Bibliography
AVI. 1990. TRUE CONFESSIONS OF CHARLOTTE DOYLE. New York: Orchard Books. ISBN 978-0380728855
Plot Summary
Charlotte Doyle is a proper young lady attending a finishing school in Britain when her father is transferred back to the United States. Rather than have her miss that last of her schooling, her parents decide to let her stay behind to finish the year before having her board one of her father’s company ships for America. Ms. Doyle is to travel in the company of two other proper families, who mysteriously bail at the last moment leaving young Ms. Doyle to travel by herself in the company of some less than respectable gentlemen.
Ms. Doyle’s travels are not without trials and tribulations. The one proper gentleman on board, the Caption, turns out to be less of a gentleman than any man on board. Feeling guilty for the deadly wrath of the Captain against his crew, Ms. Doyle feels it is her duty to make it right by becoming one of them. Unable to break her, the Captain frames her for murder and acts as judge and jury to find her guilty. Ms. Doyle is rescued by her shipmates and she makes it home “safely.”
Before her parents left her in England, her father gave her a journal he expected her to write in every day, which she did faithfully. Her father asked for the journal when she returned home and was shocked to find such horrible fantasies written about the Captain, the crew, and his own daughter. He refused to listen to her and instead punished her by banishing her to her room for weeks. Realizing she is no longer the proper lady her parents had left behind months before, Ms. Doyle steals away to join her mates the night they set sail.
Critical Analysis
The story begins with a warning to the reader: Not every thirteen year old girl is accused of murder, brought to trial, and found guilty. The reader is immediately drawn into the story wanting to know what this teenager could possibly have done to be convicted of murder. This warning is want gets the reader through the somewhat mundane introduction. Although many clues are provided to the reader of things to come, the beginning is a bit lacking. Assuming the reader is hooked by the warning and keeps going, they are in for a treat when the ship reaches the high seas.
Full of drama, mystery, suspense, and adventure, the reader is sure to be taken for a ride if they stick with it. The reader may find him or herself talking out loud to the young Ms. Doyle, in outrage, in protection, and is support of her. The reader is given small tidbits of information that Ms. Doyle is not privy too, so the reader thinks they know more than she does, and they do, but not as much as they think they do, which keeps the reader on the edge of their seat every time she makes a move.
Avi, keeps the turns coming right through to the end when the reader lets their guard down because Ms. Doyle has finally made it home to safety. But alas, we find her to be held captive in her own home in near solitude for telling the truth. We praise her once again when she runs to join her kind.
Awards Won And Reviewed Excerpt(s)
Newbery Honor Book
Boston Globe–Horn Book Award
Starred review in KIRKUS REVIEWS: “A thrilling tale.”
Starred review in SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “A breathtaking seafaring adventure.”
Starred review in BOOKLIST: “Riveting. Nonstop action on the high seas. A story hard to forget.”
Connections
*In small groups, students can discuss how Charlotte’s upbringing (her family’s values) motivated her actions. They can then discuss how their own values motivate their actions.
*Given the action and extensive dialogue, students can choose sections for reader’s theater or skits.
Other books with women as the main character and seafaring adventures:
Frank, Anne. DIARY OF ANNE FRANK. ISBN 978-0582017368
Deford, Deborah H. AN ENEMY AMONG THEM. 978-0395701089
Herlong, M. H. THE GREAT WIDE SEA. ISBN 978-0670063307
Cadnum, Michale. PERIL ON THE SEA. ISBN 978-0374358235
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Historical Fiction: The River Between Us
Bibliography
Peck, Richard. 2003. THE RIVER BETWEEN US. New York: Dial Books. ISBN 0-8037-2735-6
Plot Summary
THE RIVER BETWEEN US starts in 1916 with Howard Leland Hutchings describing a trip his father is making with him and his brothers to meet his grandparents for the first time. As Howard is telling the story his father told him, the scene flashes back to 1861 and his grandmother, Tilly Pruitt, becomes the narrator.
Tilly lives with her mother, twin brother Noah and psychic sister Cass in southern Illinois. New Orleans is about to be taken by Confederate soldiers and two girls, Delphine Duval and Calinda come to town under suspicious circumstances. Tilly’s mother invites the young women to board at her house while they wait for a chance to move one to St. Louis.
Tilly relates how her twin can’t wait to join the war and her sister Cass’s visions are destroying her. The town is split between the Union and the Confederacy and the Pruitt home is inside out and upside down by these two strange and intoxicating visitors. Delphine is breathtaking and a handful and Calinda, another of Cass’s kind may be her slave.
Tilly’s world seems to be moving along just fine when her brother finally runs off to join the Army. Tilly’s Mama goes mad with worry and sends Tilly off with a command to not come home without him. Tilly and Delphine board a train to go south to find him bringing with them many kinds of snake oils to cure the boys. Delphine’s secret is finally revealed and so is the family secret of Howard Leland Hutching.
Critical Analysis
Richard Peck starts off somewhat slow in this novel, taking the reader on a journey of a father and his three boys. What the reader doesn’t know is this is only a frame for the real story that is about to be told and that Howard, the originating narrator, is in for the shock of his life.
Although the story seems to be about this outcast family and their mysterious boarders, it is more about the effects of war on those left at home and the prejudices that existed in those times. When Noah joins the Army, his mother goes insane and we find out later she kills herself when she can no longer take the suffering of her loss. Tilly, still a young teenager, is sent away by her mother and told not to come back without him. This young girl travels further from home than she ever has before in search of her brother and comes to learn firsthand the harsh realities of war. The reader can only imagine the fear and pain such a young girl must be feeling dealing with such complex realities.
The reader is shocked to learn that Delphine, and her sister Calinda, are in fact black. Through this revealing, Peck educates the reader not only about the prejudices that existed, but also about an unspoken society within New Orleans that creates another class of people between the whites and the blacks of town. If nothing else, this is an interesting history lesson often left out of the books.
Peck’s writing is clever, with unexpected twists throughout the story. One cannot even begin to predict the plot as it seems to keep changing, but somehow he manages to tie it all together and shock the reader even in the end when young Howard learns the truth about his father’s heritage and the realization of what it means for him.
Awards Won And Reviewed Excerpt(s)
National Book Award: Finalist
Scott O'Dell Award
ALA Notable Book
ALA Best Book for Young Adults
Booklist Editor's Choice
IRA Book Award
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL review: “Peck masterfully describes the female Civil War experience....”
BOOKLIST review: …”riveting story…”
Starred review in THE BULLETIN OF THE CENTER FOR CHILDREN”S BOOKS: “Historical fiction fans should enter this at the top of the must-read list.”
Connections
*The story can lend itself to a discussion about racism then and now.
*Students can discuss customs in their own families and communities and then write about how those customs play a role in their own lives.
*Discussion about women’s roles in history and their experience during times of war. History lessons often leave out those left behind, but they play an important role as well as seen in the story.
Other books about the Civil War and women on the homefront:
Mattern, Joanne. THE BIG BOOK OF THE CIVIL WAR: FASCINATING FACTS ABOUT THE CIVIL WAR, INCLUDING HISTORIC PHOTOGRAPHS, MAPS, AND DOCUMENTS. ISBN 978-0762428564
Rinaldi, Ann. AMELIA'S WAR. ISBN 978-0439326667
Rinaldi, Ann. AN UNLIKELY FRIENDSHIP: A NOVEL OF MARY TODD LINCOLN AND ELIZABETH KECKLEY. ISBN 978-0152063986
Peck, Richard. 2003. THE RIVER BETWEEN US. New York: Dial Books. ISBN 0-8037-2735-6
Plot Summary
THE RIVER BETWEEN US starts in 1916 with Howard Leland Hutchings describing a trip his father is making with him and his brothers to meet his grandparents for the first time. As Howard is telling the story his father told him, the scene flashes back to 1861 and his grandmother, Tilly Pruitt, becomes the narrator.
Tilly lives with her mother, twin brother Noah and psychic sister Cass in southern Illinois. New Orleans is about to be taken by Confederate soldiers and two girls, Delphine Duval and Calinda come to town under suspicious circumstances. Tilly’s mother invites the young women to board at her house while they wait for a chance to move one to St. Louis.
Tilly relates how her twin can’t wait to join the war and her sister Cass’s visions are destroying her. The town is split between the Union and the Confederacy and the Pruitt home is inside out and upside down by these two strange and intoxicating visitors. Delphine is breathtaking and a handful and Calinda, another of Cass’s kind may be her slave.
Tilly’s world seems to be moving along just fine when her brother finally runs off to join the Army. Tilly’s Mama goes mad with worry and sends Tilly off with a command to not come home without him. Tilly and Delphine board a train to go south to find him bringing with them many kinds of snake oils to cure the boys. Delphine’s secret is finally revealed and so is the family secret of Howard Leland Hutching.
Critical Analysis
Richard Peck starts off somewhat slow in this novel, taking the reader on a journey of a father and his three boys. What the reader doesn’t know is this is only a frame for the real story that is about to be told and that Howard, the originating narrator, is in for the shock of his life.
Although the story seems to be about this outcast family and their mysterious boarders, it is more about the effects of war on those left at home and the prejudices that existed in those times. When Noah joins the Army, his mother goes insane and we find out later she kills herself when she can no longer take the suffering of her loss. Tilly, still a young teenager, is sent away by her mother and told not to come back without him. This young girl travels further from home than she ever has before in search of her brother and comes to learn firsthand the harsh realities of war. The reader can only imagine the fear and pain such a young girl must be feeling dealing with such complex realities.
The reader is shocked to learn that Delphine, and her sister Calinda, are in fact black. Through this revealing, Peck educates the reader not only about the prejudices that existed, but also about an unspoken society within New Orleans that creates another class of people between the whites and the blacks of town. If nothing else, this is an interesting history lesson often left out of the books.
Peck’s writing is clever, with unexpected twists throughout the story. One cannot even begin to predict the plot as it seems to keep changing, but somehow he manages to tie it all together and shock the reader even in the end when young Howard learns the truth about his father’s heritage and the realization of what it means for him.
Awards Won And Reviewed Excerpt(s)
National Book Award: Finalist
Scott O'Dell Award
ALA Notable Book
ALA Best Book for Young Adults
Booklist Editor's Choice
IRA Book Award
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL review: “Peck masterfully describes the female Civil War experience....”
BOOKLIST review: …”riveting story…”
Starred review in THE BULLETIN OF THE CENTER FOR CHILDREN”S BOOKS: “Historical fiction fans should enter this at the top of the must-read list.”
Connections
*The story can lend itself to a discussion about racism then and now.
*Students can discuss customs in their own families and communities and then write about how those customs play a role in their own lives.
*Discussion about women’s roles in history and their experience during times of war. History lessons often leave out those left behind, but they play an important role as well as seen in the story.
Other books about the Civil War and women on the homefront:
Mattern, Joanne. THE BIG BOOK OF THE CIVIL WAR: FASCINATING FACTS ABOUT THE CIVIL WAR, INCLUDING HISTORIC PHOTOGRAPHS, MAPS, AND DOCUMENTS. ISBN 978-0762428564
Rinaldi, Ann. AMELIA'S WAR. ISBN 978-0439326667
Rinaldi, Ann. AN UNLIKELY FRIENDSHIP: A NOVEL OF MARY TODD LINCOLN AND ELIZABETH KECKLEY. ISBN 978-0152063986
Historical Fiction: Number the Stars
Bibliography
Lowry, Lois. 1989. NUMEBR THE STARS. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 0-395-51060-0
Plot Summary
Annemarie, a Christian, and Ellen, a Jew, are best friends who are living in Nazi occupied Denmark. When the local Rabbi warns his congregation that the Nazis will begin “relocating” the Jewish citizens, Ellen temporarily moves in with her best friend as her parents flee. That same night she moves in, the Nazi soldiers come looking for them. Annemarie’s quick thinking father is able to convince the soldiers Ellen is one of his own. The next day, everyone but Papa leaves for the childhood home of Mama. The girls believe they are “getting away” for a while, not realizing the real danger they are in or the significance of this trip. Annemarie, a smart girl, realizes there is more going on then she has been led to believe. As her Mama and Uncle share with her bits and pieces, she learns what it means to be courageous and a true friend.
Critical Analysis
The main character in this story is Annemarie Johansen, a young girl, who relates very well with any young reader who has an annoying younger sibling. Kirsti is only in kindergarten, and Annemarie and her friend Ellen would much prefer for her to go away than to let her tag along. But like any older sibling, Annemarie must endure like when Kirsti pushes the Nazi soldier’s hand away as he runs his hand through her curls. Annemarie is sure they are in for it. Annemarie is also proud of her country for doing what they could to curtail the invasion of the foreigners as can be felt when she tells the story of King Christian ordering the Royal Navy fleet destroyed before the Nazis could commandeer it. The reader really sees into Annemarie’s heart when she courageously runs through the early morning hours to bring her uncle a mysterious package that he needs for him to successfully smuggle Ellen and her family out of Denmark. When halted by soldiers with dogs, she is frightened beyond words, but musters up the courage to fool the soldiers into letting her go.
Although Annemarie has many conflicts, her baby sister and the Nazis to name two, her most significant conflict in the one with herself being caught between two worlds: childhood and adulthood-a struggle most readers will quickly identify with. She is definitely no longer a baby as she mentions several times in comparing herself to her younger sister, but she also realizes she is not yet an adult as seen when she ponders whether she could ever have the courage needed to stand up for another, even if it means risking her own life.
Lowry does a fantastic job at keeping the reader interested in what is going to happen next. The story starts immediately with a frightening encounter with Nazi soldiers. As the girls are racing home after school one day, a seemingly normal thing for children to do, they are suddenly told to “Halte!” by two pairs of shining black boots which Annemarie thinks to herself that also means two rifles. The story moves on to Ellen’s family, who is Jewish, being warned that the soldiers are coming for them. To help their friends, Annemarie’s family takes in Ellen so her parents can go into hiding. At this point, the reader is being given clues as to the compassion and courage Annemarie’s parents have for their countrymen and friends. After hearing many suspicious encounters between her parents and her uncle, Annemarie begins to suspect something more is going on than just hiding her friend. Through this story, the scope of the Resistance is being weaved.
The story is set during WWII in the Nazi-Occupied Denmark. Although most stories of the War focus on the Holocaust in Germany and Holland, this one teaches readers about the small country that made a huge difference in the lives of its people. The reader is introduced to the hustle and bustle of busy Copenhagen with its royal palace before taken to the beautiful countryside home of Annemarie’s mother’s childhood.
Written for the younger reader, 9-12, this story will appeal to both boys and girls, but especially to young girls who will identify with the young heroine. The story stays true to the events of the time all while telling a tale the keeps the interest of today’s readers.
Awards Won And Reviewed Excerpt(s)
1990 Newbery Medal Book
National Jewish Book Award
Sidney Taylor Award, Association of Jewish Libraries
ALA Notable Children's Book
School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL review: “Readers are taken to the very heart of Annemarie's experience, and, through her eyes, come to understand the true meaning of bravery.”
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY review: “The whole work is seamless, compelling, and memorable -- impossible to put down; difficult to forget."
BOOKLIST review: "While the novel has an absorbing plot, its real strength lies in its evocation of deep friendship between the two girls and of a caring family who make a profoundly moral choice to protect others during wartime."
Connections
*This book can be read in conjunction with social studies lessons on either WWII or more specifically the Holocaust.
*Students can research the resistance movement in Denmark against the Nazis as well as other movements in different situations.
*Given that the story has themes of friendship and courage, the book can be used for discussions about what it means to really be a friend or about courageous.
*Other historical fiction friendships:
Taylor, Theodore. THE CAY. ISBN 978-0440229124
Speare, Elizabeth George. THE SIGN OF THE BEAVER. ISBN 978-0440228301
Schmidt, Gary D. LIZZIE BRIGHT AND THE BUCKMINSTER BOY. ISBN 978-0375841699
*Other Holocaust books:
Yolen, Jane. THE DEVIL’S ARITHMETIC. ISBN 978-0142401095
Velde, Vivian Vande. A COMING EVIL. ISBN 978-0618747818
Lowry, Lois. 1989. NUMEBR THE STARS. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 0-395-51060-0
Plot Summary
Annemarie, a Christian, and Ellen, a Jew, are best friends who are living in Nazi occupied Denmark. When the local Rabbi warns his congregation that the Nazis will begin “relocating” the Jewish citizens, Ellen temporarily moves in with her best friend as her parents flee. That same night she moves in, the Nazi soldiers come looking for them. Annemarie’s quick thinking father is able to convince the soldiers Ellen is one of his own. The next day, everyone but Papa leaves for the childhood home of Mama. The girls believe they are “getting away” for a while, not realizing the real danger they are in or the significance of this trip. Annemarie, a smart girl, realizes there is more going on then she has been led to believe. As her Mama and Uncle share with her bits and pieces, she learns what it means to be courageous and a true friend.
Critical Analysis
The main character in this story is Annemarie Johansen, a young girl, who relates very well with any young reader who has an annoying younger sibling. Kirsti is only in kindergarten, and Annemarie and her friend Ellen would much prefer for her to go away than to let her tag along. But like any older sibling, Annemarie must endure like when Kirsti pushes the Nazi soldier’s hand away as he runs his hand through her curls. Annemarie is sure they are in for it. Annemarie is also proud of her country for doing what they could to curtail the invasion of the foreigners as can be felt when she tells the story of King Christian ordering the Royal Navy fleet destroyed before the Nazis could commandeer it. The reader really sees into Annemarie’s heart when she courageously runs through the early morning hours to bring her uncle a mysterious package that he needs for him to successfully smuggle Ellen and her family out of Denmark. When halted by soldiers with dogs, she is frightened beyond words, but musters up the courage to fool the soldiers into letting her go.
Although Annemarie has many conflicts, her baby sister and the Nazis to name two, her most significant conflict in the one with herself being caught between two worlds: childhood and adulthood-a struggle most readers will quickly identify with. She is definitely no longer a baby as she mentions several times in comparing herself to her younger sister, but she also realizes she is not yet an adult as seen when she ponders whether she could ever have the courage needed to stand up for another, even if it means risking her own life.
Lowry does a fantastic job at keeping the reader interested in what is going to happen next. The story starts immediately with a frightening encounter with Nazi soldiers. As the girls are racing home after school one day, a seemingly normal thing for children to do, they are suddenly told to “Halte!” by two pairs of shining black boots which Annemarie thinks to herself that also means two rifles. The story moves on to Ellen’s family, who is Jewish, being warned that the soldiers are coming for them. To help their friends, Annemarie’s family takes in Ellen so her parents can go into hiding. At this point, the reader is being given clues as to the compassion and courage Annemarie’s parents have for their countrymen and friends. After hearing many suspicious encounters between her parents and her uncle, Annemarie begins to suspect something more is going on than just hiding her friend. Through this story, the scope of the Resistance is being weaved.
The story is set during WWII in the Nazi-Occupied Denmark. Although most stories of the War focus on the Holocaust in Germany and Holland, this one teaches readers about the small country that made a huge difference in the lives of its people. The reader is introduced to the hustle and bustle of busy Copenhagen with its royal palace before taken to the beautiful countryside home of Annemarie’s mother’s childhood.
Written for the younger reader, 9-12, this story will appeal to both boys and girls, but especially to young girls who will identify with the young heroine. The story stays true to the events of the time all while telling a tale the keeps the interest of today’s readers.
Awards Won And Reviewed Excerpt(s)
1990 Newbery Medal Book
National Jewish Book Award
Sidney Taylor Award, Association of Jewish Libraries
ALA Notable Children's Book
School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL review: “Readers are taken to the very heart of Annemarie's experience, and, through her eyes, come to understand the true meaning of bravery.”
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY review: “The whole work is seamless, compelling, and memorable -- impossible to put down; difficult to forget."
BOOKLIST review: "While the novel has an absorbing plot, its real strength lies in its evocation of deep friendship between the two girls and of a caring family who make a profoundly moral choice to protect others during wartime."
Connections
*This book can be read in conjunction with social studies lessons on either WWII or more specifically the Holocaust.
*Students can research the resistance movement in Denmark against the Nazis as well as other movements in different situations.
*Given that the story has themes of friendship and courage, the book can be used for discussions about what it means to really be a friend or about courageous.
*Other historical fiction friendships:
Taylor, Theodore. THE CAY. ISBN 978-0440229124
Speare, Elizabeth George. THE SIGN OF THE BEAVER. ISBN 978-0440228301
Schmidt, Gary D. LIZZIE BRIGHT AND THE BUCKMINSTER BOY. ISBN 978-0375841699
*Other Holocaust books:
Yolen, Jane. THE DEVIL’S ARITHMETIC. ISBN 978-0142401095
Velde, Vivian Vande. A COMING EVIL. ISBN 978-0618747818
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