You will never “find” time for anything. If you want time, you must make it.
Author: Susan Uhlig
Chasing Secrets
And another historical for you: Chasing Secrets (Wendy Lamb Books, 2015) by Gennifer Choldenko, who never disappoints. I still remember crying over Notes from a Liar and Her Dog.
It’s 1900 in San Francisco and thirteen-year-old Lizzie Kennedy would rather be with her physician father than going to Miss Barstow’s finishing school. And even though Aunt Hortense doesn’t think it is appropriate she is interested in science, Lizzie goes whenever she can. But dead rats are appearing everywhere. Could the plague have arrived?
Besides secrets, the story involves mysteries, sneaking around, a new friend, danger, and more. Lizzie even learns a thing or two.
Check out Gennifer’s stupid author photos here or see her other books here. You’ll be glad you did.
Is It Night or Day?
I love learning about history via historical fiction–it just brings it alive. Is It Night or Day? (Farrar Straus Giroux, 2010) by Fern Schumer Chapman is a recent discover for me. The book is inspired by the author’s mother’s experiences, who was one of twelve hundred children rescued from the Holocaust by Americans through the One Thousand Children project.
It’s 1938 and twelve-year-old Edith has to travel alone from Germany to America as the anti-Semitism is getting worse. She’ll be staying with family she’s never met in Chicago. Is that scary or what?
See if the opening lines of this book don’t just grab you: “The first long train trip I ever took in Germany was my last. Now I see that it was a funeral procession. The mourners traveling with me were my father, my mother, and Mina, a Christian girl who lived with my family and was as dear to me as my big sister, Betty. We were burying my childhood.”
The author creates such sympathy in the reader’s heart for Edith. Wow! It’s an unforgettable story and definitely a good read.
Read about Fern Schumer Chapman’s other books here.
Tempests and Slaughter
I’m a big Tamora Pierce fan and love the new book in her new series. Tempests and Slaughter (Random House, 2018) is about Arram Draper. Yes, if you’ve read the stories about Daine, you’ll probably recognize that name. This story is set farther back in time in Tortall.
Arram is only eleven, well, ten really, but he says he’s eleven. Because he’s always getting into trouble. Especially at the School of Mages where he’s attending with older students. Strange events happen around him. All the Masters know his name.
This story takes Arram through his mage training where he meets the two older students, Varice and Ozorne, who become his best friends. (Whose names again will sound familiar if you are a fan.) With friends by his side life is a bit easier, but the Masters keep adding more and more duties and harder classes. Throw in the crocodile god, the Graveyard Hag, and service in the arena, and Arram is juggling a lot. Will he be able to keep it all in balance?
I didn’t want to stop reading and when I reached the end, I was ready for the sequel, which isn’t out yet! I know I’ll be rereading this story.
If you aren’t familiar with Tamora Pierce, you can read about her here.
Infinity
A student told me about author Sherrilyn Kenyon. I found the first book in the Chronicles of Nick (a spin-off series from the Dark-Hunter® novels if you’ve read her adult work), infinity (St. Martin’s Griffin, 2010). So far, there are nine books in this series. You can see them here. But back to infinity.
You can’t necessarily judge a book by it’s cover, but maybe in the case of this contemporary fantasy you can. Isn’t that a beautiful cover?
Nick Gautier (Go-shay) is fourteen and mortified by the orange Hawaiian shirt his single mom bought him at Goodwill. Are those pink and gray trout? Salmon? He can’t be seen in school in this . . . hideous thing. It’s bad enough he’s a scholarship kid in a “snotty overprivileged school.”
But life is about to get worse. First, it’s a fight to defend his mom’s honor. Then he’s suspended from school. When Nick helps three hustler friends as their watchdog, he gets shot and is taken to the hospital by this guy Kyrian.
But then life looks up. Sort of. Kyrian wants him to work for him to pay off the hospital debt. Then there’s a werewolf, and the undead, and flesh-eating zombies. Nick has to hide his dangerous new world from his mom.
Sherrilyn Kenon is an author with an amazing list of bestsellers. You can read all about her here.