Gary Blackwood is an author who has not written many novels (has many more nonfiction), but the ones he has written are exceptional and so different. The Shakespeare Stealer and its sequels are the first to catch my attention. These squarely fit into historical fiction. However, he has written 2 other books-Second Sight and The Year of the Hangman-which are alternate history (a fairly new genre in children’s literature). The only others I have read are Ken Oppel’s Airborn and Skybreaker.

Alternate history is a mix of historical fiction and fantasy. It sets the story in history, and then branches off with the idea that something progressed differently, changing other aspects in ways most people wouldn’t imagine.

The theme for Second Sight is the Lincoln assassination. The Year of the Hangman is the American Revolution and the fact that the patriots were traitors to England. Ken Oppel’s books push the development of airships and other early flying attempts instead of airplanes.

These books were so intriguing that I have searched for others. I saw a list on the internet for adult books, however, they mostly seemed to be strongly science fiction instead of historical. Not really of interest to me. I did run across an adult novel speculating on what might have changed had Robert Kennedy lived. It was long and bogged down in the middle, so I never got to the point of what the author thought might have been different. Still, intriguing.

I would like to read more of this genre. I hope that the historical fiction writers out there are aware of this newer approach and will be experimenting with it. Especially, I hope Gary Blackwood will be writing more, since he has a knack for it. I’d like to see some with farther reaching ideas. Possibly something less American in tone as well.

P.S. If you have any to recommend, I’m always open to suggestions.

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The Mitten is one of my all-time favorite children’s books. The pictures are incredibly detailed and gorgeous. It is another of those excellent books that can be told totally through the illustrations. The borders of the pictures have sneak-peaks at what’s still to come.

The story itself (a Ukrainian folktale) is irresistible. READ MORE

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In The Secret of Sarah Revere by Ann Rinaldi, Paul Revere’s daughter is on the verge of womanhood as her father is riding for the Sons of Liberty. It is rumored that Paul saw who fired the first shot at Lexington, but he refuses to say who it was. There are other secrets as well to which Sarah would like to know the answer during this explosive period.

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As I was looking for classic literature for my young son years ago, I stumbled upon Camelot by Jane Yolen (a short story collection). By no means are these stories classic King Arthur, but they were inspired by the more traditional writings. My enthusiasm for this great book lead me to search for other King Arthur related books-both traditional and modern. Since then, I have been amazed by the selection and quality available. Some round out the original stories; some delve into or showcase the historical facts; and others tell their own version as a tribute or possibly more satisfactory explanation of events. Read the rest of this entry »

The Biggest Bear by Lynn Ward.
Houghton Mifflin: Boston, 1952.
Caldecott Medal 1953

This is one of the books my oldest son wanted read to him again and again. When I first read it, I wasn’t crazy about it, but I grew to enjoy it also with successive readings. I don’t know specifically what so appealed to him, but I see possibilities-the boy determined to shoot a bear like all the neighbors and instead bringing home a baby to raise, the idea of a huge animal for a young boy, the havoc the bear creates as it grows unbelievably fast, the wonderfully meaningful drawings. For such simple language, the book has so much to say. My guess is that it was the pictures he loved the most.

related-hunting, farm life, animals, bears, wild pets, zoo, humorous, boys
RL=1st-2nd read aloud to pre-K and K

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In extremely detailed diary form, Smith describes the life and growth of a girl and her family struggling to get by in pre-World War I Brooklyn, NY. Drawing from her own childhood experiences, Smith creates a strikingly realistic and universal picture of those in poverty, not just this immigrant neighborhood, although there are obviously some historic and geographic specifics. Sixty-plus years later it still rings true.

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Fly By Night by Frances Hardinge is a twisting, adventure-packed mystery portraying an England-like setting with a mixture of historical and social satire. The description is full of imagery (lots of metaphors), wordplay, and humor (such as the alphabetical chapter titles). The wordplay is amusing, but the number of details, unique episodes, and ever-changing loyalties make the book a success.

REVIEW

Fans of Susan Cooper’s The Dark Is Rising series may have heard there is a movie to be released in October that is supposedly based on the 2nd book. It may sound interesting at first, but I have seen a recent preview, and it is nothing like The Dark Is Rising. There are also reviews by people who have seen more clips, and they go in depth into the differences. The preview looks like one violent scene after another with no substance to the story. I doubt I will even want to see the movie despite the series being one of my favorites.

comments by matt from NTUGO

IMBD trailer

With the upcoming release of The Golden Compass movie, I thought it would be an appropriate time to try one of Pullman’s mystery novels. Want a quick and light read? The book has unusual details for atmosphere.

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The focus for this month’s selection is words. Stanza after stanza of whimsical word-play is the strength of The Old Man Who Loved Cheese by Garrison Keillor and illustrated by Anne Wilsdorf.

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