sam, of course, is focused on survival. Cooper seamlessly weaves the stories together and effortlessly leads you to the meshing of stories. This novel combines the genres of fantasy with a solid foundation in historical fiction- one of my favourite blends! This would suit adventure loving boys, history lovers and girls who are struggling with their own life’s circumstances. An excellent and highly recommended read! I am quite tempted to go back and read The Dark is Rising series all over again!