What I Read This Weekend

What I Read This Weekend . . .

Beholding Bee by Kimberly Newton Fusco --Middle Grades Paranormal Historical Fiction

Beatrice Rose Hockenberry lives in a traveling carnival in the 1940s, but she is NOT one of the attractions, despite the fact that she has a large red diamond-shaped birthmark on her face. If not for the love and care of Pauline, the hot dog cat lady, Bee would be all alone and at the mercy of Ellis, the cruel carnival owner who wants to put Bee on display. Bee endures endless bullying and curious staring, always trying to become invisible. On some days, when life is unbearable, a lady in an orange flappy hat appears to comfort Bee. Bee also loves to snuggle her (formerly stray) dog Peabody and the tiny piglet Cordelia, who has her own special needs. Then Bee's safety net is broken and she runs off with her dog and Cordelia to find a new home. She comes across the house of her dreams and is taken in by two eccentric elderly ladies, one of whom is the lady in the flappy hat. Bee's "aunts," as she calls them, don't know how to cook on a stove, barely eat anything except Bee's cake, want her to wear frocks 100 years out of style and disappear whenever anyone comes around. Soon Bee begins to realize that no one else can see her aunts. She just accepts the fact that no one believes her and goes on trying to survive. When her aunts insist she attend school, Bee finds herself in a "special" classroom where the kids are separated from "normal" kids and forgotten about. There she meets Ruth Ellen, a girl with a leg brace, who welcomes Bee into her family. Gradually, Bee learns about love and courage and standing up for herself. 

This is another wonderful, poignant, touching story by Kimberly Newton Fusco. Bee is such a fabulous character. She's plucky but very emotionally fragile. My heart went out to her and I was rooting for her to survive her hardships with her head held high. She learns some wonderful lessons, delivered in the form of character dialogue, that everyone should learn. I couldn't put the book down. I had to know how Bee turned out and the story of the mysterious aunts. The author tells the story in the first person from Bee's point of view. I don't know how she does it, but she makes it believable and interesting. Bee is wise beyond her years without being precocious. The language sounds like a 12 year old but a 12 year old who has experienced things most kids her age haven't. I really got inside Bee's head and felt like I was following beside her, helping her to be strong. I adored Bee's animal companions and the sweet, humorous touch they added to the story. When I was Bee's age, my terrier was my best friend so I could relate. I had fun guessing which real life figures the aunts were modeled after. I guessed one but not the other. The prose is beautifully written and accessible for the target audience yet difficult enough for adults. (Mrs. Swift constantly has Bee look up words in the dictionary.) I admire the way the author can share the moral of her story without beating the kids over the head with it. However, I didn't quite connect with Bee the way I did with Charlie Anne. I suppose it's because Charlie Anne's disability was something that people couldn't see so it was, in a way, more difficult for her than Bee's physical issue. Bee could have stood up for herself more easily. I also felt that this story was a variation on the same theme as the author's previous two books so that knocked it down a notch in my opinion. Everyone who has ever felt different and or been bullied, should read this book.

Dear America : A City Tossed and Broken, San Francisco 1906 by Judy Blundell -- Middle Grades Historical Fiction

Minette Bonner loves the tavern her family owns in Philadelphia and can't imagine any other life. When her father disappears Minnie's whole life changes. A wealthy businessman called in a loan with the tavern as collateral and now Minnie is being sent to Mr. Sump's house to be a lady's maid. Mrs. Sump is a social climber and being excluded from Philadelphia Society, the family is headed to San Francisco. It's not easy being a maid to the demanding Mrs. Sump and her sullen daughter. Mr. Sump may not be the kind-hearted helping man she thought he was and Lilly seems to have a secret burden. Two days after arriving, the earth buckles and shakes and Minnie's life is forever changed once again. Because of the chaos in the aftermath of the earthquake, she has a chance to start fresh and live the life she's always dreamed of. Can she live with herself if she does? This is an interesting story about the great San Francisco earthquake and fire. The earthquake and fire are described in such incredible detail that you will feel you are Minnie and living through it. I liked that the story didn't get complicated by romance like the other books on this subject I've read. I also liked that it showed different class levels and the attitudes towards particular people. My only complaint is that the Chinese were left out but that would be difficult in a book for this age group. Minnie is not a very appealing character. She's angry and jealous and her jealously causes her to make poor decisions. She grows up a lot in the days following the earthquake though and finally redeems herself at the end. I really liked this newest entry in the Dear America series and recommend it girls and boys ages 11+.

What I've Read This Week

What I've Read This Week  . . .

Dear America: Down the Rabbit Hole the Diary of Pringle Rose, Chicago, Illinois 1871 by Susan Campbell Bartoletti -- Middle Grades Historical Fiction

When Pringle Rose's parents are killed in a tragic carriage accident, she and her little brother Gideon are left to the care of cruel relatives. Pringle's only comfort is her new friend, a scandalous young man nicknamed "Rabbit" for his ability to quote from Pringle's favorite book Alice in Wonderland. She worries about Gideon, who has Down's Syndrome. He seems to have withdrawn inside himself and Pringle doesn't know how to reach him. When their aunt and uncle decide to send Gideon away to a special school Pringle knows she has to act fast to save her brother. They flee by train to their mother's friend in Chicago. Pringle knows she's doing the right thing. Her mother never wanted to send Gideon away. Along the way they befriend a young family also traveling to Chicago. The Pritchards help Gideon and Pringle in more ways than one. When their safety net is broken, Pringle and Gideon are left to navigate Chicago alone during the Great Fire. This book is not one of the better entries in the series. The first third of the book takes place in Pennsylvania, where Mr. Rose is a wealthy coal mine owner. The middle part takes place on a train and the third part in Chicago with the last few pages dedicated to the fire. It makes for a different story than what I expected. The plot is very slow moving and not much happens and the story is wrapped up too quickly and neatly. There's also quite a lot of Christian content in the story. Pringle's mother was apparently deeply religious and there are many quotes and references to Bible verses and stories that left me clueless. The premise of the story is based on something the author read in the Bible. The Christian content was a turn-off for me and had I known, I probably wouldn't have read the book. The characters are not very likeable. Pringle comes across as prickly and snobby. She doesn't seem to have any sympathy for the coal miners but simply accepts what she's been told. This would be historically accurate, if it wasn't mentioned that her father liked to debate with her. She clearly never learned to see the other side of the issue. Aunt Adeline and Uncle Edward are stereotypical storybook villains. Uncle Edward is lazy and defers to his strong-minded wife. The only one I liked was Gideon. He wasn't a very well-rounded character, but his scenes were touching and sweet. I would recommend this book probably to Christian homeschool students for a history lesson on charity, children with special needs, labor relations, travel, and the Great Chicago Fire. I've read other, better books about the fire.

What I've Read This Week

What I've Read This Week . . .

Behind the Masks: The Diary of Angelina Reddy (Dear America) by Susan Patron -- Middle Grades Historical Fiction

Angeline lives with her parents in the wild western town of Bodie, California in 1880. Her father is a criminal lawyer noted for his ability to keep people out of jail. He's also dead or supposedly murdered in the saloon where he keeps his office. Angeline and her mother are convinced that Patrick/Papa is hiding out, waiting to see what happens without law and order. What happens is that the vigilante posse 601 is out riding around in masks shooting and burning and running "undesirable" people out of town. Angeline sets out to search for clues to her father's disappearance, beginning with a a message brought by a strange Chinese girl named Ling Loi. Angeline's budding friendship with the wealthy Eleanor Tucker reveals more secrets and mysteries in the form of a ghost child. As Angeline searches for clues about her missing father, she discovers the residents of Bodie are all hiding behind masks and when those masks are taken off, then her father will come home and all will be well. Despite the dangerous times, Angeline feels safe because a handsome young clerk at Wells Fargo, Antoine Duval, is looking out for her along with a group of rag-tag actors known as The Horribles. Angeline is drawn to their wit and satirical stories and longs to be a part of their world. This book is not for the faint of heart. It features murder, vigilante justice, warnings about opium addiction, racism, and prostitution. The description of the wild western town of Bodie is very vivid and the author holds nothing back. I really appreciated that as an adult reader but I'm not sure how much the realistic, gritty details will appeal to the target reader group. The mystery of Angeline's missing father isn't much of a mystery. The truth is revealed to Angeline early on and I feel it was too early and should have been dragged out longer. The other mystery, about the ghost child is more compelling and also very true to the harsh realities of life in the 19th century. I do not feel that Angeline is a very memorable character. She doesn't leap off the page as some of the other Dear America characters do and her writing style is boring. Some of the dialogue, especially Ellie's, sounds fake. I think Ling Loi should have been the main character for her story is much more interesting. Taking into consideration all of the Dear America series, this one stands slightly above average but is not the best of the best. I would recommend it for young adults 14 and up and adults interested in a realistic portrayal of life in the Wild West. 

Midnight Masquerade by Joan Smith -- Regency Romance/Mystery

Deidre Gower's aunt, the Duchess of Charney, is robbed of her prized diamond necklace by a man masquerading as a ghost at a New Year's house party given by Deidre's fiance's mother, Lady Bertie Belami. Deidre immediately suspects her fiance, Lord Richard Belami, for he arrives rather late to the party full of lame excuses. Deidre knows Lord Belami has no intention of marrying her and she has no desire for the match either. Dick is determined to prove his innocence in the affair of the necklace and find the true culprit by deduction and reasoning. He enlists the aid of his foolish, bumbling friend Pronto Pilgrim and Deidre insists on sleuthing too. Chief among the suspects are the scandalous Lady Lenore, her lover (her husband is elsewhere), and Lord Bidwell, who helped Lady Lenore plan a tryst with her lover just before the diamond was stolen. Another suspect soon appears but Dick is reluctant to accuse without proof. For that he needs some help from Lady Lenore which lands him in hot water with Deidre, who has come to consider him in the light of more than a friend. While partnering with Deidre in searching for clues, Dick discovers a warm heart enclosed within Deidre's cold external appearance. He finds himself desiring to fan the flames of her heart and win her hand, but first he needs to find that diamond. This novel is simply dreadful and not worth the time or effort to read it. There are too many characters to keep track of in the mystery. The mystery is engaging enough to have kept me guessing all the way through. However, the quality of writing lacks considerably especially compared to Georgette Heyer and the more recent Jane Austen mystery series by Stephanie Barron. The romance is more of a grand sweeping passion than marriage of the minds. The characters come to appreciate each other and feel desire for one another but they never really quite make it as a couple, in my opinion. The hero is an entirely selfish rake who desires what he can't have and Deidre succumbs to his charms. I would not recommend this book to anyone who like quality literature and well-written, well-developed characters and plots. If you just like to read about Regency house parties and enjoy a good mystery, you might like this one.

What I've Read This Week

What I've Read This Week . . .

A Season for Scandal by Marian Devon -- Regency romance

Lord Dalton's father, the Earl of Rexford, makes him promise to stop his carousing and find a bride before the Earl's imminent death. Dalton is furious at his father's demands. His father wants him to marry the daughter of one of the famous beauties of the Earl's day. Dalton feels like he can't refuse his father's dying wish so off he goes to Almack's to view his potential bride (along with all the sons of his father's peers). Jenny, Claire and Sylvia are cousins, daughters of the four famous sisters who captivated the ton with their beauty 21 seasons ago. This next generation fails to live up to the expectations of the ton: Jenny is too tall and too outspoken and Claire is too plump. Only Sylvia can rival their mothers' famous beauty. None of the cousins wants to make their come out this Season but they are happy to be together though they don't know each other very well. Lord Dalton decides to marry Sylvia but Jenny feels that a rake would not be a good husband for her sweet cousin and decides to deflect his attention. Unfortunately Dalton can't stand Jenny and Jenny's sharp wit. Jenny also makes an enemy of the sharp tongued Mr. Roderick Chalgrove, the successor to Beau Brummell. Plump Claire worries about her weight and a family secret that everyone seems to know expect her. She finds an ally in an unexpected place who helps draw her Claire out of her shell. Sylvia remains a mystery but she's loyal to her cousins. The cousins take Society by storm and find love where they least expect it. This is a charming, sweet novel in the tradition of Georgette Heyer. It's fun and funny and there are some plot twists that were entirely unexpected. There was great character growth not usually shown in Regency novels of this type. I really liked the depth of the characters and how they changed each other for the better. It seems to be well researched but high sticklers beware for Jenny is not your typical 19th century miss. This is one of the better Regency novels and I highly recommend it to fans of the sweet Regency style novels. 

With the Might of Angels : The Diary of Dawnie Rae Johnson (Dear America) by Andrea Davis Pinkney -- Middle Grades Historical Fiction

During the 1953-1954 school year, Dawnie is a normal 12 year old African-American girl living in the small town of Hadley in Virginia. Her town is strictly divided along color lines. She's forbidden by her parents to go to Ivorytown the white section of town but that doesn't stop her from dreaming about the brand new school there. Dawnie dreams of becoming a doctor and she knows that the stinky, falling down school and ancient tattered textbooks of her school won't help her achieve her dream. Dawnie keeps her dreams to herself, writing them down in her precious diary, a birthday gift from her autistic younger brother. Dawnie finishes 6th grade at the top of her class and spends the summer jumping on her Pogo stick and playing baseball but come fall, her life changes forever when the Supreme Court decides schools must be integrated. Dawnie has passed the competency exam proving she's smart enough to compete with the white kids so her parents give her permission to integrate. Dawnie hopes to share this experience with her best friend Yolanda and another child from their class, but only Dawnie's parents approve of integration. The decision to attend an all-white school causes a lot of stress for both Dawnie and her family. They meet with opposition from both the white and black communities. A young minister from Alabama visits Dawnie's church and encourages non-violent resistance and Dawnie learns that she can write down all her rage and hatred in her diary while studying hard to stay on top. Finally, she finds an unexpected ally and they challenge each other to pull through. This is a remarkable story of a fictional girl based on real life people and events that took place not that long ago. It's really eye opening to read the comments coming from the white community regarding their ignorant assumptions about African-Americans. Even more surprising was the opinions of many of the members of Dawnie's community who didn't believe in integration. It's really hard to believe this story takes place less than 100 years after the Civil War and just over 50 years ago. The writing is lively and entertaining as well as thought provoking. The author includes many historic events that occurred during this time as well as the usual historical note and information about her own life which inspired the novel This book is a must read for all ages.

What I Read This Weekend

What I Read This Weekend . . .

A Lady's Lament by Rebecca Ashley -- Regency Romance

Miss Cynthia Thornbury has carefully tended to her estate these last six years. She wants desperately to buy the neighboring estate to improve it, unfortunately, the new owner, Giles Blenhurst, seems to prefer the "rustic charm" of the place and refuses to sell. Not only that, he seems to refuse to take her offer seriously. How rude of him! Cynthia has been a prim and proper spinster and is well-qualified to care for more land. Giles tries to flirt with Cynthiaand he both irritates and intrigues her. She comes to rely on him for help dealing with her wayward teenage brother and Cynthia's thoughts turn to her first (and only) Season when she was young and gay. Cynthia finds herself wanting to be that girl again. Her relationship with Giles is starting to cause gossip among the neighbors and Cynthia refuses to be gossiped about. Secrets from the past begin to threaten Cynthia's hopes for future happiness. This book is a pale imitation of a Georgette Heyer with more sightly more sensuality. The reader does not really get to know the characters beyond what appears on the surface. This is very much Cynthia's story and not at all about Giles. None of the story is from his point of view and there's very little development of the relationship between him and Cynthia. The story isn't terrible but it's not that great. If you've already read Georgette Heyer than skip this one. If you're new to the genre and want something shorter and less well-written than Heyer, read this instead. 

Cannons at Dawn: The Second Diary of Abigail Jane Stewart (Dear America) by Kristiana Gregory  -- Middle Grades Historical Fiction

This story picks up six months after The Winter of the Red Snow in 1779 with Abby and her family living in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. Her papa has joined the Continental Army to fight for freedom. He's a cobbler by trade and no longer young. Abby worries for his safety. When their home is burned in a terrible accident, the Stewart women and children have no choice but to leave Valley Forge and travel Philadelphia to be with family. The journey is difficult and dangerous and the Stewarts do not find what they expected. While Abby's older sister Elisabeth finds a reason to stay, Mrs. Stewart, Abby, Sally and little Johnny must leave Philadelphia and follow the army. Another difficult winter is on the way and Abby worries about being the oldest child at home and prays the war will end soon. The Stewarts soon bond with other camp followers and soldiers, including the handsome Willie Campbell, a blacksmith's son. As the months pass, Abby matures and grows into a woman who is capable of caring for her family through the most difficult times.  I would put this book in the Young Adult category, rather than Middle Grades. Gregory spares nothing from her details about the difficult conditions of army life in the 1770s. There's also quite a bit of romance, including some marriages and births which may not interest younger readers. I love this series because of the wonderful, realistic historical details and this book is no exception. I really felt for Abby's family and turned the pages wondering what would happen. The secondary characters are richly drawn as well and I cared a lot about them and hoped they would survive the brutal years of the war. This is another excellent book from one of my favorite historical fiction authors. I'm so pleased that Scholastic has brought back the series for a new generation. 

What I've Read This Week

What I've Read This Week . . . . Part II

Like a Willow Tree: The Diary of Lydia Amelia Pierce (Dear America) by Lois Lowry -- Middle Grades Historical Fiction

In 1919 Portland, Maine, Lydia lives a comfortable life with her parents, older brother and baby sister. Sometimes her big brother Daniel teases too much but he also helps Lydia with her geography homework. Lydia looks forward to her 11th birthday when her parents will take her to the movies as a special treat, but the Spanish Influenza comes to town and ruins Lydia's plans. Her mother gives her a journal and and an heirloom antique ring to make up for the disappointment. Lydia's concerns quickly seem petty and childish once her parents and baby sister die from the Spanish Influenza. Lydia and Daniel are first taken to stay with their uncle on his farm, but their aunt is overworked and overburdened with too many children and demands they leave. Lydia and Daniel are taken to Sabbath Day Lake to the Shaker settlement there to live among the Shakers. At first, Lydia finds life among the Shakers confusing with their separation of the sexes, hard work ethic, lack of worldly goods and belief in confession. Daniel, too, has difficulty adjusting to his new life and longs to escape. Lydia begins to see the good points of Shaker life and care for her new family. Still, she sometimes finds it hard not to be selfish and whiny and learns that she must bend like the willow tree in order to be truly content. As usual, Lois Lowry, who has been one of my favorite writers since childhood, delivers an excellent story of a realistic little girl coping with difficult changes. The dialogue sounds like it's coming from the mouth of an eleven-year-old. I like the way Lydia sometimes talks in questions ("My house? I mean my house in the world.") like real children do. Her world is very vivid and described in enough detail to interest and teach the reader. Though I have read books about the Spanish Influenza and Shakers before, I especially like how Lowry makes her heroine innocently ignorant about who the Shakers are so that Lowry can explain about the Shakers and their life through Lydia's eyes as Lydia learns about Shaker life.The Author's Note section includes information on the Spanish Influenza and Shakers, including photos taken by one of the Shakers featured in the story. I highly recommend this book to children 8+ and to their sisters, mothers, aunts and anyone who likes a good, simple story. My only complaint is the computer-generated portrait on the front cover which lacks the charm of the historic paintings used in the original Dear America series. 

The Unflappable Miss Fairchild by Regina Scott -- Regency Romance
Chas Prestwick,  younger brother of the Earl of Prestwick, is a well-known rakehell, but when a former paramour confronts him at a party and threatens to make a scene, he only wants to escape. Luckily, he's accidentally rescued by the arrival of Miss Anne Fairchild who rises to the occasion and handles the situation neatly and quietly. Chas is instantly taken with this angel but thinks she's not for the likes of him. Capable and dependable, Anne has always been willing to do whatever anyone asks in any given situation. The one thing she refuses to do is marry without love, and that happens to be the one goal her Aunt Agatha has in mind for Anne. When Anne finds herself again unexpectedly thrown together with Chas Prestwick, she can't help but enjoy the free feeling the adventure provides. Chas can't get this angel out of his mind and is determined to find out who she is. As luck with have it, Anne's aunt Millicent was a good friend of the Dowager Countess, therefore, Chas finds a legitimate excuse for being in Anne's company and longs to court her properly, but knows he isn't the man for her. For Anne, Chas makes her other suitors appear foolish and boring, but she knows that she doesn't have what it takes to be the woman for Chas. Can true love win out over misunderstandings and the sins of the past? This is a nice, light romance with just the right amount of depth to keep it from being totally fluffy. Chas is a flawed hero and he recognizes his flaws and the reasons for his behavior, which I really like. I also like the family dynamic of the Prestwick family and the way it plays out in the end. Anne is a multi-dimensional character. Her independence is more subtle than most characters and her coolheadedness is much to be admired. The romance is sweet and the chemistry develops nicely without overpowering the plot. There are a few serious kissing scenes but fortunately, they lack the excessive emotional language that often accompanies those types of scenes. I like the characters very much and would like to be friends with them. The plot kept me engaged after a slow Prologue and first chapter. This is a great, quick read for those who enjoy the old style Regencies.

What I've Read This Week

What I've Read This Week . . .

The Fences Between Us: The Diary of Piper Davis (Dear America) by Kirby Larson-- Middle Grades Historical Fiction

Hooray! Scholastic has relaunched their Dear America series. This is the first new book in the relaunched series. Piper Davis is a typical thirteen year old girl living in Seattle, Washington in 1941. She loves clothes, makeup, candy bars and BOYS! She hates being a PK (preacher's kid) because her dad is so strict but she has her older sister and brother as allies. Her brother enlists in the peace time navy in the fall of 1941 and Piper misses him a lot. When the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor on December 7, Piper's world changes in an instant. She is constantly reading the newspaper for any news of her brother's ship, worrying about his safety. She also has to deal with the wounded men who were sent home from Hawaii. Piper's Japanese neighbors experience discrimination and attacks once America declares war on Japan. Piper feels that discrimination is wrong, but she isn't willing to take a stand yet. Her father, on the other hand, as minister of the Seattle Japanese Baptist Church, will fight for the rights of his friends and neighbors. When Piper's Japanese neighbors are rounded up and sent to incarceration camps, the time comes for her to take a stand, at least until her father ruins her life with a monumental decision. Resentful and sullen, Piper feels sorry for herself until she sees that her friends have it much worse. This new book holds up to the standards of the previous books in the series. It's well-written and Piper's voice sounds like a typical teenager. Piper can be bratty and immature at times, like all teenagers, but her experiences help her grow up and learn to think about others. The story is also about endurance and hope and how Japanese-Americans dealt with the terrible events of WWII. The story hooked me in and I really cared a lot about the characters because they were so well described, I felt like I was reading about real people. The story is entertaining and educational, sad and funny all at the same time. This book is a bit more mature than some of the others. Piper is a bit older and the descriptions of life in an incarceration camp are not downplayed at all. I highly recommend this book to readers 11 and up.

Three Rivers Rising: A Novel of the Johnstown Flood by Jame Richards -- Young Adult Historical Fiction This novel in verse tells the stories of the inhabitants of the communities around Johnstown Pennsylvania in 1888 and 1889. Celestia, the daughter of a wealthy Pittsburgh businessman has come to the South Fork Hunting and Fishing Club with her parents and older sister for summer vacation. Relaxing by the lake (reservoir) reading, Celestia meets Peter, the son of a coal miner from Johnstown. Celestia and Peter quickly become friends and then involved in a secret romance. Maura, a young wife and mother waits for her husband to sound the train whistle before arriving home. It's their secret signal; a way of saying "I love you" even when they're apart. Kate, a young woman who has become bitter and old since the death of her fiance excels at counting and ordering things. She's sent to nursing school to make use of her skills. When Celestia's family uncovers her secret they move to stop her, but a family emergency changes her life in an unexpected way. Celestia must decide whether she's willing to defy her family for the sake of love. The characters' lives become intertwined when the earthen dam in Lake Conemaugh breaks and the water comes soaring down the mountain into the villages below. In the wake of tragedy, each character must discover their inner strength in order to do what is right. This is an excellent debut novel. At first the blank verses seemed a little unusual for a novel, but they do come together and create a plot. The plot resembles Titanic or Dirty Dancing for the first half of the novel but the characters move beyond the cliche as the story moves along. Each set of poems comes together to create a mini plot that all come together in the final pages of the book. I couldn't put it down until it was done. The characters are well fleshed out and the reader gets a good sense of personality and thought process through the poems. I admire the way the characters all dealt with the flood, especially Kate. The ending of the novel is rather fairy tale-esque but it's sweet and enjoyable. The novel makes me want to learn more about this historic flood and the author lists several sources available for that purpose. I would definitely encourage readers 12 and up to read this book.