Tag Archives: Historical fiction

Pedro and the Monster Eaters = Pedro y los devoradores de monstruos

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written by Xequina María Berbér and illustrated by C. Rod. Unalt

Pedro is a young boy that comes from a family of artists that creates papier maché art pieces – from pinatas to giant puppets called mojigangas that are used in parades and festivals in Mexico. His family is very busy, because their artwork is so beautiful. So, Pedro learns the aspects of the art from an early age. One night, he becomes very sick and has a high fever. He has some terrible dreams in which the mojigangas chase after him. In his nightmares, colorful creatures called alebrijes rescue him by gobbling up the scary puppets. He awakens and is determined to create these monster-eating creatures in papier maché. Soon, people from all around are buying his colorful art pieces and he become world renowned for his beautiful work.

This story is loosely based on the life of Mexican folk artist Pedro Linares, who created beautifully painted fantastical creatures in papier maché. The book is written in English and Spanish and illustrated with colorful otherworldly creatures that spring from Pedro’s imagination. Text and illustrations work very well together to convey Pedro’s story. An author’s note at the end gives more information about Pedro Linares and is a great starting point for more thorough research about an artist in a medium about which there is typically little information.

Purchase this book for your library for a variety of reasons – the subject matter, dual language presentation and the beautiful illustrations. Students will be curious to explore more about the artist and the medium after such a wonderful introduction.

Child of the Flower-song People: Luz Jimenez, Daughter of the Nahua

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Luz Jimenez was born in the late 1800’s in the village of Milpa Alpa, a short distance from Mexico City. She was part of the indigenous Nuahac people and learned the language, stories and customs of her ancestors. She suffered the same fate as many indigenous people of her era – placement in government run schools where she had to speak Spanish and wear unfamiliar clothing. Her father was killed during the Mexican Revolution in 1911 and her mother moved the family to Mexico City. It was here that Luz realized her dream of becoming a teacher. Her teaching role was not as a typical school teacher, but as a teacher of her ancestral culture and language to the world. She became a model for many of Mexico’s leading artists of the time, including Diego Rivera, who saw her classic Nuahac beauty as something to capture on canvas, in a photograph or as a sculpture. She became friends with these artists and others – scholars and anthropologists, who wanted to learn about her culture and language. She took them back to her village and taught them her ancestors’ stories, language and customs. This knowledge is part of the history of Mexico and Luz is often referred to as the “Soul of Mexico”.

This well-written, informative book tells the story of Luz’s life in an accessible way without being too text-heavy. Accompanying illustrations by Duncan Tonatiuh are reminiscent of indigenous Mexican artwork and add a rich tone to the story. An author’s note, artist’s note, glossary, bibliography and timeline of Luz’s life are important added features. I appreciate the photo of Luz modelling for a group of artists on the artist’s note page. The only pieces missing are some examples of the artists’ work with whom Luz worked. It did lead me to research her life and find those examples. So, perhaps readers will do the same.

Gold Rush!

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You are on the Oregon Trail from Independence, Missouri to either Oregon or the possible riches of California. Which way will you go? That’s up to you in this choose your own story format book. Life on the Oregon Trail is never easy an decisions need to be made at every turn. With twenty-two possible endings, this story will take young readers on a journey filled with danger in the form of wild animals, thieves, difficult travel conditions, possible illness, starvation or death. One of the pathways is the right one and it’s up to the reader to discover it.

Just like the PC Oregon Trail game of years’ past, this book will give the reader a tiny taste of the difficult decisions that pioneers made every day on the Oregon Trail. An introduction at the beginning and a guide with pioneer biographies at the end are highly recommended first reading before the adventure starts for the reader. Pen and ink illustrations enhance the story in Book #7 of this series.

This is a great way to introduce students to life on the Oregon Trail. They follow children their age as they determine the best path for their wagon and family. Parents and teachers will enjoy the nostalgia of the book and remember those times they were attacked by a bear or died of starvation in the computer game of their youth. They might have some pointers for the kids on this one!

The Race to Chimney Rock

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Pack your wagon and head out from Independence, Missouri to Oregon City along the Oregon Trail using a “choose your own trail” format. Parents will remember the Oregon Trail PC game of their youth as their children navigate the hazards of daily life on The Trail.

There are twenty-two possible endings to this book, but only one will get you as far as Chimney Rock, the stopping point for this book (one of four). Readers are given choices along the way and turn to the page corresponding to their choice. Do they ford the river or take the ferry? Wild animals, illness, bad weather, break downs and bad guys are along the way to slow them down or kill them. Don’t worry, though, readers can start over and they might make it the next time!

An introduction at the beginning and a guide at the end help prepare young pioneer readers for the dangers they will face on the Oregon Trail. Pen and ink illustrations help move the story along and readers will learn something as they meander through the book (many times). Parents will enjoy the nostalgia of the book, because we have all caught dysentery in the Oregon Trail game. So, why not share that with your kids? Recommended

Cleo and Cornelius : a tale of two cities and two kitties

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Cleo and Cornelius are living the high life in ancient Egypt, where cats are treated like gods and their days are filled with lounging, eating, napping and being worshiped. One day, Cornelius accidentally boards a boat for Rome, which is a very different place than his home. Here, dogs are revered and cats are supposed to keep mice out of houses. But, there is adventure, as he and Cleo discover when she comes to Rome to find him. They race chariots, dip their paws in a Roman bath, perform in a theater and so many other activities. Exhausted, they hop a ship back to Egypt and their luxurious lives of eating, napping and being worshiped, which is fine with Cornelius. Cleo, on the other hand, grows bored and the heads back to her adventurous life in Rome.

This story is loosely based on Aesop’s “Town Mouse and Country Mouse” fable and is full of richly illustrated scenes of the ancient worlds of Egypt and Italy…and Cleo and Cornelius! There are two pages of notes for the reader, explaining life in those two societies. Photos of artifacts are included. This is a fun romp of a story and we learn some things along the way.

Armstrong & Charlie

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Armstrong & Charlie is a historical fiction novel. The book is set in the Hollywood Hills of California during the 1970s and the Opportunity Busing program has just started. Boys and girls from the inner city travel to Wonderland Elementary in an attempt at desegregation.  The story focuses on a friendship that emerges between Armstrong and Charlie. Charlie is a Jewish boy of privilege. Armstrong is the youngest of six kids who is ready to fight for everything. Finding themselves at odds with one another in multiple school situations, Armstrong and Charlie are pushed into an unlikely friendship. Separately, each boy is also on a journey of self-discovery. This is a story full of heart and soul, friendship, and growing up.  Chapters are told from each character’s perspective. This provides insight to each character’s motivation and emotions regarding shared experiences. The story, the characters, and the compelling structure, keep readers engaged from start to finish. Highly recommended.

Sky Full of Stars

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The book is about a young girl and how she faces her challenges. The book is about the struggles of an African-American life during the time of oppression and inequality. The protagonist is a young girl who lives with her grandmother and experiences many challenges at this age, and witnesses things that change her perception of the world over time. She witnesses people her age also going through similar struggles and we get to view her thoughts and opinions and sometimes even fears. I thought that the book was a bit slow towards the beginning but once it picked up the pace it was super exciting and emotional. (Due to the fact this is based on a true story). I would recommend this book to those who really enjoy reading about black history and especially the hardships and what it took in order to get to the way things are now. Be wary that this is about the murder of a young boy named Emmet Till and this incident actually happened and isn’t fictional.

-I.D.

Yours Truly

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Truly Lovejoy is back in this second installment of the Pumpkin Falls Mystery series. Readers do not need to have read book one, Absolutely Truly, in order to follow the storyline of this book.  The author references elements of book one, but provides context so book one details do not detract from this story. In the second book, Truly learns about her namesake and the history of the house she now calls home in Pumpkin Falls, New Hampshire. As the story develops, there are multiple mysteries that interconnect to reveal the rich history of the area and the founders of the town. Truly and her friends call themselves the Pumpkin Falls Private Eyes, and they work together to crack a maple syrup crime and settle a town feud. Along the way, Truly also investigates her family’s history, uncovering a local connection to the underground railroad and uses her quick wit to find her younger sister when she goes missing. With a complex mystery to solve, historically accurate details, and engaging and realistic family and friendship complications, this book will be a winner with mystery, historical, and realistic fiction readers.   

The Enemy Above: A novel of World War II

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It started as rumors that the Nazis were coming ,until the gunfire got louder and closer. On the run, being chased and hunted to be killed or captured after have to flee from their home. All for being born Jewish. What first caught my eye looking through the pile of books was the book cover. When I read the summary it sounded like a action packed story which is why I chose it. One thing I loved about the book was when it got into the action it was really good and every big moment connected to the others very well. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes books with real life facts in it but also somewhat fiction in the book.

W.G.

First Class Murder

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Journey back in time to Europe in the 1930’s and take a train ride on the Orient Express.  Our heroines, Hazel Wong and Daisy Wells, just finished school term and are taking a journey with Hazel’s father. They have been given strict instructions to avoid detecting. This is something they cannot do when a mystery lands in their laps. In order to find a murderer and a spy, they must employ their deductive reasoning skills once again even at the risk of upsetting Hazel’s father and placing themselves in danger. The title can stand alone or may be read in order with the other books in the Wells and Wong Mystery series. A recommended read for who-done-it enthusiasts.

Wolf Hollow

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In this historical fiction, we meet two young girls who are as different as night and day living in rural Pennsylvania in 1943. Annabelle is a sweet, responsible, compassionate twelve year old who lives with her parents, grand parents, aunt, and siblings on the family farm. Betty Glengarry, an older girl, moves to town to live with her grandparents. Annabelle and Betty have many run-ins and each run-in escalates with Betty revealing herself to be more and more of a bully.  Annabelle typically would turn to her family for help, but since she is getting older, she attempts to handle the situation on her own. One day, Betty plays a nasty trick on Annabelle and her brothers and Toby, a WWI veteran, intervenes. Toby lives alone and is a wanderer. He isn’t from Wolf Hollow and few people know much about him. Living a life of solitude, he soon finds himself on the cruel end of Betty’s antics. Annabelle must find the courage to stand up for what she believes and speak the truth about Betty’s actions. Life lessons are not always sweet and charming, as Annabelle learns, some lessons are heartfelt and bitter.Highly recommended.

Revenge of the Green Banana

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Revenge of the Green Banana reads like a memoir and many aspects of the fictional tale are true, but the book is considered a work of fiction – historical, humorous, and realistic. The story begins in 1958 with Jim Murphy beginning the sixth grade. He is determined that this year will be different than all of the others. This year, he will change his ways and become a serious student who is dedicated to academic excellence. Unfortunately, the teachers at St. Stephen’s Catholic School are not privy to Jim’s transformation. Jim finds himself a student in Sister Angelica’s class. Jim soon learns that Sister Angelica has a file on him and a chip on her shoulder. Jim’s journey into academic and social excellence is short lived and quickly transforms into a revenge plot to destroy his new teacher. Along the journey of revenge, Jim learns important life lessons both in and out of school. He soon questions his desire to destroy this new teacher and isn’t sure how to change the course of action. Kids will get a nice chuckle out of this book.

Things Too Huge to Fix by Saying Sorry

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“Things Too Huge to Fix by Saying Sorry” written by Susan Vaught is a novel based historical and realistic events.The main hero of this book is Deni Beans, 12 years old girl, whose mother is white and father is African American. They take care of their grandmother, because she is very sick from Alzheimer’s disease. Deni’s mysteries and adventure started, when her grandma told her granddaughter to find a secret key and an envelope that she hid a long time ago. During this investigation, Deni and her best friends (Indri and Mac) try to find out what happen with the friendship between their grandmas who were two best friends from different races (Mrs Beans and  Mrs. Avadelle Richardson). This conflict led to the children’s secret investigation about their family’s past. Also, during this adventure the young investigators discover the real history of the Meredith Riot which was over the desegregation of the University of Mississippi in the 1960s.

The book has very sad and unexpected ending with many twists,and turns along the way. This book can be hard to read, because of how it is written. Most chapter begin with an excerpt from one character’s book. Some chapters include passages from another character’s diary.  Both excerpts and diary passages are from different perspectives on the historical context and occurrences that led up to the Meredith Riots. Meanwhile, the story also takes place in modern times with the grandchildren who are investigating a family feud from the past. The characters’ stories interlace to create a complex novel for historical perspective on racial tension and desegregation in the south.

I recommend this book for middle school students who enjoy learning about civil rights and African American history.

Midnight Without A Moon

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This gritty story of thirteen-year-old, Rose Lee Carter, living in Mississippi in 1955 touches the heart and soul of life for colored people in the south at the dawn of the civil rights movement. Rose Lee lives with her grandparents who are sharecroppers on a cotton plantation. Rose Lee is stuck in the south at a time when friends and family, including her mama, are fleeing to the north to escape the racial tension of the south. With the murder of Emmett Till as the catalyst for change, Rose Lee must decide whether her future will be in the north or in the south. Jackson’s skillfully provides the historical backdrop of racial tension in the south and tells a story of hope, courage and change. Jackson’s writing is lyrical and descriptive and captivates the reader with imagery. This historical fiction work is a must have for middle school collections.  

Tru & Nelle

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 The book “Tru & Nelle” written by G. Neri is interesting and great book.  This fiction book combines couple genres.  It’s mix of true story, mystery, adventure and historical facts.  That makes this book interesting for readers.

When you read this book you fall into real friendship that starts from the childhood, and ends in adulthood. The main characters of this story are Tru (Truman Capote) and Nelle (Harper Lee).  Tru is a seven year old boy, who came from New Orleans.  His unreliable parents sent him to live for a couple years in “tiny town” of Monroeville, Alabama with his more caring relatives.   Nelle is six, and she‘s always allowed to run by herself.  She was born and lived in this small town Monroeville.  In this story we can see how the friendship began between the city boy, Tru, who was out of place in this town, and a village girl, Nelle, who acts and looks like a tomboy.  It shows  us, that anyone could look and act very different, but also share a lot of interests, which bring them closer and results in real friendship.  The same happens with the book’s main characters, Tru and Nelle, or as author called them “the prince and the pauper.”  Even though they look different, they both share the same problems in their extraordinary families.  They both love to read, especially the book “Sherlock Holmes,” which inspired these friends to have fun by creating their own investigations in a simple and boring town.  When you are reading this book, you become a part of their mystery investigation team, trying to solve the robbery at the town’s drugstore.  Although it takes you, as a reader, on many different adventures throughout this mystery, leading to a lot of fun and dangers along the way, like the threatening encounter with the Ku Klux Klan, or planing a high tension Halloween party.  During this adventure, the children were daring and very funny the whole way through.

The author was very successful in demonstrating overall purpose of this book.  He did a great job in describing the details of the town, families and their relationships, as well, as the people’s life.  Especially in the short stories at the end of the book, that expend the overall story.  They give us additional information about the main characters’ life in future with some picture.

I would recommend this book  for children in elementary and middle school.   Although, it’s also a great book for everyone, who enjoys intriguing adventure which is easy to read.  I really enjoyed reading this book.  

-Marianna

Outrun the Moon

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Outrun the Moon has so much to recommend it: Historic fiction, a Chinese-American school girl living in Chinatown overcoming all odds to attend a prestigious all white girls’ school, and the action and adventure of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.

Readers will cheer at the spunk of the main character, Mercy, who has ambition and wants to be an entrepreneur.  We cheer as she literally bribes/blackmails/connives her way into the school, in part by deceiving them that she is a Chinese heiress (although she was born in California and has never been to China). The reader fumes at the racism and how the Chinese are treated. And the reader roots for Mercy as she helps her fellow students, and others, survive on the day of the catastrophic earthquake and fire, and in the days following.

Fleabrain Loves Franny

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Fleabrain Loves Franny, by Joanne Rocklin, portrays the unlikely friendship between a young girl and a flea.
Set in Pittsburgh, 1952, Franny Katzenback is recovering from polio and wondering if she’ll ever walk again. Franny reads and falls in love with the brand-new book Charlotte’s Web. At a critical point during her illness she imagines she is being cared for by angels, which just turn out to be nurses in white uniforms. So when she starts to receive letters from a flea, who lives on the tip of her dog’s tail, it seems like just another delusion.
But Fleabrain proves his existence and a strong friendship forms. Fleabrain is a strange and marvelous fluke of nature. He is a self-taught genius and just happens to be a voracious reader. He helpsFranny gain courage, self-confidence and strength to fight her battles with prejudice, discrimination and the struggle of recovery. He is determined to stand by and motivate Franny during this difficult time in her life because he finds he truly loves her. Fleabrain becomes Franny’s Charlotte.

The other characters in the book include her older sister Min, whom she sarcastically calls “Saint Min”, her best friend from a distance Walter Walter (yes, double named), the mean-spirited Nurse Olivegarten, Franny’s adored grandfather Zadie, and Dr. Gutman a neighbor and scientist working with Jonas Salk to find the cure for polio.

Rocklin’s inclusion of many daily life routines and practices of the 1950’s add to the story’s realism. She introduces young readers to some realities of disability and the harsh and often times unfair reactions of others. She also does a good job of introducing many topics for classroom discussion.  Readers may learn not only about paralysis, polio, Jonas Salk, vaccines, infectious diseases and prejudices; but also about literary and cultural references such as E. B. White’s Charlotte’s Web, Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis, James Howell’s Paramoigraphy, the philosophy of  Friedrich Nietzsche and Jewish folklore and traditions. These may sound like heavy topics for young readers, but Rocklin provides small spoonfuls of understanding to the reader.  As Franny learns of these things in incremental, digestible pieces, so does the reader.

Included is an author’s note reflecting on polio and the issue of disability, and a bibliography of referenced works and songs.  Teachers can also go to Rocklin’s website and get a CCSS aligned discussion guide and activities list.

Finding Zasha

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This is the prequel to Saving Zasha and is set in 1941 during the German invasion of Russia.

The main character is twelve year old Ivan. After an intense bombing of his home city of Leningrad, Ivan and his mother are forced to leave their home. The company Ivan’s mother works for is moving operations to the Ural mountains for safety and continued productivity.  Ivan is not allowed to go with her; therefore, she is forced to make the heart wrenching decision of separating from her only child.  Mom decides to send Ivan to live with her brother Boris who lives 70 miles away.

Ivan’s new city is soon overtaken by the Germans and Ivan inadvertently becomes an entertainer for the German commander, Major Axel Recht, a cruel and ruthless man. Axel has two German Sheppard puppies that he is training to hunt and kill Russian citizens. Ivan is horrified at the intended use of these beautiful creatures and appalled at their cruel treatment, so he makes up his mind to steal the dogs away from Axel.  Axel is a man who callously and blatantly punishes anyone whom he perceives to have crossed him in any way. Ivan realizes that Axel in all likely hood will literally kill him for what he is about to do, but he feels compelled to steal the dogs regardless of the potentially dire consequences he could face.

This prequel gives the reader introduction to characters and motivations that are in the first book Saving Zasha.  This is an interesting read for upper elementary and middle school students. Both boys and girls will enjoy the story. The beginning hooks the reader with the bombing of Leningrad.  The story lags just a bit in the middle and the end wraps up just a little too quickly; however, Finding Zasha is still a very engaging read.

The Lions of Little Rock

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In 1958 Little Rock, Marlee Nesbitt is painfully shy and not very unhappy. Then she meets Liz, the new girl at school, and finally Marlee has a true friend. And that friendship is put to the test when Liz leaves school abruptly and the rumors are that it is because she has been “passing.” But Marlee will not give up on her friend. The two meet in secret, which could end disastrously for both. Although it is Liz who is the outspoken, never at a loss girl at the beginning of the book, by the end it is Marlee who finally finds her voice and the courage to stand up for what she believes in. appropriate for age 10 and up.