Kate’s woodcarver father has taught her woodcarving, too, but when he dies unexpectedly, someone inferior gets his place. She’s not old enough to be apprenticed yet, so must leave her home and fend for herself. For a while she lives in her father’s stall. But she’s so good with her knife the people wonder if she’s a witch and want to blame her for the failed crops and sickness. Linay, a stranger offers her a way of escape in exchange for her shadow and she agrees. She also receives a gift – her cat Taggle can now talk. But now without a shadow people really do think she is a witch. What can she do to survive?
Plain Kate (Arthur A. Levine Books, 2010) by Erin Bow is sad, believable, and spooky. The book came out this fall and is described by the author as “a Russian-flavored historical fantasy.” I enjoyed Kate a lot. I want my very own Taggle. But what cat lover wouldn’t want a talking cat?
The author was born in Iowa, raised in Nebraska and now resides in Ontario. Read more about her here. Her previous last name could feature in a fantasy itself…
Thanks to Mike Jung–who will also be publishing a book with Arthur–for turning me on to this book.
Category: YA Novels
young adult novels (for 13+ yo)
Chains
American Revolutionary War from a different viewpoint…
13-year-old Isabel was promised her freedom on the death of her owner, but the old lady’s heir sells her and her sister Ruth to an awful New York couple who are selfish. Set during the American revolution, Isabel gets hooked up in the fight for the country’s freedom to gain her own freedom. Isabel has such mixed feelings about her involvement with the revolutionaries – she gets betrayed by them and the British.
Chains (Simon and Schuster, 2008) by Laurie Halse Anderson is really good–of course. The sequel, Forge, has recently come out and is on my to be read list. I heard Laurie talk about the research she does for her books when she visited Kansas City* in October. One fact for Chains that she used was about women of the time wanting bushy eyebrows and used mouse fur!
Last week I also finished another of Laurie’s historical thrillers (as she calls her historicals) set not that much later. Fever 1793 (Simon and Schuster, 2000) is about the yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia. We often don’t appreciate how fortunate we are. This fascinating story reminds us.
Laurie’s site has extra information about both time periods, teacher resources, material aimed directly at students, and more.
*See my friend Lisha’s report with video.
The Red Umbrella
Cuba, 1961, Lucia and her little brother Frankie are glad that Castro has closed the schools and they get to laze on the beach, but the then truckloads of soldiers go by. Her parents make them stay in the house and the one time they go out, they see some businessmen being beaten. Lucia thinks they must be rebels. But then people start saying her father is a rebel and she sees the murdered body of her doctor who just wanted to discuss things. What will Lucia’s family do?
The Red Umbrella (Knopf, 2010) by Christina Diaz Gonzalez is an excellent historical book. It’s one of those that gives you an education without you realizing you’re being educated. That’s probably one of the reason it is winning awards!
I was fortunate to briefly meet Christina after I’d read her book. She’s very gracious and friendly. And, yes, as beautiful as her pictures. Read about her on her site, where she also has information about awards, her upcoming book, and a link to her blog. I especially enjoyed her entry about 20 things that stood out in her last year, posted on her birthday 8/20.
The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin
Humor, Attitude, and Murder!
The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2010) by Josh Berk mixes in those 3 elements plus history, a new friend and hot girls!
Will Halpin has left his girlfriend and the deaf school behind as he doesn’t want to take sides in the deaf fight. He’s a good lip reader so starts at a mainstream school at Carbon High. There in a history book, he discovers a relative’s death in the town coal mine. But that’s not the murder Will needs to solve.
This debut novel has received starred reviews from Kirkus. Josh Berk has another comedy/mystery coming out next year. I’m looking forward to it!
Read more about Josh at his website, where you can learn what inspired Dark Days and enjoy more of Josh’s sense of humor.
Crossing the Tracks
How could you not care?
I just read Crossing the Tracks (Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2010) by Barb Stuber. The story starts in November 1916 with the line: “I’m under Mama’s coffin.” On the next page little Iris says about her mother, “I tried to stop breathing like her, but I couldn’t.”
Chapter 1 fast forwards to April 1926. Iris is 15. “I pull my hand form our mailbox, the letter bent in my fingers, my mind reeling. An official letter for Daddy from a doctor. A bud of panic starts to grow in me.”
Barb has written a sympathetic character who has to deal with the injustices in her life. Will anyone help her through these tough times? You’ll have to read it to find out.
A bonus on Barb’s website is that she shares pictures that inspired different aspects of her book. She also works as a docent at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, which she says, “simply crawling with ‘writery’ inspiration.”
Crossing the Tracks is set in Kansas.