by Hooper, Mary Eliza Rose hates her stepmother, never feeling as if she belongs with her brothers and stepsiblings. At 15, Eliza leaves her country home and sets out to find her father in busy 17th century London. Eliza quickly gets in trouble and is thrown in a London jail where the conditions are terrible. Luckily, she catches the eye of an older woman, who pays for Eliza to be released; although her plans for Eliza make her wish she was still in jail. Hanging all her hopes on finding her father, Eliza frantically continues to search for him, only to discover that he has kept a horrible secret from her all these years. An adventurous tale of hardship and triumph. Recommended for older teens.- reviewed by Julie, South County Read more…

Claire Holden Rothman’s debut novel was a bestseller in Canada, where it was originally published in 2009. I am excited to post this review because The Heart Specialist has not received the attention it deserves, and it is not a book that necessarily screams teen appeal from its description or cover. But this is a story that will certainly appeal to historical fiction readers, and to those interested in pursuing a medical profession. And of course teens tend to love stories about young people defying societal expectations and overcoming their circumstances to succeed against the odds. I predict that this will make a great booktalk. Adult/High School – When Agnes White’s grandmother discovers her knee deep in the blood of an Read more…

Two historical novels by Janet Fox Faithful is the story of 16-year old Maggie Bennet, who journeys in 1904 to Yellowstone National Park. The novel combines romance, mystery and adventure, as Maggie must change from a spoiled girl willing to be constrained by society to a free-thinking and brave young woman living in a romantic landscape at the threshold of a new century. Forgiven is a companion novel to Faithful, and follows 17-year old Kula Baker to San Francisco in 1906. This novel, too, combines romance, mystery and adventure, as a mighty earthquake strikes and the wreckage threatens all Kula holds dear. She realizes that only by unlocking her heart can she begin to carve a new future for Read more…

by Dahme, JoanneNell is fortunate. She has a job that keeps her and her younger brother off the streets. With her parents dead from the plague, she knows that she is lucky. But her job is dangerous. Nell is the princess's body guard. With faces so similar that even the king at times gets confused between them, she is the one that stands in during potentially dangerous situations. But when the princess also dies from the plague, Nell thinks her security is gone. The Black Prince commands that Nell become the princess. Knowing that she could never convince anyone that she was royal and too honorable to lie to in any case, she runs. But will she escape?- reviewed by Elizabeth, , Read more…

British author Carol Birch’s extraordinary coming-of-age historical is among Christian Science Monitor’s 11 Excellent Novels for Summer Reading, which includes a few others you will be seeing here over the next couple months – Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman, The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson and The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka. The writing, story, setting and characters make this exceptional. But I also love that Birch appropriates historical figure Charles Jamrach, who supplied exotic animals to P.T. Barnum among others, and takes inspiration from an historical incident, the voyage of the whaleship Essex (an inspiration shared by Herman Melville). Why haven’t we heard of Carol Birch until now? This is Read more…

The book trailer for Eleanor Henderson’s debut novel ends with these words: “They were young when new York was young. That’s how it felt. They’d never been more alive. Three kids, in a roiling, untamed city. But maybe that’s how everyone feels in the moment before they change forever.” Very teen, isn’t it? Alive and on the edge of change. The trailer is available on the author’s homepage, and her News page includes an impressive list of mentions in major media. This is a significant debut. Beyond that, I will let Mark’s review (below) speak for it. HENDERSON, Eleanor. Ten Thousand Saints. 400p. HarperCollins. 2011. Adult/High School–Crackling with the same precision and power she brought Read more…

By T.L. Higley Pompeii, a city that’s many things to many people. For Cato, it’s the perfect escape from a failed political career in Rome. A place to start again, become a winemaker. But when a corrupt politician wrongfully jails Cato’s sister, he must oust the man from power to save her.  For Ariella, Pompeii is a means to an end. As a young Jew, she escaped the fall of Jerusalem only to endure slavery to a cruel Roman general. She ends up in Pompeii, disguised as a young man and sold into a gladiator troupe. Her anger fuels her to fight well, hoping to win the arena crowds and reveal her gender at the perfect time. Perhaps then she will win true freedom. But evil creeps through the streets of Pompeii. Political Read more…

The popularity of Erik Larson’s The Devil in the White City (Crown, 2003) has never flagged — with adults. His new book, about the rise of the Nazi Party in early 1930s Berlin as witnessed by American Ambassador William Dodd and his family, in particular his daughter Martha, might do better with teens. The Holocaust and Hitler himself are of perennial interest to high school students. Larson strives to recreate life in Berlin during the time when Hitler was first becoming popular, when anti-semitism was growing, when Hitler might still have been stopped. It doesn’t matter that we already know the outcome, it is at times a tense read. Early Word reported yesterday that In the Garden of Beasts is already, one week after Read more…

The prolific Karen Harper has written the perfect historical thriller to satisfy teen fans of the genre, in which a determined young Irish heroine finds herself navigating the intrigues of Henry VIII’s court. I enjoyed the author’s historical page, especially the comparison between a possible portrait of her heroine, Elizabeth Fitzgerald, and the book’s cover image. HARPER, Karen. The Irish Princess: A Novel. 416p. NAL. 2011. pap. $15. ISBN 978-0-451-23282-3. LC number unavailable.  Adult/High School– The story opens with Gera, knife in hand, ready to plunge it into the swollen, corpulent body of ailing King Henry VIII. It’s sweet revenge for the years of forced exile, the unjust beheading of her uncles and step-brother, Read more…

Investigative journalist Nellie Bly joins the ranks of real-life characters out to solve mysteries in this historical, the sequel to Carol McCleary’s debut novel, The Alchemy of Murder (Forge, 2010). I do love the publisher description of her first book: “Nellie Bly…teams up with science fiction genius Jules Verne, the notorious wit and outrageous rogue Oscar Wilde, and the greatest microbe-hunter in history, Louis Pasteur.  Together, they must solve the crime of the century. They are all in Paris—the capital of Europe and center of world culture—for the 1889 World’s Fair.  But an enigmatic killer stalks the streets and a virulent plague is striking down Parisians by the thousands. Convinced that the killings are Read more…

Novels set in rural America are hardly ubiquitous in YA literature. Between dystopian trilogies, paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and Gossip Girls readalikes, sometimes I wonder if we are leaving the real world behind. This debut is set in rural Wisconsin, in the not too distant past. As Connie’s review makes clear, The Bird Sisters is not a book for every teen. But it does have appeal factors — a fascinating sibling relationship, a love of animals, coming of age and crucial decisions made in the late teen years. With the right reader, it will hit a deep chord. I love Rebecca Rasmussen’s story behind the story, how her own family history influenced the characters and setting of the novel. It aches with the same sadness and beauty Read more…

Karl Friedrich’s first novel is about the women who participated in the World War II WASP (Women Air Service Pilots) program. A colorful cast of secondary characters, including a villain determined to ground our heroine, helps bring the story alive. Here’s a post from the author explaining the origin of his interest in the topic. He worked to entertain both those with an interest in airplanes and readers who simply love a good story. An excellent novel for teens looking to supplement their study of World War II. FRIEDRICH, Karl. Wings: A Novel of World War II Flygirls. 291p. McBooks. Apr. 2011. Tr $23.95. ISBN 978-1-59013-570-9. LC number unavailable.   Adult/High School–Armed only with her grit, tenacity, and a talent for Read more…

by Bondoux, Anne-LaureBlaise Fortune has been with Gloria for as long as he can remember. He loves hearing her tell the story of how she rescued him as a baby from a train that derailed near their home in the Republic of Georgia. He has always wondered if his mother survived the train wreck; so along with his friend Gloria, they embark on a long journey across a war-torn Europe to France to find his mother. They encounter amazing hardships along the way, but even through the pain, they are able to find friends in other refugees that help mold Blaise into the man he is fast becoming. The end of their journey proves to be the most heartbreaking part of their story. This is one amazing book that should not be missed.- reviewed by Amy, Read more…

In our third debut novel of the week, this one a paperback original, Schoenewaldt offers a traditional 19th-century coming to America story. What captured my attention was the writing — never a false step — a first-person narration that gives the reader a portal into the past, a peek at the cities of America in their infancy: Cleveland, Chicago, San Francisco. Very briefly, New York. Irma is a heroine who comes from nothing and through sheer hard work, goodness, and determination makes a life for herself. This is a great example of a girl-in-peril story. Irma is so very vulnerable – a girl from a tiny mountain village leaves alone for America because she has no choice. Even making it as far as the port in Naples is perilous, Read more…

By Ruta Sepetys Have you ever wondered what a human life is worth? That morning, my brother’s was worth a pocket watch. In 1941, fifteen-year-old Lina is preparing for art school, first dates, and all that summer has to offer. But one night, the Soviet secret police barge violently into her home, deporting her along with her mother and younger brother. They are being sent to Siberia. Lina’s father has been separated from the family and sentenced to death in a prison camp. All is lost. Lina fights for her life, fearless, vowing that if she survives she will honor her family, and the thousands like hers, by documenting their experience in her art and writing. She risks everything to use her art as messages, hoping they will make Read more…

Michelle Moran has written a string of very successful historical fiction works based on the lives of famous women. Her books include Nefertiti (Crown, 2007); The Heretic Queen (Crown, 2008) about Nefertari, the niece of Nefertiti ; and Cleopatra’s Daughter (Crown, 2009), about the children of Marc Antony and Cleopatra. Her new novel centers on Madame Tussaud, who lived through the French Revolution and had a unique relationship with the royal family of the time. I got curious, and started looking around. I could not find any other fictional versions of her life, though there are two recent nonfiction accounts. But I did learn that Madame Tussaud’s memoirs were published in 1838 (in English), and are available in full on Read more…

by Meyer, Caroline How much do we really know about Shakespeare’s wife Anne Hathaway? Caroline Meyer has created a realistic picture of life in the time of Shakespeare with characters that could have been. In Loving Will Shakespeare, Agnes Hathaway, better known to us as Anne, has known Will Shakespeare his entire life. She was at his christening a few days after his birth and saw him grow up. Agnes tells of her life as a local crofter’s daughter and her interactions with the now famous playwright as they both grew older. While waiting for Will to grow up, Agnes’s life makes for a fascinating tale, especially with her hateful stepmother and equally distasteful half-sister. Caroline Meyer’s story makes one wonder how Read more…

by Rees, CeliaHave you ever wanted adventure? Be careful what you wish for. Sovay started hers as a highwayman just to get back at her fiancé, but ended up getting more than she wanted. Who knew that one foray in men’s clothes would lead to another. She began to love the freedom her adventures afforded her. She wasn’t out for the money, but to help her father. When she steals from the wrong man, her life and those she loves are in more danger than she bargained. In England after the French revolution, where accusations of treason can get one killed, Sovay has crossed the wrong man. Can she and her family clear their names before it is too late?- reviewed by Linda, North County Regional, Read more…

by Smith, Sherri L.“You can fly, no doubt about it. But no woman's gonna get a license out of me. Go home, Miss Jones. You've failed.” In 1941, it is impossible for a young black woman to obtain a flying license, much less to become a WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots). Despite all the obstacles she encounters, Ida Mae arrives two years later at Avenger Field, Texas, where she will train to become a U. S. military pilot. But will she earn her silver wings? For on her arrival, her class is told “…two out of every three of you will wash out before training is over.” Follow Ida Mae as her courage and her perseverance give her the ability to “push the envelope” to pursue her dream. – reviewed by Pam, Steele Creek Read more…

Jeri Westerson Cast out of English court life for treasonous acts against the king and disbarred from his home, wealth, and the woman he was to marry, Crispin has become known as the Tracker—one who will help you find justice for a fee. In this second book about him, a slow-witted scullion girl summons him to help her with the body of a French courier who lies dead in her room. She claims that she killed him, but Crispin is certain she didn’t and is determined to discover the murderer, even though he knows that neither she nor her sister can pay him. In the midst of his search, he uncovers a plot to assassinate the king. Are the two incidents connected? Desperate to return to court and to regain his status as a knight, Crispin Read more…

By Staton Rabin This is a wonderful book. I would recommend Betsy and the Emperor for both adult and young adult readers. Even you don’t care a hoot about Napoleon or about history, for that matter, you will swept away by this novel. Betsy is everything you want a 14 year old girl to be, sassy and bright and intuitive and rebellious. Napoleon is, well, Napoleon…a huge historical figure, but wrought here in a way that renders him entirely human (and a fascinating person at that). Staton Rabin takes facts and fiction and blends them up in this novel into a wonderful mix, more true than truth in the end (which is what great fiction does). This is such an interesting novel. It cooks along and is entirely quirky and compelling–just Read more…

By Dene Low Petronella Arbuthnot’s coming-out birthday party in Edwardian London goes awry when her guardian, Uncle Augustus, accidentally swallows a beetle and two important guests are kidnapped. Teaming up with her friend Jane; Jane’s brother, Lord James Sinclair; and Uncle Augustus, who is now obsessed with eating bugs of all kinds, the 16-year-old sets out to discover what happened to Dame Carruthers, an actress favored by the king, and Generalissimo Reyes-Cardoza, a Panamanian revolutionary. What follows is part farce, part mystery, part political thriller, all told in Petronella’s upper-crust voice, laced with sly humor, many bodice-ripping observations of James’s virile charms, and a painless dose of history. Archetypical Read more…

By Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colon Drawing on the unique historical sites, archives, expertise, and unquestioned authority of the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, New York Times bestselling authors Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colon have created the first authorized and exhaustive graphic biography of Anne Frank. The graphic biography is complete, covering the lives of Anne’s parents, Edith and Otto; Anne’s first years in Frankfurt; the rise of Nazism; the Franks’ immigration to Amsterdam; war and occupation; Anne’s years in the Secret Annex; betrayal and arrest; her deportation and tragic death in Bergen-Belsen; the survival of Anne’s father; and his recovery and publication of her astounding Read more…

by Carbone, Elisa The Pea Island Life Saving Station on the Outer Banks of North Carolina was special. In the 1890s, the team of surfmen on guard was all African-American. When Nathan moves to the island with his father and grandfather, he quickly becomes enthralled with the team of men and their task to save sailors, even during the worst storms. Nathan befriends the surfmen, reading their books, learning some of their techniques, and dreaming that one day he will join the men on their life-saving missions. This touching coming of age story has something for everyone: history, adventure, and a cast of likable characters.- reviewed by Christine, South County Regional, Read more…