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Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Review:
The story begins with Kit Tyler's journey from Barbados to Connecticut after the death of her doting grandfather. Even before she reaches her destination she begins to find that her manners and habits are shocking to the strict puritans who inhabit the area. Kit must also grow accustomed to the absence of the luxuries she grew up with and learn to work alongside her Aunt's family. After running off one afternoon, scolded for yet another offense, she meets the witch of Blackbird Pond; who is merely a simple Quaker woman, spurned from society because of her religion. It is at the witches home that Kit teaches a local neglected little girl how to read. After a deadly illness sweeps the town, Kit must rescue the witch from an angry mob and then face judgment herself when the mob discovers evidence that Kit also practices witchcraft.
It is easy for the reader to identify with Kit's unease with being surrounded by people who's ways are so different from her own, and are very different from our own. The outsider point of view of this character is part of what makes Speare's novel a good work of historical fiction. The plot of the story and the details of life in colonial Connecticut are simply written yet easy to visualize, such as how much work it takes to keep a small household fed and running, and the strict lifestyle of a Puritan community. Also noteworthy for this book is the way that tension runs among the colonists over the governors assigned to them when they feel they are better able to govern themselves.
Awards/Reviews:
Newbery Medal winner 1959
School Library Journal: "Sixteen-year-old Kit Tyler unexpectedly arrives at her aunt and uncle's doorstep and is unprepared for the new world which awaits her."
Booklist: "On a visit to colonial Connecticut, Kit teaches a young girl to read, thus saving herself during the Salem witchcraft trials."
Connections:
Other books by Elizabeth George Speare:
Speare, Elizabeth George. The Sign of the Beaver. ISBN 9780440479000
Speare, Elizabeth George. The Bronze Bow. ISBN 9780395137192
Image credit: www.quakerbooks.org
ISBN 9780060000165
Review:
The Seer of Shadows tells the story of a teen named Horace who is an apprentice to a photographer in New York circa 1872. When asked to take a portrait of a wealthy woman to place hanging in her deceased daughter's tomb, strange things begin to happen. Each time Horace snaps a picture, the deceased Eleanora appears in the photo looking angry. With the help of the wealthy family's servant, Horace discovers what really happened to Eleanora and learns the power he has when he aims the camera.
This story is extremely easy to read and captures the details of life in New York without bogging the reader down in details. Children today, who are accustomed to instant digital photos will enjoy reading about the complicated process it took to produce a single portrait. The supernatural element of the ghost of Eleanora slowly materializing to take revenge on her killers will be a good draw for young readers who like their books a little spooky. That the novel concludes with Horace (a white male) eventually marrying the black servant girl, Pegg, speaks more to today's social standards than those of that time period when such a union would be looked down upon. In no way in the novel however, is this marriage inflected as being against social norms. A good read filled with intrigue, a few ghosts, and a story that could take place today, but just happens to be set in a historical era.
Awards/Reviews:
Great Stone Face Children's Book Award (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2009
Rhode Island Children's Book Award (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2010
SCASL Book Award (South Carolina) (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2009
School Library Journal: "Boyer captures the moods of all the characters and the tension of the tale."
Voice of Youth Advocates: "Avi's rich language evokes images and speech patterns of a bygone era, and his careful chronicling of early photography's art and science make this novel a pleasure to read."
Publisher's Weekly: "Details about photographic processes add authenticity, while the book's somber ending will leave spines tingling."
Booklist: "Avi's latest is a fast-paced, yet haunting portrayal of an upright boy trying to make his way in a world that has suddenly gone strange and dangerous."
Connections:
Could be used to begin a discussion on the methods of photography or the status of blacks in America at the time.
Other books by Avi:
Avi. Crispin: The Cross of Lead. ISBN 9780689837777
Avi. The Escape From Home. ISBN 9780380728756
Image credit: www.bookfairpr.wordpress.com
ISBN 9781416905851
Review:
Laurie Halse Anderon's novel Chains follows the life of a slave girl name Isabel and her sister Ruth during the early years of the American Revolution. Cheated out of their freedom upon their master's death, the girls are sold to a married loyalist couple who live in New York. Under their cruel ownership, Isabel is persuaded to spy on her masters for the rebels. She soon learns that neither the rebels or loyalists will help her escape to freedom and makes plans to run after her sister, whom her masters sold away.
This novel, told from the unique point of view from someone who had nothing to gain by either side winning the war, is eye-opening and heartbreaking. The vivid details of life in New York while being occupied by rebels, fought over, and occupied by red coats; really brings the American Revolution alive. The plot of the story, of Isabel being asked to spy on her masters and being betrayed by both camps, is startlingly believable given the disdain masters held for their servants. The story is not watered down for its youthful audience. Particularly harsh are the details of the POW's left to starve to death in the harsh winter, and the branding of Isabel's face with the letter I for Insolence. Anderson tells the story from the girls point of view and uses phrases like "the bees built a hive of sadness in my soul" and "the buzzing echoed in my brainpan" that captures the dialect a young slave may have used. An excellent read and appropriate for 5th grade and up.
Awards/Reviews:
National Book Awards (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2008
Scott O'Dell Historical Fiction Award (WON AWARD) 2009
American Library Association Notable Books for Children (WON AWARD) 2009
Publishers Weekly Best Books of the Year (WON AWARD) 2008
Nutmeg Children's Book Award (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2011
Booklist:" Anderson explores elemental themes of power ( She can do anything. I can do nothing, Isabel realizes about her sadistic owner), freedom, and the sources of human strength in this searing, fascinating story."
School Library Journal: "Chains addresses the price of freedom both for a nation and for individuals."
Voice of Youth Advocates: "Thought-provoking and emotional, Isabel's story will linger long after the last page has been read."
Publishers Weekly: " Anderson packs so much detail into her evocation of wartime New York City that readers will see the turmoil and confusion of the times, and her solidly researched exploration of British and Patriot treatment of slaves during a war for freedom is nuanced and evenhanded, presented in service of a fast-moving, emotionally involving plot."
Connections:
This novel can be used to launch discussions about slavery in America, about the conflict between Loyalists and Revolutionaries. This can also be used to discuss enlisted slaves during the Revolution and the treatment of prisoners of war and the rules that govern such treatment.
Other books:
Anderson, Laurie Halse. Fever 1793. ISBN 9780606240611
Anderson, M.T. The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party. ISBN 0763636797
Image credit: www.riversendbookstore.com
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