A.R. Book Level: 4.3
A.R. Points: 10.0
Pages: 325
This book was long but enjoyable. It was also rather grim and gritty and sometimes morbid, but for students who like a long, complicated, epic tale with lots of suspense, this is a good choice. Solveig is a princess from a viking-style nation who is sent away to a frozen fortress with her older sister and her younger brother, the heir to her father's kingdom, to stay safe while her father is at war. While she is learning to be a skald--a storyteller (there was no such thing as Nintendo DS for entertainment back then)--Solveig is also haunted by disturbing dreams that predict the death and destruction of everyone at the fortress. As parts of her dream are starting to come true, it also becomes obvious that one person at the fortress is a traitor who is trying to kill off the warriors and friends sent to protect the royal siblings. Part mystery, part adventure, this story, though long, is really compelling.
Reviews and Recommendations of Books from Gill Hall & McClellan School Libraries
Showing posts with label historical fiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label historical fiction. Show all posts
WAR HORSE by Michael Morpurgo
A.R. Book Level: 5.9
A.R. Points: 6.0
Pages: 165
It seems like it took me forever to pick this book up, and it really doesn't see much circulation in the library, even though there was a movie based on it! Shame on me for taking so long to read it, because it's FANTASTIC. GREAT. Seriously, read this. Right now. WAR HORSE tells the life story of Joey, an English horse sent to World War I, from his own perspective. He makes friends and faces many dangers along the way, but he always dreams of reuniting with Albert, the boy who raised him. Readers who like first-person animals stories like Katherine Applegate's THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN will like getting inside Joey's head, and readers who consider themselves war buffs will love the battle scenes. Students who check out my GRAPHIC BATTLES series (those little comic book paperbacks) have to try this, and at 165 pages, it's a quick and satisfying read.
A.R. Points: 6.0
Pages: 165
It seems like it took me forever to pick this book up, and it really doesn't see much circulation in the library, even though there was a movie based on it! Shame on me for taking so long to read it, because it's FANTASTIC. GREAT. Seriously, read this. Right now. WAR HORSE tells the life story of Joey, an English horse sent to World War I, from his own perspective. He makes friends and faces many dangers along the way, but he always dreams of reuniting with Albert, the boy who raised him. Readers who like first-person animals stories like Katherine Applegate's THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN will like getting inside Joey's head, and readers who consider themselves war buffs will love the battle scenes. Students who check out my GRAPHIC BATTLES series (those little comic book paperbacks) have to try this, and at 165 pages, it's a quick and satisfying read.
CITY OF ORPHANS by Avi
A.R. Book Level: 3.5
A.R. Points: 8.0
Pages: 350
There's always something that irritates me in Avi's books, and in the case of CITY OF ORPHANS, it's the narrator. The story is set in New York City in 1893, and I'm not sure what kind of slang people used back then, but I really wanted to roll my eyes every time the narrator referred to somebody as a "mug." Once I got past the wording, though, I REALLY enjoyed the story. Maks is a newsie, a boy who earns 8 cents a day selling newspapers, and when he is chased by a nasty gang of older boys, he meets Willa, a girl who lives alone in an alley. After facing the gang, Maks and Willa take on a bigger challenge: solving the mystery of who framed Maks's sister for theft. She is sitting in jail awaiting her trial, and Maks seems to be the only one in his family of immigrants who understands America enough to get the job done. Readers who love mysteries, historical fiction, and old-fashioned back-alley brawls will like this gritty story.
A.R. Points: 8.0
Pages: 350
There's always something that irritates me in Avi's books, and in the case of CITY OF ORPHANS, it's the narrator. The story is set in New York City in 1893, and I'm not sure what kind of slang people used back then, but I really wanted to roll my eyes every time the narrator referred to somebody as a "mug." Once I got past the wording, though, I REALLY enjoyed the story. Maks is a newsie, a boy who earns 8 cents a day selling newspapers, and when he is chased by a nasty gang of older boys, he meets Willa, a girl who lives alone in an alley. After facing the gang, Maks and Willa take on a bigger challenge: solving the mystery of who framed Maks's sister for theft. She is sitting in jail awaiting her trial, and Maks seems to be the only one in his family of immigrants who understands America enough to get the job done. Readers who love mysteries, historical fiction, and old-fashioned back-alley brawls will like this gritty story.
AN ELEPHANT IN THE GARDEN by Michael Morpurgo
A.R. Book Level: 5.2
A.R. Points: 5.0
Pages: 199
I really loved this great animal story! Lizzie, now old and in a nursing home, tells the story of her childhood during World War II in Germany. With her father away fighting in the war, her mother is determined to protect both her children and Marlene, a young elephant from the zoo where she works. When disaster strikes, Mutti (their mother), Lizzie, her brother Karl, and Marlene set off on a journey to save their lives. Fans of animal books and wartime books should give this a try--it has enough action, suspense, danger, and animal appeal to keep everyone hooked!
A.R. Points: 5.0
Pages: 199
I really loved this great animal story! Lizzie, now old and in a nursing home, tells the story of her childhood during World War II in Germany. With her father away fighting in the war, her mother is determined to protect both her children and Marlene, a young elephant from the zoo where she works. When disaster strikes, Mutti (their mother), Lizzie, her brother Karl, and Marlene set off on a journey to save their lives. Fans of animal books and wartime books should give this a try--it has enough action, suspense, danger, and animal appeal to keep everyone hooked!
THE WEDNESDAY WARS by Gary D. Schmidt
A.R. Book Level: 5.9
A.R. Points: 12.0
Pages: 264
It's 1967. Not only does Holling Hoodhood have an awful name, he's also stuck ALONE with his English teacher every Wednesday afternoon when everyone else in class leaves for religious school. He thinks things couldn't get any worse when Mrs. Baker decides they'll spend this time reading Shakespeare, but he's wrong. Somewhere in between wearing bright yellow tights in public, letting two monstrous rats escape into the walls, and receiving death threats over a cream puff, things get worse. This book beautifully mixes the silly events of Holling's seventh grade year with the very serious aspects of life in the U.S. during the Vietnam War. It's a must-read for students who've already read all the nonfiction Vietnam books as well as students who are starting to get ready for Young Adult books about growing up and defining your identity.
A.R. Points: 12.0
Pages: 264
It's 1967. Not only does Holling Hoodhood have an awful name, he's also stuck ALONE with his English teacher every Wednesday afternoon when everyone else in class leaves for religious school. He thinks things couldn't get any worse when Mrs. Baker decides they'll spend this time reading Shakespeare, but he's wrong. Somewhere in between wearing bright yellow tights in public, letting two monstrous rats escape into the walls, and receiving death threats over a cream puff, things get worse. This book beautifully mixes the silly events of Holling's seventh grade year with the very serious aspects of life in the U.S. during the Vietnam War. It's a must-read for students who've already read all the nonfiction Vietnam books as well as students who are starting to get ready for Young Adult books about growing up and defining your identity.
DEAD END IN NORVELT by Jack Gantos
A.R. Book Level: 5.7
A.R. Points: 12.0
Pages: 341
This book won the Newbery Medal, and I can definitely see why. Morbid, a little twisted, and REALLY funny, this partly-autobiographical tale (it’s loosely based on the author’s childhood) tells the story of a young Jack Gantos’ adventures over one summer. Jack gets grounded for the entire summer, but he’s allowed out of the house to help his elderly neighbor with chores and with writing obituaries for original Norvelt town residents, who seem to be dying off in record numbers. Dressing like the Grim Reaper to visit an old lady, learning to drive, digging a fake bomb shelter, and getting dozens of nosebleeds are only a few of his ridiculous escapades. The only part of this book I didn’t LOVE was the very end, but it was still very much worth reading. Readers who liked the gruesome parts of Adam Gidwitz’s A Tale Dark and Grimm should be first in line to read this one. FUN FACT: The setting, Norvelt, PA, isn’t very far from here at all!
A.R. Points: 12.0
Pages: 341
This book won the Newbery Medal, and I can definitely see why. Morbid, a little twisted, and REALLY funny, this partly-autobiographical tale (it’s loosely based on the author’s childhood) tells the story of a young Jack Gantos’ adventures over one summer. Jack gets grounded for the entire summer, but he’s allowed out of the house to help his elderly neighbor with chores and with writing obituaries for original Norvelt town residents, who seem to be dying off in record numbers. Dressing like the Grim Reaper to visit an old lady, learning to drive, digging a fake bomb shelter, and getting dozens of nosebleeds are only a few of his ridiculous escapades. The only part of this book I didn’t LOVE was the very end, but it was still very much worth reading. Readers who liked the gruesome parts of Adam Gidwitz’s A Tale Dark and Grimm should be first in line to read this one. FUN FACT: The setting, Norvelt, PA, isn’t very far from here at all!
A LONG WALK TO WATER by Linda Sue Park
A.R. Book Level: 5.0
A.R. Points: 3.0
Pages: 121
I LOVED this book, but it definitely has some very serious parts and pretty violent parts. Two narrators tell their stories, which are happening at two different times in the same region of Africa. Salva is an 11-year-old boy in Sudan in 1985 when the Sudanese civil war drives him from his home. He walks with a group of strangers, searching for safety, for years and through several different countries. Nya is a young girl in Sudan in 2008 who has to walk to the nearest pond and back twice a day (8 hours total) to bring her family water. You’ll be surprised and thrilled by how their stories finally connect, but you need to be ready for some scary and sad parts because Salva’s story (based on a true story) can be really awful sometimes. At 121 pages, this book is a speed read.
A.R. Points: 3.0
Pages: 121
I LOVED this book, but it definitely has some very serious parts and pretty violent parts. Two narrators tell their stories, which are happening at two different times in the same region of Africa. Salva is an 11-year-old boy in Sudan in 1985 when the Sudanese civil war drives him from his home. He walks with a group of strangers, searching for safety, for years and through several different countries. Nya is a young girl in Sudan in 2008 who has to walk to the nearest pond and back twice a day (8 hours total) to bring her family water. You’ll be surprised and thrilled by how their stories finally connect, but you need to be ready for some scary and sad parts because Salva’s story (based on a true story) can be really awful sometimes. At 121 pages, this book is a speed read.
THE CLOCKWORK THREE by Matthew Kirby
A.R. Book Level: 4.5
A.R. Points: 15.0
Pages: 391
At almost 400 pages, this book is enormous, and I’ll be the first to say that the story’s not usually fast-paced or exciting. It’s a long book, a slow-reading book, and a book that is very subtle as it gradually unfolds the plot. That being said, if you’re willing to commit the time and effort to reading this, it will be well worth it. Set sometime during the industrial revolution, this is the intertwining story of three unfortunate kids: Giuseppe, a boy forced to earn money by playing music in the street; Frederick, an orphan who aspires to become a great clockmaker; and Hannah, a girl who must work to support her family since her father had a stroke. If you liked the automaton in Brian Selznick’s The Invention of Hugo Cabret or the idea of kids on the wrong side of the law in Cornelia Funke’s The Thief Lord, and you’re ready for a more challenging book, this is the one for you.
A.R. Points: 15.0
Pages: 391
At almost 400 pages, this book is enormous, and I’ll be the first to say that the story’s not usually fast-paced or exciting. It’s a long book, a slow-reading book, and a book that is very subtle as it gradually unfolds the plot. That being said, if you’re willing to commit the time and effort to reading this, it will be well worth it. Set sometime during the industrial revolution, this is the intertwining story of three unfortunate kids: Giuseppe, a boy forced to earn money by playing music in the street; Frederick, an orphan who aspires to become a great clockmaker; and Hannah, a girl who must work to support her family since her father had a stroke. If you liked the automaton in Brian Selznick’s The Invention of Hugo Cabret or the idea of kids on the wrong side of the law in Cornelia Funke’s The Thief Lord, and you’re ready for a more challenging book, this is the one for you.
INSIDE OUT AND BACK AGAIN by Thanhha Lai
A.R. Book Level: 4.8
A.R. Points: 2.0
Pages: 262
This one was beautifully written—some of the best historical fiction I have in the library. Ha is a Vietnamese girl who flees her country with her mother and brothers during the Vietnam War and settles down in Alabama. Life is really difficult for Ha, who got good grades in her old country but seems dumb in her new one because she is only learning to speak English. She struggles with bullies and prejudice and missing her father, a soldier who disappeared in Vietnam during the war. This is a novel in verse, meaning that it is written in poems instead of paragraphs, which makes this book quick and satisfying to read!
A.R. Points: 2.0
Pages: 262
This one was beautifully written—some of the best historical fiction I have in the library. Ha is a Vietnamese girl who flees her country with her mother and brothers during the Vietnam War and settles down in Alabama. Life is really difficult for Ha, who got good grades in her old country but seems dumb in her new one because she is only learning to speak English. She struggles with bullies and prejudice and missing her father, a soldier who disappeared in Vietnam during the war. This is a novel in verse, meaning that it is written in poems instead of paragraphs, which makes this book quick and satisfying to read!
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