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Showing posts with label childrens historical fiction. Show all posts

Alexia Ellery Finsdale (American Diaries) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a great book. It is about Alexia Ellery Finsdale. Alexia's father cheats people out of their money. His next target is the widow who runs the boardinghouse Alexia and her father are staying at. Can Alexia stop him from cheating her one true friend?

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Survival Earthquake Review

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(More customer reviews)Brendan O'Conner and Li Dai Yue are both twelve-year-old orphans living in 1906 San Francisco, unhappy with the circumstances of their lives but able to do little or nothing to change them. But the similarities end there. Brendan is Irish and works as a delivery boy, dreaming of rising from the poverty that he lives in. Dai Yue is a Chinese immigrant whose uncle has arranged for her to marry a much older man. The morning of the terrible earthquake, they are thrown together by fate. Now they must overcome their staggering cultural differences if they are to survive the disaster around them. This was a story not only about surviving a disaster but about the friendship between two children who come from very different worlds. Highly reccomend if you enjoy disaster and historical stories.

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San Francisco -- April 18, 1906Brendan O'Connor is delivering pastries to the bustling businesses and elegant hotels of San Francisco, dreaming that someday he will be a part of that life.Li Dai Yue is running from the isolated seciruty of Chinatown, distraught over the marriage her uncle has arranged for her.Chance throws them together on the day of the San Francisco earthquake.Can two strangers from such different worlds work together to survive the terror of crumbling buildings, fire, looting, and chaos?

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The Strange Case of Baby H (Mysteries Through Time) Review

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(More customer reviews)Clara Curfman and her family live in San Francisco in 1906. Clara's house gets a hard jolt when the great earthquake hits, but when the violent shaking subsides it's still standing. Aftershocks continue in the days that follow and huge fires ravage much of the city. Clara and her family, along with the boarders that inhabit their house, are forced to live in the yard for fear that the house may yet collapse. In the midst of all the chaos, a baby in a basket is left on their front porch. Even more strangely, what appears to be a boy baby turns out to be a girl in disguise. Further, Clara realizes that strangers are watching her house. Before this story is over, both the baby and Clara face great danger. Clara, finding herself in one tight spot after another, responds with courage and resolve.
THE STRANGE CASE OF BABY H is a suspenseful and action-packed tale set in the midst of one of the greatest natural disasters of the twentieth century. The author does a nice job of weaving accurate historical details into the story without sacrificing the immediacy of the plot. Being residents of the San Francisco area, this story had a little extra interest for us. On the other hand, the plot is often rather predictable. As the "History Mystery" series goes, this one is about average. That's still pretty good, though. We've found "History Mysteries" to be of good quality in general, and my daughter and I always enjoy reading them together.

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Andrea Carter and the San Francisco Smugglers (Circle C Adventures #4) Review

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(More customer reviews)Andrea Carter and the San Francisco Smugglers is part of the Circle C Adventure Series.
I have to admit I haven't read the others in the series, but if I need a good middle grade book, I'd be sure to grab one with no hesitation. As I read this Andrea Carter book, I fell in love with the girl. She reminds me of the girl most girls want to be - adventurous, caring, and willing to do anything to stand up for other people.
I first read about the Circle C Adventures in an issue of Brio earlier this year. My daughters thought it was an interesting article and were intrigued enough to want to check out the series.
At the beginning of the book, Andrea gets into trouble (which seems easy for her) and earns herself a trip to a "school for young ladies." Although she really doesn't want to go, Andrea is wise enough not to fight her mother's wishes that she attend to school far from Andrea's favorite horses.
The school mistress sees the young, rough Carter girl as a challenge. Andrea finds out about the Chinese slaves in the area, including at least one in the school's kitchen. She has a hard time following the school rules and also caring for the little girl. The more she shows her caring, rescuing nature, the more Andrea immerses herself in trouble -- with the head mistress, the kitchen helpers, other girls, the stable tenders -- even the police and human smugglers.
This book is an easy, but great read. It lends itself to studying California history and connecting the story to current human smuggling throughout the world. The series itself would be a great way to get the horse-book lovers to read historical fiction.
I think the reading level and subject matter would be great for a wide variety of ages and children. From third graders who are ready for longer chapter books to eighth graders who like historical fiction (and perhaps need a little easier read than most historical fiction,) I think many kids (especially girls) would enjoy the Circle C Adventure Series.
I did!

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Shannon: Lost and Found San Francisco, 1880 (Girlhood Journeys, Book Two) Review

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(More customer reviews)The book I read Lost and Found was an o.k. book. It was a little kiddish, slow and had not much action. Other than that it was a pretty good book.

the best part of the book is when the girl Shannon takes her monkey named "kitty" with her to different places. The worst part its just a little slow for me. I would definitely recommend the book for someone a little younger. I really like how when I read it and it did not fill like it was fake. It felt really like a true story.
This books author did a really good job describing the setting andthe theme. She went into a lot of debth on the setting like the big, old, magnificent, green trees. thats only about the trees it got better. The theme I thought was really good. The theme was "Treat Others The Way You Would Want To Be Treated". Thats my favorite theme. I thought the author did really good job.

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When Shannon and her friends conduct a book drive in their San Francisco neighborhood in 1880 to benefit the new library, they must solve a mystery quickly.

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Into the Firestorm: A Novel of San Francisco, 1906 Review

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(More customer reviews)It is hard to imagine a story about the 1906 San Francisco earthquake being anything but riveting. Deborah Hopkinson's thorough research led her to build her novel around Nicholas Dray, a true life runaway from the county farm, befriended by a merchant a few days before the 1906 earthquake and devastating firestorm.
The author's story closely follows archived history and is
exciting for all ages to read. Class units will take students on many useful tangents, with teaching tools available via www.randomhouse.com/teachers. It may generate some discussion about emergency preparedness also.
Earthquakes are of universal interest and "Into the Firestorm" cannot be categorized as 'just' a boys' book - - even though teachers & librarians, frustrated at jump-starting "reluctant readers" will rejoice to recommend it to students. Hopkinson keeps the level of excitement high, and Nick's reactions believable. Deserted by his father, his emotional needs centered on his grandmother, and later in San Francisco on his Chinese-American friend Tommy, his employer/mentor Mr. Pat AND the dog who also was part of the true story of those ghastly fires.
Hopkinson deftly adds cotton-picking in Texas, and a fascination with the art of writing; reviewer mcHAIKU appreciates the quality these add to this story of a time when "stick-to-itiveness" was okay, and fortitude & grit added up to honest-to-goodness values. And for all readers, a five star reward.

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Earthquake: A Story of the San Francisco Earthquake (Once Upon America) Review

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(More customer reviews)Reason for Reading: Read aloud to the 10yo as part of our history curriculum.
This short historical fiction chapter book takes place over only a moment in time. From the first shakings of the earthquake in 1906 until the morning afterwards the reader joins Philip has he lives through this devastating disaster. The first half of the story focuses on Philip and his family as they struggle with the earthquake and its aftermath along with the shocking sights and sounds as people walk en masse out of the city. The last half concerns Philip as he is left behind to watch the stable while Pa takes Mama and his younger brother to Aunt Eleanor's in a not too distant town for safety. Philip is left to deal with the worst of the situation by himself as the fires rage out of control and ultimately head towards him. He loves the horses and they are his family's livelihood. Will he be able to save them in time?
An entirely plot driven story with continuous action from the get go. It puts one right in the middle of the historical event and was an exciting experience for my son. A good little book that brings history alive.

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In 1906, after a devastating earthquake hits San Francisco, twelve-year-old Philip struggles to save the horses in his family's livery stable. Reprint. SLJ.

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