Book Review: War Dogs: Churchill & Rufus, by Kathryn Selbert (Charlesbridge, 2013)

Recommended for ages 7-12.  


Winston Churchill was known during his lifetime as the British Bulldog, due to his famous tenacity.  In addition to being a great statesman, writer, and orator, Churchill was an animal lover, but it was not bulldogs who lived alongside the famous man, but miniature poodles.

This new picture book by debut author/illustrator Kathryn Selbert tells the story of the British home front by highlighting Churchill's relationship with his poodle, Rufus.  The author opens with the following:

"Rufus's best friend, Winston Churchill, is a busy man, but most days Rufus and Winston share a walk."

It's 1940, and Winston is managing a nation at war.  Through the eyes of Rufus, Churchill's faithful brown miniature poodle, we see Churchill at work, visiting his secret underground bunker, the room from which he directs the war, going to the House of Commons, walking through streets filled with rubble from buildings destroyed by Nazi bombers.  Rufus is not always invited along however; when Winston meets with his allies, Franklin Roosevelt and Joseph Stalin, to plan D-Day, Rufus sits by the door, patiently guarding the bunker.  Rufus is once again by Churchill's side as the war ends, barking and howling with happiness.  In the end, Rufus and Winston retire to the country, resting..."two war dogs."  In the final lovely two-page spread dominated by the greens of the English countryside, Winston and Rufus gaze out to the horizon, with the country finally at peace.

Back matter includes a timeline of World War II, a look at Churchill and his affection for poodles (he owned two during his lifetime, both named Rufus), and a brief biography of Winston Churchill himself.    The author also includes books for young Churchill fans, Churchill and World War II-related websites, a bibliography, and quotation sources.

Acrylic and collage illustrations have an nostalgic yet realistic look, with plenty of sepia tones suggesting a time long ago.  Each two-page spread features a quotation by Churchill on a yellowed piece of paper, in an old-fashioned typewriter-style font, designed to look like it has been pinned to the rest of the picture. An interview on the Charlesbridge website indicates that this book grew out of an undergraduate school project, but that the book originally focused more on the relationship between dog and owner, and less on the historical details.  The book now provides more of an introduction to World War II, one that would be a good classroom read-aloud while studying that time period.  The book will, of course, capture the heart of dog lovers as well as history lover, with its illustrations that depict Rufus in all his poodle splendor.

Disclaimer:  I am a poodle owner and a poodle lover.  Review copy provided by publisher.

Churchill with the real Rufus 

Book Review: Victoria Rebels, by Carolyn Meyer (Simon & Schuster, 2013)

Release date:  January 1, 2013

Recommended for ages 10 and up.

Carolyn Meyer's series The Young Royals has examined the youth of many of history's most prominent royal female figures, including Queen Elizabeth I, Marie Antoinette, and Cleopatra.  It's perhaps inevitable that she would turn her attention to the most important female queen of the 19th century, a figure so prominent she gave her name to an entire historical period, Queen Victoria.  The book spans from 1827, when Victoria was eight years old, to 1843, by which time Victoria was a young queen with three children.

Meyer tells her story through diary entries based on Victoria's own diaries, which she began keeping at the age of thirteen.  (Note:  in 2012, the entire contents of these diaries were made available online).  T  As Meyer explains in an afterword, these diary entries were written in the knowledge that they would be read, at first by her mother and governess, and later by historians.  Meyer uses her imagination (and research of course) to describe what  Victoria is really feeling, but incorporates many of Victoria's stylistic quirks, such as an affection for writing in all capitals or underlining dramatically, to give the feel of her actual diaries.  

I really enjoyed this novel, and felt it did a terrific job of capturing Victoria's strong personality and opinions, both as a young girl and as an adult. We learn many details of Victoria's daily life, from her strained relationship with her mother and her advisor, Sir John, to her attachment to Dash, her mother's King Charles Spaniel.  Even when you're a privileged princess, you don't necessarily get your way, and Victoria's wishes are often thwarted by her mother or court intrigue.  Even when she becomes queen, her struggles with her mother are not over, although Victoria takes control of many aspects of her court, including her personal household.  In addition to dealing with all the intrigues of court life, Meyer also takes us into Victoria's confidence as she is wooed by and eventually weds her cousin Albert, the love of her life.  Even with Albert, however, there were inevitable conflicts, as the young couple tried to adjust to their different roles--queen, sovereign, wife, and mother, and prince consort, husband, and father.

An afterword provides additional information on the rest of Victoria's life and other historical notes, as well as a bibliography and a list of related websites to visit.

Those who read this novel should certainly get a copy of the DVD of The Young Victoria, the beautifully realized 2009 film starring an elegant Emily Blunt as the young monarch.  Another appealing novel for young readers with the young Victoria as a prominent character is Prisoners in the Palace by Michaela Maccoll (Chronicle, 2010).

Disclosure:  advance copy provided by publisher.

Book Review: The Wicked and the Just, by J. Anderson Coats (Harcourt, 2012)

Recommended for ages 12 and up.

This debut novel by J. Anderson Coats brings to life an unusual setting:  13th century Wales, ten years after the English have conquered the area.  The novel intertwines the story of two teenaged girls, the English girl Cecily, and the Welsh Gwenhwyfar (for help in how to pronounce Welsh names, see J. Anderson Coats' website!)   The story is told from both girls' point of view.


To quote from the publisher's summary, "Cecily would give anything to leave Caernarvon and go home. Gwenhwyfar would give anything to see all the English leave. Neither one is going to get her wish."  Cecily's father has been sent to Wales by the English king to occupy the Welsh territory and subjugate the natives.  Gwenhwyfar dreamed of being the lady of the manor at Cecily's new house, but now her family circumstances have changed and she must work as a servant for this very spoiled and bratty English girl.  


Can Cecily fit in with the English community in the little town?  Will Gwenhwyfar will able to survive, taking care of her ill mother and her younger siblings?  And when it turns out the Welsh are not as conquered as the English thought, and revolt erupts in the countryside, the two young women's relationship will change dramatically.  


Author J. Anderson Coats is a historian and a librarian, and in her first novel she does a great job bringing to life an era and a place most of the readers will know nothing about, through the lens of these two young women.  Although neither character seems very likable at the beginning, their characters grow on the reader as they cope with the changing political situation around them.  The author does not shy away from depicting the violence that was endemic at the time.


A historical note is included that provides some historical context on the English occupation of Wales and the background for the troubles that ensue and are depicted in the novel.  


Recommended for fans of historical fiction.  

Book Review: The Dagger Quick, by Brian Eames (Paula Wiseman Books/Simon & Schuster, 2011)

Recommended for ages 10 and up.

Looking for a rip-roaring adventure story for summer fun, reminiscent of classic pirate yarns like Treasure Island (but without the challenging vocabulary)?  Make sure to keep an eye out for The Dagger Quick, a page-turning tale from debut author (and long-time teacher) Brian Eames.  

Eames spins the story of 12-year old Christopher Quick, known as Kitto, who lives in 17th century Cornwall and is apprenticed to his father to be a cooper, or barrel-maker.  Kitto longs for a life of adventure at sea, but with his club foot, thinks he is doomed to a boring life in his village.


However, Kitto’s circumstances change dramatically when his long-lost uncle, the notorious Caribbean pirate captain William Quick, shows up at their home.  When Kitto’s father is cruelly murdered, Kitto feels he has no option but to go to sea with his uncle, whom he’s just met.  And soon he finds out that his step-mother and little brother have been kidnapped by the evil pirate John Morris, who is following Quick in order to find Quick’s long-hidden booty--not gold in this case, but spices that were just as valuable in the 17th century as precious metals.  On top of all this, there’s a traitor on Captain Quick’s crew.  We discover who it is, but not Kitto.  Eames’ colorful characters are not just black and white; he paints a sympathetic portrait of the “Judas,” since we learn why he desperately needs the bag of silver he collects to betray his comrades.  Will the courageous Kitto be able to survive, let alone rescue his family? There’s a cliff-hanger of an ending, and a sequel clearly on the way.  


This book would make a terrific read-aloud, although the author doesn’t shirk from a realistic portrayal of the harsh conditions for pirates and sailors in general.  Quick’s ship makes a stop in Cape Verde, an island off the coast of Africa, described as a “depot for human cargo, where people are traded for gold.”  One of Kitto’s mates has worked in a slave ship, and describes in vivid detail the horrible smells, sounds, and sights of a slaver.  The yarn is full of colorful characters, including not a parrot, but a mischievous monkey who lives aboard the ship.  My personal favorite is the hideous Captain Morris, with his horribly disfigured face--two scars which creep up from either side of his mouth “form a leering grin,” and he also sports what’s left of a nose--two symmetrical ovals, “like those of a skull,” a nose that “leaks fluid constantly.”   


This is a great pick for reluctant readers or anyone looking for a page-turning adventure story.  My only beef with the book is the ending, which while it leaves the reader at a logical stopping point, also seems to leave us right in the middle of the story.  


Back matter includes a brief pirate glossary.  


For those looking for another great sea story, check out L. E. Meyer’s Bloody Jack series, featuring one of my favorite heroines in children’s/YA lit, the indomitable Jacky Faber. 

Blog Tour and Book Review: Haunting Violet, by Alyxandra Harvey (Bloomsbury, 2011)

Recommended for ages 12 and up.

I'm delighted to participate in the blog tour for Alyxandra Harvey’s new novel, Haunting Violet, set in Victorian England. It's a deliciously frightening paranormal historical fantasy just right for summer reading.  Alyxandra is also the author of The Drake Chronicles, a popular vampire series whose fourth volume is due out in November.

In Haunting Violet, our young heroine, Violet Willoughby, has been forced for years to help out in the “family business”--her stunningly beautiful mother puts on fake seances for bereaved parents, husbands and wives to contact loved ones in the beyond.  Their fortunes are picking up, and they’ve been invited to Rosefield, the luxurious country estate of Lord Jasper, a wealthy and influential earl with a strong interest in spiritualism.  Violet is looking forward to visiting with her friend Elizabeth, Lord Jasper’s goddaughter, while Violet’s mother hopes to finalize a possible match between her daughter and Xavier, a kind, handsome, and wealthy young man who’s also attending the country gathering.  But Violet is much more attracted to the unsuitable Colin, an Irish lad who is her mother’s assistant, and whose kisses make her feel “devoured, delicious, decadent..”  

Violet doesn’t believe in ghosts--how could she after her exposure to all the tricks of her mother’s medium trade?  So no one is more astonished than Violet when, at the first of her mother’s seances at Lord Jasper’s estate, she sees a girl in the shadows, dripping water.  Here’s Harvey’s creepy description of Violet’s first ghost sighting:

“She met my eyes and it was as if winter blew through the parlor.  When she opened her mouth, the sound was muffled and high-pitched, like nothing I had ever heard before.  She walked toward me, suddenly close enough that the hem of my skirt drew damp and cold.  I cringed back in my chair, looking around wildly...sweat pooled under my arm.”  

What is the ghost doing there?  It turns out she’s Rowena, who drowned the previous year--or was she murdered?  She’s desperately trying to warn her twin sister Tabitha of the danger of meeting the same fate, even using a “spirit board” to spell out messages to avert impending doom.  And there’s more ghosts who appear to Violet as well; at Lord Jasper’s ball they’re all over the ballroom, but only Violet can see them, and feel them rushing at her with their spirit hands.  Harvey’s descriptions of ghostly activity are sure to send a chill down the spine of her teen readers.  Will Violet be able to help Tabitha escape her fate, and solve the mystery of her sister’s drowning?  And what will her own future hold?


Harvey imbues this romantic tale with a mystery, romance, and above all, a wry sense of humor; Violet is particularly aware of the irony of her ridiculous situation:  “The real problem was that I didn’t actually believe in ghosts.  But they clearly believed in me.”  They should have the decency to stay dead, she quips at one point.  The reader has the distinct impression that Harvey, and her heroine, are winking at us through the pages!

Readers who enjoy this novel might also want to read Laura Amy Schlitz’s A Drowned Maiden’s Hair, another gothic tale which also revolves around a young girl caught up in the schemes of fake mediums, this time in early 20th century New England.  

Tween Tuesday Book Review: Small Acts of Amazing Courage, by Gloria Whelan (Paula Wiseman Book, 2011)

Recommended for ages 10 and up.

In her newest novel, National Book Award winner Gloria Whelan returns to India, also the setting for her award-winning novel, Homeless Bird.   She tells the story of kind-hearted but independent-minded Rosalind, an English girl living in 1919 colonial India.

She is constantly doing things not fit for a proper young English girl.  For example, she finds the club, populated with proper young girls her age, boring, and prefers going to the colorful local bazaar and spending time with Isha, her Indian friend.

Her father returns from military service in the war horrified to discover that Rosalind is picking up a Hindi accent from spending too much time with servants and not enough time at the club.  But when Rosalind takes an interest in Gandhi and his attempt to free India from British rule, and gets involved with rescuing an orphan Indian baby, her father insists that she be sent to her maiden aunts in England, far from trouble.

Aunt Ethyl and Aunt Louise, Rosalind's mother tells her, are "like chalk and cheese," Ethyl "stiff-necked" and cold and Louise and the other warm but frightened to death of her older sister.  England seems a cold, foreign land to the unhappy Rosalind until she meets up with the handsome Lieutenant Max Nelson, a friend from India.  Rosalind will soon shake up their household in unexpected ways, and the surprising ending leaves room for a possible sequel.

This story is told in the first person by Rosalind, who is a likable and sympathetic protagonist.  I found this to be an enjoyable coming-of-age story with a colorful setting, suitable for tween or even teen readers.  There's a smidgen of potential romance developing between Rosalind and the dapper and progressive Max.  I was disappointed with the characters of the two maiden aunts, who with their opposite personalities I found to be lacking in the depth seen in Rosalind and some of the other characters.

An author's note provides some background on the situation in India in 1919, particularly on Gandhi and the Indian National Congress.  Whelan writes that she was inspired to write this novel by her own experience participating in the U.S. civil rights movement, which was heavily influenced by Gandhi's ideas, as well as by a book, Children of the Raj, which tells the story of the children of British civil servants stationed in Indian.   The book also includes a glossary of Indian expressions used throughout the text.


Disclosure:  Review copy provided by publisher.

Book Review: Johnny Swanson, by Eleanor Updale (David Fickling Books, 2011)

Recommended for ages 8-12.


Eleanor Updale, the award-winning author of the popular Montmerancy series, takes us to England in 1929 in her newest historical mystery novel for young people.  Our hero, Johnny Swanson, is an engaging young boy who finds himself mixed up in a murder mystery--and his own mother is the suspected murderer!  Johnny's sure as can be that she's not guilty, but no one will believe him and the police seem to have already made up their mind.  Can Johnny save her before it's too late?

There seem to be three interrelated stories going on in this novel--the above-mentioned murder mystery, the tuberculosis epidemic in England, and Johnny's many schemes to make money to help out his mother.  Johnny is enticed by a newspaper advertisement promising the "secret of instant height," just what he needs to stop the bullying at school because of his small stature.  When he discovers the ad is a hoax, he decides he can play that game also, and soon is concocting schemes to put advertisements in various publications and collecting small sums of money for bogus answers to problems.  As you might imagine, Johnny becomes hopelessly entangled in a comical web of lies around his business, this part of the story very much reminded me of the classic Great Brain series by John D. Fitzgerald that I enjoyed as a child.  

At the same time, a TB outbreak is plaguing England, and Johnny's neighbor, Dr. Langford, just might be working on a secret vaccine for the disease.  This work turns out to be dangerous, indeed--for Dr. Langford and maybe for Johnny too, as he learns more than he should know about the undercover work.

Johnny makes an appealing boy detective--a character who's far from perfect, but whose good intentions shine through as he works to help his mother, first through his financial schemes, and then to save her from the hangman's noose.  The author combines humor and suspense--a winning combination for young mystery fans.  Perhaps we will see more adventures of Johnny Swanson in the future!

Disclosure:  ARC received from publisher.

Book Review: Death Cloud: Young Sherlock Holmes: The Legend Begins, by Andrew Lane (Farrar Straus Giroux, 2011)

Recommended for 10 and up.

Sherlock Holmes is one of the most beloved fictional characters ever created, and the original Arthur Conan Doyle stories remain popular, as do many spin-offs in both books and film for adults and young people. A new series by British writer Andrew Lane imagines Sherlock as a fourteen-year old boy solving his first murder mysteries. The first volume in this series, Death Cloud, starts off a bit slowly but soon turns into an intriguing murder mystery.

Andrew Lane writes that his intention with this series is "to find out what Sherlock was like before Arthur Conan Doyle first introduced him to the world. What sort of teenager was he? Where did he go to school, and who were his friends? Where and when did he learn the skills that he displayed later in life – the logical mind, the boxing and sword-fighting, the love of music and of playing the violin? What did he study at university? When (if ever) did he travel abroad? What scared him and who, if anyone, did he love?" Arthur Conan Doyle, notes Lane, gave away little about Sherlock's youth in his published short stories and novels, except a few hints here and there, therefore giving Lane considerable creative license to create the early years for this beloved character.

Set in 1868, when our hero is fourteen, our novel opens with Sherlock at boarding school.  But instead of going home for his summer vacation, he finds out from his brother Mycroft that their father has been posted to India, their mother is "unwell," and Sherlock will have to spend the summer with his peculiar aunt and uncle--who he's never even met--in Hampshire. The only bright note seems to be that the food is better than at school.

But things won't be boring for long, as Sherlock makes friends with a local boy, Matty, who's been witness to a strange mysterious smoke and a dead body covered in boils. Has the plague come back? Matty serves as a younger version of Watson in this story, assisting Sherlock with his investigations. Sherlock is also helped by his American tutor and his feisty and independent daughter Virginia, Sherlock is soon involved with fire, kidnapping, espionage, and murder. Will his powers of deduction help him solve his first murder, while uncovering an evil plot to bring down the British Empire? (this seems more James Bond to me than Sherlock Holmes, but perhaps that's just a contemporary perspective!)

I should disclose that I have not read any of the original Sherlock Holmes stories, but that may be the case as well with the intended audience for this series, teens and tweens.  This new series is not the first about Holmes to be aimed at teen readers, but is the first such series endorsed by the Arthur Conan Doyle estate. (A different series for teens,the award-winning The Boy Sherlock Holmes, by Shane Peacock, was first published in 2007 by Canadian publisher Tundra Press and has four volumes to date.  I have not read any of the titles in that series but it would be interesting to compare and contrast how both authors imagine Sherlock as a youth).  And then of course we have the acclaimed Enola Holmes mystery series by Nancy Springer, concentrating on Sherlocks' much-younger sister, Enola, a talented detective in her own right. 

Lane's series offers plenty of action, as well as laying the ground work for Holmes' later powers of deductive reasoning (we can see the beginnings of his talents in this book).  It's a good entree into the Victorian stories for younger readers, and may get them interested in exploring the originals. 

An interview with Andrew Lane about this series appears at The Book Zone for Boys.

The British website for the series can be found at youngsherlock.com, and includes information on the next volume in this series, Red Leech, as well as a book trailer.

Death Cloud was recently picked as a Spring 2011 Kids' Indie Next choice from Indiebound.org.

Disclosure:  Review copy provided by publisher.

Book Review: Fallen Grace, by Mary Hooper (Bloomsbury, 2011)

Recommended for ages 12 and up.

Release date:  February 1, 2011


British young adult novelist Mary Hooper channels Charles Dickens in her newest historical novel for teens, Fallen Grace.  A spellbinding gothic mystery set in Victorian London complete with orphans, tragedy, and evil villains, Fallen Grace tells the story of orphans Grace Parkes and her simple sister Lily, who come from a respectable family but are now barely managing to stay alive on the cruel streets of London by selling bunches of watercress.  As the novel opens, the unwed Grace delivers a stillborn illegitimate baby.

Through her attempt to find somewhere suitable to bury her baby, Grace meets two individuals who will change her life; one, James Solent, is a handsome young lawyer's clerk who is attending his sister's funeral, and the other, the odious Mrs. Emmeline Unwin, is the wife of the owner of the largest firm of undertakers in London, a very profitable enterprise indeed.  Mrs. Unwin thinks the beautiful Grace would make a wonderful mute, a young girl paid to be a silent mourner at a funeral, and wishes to employ her.  Grace shudders at the thought, but when she and her sister find themselves evicted from their lodgings not too long after, she finds herself with nowhere else to turn.

Little does Grace know that barristers have placed an ad in a London newspaper looking for her sister, since it turns out they are the recipients of a valuable inheritance.  But the evil Unwins want to claim the inheritance for themselves, and are willing to lie and cheat and even get rid of poor Lily and Grace if they have to!  Will Grace be able to somehow outwit the evil Unwins, and claim what is rightly hers?

I couldn't put down this novel, as I became engrossed in the story of Grace and Lily, the terrible wrongs done them by the charities of the time, and the difficulties of their lives as they try to survive on the street in London.  Victoria and her beloved husband Albert appear briefly in the story, as does the most popular novelist of the times, Charles Dickens.  Most fascinating of all to me were the details of the London funeral trade and the Victorian cult of mourning, which includes the niceties of mourning dress and behavior, fanned by Queen Victoria's early mourning for her husband.  A special railway even existed to take mourners, separated by class, of course, to a vast cemetery built outside of London.

This is a terrific book to recommend to teens who like orphan tales, Victoriana, suspense and romance combined, and an excellent purchase for school or public libraries.  It makes a great contemporary read-along for a number of Dickens novels typically read in high school, such as Great Expectations.  Even if Dickens himself didn't appear briefly in the story, we can't help but think of Dickens' novels when reading Falling Grace, with its honest, noble, kind, and beautiful heroine in desperate circumstances, the money-hungry villains who take advantage of innocent children, and the requisite happy ending.

The book includes historical notes from the author.


Fallen Grace is one of 60 (wow!) nominees for the Carnegie Award 2011, the British equivalent of the Newbery.  For a complete list of nominees, click here.

Here's the very atmospheric book trailer:



The book was released last year in the UK; other reviews can be found on Goodreads as well as many UK blogs, including:

Wondrous Reads; Chicklish; Rhiana Reads; Heaven, Hell & Purgatory; The Bookbag; Scribble; and Lovely Treez Reads.

Hooper's next novel, Velvet, will also be set in the Victorian era; according to the author's website, it looks at fraudulent spiritualism, and is also a love story.  I look forward to reading it!

Disclosure:  Review copy provided by publisher.

VELVET. It’s a look at Victorian spiritualism - fraudulent Victorian spiritualism, and also a love story.

Book Review: City of Cannibals, by Ricki Thompson (Front Street, 2010)

Recommended for ages 12 and up.

This novel, by debut novelist Ricki Thompson, had been sitting on my nightstand for some time, patiently waiting its turn to be read, until one day when I was perusing the Cybils nominations and noticed that this novel had been nominated by none other than Karen Cushman, one of my favorite writers of historical fiction for young people.  That was enough of a recommendation to move City of Cannibals to the top of my pile.

I have to admit I was not particularly drawn to this book by the cover, and based on the blurb on the back and the title, I thought it was a fantasy story--which it is definitely not. So what is this book about? 

It's the engrossing story of a teenage girl, Dell, who lives with her drunk, abusive, and cruel father, her brother and auntie in Tudor England.  Her mother, a lady-in-waiting to Queen Catherine, wife of Henry VIII, is dead and buried on the hill near the cave where they live.  Finally Dell has had enough of the abuse and escapes with her only friend, Bartholomew, a puppet imbued by Dell with a lively and witty personality, to the city far below them.  Dell, and the reader, know the city as the City of Cannibals.  Her father has warned her ever since she can remember that people there eat each other's flesh, and drink human blood. We soon realize that the city is none other than London, a frightening place where Dell knows no one.  When she first enters the city gates, she decides her father was right..."this city was Hell, and now she was a part of it."  She knows only that she must seek out The Brown Boy, a mysterious young man clothed in brown garments who leaves packages for them in the hills every week.  In the city, she can invent a new identity for herself, as a puppet master, although she has only the one puppet to her name.

It's a time of turmoil in London; King Henry VIII has taken Anne Boleyn to be his wife, traitors who question the king are executed  in the public square, and the king's soldiers are plundering the churches.  But somehow in the London crowds, Dell spots the Brown Boy, who we learn is a novice monk named Ronaldo. When Dell falls ill in the city, she is taken in by the kindly John the Joiner, who through an unlikely coincidence turns out to know young Ronaldo as well.  They are involved in a dangerous game against the king, refusing to sign the Oath of Allegiance to him.  Dell becomes involved in their clandestine activities as well, delivering secret letters to monasteries. Thomas Cromwell, too, appears in the novel, with his book in which he writes the names of all those suspected of treason toward the king.

And Dell, for whom John the Joiner builds a puppet theatre, begins to perform at the London fairs, but her heart belongs to Ronaldo.  Can she save Ronaldo--and herself from Cromwell's powerful grip?

This is a rich and complex story that fans of books about Tudor England will really enjoy.  The book is set in 1536, a pivotal point in Henry's reign as he attempts to consolidate the power of the church in his own person.  An author's note provides some brief historical context, but some of the story might be confusing if the reader did not have a basic idea of the history at the time. Considering I recently read the massive adult novel Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (or more accurately, listened to the audiobook), the period was very fresh in my mind.  Teens will also enjoy the element of the forbidden romance between Dell and Ronaldo.  While some readers may be surprised at the sexuality between the characters, in fact priests breaking their chastity vows was a common enough ocurrance at the time, with plenty of priests and even popes having children of their own.  I particularly admired how the author does an outstanding job creating a sense of place in this novel; there is an earthy quality about the writing, with vivid descriptions of chamber pots, the river's fishiness, the clatter of the city.  Moreover, Dell was a character that the reader grows to care about, and I really loved her relationship with her sarcastic and witty puppet, Bartholomew (I have a feeling that Bartholomew was very unhappy not to be on the cover of this book, by the way!)

Check out the author's interview with Cynthia Leitich Smith on Cynsations, and other blog reviews in Bookish Blather, Whispers of Dawn, Parents Choice Awards,  and The 3 R's.

The author's website includes a discussion guide perfect for teen book groups or classroom use.

Disclosure:  Review copy provided by publisher.

Tween Tuesday Book Review: Around the World in 100 Days, by Gary Blackwood (Dutton Children's Books, 2010) ISBN 978-0-525-42295-2

Release date:  November 11, 2010


Recommended for ages 10 and up.  

Gary Blackwood, author of the best-selling Shakespeare Stealer series, brings us a rip-roaring historical adventure in this new release loosely inspired by Jules Verne's classic Around the World in 80 Days.

Our hero is Harry Fogg, son of the Phileas Fogg of Verne's tale.  The book opens in 1891 with Harry in jail for reckless driving of his steam-propelled motorcar, The Flash.  Harry, whom his parents want to be a proper English gentleman, likes nothing better than tinkering, preferring "gadgets to guns and horseless carriages to horses."  But the story really begins at his father's gentleman club, where Harry makes a wager no one thinks he can win--that he can drive his motorcar around the world in 100 days.  Since Harry has no money of his own, his father agrees to back the bet, but with a condition--if he loses he must abandon his tinkering and take up a suitable profession for a gentleman.

Soon Harry leaves, accompanied by his boyhood friend, Johnny--a crack mechanic and co-builder of The Flash, and Charles Hardiman, who comes along as an impartial observer to make sure all rules are followed (the vehicle must travel under its own power, except when crossing bodies of water).  They are soon joined by a somewhat mysterious girl reporter, Elizabeth.  Their travels take them across the Atlantic, then crossing the United States, and on to Asia, driving across China, Siberia, Russia, and then  Europe.   Needless to say they meet with many adventures and unexpected mishaps, including possible sabotage, upon their route.  Will they make it back to London in time to win their bet?

Blackwood incorporates plenty of light-hearted comedy as well as suspense into the story, along with colorful Cossack cavalrymen, bandits, and Indian gentlemen wearing turbans.  The author also adds a very contemporary multicultural angle into what otherwise would be a traditional adventure story; our hero, Harry, is multi-racial, with a British father and an Indian mother.  Some of his Indian heritage rises to the surface during his travels, as he learns the value of meditation, for example.

I would highly recommend this title to young people who enjoy adventure stories; with all the details about motorcars and engines, this story will also appeal to kids who, like Harry, enjoy "tinkering."  A strong female character in Elizabeth adds some girl appeal as well.  While this title is best suited for 10 and up, the content and style are also appropriate for younger readers who read above their grade level.

Robin Hood: Superhero of Days of Yore

Book Review:  Robin Hood and the Golden Arrow, retold by Robert D. San Souci, illustrated by E. B. Lewis (Orchard Books, 2010)  ISBN 978-0-439-62538-8
Recommended for ages 5 to adult. 


Award-winning author Robert D. San Souci, perhaps best known for his retellings of traditional tales (as well as his Dared to be Scared series!) and award-winning illustrator, E. B. Lewis  have brought us a gorgeous new oversized picture book based on one of the best-known super-heroes of the olden days, Robin Hood.  


In this particular tale, which San Souci adapted from earlier versions (dating to the 15th century), Robin's nemesis, the Sheriff of Nottingham, comes up with what he thinks is a sure-fire method to capture Robin and his band of outlaws:  an archery contest with an arrow of pure gold as the prize.  Sure enough, Robin, who of course is the best archer around, can't ignore the challenge, and he and his men arrive at the contest in disguise.  As expected, Robin is one of the final two archers, but no one recognizes him disguised as a one-eyed beggar.  Will Robin outfox the Sheriff and collect the prize?  


This lushly illustrated tale, featuring splendid watercolors of Sherwood Forest, dappled with sunlight emerging from the green trees, as well as its famous occupants, is a wonderful addition to the Robin Hood canon, and should be a popular read-aloud that adults as well as children would enjoy.  For those kids who love contemporary superheroes like Iron Man and Spider Man, this story provides an ideal avenue to introduce them to one of our culture's earliest superheroes. 


If this one tale sparks your child's interest in Robin Hood, there are many resources available to learn more about this immortal character.  


Online, you might want to start with the following websites:

• Robin Hood:  Bold Outlaw of Barnsdale and Sherwood  
• The Robin Hood Project at the University of Rochester
• Sherwood Forest Trust.

For listening, the inimitable children's storyteller Jim Weiss has a CD available that combines Robin Hood with The Three Musketeers, perfect for the car or bedtime.  Or to hear the original sung versions of these stories, which were originally told by medieval and renaissance era minstrels, try the Robin Hood Ballad Project.  


For reading, there are hundreds of versions of Robin Hood tales aimed at children and teens.  Here are just a few that you may want to explore:  

• Robin Hook, Pirate Hunter, by Eric Kimmel  (Scholastic, 2001).  A picture book which blends Peter Pan and Robin Hood.  
• The Story of Robin Hood, by Rob Lloyd Jones (Usborne, 2010).  A full-color picture book aimed at beginning readers.
• The Adventures of Robin Hood, by Howard Pyle (Classic Starts series, Sterling, 2005).  An abridged version of Pyle's classic version of Robin Hood stories, suitable for second through fifth grade.  An unabridged version of Pyle's stories is also available from Sterling publishers.
• The Adventures of Robin Hood, by Roger Lancelyn Green (Puffin Classics, 2010).  The classic stories, retold by an expert storyteller.  Selected as one of Puffins' 70 Best Children's books.  
• Outlaw:  The Legend of Robin Hood, by Tony Lee and Sam Hart (Candlewick, 2009).  A graphic novel version of the Robin Hood legends.  
• Hawksmaid:  The Untold Story of Robin Hood and Maid Marian, by Kathryn Lasky (Harper Collins, 2010).  Lasky reimagines the story of Robin's love interest for contemporary teens.

For viewing, don't forget the dozens of feature films made about the legendary hero, who has been played by actors from Douglas Fairbanks, Errol Flynn (my personal favorite made in 1938 by Warner Bros. with costars Olivia De Havilland and Basil Rathbone), Sean Connery, John Cleese, Kevin Costner, and Russell Crowe, among others.  And for the youngest viewers, the 1973 Disney version features Robin Hood and Maid Marian as foxes.  

Giveaway and Book Review: Prisoners in the Palace: How Princess Victoria Became Queen with the Help of her Maid, a Reporter, and a Scoundrel, by Michaela MacColl (Chronicle Books, 2010)

Recommended for ages 12 and up.


Do you dream of being swept away to Victorian England?  Then you won't want to miss debut novelist Michaela MacColl's story of the young Princess Victoria and her lady's maid, Liza.  Liza, 17 years old and dreaming of making a stellar marriage,  has been raised as a member of the privileged upper class, but has lost everything when the novel opens.  Her parents were killed in a tragic accident, and not only has she lost her only family, she's discovered that she's penniless as well, and is about to be turned out on the street by Claridge's, the swankiest hotel in town.  Fortunately, Liza secures an interview for what she thinks is a lady-in-waiting position to Princess Victoria, heir to the throne.  But no--it's a lady's maid position, but beggars can't be choosers, and Liza is soon part of a life she never gave a second thought to--the servants' world "below stairs."

Liza is shocked by Kensington Palace, where Princess Victoria lives with her mother, the Duchess of Kent, her beloved governess, and a few servants in less than luxurious conditions--the palace itself is run-down, with peeling paint, threadbare carpets, and chilly rooms.  Nonetheless, Liza can't help but be enchanted by the princess herself, whom we first meet with her little dog, Dash, yipping at her heels.

Liza's ability to speak and understand German, the native language of Victoria's mother, makes her useful as a spy, and she soon finds herself embroiled in the intrigue of the palace, as the Duchess and her companion Sir John scheme to spread rumors in London's press that the princess is a "featherbrained girl," all with the aim of furthering their own political ambitions.

But this is indeed a novel of romance as well as intrigue, as described on the striking cover (complete with mock Victorian broadsheet on the back!).  While she may no longer be having the London season she and her mother once planned, Liza's dreams of romance are not lost when she meets the handsome Will Fulton, self-made publisher in Fleet Street.  Can Liza, Will, and the mysterious Inside Boy, a petty thief who lives hidden in the palace walls, help save the princess from those who plot against her?

Interspersed with the third person narrative are (fictional) excerpts from Liza's diary, along with actual excerpts from the diary of then-Princess Victoria.  We are regaled with details of Victoria's daily life, from her geography lessons to her singing lessons and dress fittings, as well as the darker side of Victorian London, with prostitutes and ruined servant girls.

Prisoners in the Palace is a highly entertaining romp through Victorian London, likely to please teens and even older tweens who enjoy historical novels.  Author MacColl, who has a background in history herself, includes a detailed Author's Note with further information about Victoria, her family, and an annotated bibliography with suggestions for further reading on this fascinating period.

And teens interested in Victoria will certainly enjoy the Emily Blunt film from 2009, The Young Victoria, for another point of view about the early years of her long life.

GIVEAWAY:  Chronicle Books has generously donated a signed ARC of this book for the readers of The Fourth Musketeer!  If you would like to enter, please leave a comment below with your e-mail address.  The winner will be selected on October 17 through a random number generator.  U.S. or Canada entries only, please.

An interview with author Michaela MacColl will be posted on Friday, October 15!

Here's a link to the first chapter of this novel.

Book review: The Twin's Daughter by Lauren Baratz-Logsted (Bloomsbury, 2010)

Recommended for ages 12 and up.

The Twin's Daughter is a delicious gothic tale of murder, mystery, love, and more in Victorian London. Lucy Sexton's comfortable, upper-class life is turned upside down when the doorbell rings, and the woman at the door has the identical face as her mother. It turns out they are twins separated at birth, and brought up in dramatically different circumstances--one, as a privileged, beloved adopted daughter of well-to-do-parents, and the other, in a London workhouse. Lucy's mother takes in Aunt Helen, the sister she never knew existed, and she and her husband are determined to transform her into an educated, society lady.

But what seems to be an innocuous Pygmalion-type story--there is even a ball where Helen could have danced all night--is transformed into a dark mystery when murder occurs at the Sexton house. When a horrified Lucy discovers the two sisters tied up and bloodied in the back parlor, one is dead, and the other still alive.

"But which one is it?" My mind suddenly, silently screamed. "WHICH ONE?"

And therein lies the mystery, my friends. Is it her mother who has survived this awful scene, or her aunt? Who is behind the grisly murder? and what is the motive?

Without spoiling the story, let me just say that the plot includes many twists and turns that will surprise the reader and make the novel difficult to put down, as well as a shocking ending. The book also features a romantic sub-plot involving our heroine Lucy and her neighbor, Kit. It turns out their houses are connected by a mysterious underground passage (never fully explained), where they meet for stolen kisses, at least until Kit leaves for the army. When Kit returns, will they be able to have a happy life together and will the mystery be solved?

This is the first novel I have read by Lauren Baratz-Logsted, whose other works include "chick-lit" for adults, books for children, including The Sisters Eight series, and other teen books, with both contemporary and historical settings. I would definitely read other books by this author now that I have been introduced to her very entertaining style.

Release date:  September 2010

Book Review: The Brothers Story by Katherine Sturtevant (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2009)

Recommended for ages 12 and up.

An interview with the author of this book will be featured in Friday's post!

Katherine Sturtevant's third novel for young people returns to 17th century England, this time to the winter of 1683-84, known as "The Great Frost," considered the worst frost for which we have historical records. The Thames froze solid, two feet thick, as well as the surrounding seas, rendering commerce very difficult.

In this historical context, Sturtevant spins the captivating story of two twin teenage boys, Kit and Christy. Identical in appearance, Christy has been simple since birth, and Kit, who narrates the story, is forced to look after his brother in every way. They are so poor that their mother puts them into service with a local wealthy family, where Kit cannot tolerate the way his brother is beaten and mistreated because of his disability. In desperation, he decides, despite the frigid cold, to run away to London, where he hopes to make his fortune or at least make a better life for himself without the burden of caring for his brother. He gets a stroke of luck when at an inn on the road, he meets two brothers, one an artist and the other a tailor to the London nobility. Joining their party, he goes into service with the artist, Nate.

Born and raised in a small Essex village, Kit is amazed at the sights and sounds of London. He is particularly attracted to the saucy serving maid Priscilla, who works for his master's brother. But he is especially mesmerized by the Frost Fair, a little village built on the frozen Thames, filled with booths offering refreshments, games, merchandise, and varied entertainment, including jugglers, puppet shows, acrobats, and rides on the ice. A whole ox was even roasted on a gigantic spit during the fair.

But of course Kit has not forgotten his brother, and he aches to know what has become of him and who, if anyone, is watching over him. When his fortunes change, and he has the opportunity to have a real apprenticeship, Kit must make a difficult choice between listening to his heart--where his brother still lays claim--and pursuing the possibility of a prosperous life for himself in London.

The story of Kit, his brother Christy, and the characters Kit encounters in London emerges through the frost that covered London with burning intensity. These are characters that you will take into your heart. The relationship between the twins, and the heartbreaking choices Kit has to make, ring very true and draw the reader into the story.

Moreover, the author provides many evocative and authentic tidbits of historical fact woven throughout the story. For example, it was so cold that birds fell out of the sky, frozen to death. "The piss had froze in the chamber pot and the ale in the bucket." She also incorporates very frank descriptions of teenage sexuality during this period, incorporating bawdy vocabulary that was definitely new to me. This language is not at all gratuitous, however, since the author has gone to great lengths to reconstruct the dialect of the time, particularly the way a young man of Kit's social class would have spoken. At first I found this dialect a bit jarring, but it truly brings Kit's voice to life in an authentic way.

The author writes on her website:

The most wonderful thing about historical novels is that they help us to imagine the lives of the people who came before us, people who lived very differently than we do today.

With The Brothers Story, Sturtevant certainly provides a novel that does just that.

Sturtevant's vivid descriptions allow us to imagine the Frost Fair in "our minds eye." However, I thought it would be fun to find a contemporary engraving of the Frost Fair. Other images of the Frost Fair can easily be found on-line. Or you can read more about the Frost Fair at Two Nerdy History Girls.

Book review: The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place--Book 1: The Mysterious Howling, by Maryrose Wood (Balzer+Bray, 2010)

In her first novel for middle-grade readers, author Maryrose Wood seems to channel both Lemony Snicket and Jane Eyre in this wickedly amusing tale of a naive 15-year old governess whose first job entails educating three children who have literally been raised by wolves. OK, it's not exactly historical fiction, but it does take place some time in the second half of the 19th century!

Our indomitable governess, educated at the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females, is undaunted by the challenges of raising children more used to communicating through barks, whines, and nips than the proper King's English. Indeed, she immediately begins teaching them poetry, as well as training them not to drool and how to properly put on pants and dresses. The first in a series, the novel offers plenty of humor but also a slew of mysteries....our governess heroine, Penelope Lumley, for one. Her own beginnings are murky enough, since she is sure she has parents somewhere, but "she simply did not know who they were or when she could expect some sign of their return." And when the mistress of the house throws an elaborate Christmas party, who is the villain who has tried to sabotage her success by releasing a squirrel into the house (as you might expect, the squirrel unleashes our feral children's inner canine instincts, resulting in wide-spread mayhem)? AND who exactly is hiding behind the wall in the attic of the house? Perhaps we'll find out some of the answers to these important questions in the next volume of this series.

The only negative I found in the book--and I don't think it would be a negative for the author's young readers--was Wood's almost uncanny mimicry of Lemony Snicket's style (it made me think about that contest where people submit bad Hemingway!) Like Snicket, she communicates directly with her readers, and has adapted his style of explaining words or concepts with a wry wit that may go over the head of some of the children in her audience. For example, consider the beginning of The Eleventh Chapter:

"As you may have already had cause to discover, a statement can be both completely true and completely misleading at the same time. This is called 'selective truth telling,' and it is frequently used in political campaigns, toy advertisements, and other forms of propaganda (p. 166)."

Nonetheless, I highly recommend this novel for ages 8-12; it would make a fun read-aloud for parents or teachers as well.