5 Fabulous Books: Are You Familiar w/ Them?

There are so many excellent historical fiction books out there, but there are a few, in particular, I'd love to add to this collection.  If you are a teacher or librarian who has used any of the following books with students, please click on Rate a Historical Fiction Novel. It should only take a minute to answer the multiple choice questions.

Here are five books I'd love to receive ratings for:

1) REVOLUTION by Jennifer Donnelly; Topic: The French Revolution

2) THE BOOK THIEF by Markus Zusak; Topic: The Holocaust

3) STORM IN THE BARN by Matt Phelan; Topic: The Dust Bowl (Teacher Resources)

4) MOON OVER MANIFEST by Clare Vanderpool; Topic: Everyday Life in the 1930's (Teacher Resources)

5) RADIUM HALOS by Shelley Stout; Topic: Industrial Revolution, Workers Rights (Teacher Resources)

Of course, if you've used another book that students have enjoyed, please feel free to rate that one, too. The more we share what works, the better off our students will be.

May the beginning of the school year go well for all of you!

Addie Slaughter, The Girl Who Met Geronimo

Title: Addie Slaughter, The Girl Who Met Geronimo    

Author: Susan L. Krueger with Dr. Reba Wells Grandrud

Topic: Westward Expansion

Grade Level: 4th Grade     

Students: A balanced mix of strong readers and struggling or reluctant readers

Rating by: Patti Johannsen from Arizona

Historically Accurate?

(4) Yes and also includes historical notes, primary sources, etc.

(3) Yes

(2) A few inaccurate or misleading portrayals

(1) Not a bit 

An Engaging Story?

(4) Almost all students will beg to keep reading

(3) Most students will get caught up in the story

(2) Some students will read ahead by mistake

(1) Students will groan when the book is mentioned 

Prompts Discussion?

(4) Students will still be talking about it in the hallway

(3) Will prompt discussion about major issues in the past as well as today

(2) Will prompt discussion about the characters and the events in the book

(1) Will not prompt discussion 

 Readability?

(4) Everyone - even the most reluctant readers – can get on board

(3) Can be used for a whole class read

(2) Can only be used with a small high-powered reading group

(1) Recommend only to students that love reading

Age Appropriate Content? 

____Too mature 

_X__Just right 

____Too simplistic 

A Comment from Patti Johannsen:   

Bravo! I read ADDIE SLAUGHTER, THE GIRL WHO MET GERONIMO. I liked the cover. It says "authentic". I was delighted with the clarity and simplicity of language. I admired the grit demonstrated by the ranch family, and the kind, generous spirit of these early settlers of Arizona. As a 5th grade teacher, I was always on the hunt for books like Addie Slaughter to supplement Social Studies topics. They were hard to find. 

Amazon's Product Description:  

Before most of today's children have spent even one day on their own without a caretaker, young Addie Slaughter braved Indian attacks, outlaws, smallpox, earthquakes and blizzards in Susan L. Krueger's historical chapter book, Addie Slaughter: The Girl Who Met Geronimo. In first-person narrative, Krueger expertly speaks for Addie Slaughter, daughter of John Horton Slaughter, a Texas Ranger, the Sheriff who tamed Cochise County and an early settler of the San Bernardino Valley in the late 1800s. The adventurous, sometimes heartbreaking, story tells of Addie's trek across the Wild West from Texas to Arizona to Oregon, eventually settling on the Slaughter Ranch near the Arizona-Mexico border. Along the way, her mother dies; she narrowly escapes a stagecoach robbery; her grandfather is rescued when their adobe ranch buildings collapse in an earthquake; her father's earlobe is shot off; and Addie meets the fierce warrior Geronimo. 

"I wanted to show young readers that history is anything but boring," explains Krueger a teacher for 32 years before retiring in 2000. "When told with passion and realism, history is exciting, inspiring and captivating."

Krueger's book is based on actual stories told to Adeline Greene Parks by her mother, Addie Slaughter, and in-depth interviews with Arizona Culturekeeper Dr. Reba Wells Grandrud, the John H. Slaughter Ranch historian. Most of the book's photographs come from Slaughter family albums and the collection of Dr. Grandrud. Though retired, Krueger works now as much as she ever has. She joined the Phoenix Art Museum docent program and is currently their research chair. In addition to writing research papers, she gives slide show talks and is available for classroom visits to talk about writing, history, art and her book.

Link to Reviews on Amazon

Buy this book from your local bookstore via Indie Bound

Interview with Chris Eboch

Today, I'm pleased to offer an interview with author Chris Eboch about the inspiration and work behind her novel The Well of Sacrifice, set amid the Mayan Civilization.  Ms. Eboch has also recently released a new historical fiction novel about Ancient Egypt called The Eyes of the Pharaoh.  Her website (www.chriseboch.com) is full of great resources for teachers and is definitely worth checking out.

*** Suzanne Borchers did a great review of The Well of Sacrifice, which can be found here.*** 

What inspired you to write The Well of Sacrifice?

I've always loved foreign cultures and ancient history, perhaps because I lived in Saudi Arabia between the ages of five and 11 and got to travel a lot. After college, I spent a summer touring Mexico, Guatemala and Belize with a friend. Mayan culture fascinated me, and so did one of the great questions -- why did the Mayan civilization collapse before the Spanish arrived?

I didn't start The Well of Sacrifice for a few years, but when I decided to write a novel, I began with the image of a girl being thrown into a Mayan sacrificial well and surviving. I loved revisiting that region in my writing, diving into the past to imagine what Mayan culture might have been like over 1000 years ago, and creating a character strong enough to fight against great odds.

What sort of research did you do to help you write it?

Traveling to many Mayan archaeological sites certainly helped immerse me in that ancient world. Even though the great cities have decayed, I could get a feel for the scale of the architecture, the smells and sounds of the jungle, and much more. I took pages of notes while there, even though I wasn't yet planning to write a book about it. I did more research before and during the writing process. I was living in New York City when I wrote The Well of Sacrifice, so I had access to great libraries (this was before the Internet). I also visited museum exhibits, where I picked up additional useful details, like what a cocoa pod looks like.

What was the most difficult part of writing it?

This was the first novel-length work I'd written, so I wasn't sure what I was doing. I originally thought the book would open with the scene of a girl being thrown into the sacrificial well. But I kept deciding I needed to start earlier. Eventually, my "opening scene" got moved to the end of the book. The whole thing was a learning process, so it's amazing that it actually turned into a publishable book. I got lucky!

What was your favorite part of the writing it?

Even now, just thinking about the book reminds me of the sights, sounds and smells of Latin America. As a reader, I've always loved the power of literature to take me to different places and times. This book allowed me to do that as well, and to play the part of an amazing heroine. All my writing lets me get into the heads of other people, whether it's the 13-year-old boy narrating my Haunted series, or the 30-year-old history professor/treasure hunter in my first book for adults, Rattled. I like being able to explore what it might be like to be someone else for a while. I can have adventures as someone else, from the safety and comfort of my own home.

What are some children's books that you've read recently and really enjoyed?

I've been reading more adult fiction, since I'm now writing romantic suspense for adults under the name Kris Bock. I did recently read the YA novel iDrakula, by Becca Black, since I was speaking on a panel with her at a convention. I was impressed by her ability to convey so much primarily through the character's text messages.

Some time ago I read Cabinet of Wonders by Marie Rutkoski, a fantasy set in medieval Bohemia, and I'd like to get back and read the rest in that series. The Stravaganza series by Mary Hoffman had great drama along with an interesting look into an alternate version of medieval Italy. The Shamer's Daughter, by Lene Kaaberbol, had intense action and beautiful writing. That's another where I need to read the rest of the series.

You just published a historical fiction book about Ancient Egypt, called The Eyes of Pharaoh.  Can you say a bit about what it is about?

The Eyes of Pharaoh is a mystery set in ancient Egypt -- 1177 BC, to be exact. The book stars Seshta, a 13-year-old temple dancer, and the two boys who are her best friends, Reya and Horus. When Reya hints that Egypt is in danger from foreign nomads, Seshta and Horus don’t take him seriously. How could anyone challenge Egypt? Then Reya disappears. Seshta and Horus are determined to find him, and in the process they start to uncover a plot against Egypt. They spy on merchants, soldiers, and royalty, and start to suspect even The Eyes of Pharaoh, the powerful head of the secret police.

This book, for ages nine and up, draws on real history and touches on some issues still relevant today, such as immigration and the importance of each individual speaking up when they see something wrong. Interested readers can read the first chapter at www.chriseboch.com or on Amazon, where they can buy the book for $6.99 paperback or $2.99 e-book. The e-book is also available for the Nook.

The Well of Sacrifice

Title: The Well of Sacrifice    
Author: Chris Eboch    
Topic: The Mayan Civilization    
Grade Level: 4 - 8
Students: Mostly strong readers with just a few struggling or reluctant readers
Rating by: Suzanne Borchers from New Mexico

***An interview with Chris Eboch can be found here.***

Historically Accurate?

(4) Yes and also includes historical notes, primary sources, etc.

(3) Yes

(2) A few inaccurate or misleading portrayals

(1) Not a bit

An Engaging Story?

(4) Almost all students will beg to keep reading

(3) Most students will get caught up in the story

(2) Some students will read ahead by mistake

(1) Students will groan when the book is mentioned

Prompts Discussion?

(4) Students will still be talking about it in the hallway

(3) Will prompt discussion about major issues in the past as well as today

(2) Will prompt discussion about the characters and the events in the book

(1) Will not prompt discussion

Readability?

(4) Everyone - even the most reluctant readers – can get on board

(3) Can be used for a whole class read

(2) Can only be used with a small high-powered reading group

(1) Recommend only to students that love reading

Age Appropriate Content?
____Too mature
_X__Just right
____Too simplistic

A Comment from Suzanne Borcher: 
I used this book with my Grades 4/5 gifted students for language arts. We delved into the Mayan civilization, and both read the book in class and for homework. The students became immersed in the story, and answered higher level questions about character development, plot, and background. The students asked to dramatize their favorite scenes, which they wrote and worked on in small groups. The dramas were totally enjoyable. They also asked to write an Epilogue to the book. We culminated our reading the book by inviting the author, Chris Eboch, to a celebration of chocolate, oral reports, and discussion. I highly recommend this book for its depth and its readability. I definitely will use it again!


Amazon's Product Description: 
Eveningstar Macaw lives in a glorious Mayan city in the ninth century. When the king falls ill and dies, the city begins to crumble. An evil high priest, Great Skull Zero, orders the sacrifice of those who might become king, including Eveningstar's beloved brother. Suspicious of the High Priest's motives, Eveningstar attempts to save her brother, thus becoming an acknowledged enemy of the High Priest. Condemned to be thrown into the Well of Sacrifice, Eveningstar must find a way not only to save her own life but to rescue her family and her city from the tyrannical grasp of Great Skull Zero. Set against the vivid background of everyday life at the height of the Mayan golden age and illustrated with striking black-and-white paintings, Eveningstar's candid, gripping, and not-for-the-faint-of-heart account of the last days of a great city will have readers at the edge of their seats.

Link to reviews on Amazon
Link to the website of the author: Chris Eboch (which links to lesson plans designed to accompany The Well of Sacrifice)
Preview The Well of Sacrifice at Google Books
Buy this book from your local bookstore via Indie Bound

Impatient with Desire

Title: Impatient with Desire   

Author: Gabrielle Burton

Category: Historical Fiction

Topic: The Donner Party, Westward Expansion

Grade Level: Upper high school (11th or 12th grade) and college

Students: Mostly strong readers with just a few struggling or reluctant readers 

Rating by: Andrew J. Peters from New York

(Andrew's extended review of this book is available at his website: http://andrewjpeterswrites.com)

Historically Accurate?

(4) Yes and also includes historical notes, primary sources, etc.

(3) Yes

(2) A few inaccurate or misleading portrayals

(1) Not a bit 

An Engaging Story?

(4) Almost all students will beg to keep reading

(3) Most students will get caught up in the story

(2) Some students will read ahead by mistake

(1) Students will groan when the book is mentioned 

Prompts Discussion?

(4) Students will still be talking about it in the hallway

(3) Will prompt discussion about major issues in the past as well as today

(2) Will prompt discussion about the characters and the events in the book

(1) Will not prompt discussion 

Readability?

(4) Everyone - even the most reluctant readers – can get on board

(3) Can be used for a whole class read

(2) Can only be used with a small high-powered reading group

(1) Recommend only to students that love reading 

Age Appropriate Content? 

_X__Too mature

____Just right 

____Too simplistic

Andrew J. Peters' Review:  

In the spring of 1846, George Donner led his family and eighty pioneers on a trail of opportunity from Illinois to California.  They made it as far as the Sierra Nevada mountains but were trapped by a snow storm.  The mission turned desperate, and a horrifying legend was born.

Gabrielle Burton's IMPATIENT WITH DESIRE is an intimate re-telling of the journey of the ill-fated Donner Party.  The story is told primarily through the letters and journal entries of Tamsen Donner, a schoolteacher and wife to George Donner, during the time they awaited rescue.

Burton is clear in labeling her work as a fictional account.  But it is based on nearly forty years of her research, a vigorous sideline of the author, which included a family vacation with her husband and five daughters to retrace the steps of the Donner trail.

Burton, who has garnered praise for her portraits of women (her debut novel Heartbreak Hotel) and contributed extensively to feminist discourse over the past four decades, casts Tamsen Donner as a compelling heroine.  Tamsen is self-assured, well-educated, and an independent thinker.  She prefers collecting botanical specimens for her students to baking pies, she asks her pastor to remove the words "to obey" in her marriage vows, and she has clever observations on gender inequality.  

Tamsen was the daughter of a Sea Captain, who encouraged her dream of traveling, at a time when women were expected to stay close to the home.  She was heartbroken by the death of her first husband and one of her sons, but she ventured beyond a life of widowhood to find happiness in a second marriage.  She was fiercely devoted to the promotion of her daughters, accepting the brand of unspeakable inhumanity so that they might survive.  Living under the authority of men, she emerges as much (or more so) as the leader who rallied her counterparts to take the chance to better their lives, and she stewarded morale and comforted them when grief and fear left them broken

As such, the book will provoke good classroom discussions about the status of women and men in the 1800's (and beyond), and it provides a multi-layered heroine for young readers—female and male—to get behind.  

The narrative never strays from Tamsen's point of view, but she is a circumspect and reliable storyteller.  While stranded with her family at a makeshift camp, she records the daily life and the history, which gives readers a vivid picture of pioneer life.  Like The Diary of Anne Frank, there are heavy themes here—starvation, many deaths, and of course the inevitable cannibalism—and they are explored frankly, realistically, but with a great deal of humanity.  The story poses the question:  what would you do to survive?—a curious, provocative topic for young readers, I think.  The decisions made by different party members can be debated as well as points of view on the story:  is it a cautionary tale about the price of ambition?  or is it a story about human resilience in the face of desperate circumstances?  

In terms of historical accuracy, there are Author's Notes at the end that clarify what is drawn from historical records, and what came from the author's imagination.  Largely, it's a story that seeks to be as authentic as possible.  The principal liberties are taken to bring to life Tamsen Donner, whose journal was never found.  Ms. Burton portrays Tamsen as an early women's liberationist of her time, in the mold of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, so the book would work well as a supplement to studies of the early women's movement as well.

I think the book is appropriate and useful for upper high school grades and college.            

*************************************

Link to reviews on Amazon 

Link to review from NPR's Fresh Air

Link to the website of the author: Gabrielle Burton 

Buy this book from your local bookstore via Indie Bound

Leon's Story

Title: Leon's Story          
Author: Leon Walter Tillage  
Category: First Person Account

Topic: The Jim Crow Era, Sharecropping
Grade Level: 5-6
Students: Mostly struggling or reluctant readers with just a few strong readers
Rating by: Veronica in Vermont
(In Veronica's comment below, she offers excellent suggestions for how to connect Leon's Story with the lives of students today.)

Historically Accurate?

(4) Yes and also includes historical notes, primary sources, etc.*

(3) Yes

(2) A few inaccurate or misleading portrayals

(1) Not a bit
*This is a first person account.

An Engaging Story?

(4) Almost all students will beg to keep reading

(3) Most students will get caught up in the story

(2) Some students will read ahead by mistake

(1) Students will groan when the book is mentioned

Prompts Discussion?

(4) Students will still be talking about it in the hallway

(3) Will prompt discussion about major issues in the past as well as today

(2) Will prompt discussion about the characters and the events in the book

(1) Will not prompt discussion

Readability?

(4) Everyone - even the most reluctant readers – can get on board*

(3) Can be used for a whole class read

(2) Can only be used with a small high-powered reading group

(1) Recommend only to students that love reading
*This would also work well as a read aloud in an elementary classroom.

Age Appropriate Content?
____Too mature
_X__Just right
____Too simplistic

A Comment from Veronica: 
This is a deeply moving autobiography.  His personal accounts will never leave your memory. To help put his story into context we created a timeline that included the Constitution (to clarify who had rights and freedom?), the slave trade, Civil War, Emancipation, Jim Crow south, voting rights, the Civil rights movement (MLK, Rosa Parks), and connected it to present day with our school bullying/harassment policies.

It invites rich discussion and exploration of the ideals upon which our  country was founded, Abe Lincoln, freedom rides, sharecropping, the separate but equal policies of the Jim Crow South, geography, perspective, "Are certain people better than others? What criteria would you use?", and presents a myriad of opportunities to make text to self connections. 


Amazon's Product Description:  
"Leon Tillage grew up a sharecropper's son in a small town in North Carolina. Told in vignettes, Leon's story is one of racial prejudice and hatred. It is also the story of a strong family and the love that bound them together."

Link to Reviews on Amazon
Link to Quizzes and Activities about Leon's Story by EduHelper
Article about the author Leon Walter Tillage in his hometown paper, The Baltimore Sun
Buy this book from your local bookstore via Indie Bound

The Kidnapped Prince: The Life of Olaudah Equiano

Title: The Kidnapped Prince: The Life of Olaudah Equiano
Author: Olaudah Equiano and Ann Cameron
Category: First Person Account

Topic: Slavery
Grade Level: 4-8
Students: A balanced mix of strong readers and struggling or reluctant readers
Rating by: Ann B.

Historically Accurate?

(4) Yes and also includes historical notes, primary sources, etc.*

(3) Yes

(2) A few inaccurate or misleading portrayals

(1) Not a bit
*It is a first person account.

An Engaging Story?

(4) Almost all students will beg to keep reading

(3) Most students will get caught up in the story

(2) Some students will read ahead by mistake

(1) Students will groan when the book is mentioned

Prompts Discussion?

(4) Students will still be talking about it in the hallway

(3) Will prompt discussion about major issues in the past as well as today

(2) Will prompt discussion about the characters and the events in the book

(1) Will not prompt discussion

Readability?

(4) Everyone - even the most reluctant readers – can get on board*

(3) Can be used for a whole class read

(2) Can only be used with a small high-powered reading group

(1) Recommend only to students that love reading
* I used excerpts, rather than the book in its entirety.

 

Age Appropriate Content?
____Too mature
_X__Just right
____Too simplistic

A Comment from Ann B.:  When teaching about slavery, it was important to me to make sure my students remembered that behind the word "slaves" were hundreds of thousands of individuals -- real people who were forced to live a nightmare.  This is a man's account of his life as a boy in Africa until he was kidnapped and sold into slavery.  I used excerpts from it to teach about the slave trade because it begins with his normal childhood and helped keep a human face on all the horrors people had to undergo. Olaudah Equiano, the author, did not have a typical experience after arriving in North American (gaining the opportunity to learn to read and write and then publish a book was certainly unusual), so I usually concentrate on the earlier parts of his life in the classroom.

Amazon's Product Description:
Kidnapped at the age of 11 from his home in Benin, Africa, Olaudah Equiano spent the next 11 years as a slave in England, the U.S., and the West Indies, until he was able to buy his freedom. His autobiography, published in 1789, was a bestseller in its own time. Cameron has modernized and shortened it while remaining true to the spirit of the original. It's a gripping story of adventure, betrayal, cruelty, and courage. In searing scenes, Equiano describes the savagery of his capture, the appalling conditions on the slave ship, the auction, and the forced labor. . . . Kids will read this young man's story on their own; it will also enrich curriculum units on history and on writing. 

Link to Reviews on Amazon
Preview it at Google Books
Link to the website of the author: Ann Cameron (includes discussion questions for The Kidnapped Prince)

Buy this book from your local bookstore via Indie Bound

Interview with Kristin O'Donnell Tubb

I'm happy to offer an interview with the gracious Kristin O'Donnell Tubb, author of Selling Hope (Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan 2010), Autumn Winifred Oliver Does Things Different (Delacorte/Random House 2008) and the forthcoming The 13th Sign (Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan 2012).

**Joyce Lansky's recent review of Selling Hope for this site can be found here.**

What inspired you to write Selling Hope?
Selling Hope was one of those happy accidents that came out of researching another project.  I was writing a kid’s activity book about space for Dalmatian Press (called Space: An A+ Workbook), and Halley’s Comet was part of that research.  I discovered that Earth passed through the tail of the comet on May 18 & 19, 1910.  The world’s top scientists promised that no harm would result, but fear ran rampant, and people began prophesying the end of days. Others cashed in on that fear, selling everything from lead umbrellas to gas masks to comet pills.  When I read those words – comet pills – I knew it was a story I wanted to tell.

What sort of research did you do to help you write it?
I researched books, magazines, newspapers, classified ads, advertisements, websites – anything about Chicago and vaudeville and Halley’s Comet circa 1910 that I could find, basically.  I also watched YouTube videos of Buster Keaton to get his movements and facial expressions down pat. (And yes, I consider myself very lucky to have a job in which watching YouTube constitutes “research.” :))  I keep my research in a Word document, but also print out a copy and cut and paste them (literally – with scissors and tape) to 3x5 notecards.  This helps me organize both the story outline and the items by topic.

What was the most difficult part of writing the book?
Making Hope McDaniels a likeable character was probably my biggest challenge. In the story, Hope makes some questionable choices (the girl is a con artist, after all!). It’s a balancing act, creating a character who is pulling off a hoax of that magnitude, but who also gains our sympathy.

What was your favorite part of the writing process?
Research is likely my favorite part of the writing process. We humans do so many heartbreaking, breathtaking things to and for each other. Those stories are out there, and uncovering them is a little akin to Indiana Jones unearthing his treasures! But here, I feel I should always add a caveat: the story is always the character’s journey first, so the history must be tied to that story arc, above all.  If that doesn’t happen, then you’re just tossing in bits of history to show you’ve done your research, which doesn’t make for very interesting reading. 

What were some of your favorite books as a child?
My favorite book as a child was – and still is – A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L’Engle. I also loved Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House books, especially the first one, Little House in the Big Woods. (Oh, how I longed for an attic full of pumpkins in which to play dolls!) I adored Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself by Judy Blume, The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin, Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Patterson, John D. Fitzgerald’s Great Brain books, and Donald J. Sobol’s Encyclopedia Brown series. 

************************

Link to this site's recent review of Selling Hope

Link to the website of Kristin O'Donnell Tubb

Link to Amazon's page for Ms. O'Donnell Tubb's earlier book: Autumn Winifred Oliver Things Different 

Link to a Discussion Guide for Autumn Winifred Oliver Does Things Different

Selling Hope

Title: Selling Hope 
Author: Kristin O'Donnell Tubb



**An interview with Kristin O'Donnell Tubb can be found here.**

Category: Historical Fiction
Topic: Vaudeville, Life in the Early 1900's
Grade Level: 5
Students: Mostly strong readers with just a few struggling or reluctant readers

Rating by: Joyce Lansky from Tennessee

Joyce is a teacher and writer.  Check out her blog at: http://joycelansky.blogspot.com

Historically Accurate?

(4) Yes and also includes historical notes, primary sources, etc.

(3) Yes

(2) A few inaccurate or misleading portrayals

(1) Not a bit

An Engaging Story?

(4) Almost all students will beg to keep reading

(3) Most students will get caught up in the story

(2) Some students will read ahead by mistake

(1) Students will groan when the book is mentioned

Prompts Discussion?

(4) Students will still be talking about it in the hallway

(3) Will prompt discussion about major issues in the past as well as today

(2) Will prompt discussion about the characters and the events in the book

(1) Will not prompt discussion

Readability?

(4) Everyone - even the most reluctant readers – can get on board

(3) Can be used for a whole class read*

(2) Can only be used with a small high-powered reading group

(1) Recommend only to students that love reading
* This would work well as a read aloud, too.

Age Appropriate Content?
____Too mature
_X__Just right
____Too simplistic

A Comment from Joyce Lansky: 
"I enjoyed getting a peek of life in 1910 through the eyes of Hope McDaniels, the thirteen-year-old main character of "Selling Hope" by Kristin O'Donnell Tubb. In her book, "Coins," or people of Chicago, line up to buy flour coated mints passed off as anti-comet pills that will protect the user from dying from the gases given off from the tail of Haley's comet. This book uses real newspaper headlines to show the lead up to this historic non-event while at the same time, allowing the reader a glimpse of the Vaudeville life along with real stars such as Buster Keaton. The writing is beautiful as is the story of this young girl and her relationship with her father."

Amazon's Product Description:  
"It’s May 1910, and Halley’s Comet is due to pass thru the Earth’s atmosphere. And thirteen-year-old Hope McDaniels and her father are due to pass through their hometown of Chicago with their ragtag vaudeville troupe.  Hope wants out of vaudeville, and longs for a “normal” life—or as normal as life can be without her mother, who died five years before. Hope sees an opportunity: She invents “anti-comet” pills to sell to the working-class customers desperate for protection. Soon, she’s joined by a fellow troupe member, young Buster Keaton, and the two of them start to make good money. And just when Hope thinks she has all the answers, she has to decide: What is family? Where is home?"


Link to reviews on Amazon
Link to the website of the author: Kristin O'Donnell Tubb
Buy this book from your local bookstore via Indie Bound

Interview with Liza Ketchum

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing author Liza Ketchum about the process of writing historical fiction.  Among other things, Ms. Ketchum discusses the wide variety of primary sources she used in her research for Newsgirl.  It is clear that she dove into the research process determined to accurately recreate San Francisco during the Gold Rush, and her persistence paid off.  To me, reading Newsgirl was like taking a time machine into the past, just as she intended.

***The review of Newsgirl is here.***


In regards to Newsgirl, what was your favorite part of the writing process?

"I love doing research for my historical novels. When readers open my book, I want them to feel they are traveling in a time machine. When they step out into the past, I hope they enter a world that is historically accurate. For this reason, I think of myself as a “research detective” as I track down old diaries, letters, newspapers, and images to help me create this historical world. When I wrote Newsgirl, I had already written three other books set during that era, so I had a lot of information at hand. But I decided that the city of San Francisco would be like a character itself, in the story. Finding out more about that city’s past was the most exciting part of my journey with the novel. I had the chance to visit San Francisco during the research phase, and I met a wonderful librarian there, at the Society for California Pioneers, who gathered incredible primary source material for me. I felt that I had “struck gold,” like a California 49-er, when she unearthed documents, old photographs, city directories, maps, and diaries that helped me bring the past to life." 


What was the most difficult part of the writing process?

"The most difficult part of the writing process, for me, is usually the first draft. Newsgirl was a little easier than some books, because I’d had the idea for the story for years, ever since I learned that newsboys, in Gold Rush California, could make more money than their parents when they sold East coast newspapers on the street. But figuring out the plot is always a challenge, and it takes me many, many drafts—and many plot changes—before a book is ready to send to my agent."


What are some of your favorite children's books?

"I read so widely that it’s hard for me to name a few favorite books. I’m lucky to teach in a graduate program, at Hamline University, with a number of wonderful colleagues who also write for young readers, and I always read their work with pleasure. When I was a young reader myself, I loved The Secret Garden, Charlotte’s Web, The Back of the North Wind, Stuart Little, and The Witch of Blackbird Pond, which my mother read to me when I had the measles—and had to stay in a darkened room for days. My mom sat in my closet and read to me through a crack in the door. The book seemed magical to me for that reason."


Can you tell us a little about what you've been working on recently?

"I have just finished a draft of a new, contemporary YA that takes place in Boston and Nova Scotia in 2004. The narrator is a 17-year-old boy whose father dies suddenly; a mystery in the story leads him to search for a missing half brother he learns about after his dad’s death. The book also has a strong baseball theme (I’m a Red Sox fan!). Next I need to finish revising a book about vaudeville. The novel begins in Brattleboro, VT, in 1913, and moves around the country as the narrator follows her dream to go onstage and become a singer. Stay tuned!"

********************************************

I'd also like to share a few of the FAQ's Ms. Ketchum includes on her website because they provide even more insight into the research process.

FAQ: How much of your story is true? How much is invented?

"While Amelia and her family are fictional characters, the story’s setting and many events are based on facts. When I write about the past, I imagine that I am taking my readers for a ride in a time machine. As they step out onto San Francisco’s streets in 1851, I want them to smell the city’s gritty smells, to feel the bustle of activity, hear the sounds, and taste the food. I want my story to help a time traveler experience the touch of the wind, the swirling dust, and the cold fog. And I hope my readers will see the city’s landscape and its buildings as they walk in the shoes of the people who came from all over the world in search of gold."

"I have based San Francisco’s layout— with its shops, wharves, and meeting places— on the maps, directories, newspaper stories, and first person accounts from that period. The stories that Amelia sells to the papers are invented, but the Alta California was a real paper, as was the Sonora Herald, the first newspaper in the southern mines. Dr. Gunn, who appears in the novel, was a real person and the editor of the Herald. The Boston headlines that Amelia calls out are actual headlines from Eastern papers of that time.


FAQ: Where do you find the historical details for your books?

"I do much of my research in libraries and historical societies. I am lucky to live in the Boston area, home to many wonderful research libraries. As I wrote Newsgirl, I searched for letters, diaries, and journals written by people who went out to California during the Gold Rush, and I looked for information about native California Indians and Mexican Californios who lived there before the rush began. I also studied maps and drawings and—of course—I read newspapers from that time period."


"Old newspapers are usually available on microfilm, which is difficult to read and hard on the eyes. Once in a while, I’m lucky enough to read an original paper from that time. If the paper is old and fragile, I might wear plastic gloves. I have to be careful not to tear the pages as I turn them. I study the news stories so that I know about the daily events that were happening as my story unfolded. Sometimes I can use those events—as I did with the fire—to help with my plot. And I also read the ads. The ads help me understand how people dressed, what foods they ate, where they shopped, and what was for sale in the stores. The ads gave me important information about the city’s restaurants, hotels, and businesses, and about the wharves where ships came in from around the world. When I wrote about Amelia and Patrick’s balloon ride, I wanted to describe that part of California as they saw it from the air—but I couldn’t take a balloon ride myself! Instead, I logged onto Google Earth, and I was able to zoom in on San Francisco and plot a path the balloon might take as the wind blew it to Sonora. I then “flew” that route, using the mouse on my computer to take me from west to east. I could imagine what Amelia and Patrick might have seen as I soared over the hills, valleys, and rivers, flying lower than an airplane, but higher than a bird. Try it yourself! It’s a great ride."

Newsgirl

Title: Newsgirl  
Author: Liza Ketchum  
Category: Historical Fiction


***An interview with Liza Ketchum is posted here.***


Topic: The California Gold Rush
Grade Level: 5-6
Students: Mostly strong readers with just a few struggling or reluctant readers 
Rating by: Scott Cole from Vermont

Historically Accurate?

(4) Yes, and also includes historical notes, primary sources, etc.

(3) Yes

(2) A few inaccurate or misleading portrayals

(1) Not a bit

An Engaging Story?

(4) Almost all students will beg to keep reading

(3) Most students will get caught up in the story

(2) Some students will read ahead by mistake

(1) Students will groan when the book is mentioned

Prompts Discussion?

(4) Students will still be talking about it in the hallway

(3) Will prompt discussion about major issues in the past as well as today

(2) Will prompt discussion about the characters and the events in the book

(1) Will not prompt discussion

Readability?

(4) Everyone - even the most reluctant readers – can get on board

(3) Can be used for a whole class read

(2) Can only be used with a small high-powered reading group

(1) Recommend only to students that love reading

Age Appropriate Content?
____Too mature
_X__Just right
____Too simplistic


A Comment from Scott Cole:
Fun story that gave a real feel for the early days in California. VT readers love the book- it made our DCF- Dorthy Canfield Fisher -list for the 30 best books for kids this year!


Amazon's Product Description: 
"It’s the spring of 1851 and San Francisco is booming. Twelve-year-old Amelia Forrester has just arrived with her family and they are eager to make a new life in Phoenix City. But the mostly male town is not that hospitable to females and Amelia decides she’ll earn more money as a boy. Cutting her hair and donning a cap, she joins a gang of newsboys, selling Eastern newspapers for a fortune. And that’s just the beginning of her adventures. Participating in the biggest news stories of the day, Amelia is not a girl to let life pass her by—even and especially when it involves danger!"

Link to Reviews on Amazon
Link to the website of the author: Liza Ketchum
Link to Newsgirl's Facebook Page (which has a link to a travelogue done by the Barbara Bell at the San Jose Examiner that follows Amelia's journey)
Buy this book from your local bookstore via Indie Bound

Interview with Irene Latham

I've always been an advocate for teaching critical thinking in the classroom.  It empowers students when you remind them that words don't just magically appear on the pages of a book -- that instead each word is the result of a real person putting into practice the same skills students are learning in class (researching, asking questions, reading, writing, and revising).  Giving students a glimpse of the work that goes into writing historical fiction can give meaning to their own work.

Today, I'm excited to offer you an interview with the fabulous Irene Latham, author of Leaving Gee's Bend.  Her answers highlight the incredible love and dedication she invested in writing this story.

 

***The review of Leaving Gee's Bend is posted here.***

 

What inspired you to write Leaving Gee's Bend?

"I just watched the movie "The Social Network," and one thing I love about it is how it shows that an idea is inspired by countless interactions and impulses that somehow come together to make The Big Idea. It's such a mixed-up mess of string that it's virtually impossible to untangle. It's the same for this book. But I can tell you that the most immediate impulse for LEAVING GEE'S BEND was a trip my husband took to New York City, where we waited in line for two hours on the last day of the exhibit to see The Quilts of Gee's Bend at the Whitney Museum. I was overwhelmed by the colors and the textures and the voices of the women (as I first heard them on a documentary film that the museum had playing in another room). But before I viewed the exhibit were years and years going to sleep to the hum of my mother's sewing machine and hours and hours listening to my husband's grandmother (the real-life Ludelphia) tell the stories behind the many quilts she created."

What sort of research did you do to help you write it?

"Fortunately for me the history of Gee's Bend has been well-documented, in part due to the work of the amazing historians behind the quilt exhibit, and in part due to a certain president named Franklin Delano Roosevelt who hired photographers to document how awful conditions were in Gee's Bend during the 1930's so that there would be photographic proof of how his government housing affected positive change for the area. I spent a lot of time with the personal histories recorded by the women, and I spent hundreds of hours listening to recordings. This auditory research was essential for capturing Ludelphia's voice. I visited Gee's Bend, of course, and spent many hours and Wilcox County Public Library perusing microfiche of 1932 and 1933 issues of the Wilcox Progressive Era (local newspaper)."

What was the most difficult part of writing the book?

"The most difficult part for me was getting over my fear of writing a book in the voice of a 1932 African American girl growing up in poverty when I, the author, am none of those things. The weight of accountability is trememdous whenever one writes historical fiction, and especially so when one chooses to write outside one's culture. I just really wanted to get it right. I almost bailed out at one point, but an amazing writer by the name of Julius Lester helped set me back on course. (I blogged about that experience here.) Ultimately I had to keep reminding myself that I approached this story with love, what made me want to write it was love. And whatever the culture, we all feel the same feelings. I had to trust that the emotional experience of being human would carry the story."
 

What was your favorite part of the writing process?

"There are a couple of moments that stand out to me. The first happened when I was still casting around for the best way to tell this story and I, just for fun, decided to switch from third person pov to first person -- actually "owning" Ludelphia's voice. And that's when the magic happened. That's when Ludelphia really sprang to life with all her sassy goodness. The second moment that stands out is when I first saw the cover concept. It was an emotional moment for me -- I thought, there she is, Ludelphia, with that foot up in the air, actually doing it -- leaving Gee's Bend. I thought the cover was perfect, and I was so moved by the fact that the art department -- people I didn't even know -- read my book and saw the girl I saw. It was the first of many, many special connections I've made with readers since the book's release."

What were some of your favorite books as a child?

"It should come as no surprise that I loved historical fiction, especially Little House on the Prairie. I really can't think of another series that has influenced as many writers. I also loved horse books like the Black Stallion series and adventure books, and I was a sucker for anything Arthurian. My main requirement for a book was that it be LONG. I loved sinking into stories that went on and on and on."

Ms. Latham's most recent book, a collection of poems entitled The Color of Lost Rooms was just released last month.

Leaving Gee's Bend

Title: Leaving Gee's Bend   

Author: Irene Latham  

***An interview with Irene Latham is posted here.***

Topics: The Great Depression, 

The Jim Crow Era  

Grade Level: 6

Students: Used with a group of gifted students

Rating by: Karen Narro from Alabama

Historically Accurate?

(4) Yes and also includes historical notes, primary sources, etc.

(3) Yes

(2) A few inaccurate or misleading portrayals

(1) Not a bit
 

An Engaging Story?

(4) Almost all students will beg to keep reading

(3) Most students will get caught up in the story

(2) Some students will read ahead by mistake

(1) Students will groan when the book is mentioned


 Readability?

(4) Everyone - even the most reluctant readers – can get on board

(3) Can be used for a whole class read

(2) Can only be used with a small high-powered reading group

(1) Recommend only to students that love reading

Age Appropriate Content?

____Too mature

_X__Just right

____Too simplistic

A Comment from Karen Narro:

We studied the history and visited the town of Gees Bend since we are a school in Birmingham, AL.  We are just about 120 miles from Gee's Bend and we had a wonderful experience.  We met with the ladies who made the quilts famous and inspired Irene Latham to write the novel.  I enjoyed so much the language and the voice that she found for her main character, Ludelphia.  In our classroom we ate pound cake when Ludelphia did, had a coke with she had her first one, brought dirt home from the roads in Gee's Bend and gathered acorns and cattails to welcome the beautiful images into our classroom.  I can't remember when I've enjoyed teaching a book so much.

Amazon's Product Review:

"Ludelphia Bennett may be blind in one eye, but she can still put in a good stitch. Ludelphia sews all the time, especially when things go wrong.

But when Mama goes into labor early and gets deathly ill, it seems like even quilting won’t help. That’s when Ludelphia decides to do something drastic—leave Gee’s Bend for the very first time. Mama needs medicine that can only be found miles away in Camden. But that doesn’t stop Ludelphia. She just puts one foot in front of the other.

What ensues is a wonderful, riveting and sometimes dangerous adventure. Ludelphia weathers each challenge in a way that would make her mother proud, and ends up saving the day for her entire town.

Set in 1932 and inspired by the rich quilting history of Gee’s Bend, Alabama, Leaving Gee’s Bend is a delightful, satisfying story of a young girl facing a brave new world."

Link to Reviews on Amazon

Link to the website for the book: Leaving Gee's Bend 

Link to Irene Latham's Website (includes discussion guides, teaching activities, etc.)

Link to Irene Latham's Blog

Preview the book at: Google Books

Buy this book from your local bookstore via Indie Bound

Link to Ms. Latham's most recent book of poetry:

The Color of Lost Rooms (just released in January 2011)