Historical Fiction Continued

Chapter Books

Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder

  This is the first book of the Little House series which is based on the life of the writer. This book is set in the period before the Ingalls family moved to the prairie. This is the place of Laura’s birth and the beginning of her childhood.  Little House in the Big Woods portrays a little girl with eyes full of wonder and heart full of love for her Ma and Pa and sister Mary. The theme of this book is very clear and simple —caring, sharing and growing up during a time when, even though you are a little girl, you do your part to help your family. The theme is brought out simply in each chapter. Laura and Mary had their "chores" each and every day. They were done —without hesitation or pushing from Ma and Pa —completely and thoroughly; then and only then would Laura play.  Little House in the Big Woods is one adventure after another in Laura’s life. It is a book of vivid descriptions of first-time happenings for Laura. There’s the dance at Grandpa’s where Laura watches all the "big girls" dress up. There is Laura’s first experience at seeing a town, and of course the fun at butchering time roasting the pig’s tail. I liked this book because it is really informational and interesting for many ages.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

  Jo, Meg, Beth, and Amy March are four sisters living with their mother in New England. Their father is away serving in the Civil War, and the sisters struggle to support themselves and keep their household running after losing all their money. In the process, they become close friends with their neighbor, Theodore Laurence, known as "Laurie." 

As the girls grow older, each faces her own personal demons and challenges. Jo, the protagonist, must stop acting like boy and learn to be more ladylike while working to be a great writer. Meg, the oldest, must put aside her love of money to be able to follow her dreams. Beth, the shy one, must try to be more outgoing, while Amy, the youngest, has to get rid of her pride. The girls are guided by their mother, "Marmee," and their faith.

The family's bonds are changed when Meg falls in love with John Brooke, Laurie's tutor. Meg and John marry and get a home of their own, and have twins, Daisy and Demi. Another marriage seems likely when Laurie reveals to Jo that he has fallen in love with her, but she cannot care for him in the same way. Jo goes to New York as the governess for a family friend, Mrs. Kirke, experiencing the big city and trying to become a professional writer. Meanwhile, Amy travels through Europe with her rich Aunt Carroll and cousin Flo, learning how to be an artist. Laurie goes to Europe with his grandfather. He finds his passion for music and tries to forget about Jo. I liked this book because it is a page-turner and you never want to put it down.

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

  Point of view of ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen. The story is set in the city of Copenhagen, Denmark in September 1943, the third year of the Nazi occupation of Denmark. Annemarie and her best friend Ellen, who is Jewish, are stopped by soldiers on their way home from school. The two girls, who go to the same school and live in the same building, are unsettled by their first direct encounter with the Germans. Mrs. Johansen and Mrs. Rosen are concerned and ask the girls to take a new route to school. The encounter makes Annemarie reflect on what her father has taught her about Denmark and also about her older sister Lise's death a few years before the start of the novel. Later in the fall, Annemarie and her younger sister Kirsti discover that Mrs. Hirsch's neighborhood shop has been closed. This event further alarms Mrs. Johansen, though Annemarie does not understand why. During a late night visit from Peter Neilsen, a member of the Resistance and the man Lise was to marry, Annemarie is told more about the war. Her parents and Peter explain that Jewish stores are being closed. The next day, the Rosens must flee. They leave Ellen with the Johansens. During the night, German soldiers come to the apartment demanding that Mr. Johansen disclose the location of his friends. He refuses and they search the apartment. Ellen pretends to be one of the Johansen's daughters, but her dark hair causes the solider to be suspicious. Luckily, Mr. Johansen is able to show them a baby picture of Lise with dark hair, which convinces the soldiers. The next day, Mrs. Johansen takes the three girls to her brother Henrik's home in Gilleleje, Denmark, where Henrik is a fisherman. They spend a peaceful day in the house by the ocean before Henrik announces that their Great-aunt Birte has died. The service is to be held that evening. Annemarie knows that no such aunt exists, and demands the truth. Uncle Henrik explains the importance of not knowing too much when bravery is needed. That night the coffin arrives and they gather around it. Many more people arrive, but all are silent. Soon Peter appears with the Rosens, who are reunited with Ellen. Soldiers, drawn by the post-curfew lights, come to the house. They demand that the coffin be opened, a problem since the coffin is empty. Mrs. Johansen thinks quickly and says that her aunt died of highly contagious typhus. The soldiers leave. Henrik takes the first group of people down to his boat. Mrs. Johansen follows with the Rosens. Annemarie, who now understands that the people are being taken to safety in Sweden, awaits her mother's safe return. When her mother does not appear, she discovers that Mrs. Johansen has broken her ankle. Because of this, Annemarie must take an important package to her uncle before they can leave. On the way to the boat, soldiers with dogs stop her. They search her basket and discover the package. But when they rip it open it contains only a handkerchief, and they let her go. Annemarie makes it to the boat in time, to Henrik's evident relief. That evening, Henrik is safe at home having dinner with Annemarie, Kirsti, and Mrs. Johansen, whose ankle has been taken care of by the local doctor. After dinner, Uncle Henrik takes Annemarie to learn how to milk the cow. They talk about the events of the day. He explains that he hid his passengers in the bottom of the boat, and the handkerchief was essential because it kept the Germans' dogs from smelling the human cargo. Uncle Henrik praises Annemarie for her bravery and reassures her that Ellen is safe and they will meet again someday. The war ends in May, and Annemarie and her family watch from their balcony as people parade in the streets with the Danish flag. Annemarie thinks of the Rosens and realizes that they, along with all the others who were forced to flee, will soon be returning home. Peter Nielsen has died. He was shot in a public square for his involvement in the Resistance. Annemarie's parents tell her that Lise was a member of the Resistance, too, and that she did not die in an accident, but was killed by the Germans. Thinking of Lise and of Ellen, Annemarie goes to the trunk of Lise's things in her room and takes out the Star of David pendant that she has been keeping for Ellen. She says she will wear the necklace herself until Ellen returns. I liked this book because it taught me a lot about the history of the Nazis and the Resistance.

Mummies in the Morning by Mary Pope Osborne 

  Jack and Annie go back to Ancient Egypt and get lost in a pyramid. They find a ghost queen inside. She asks Jack and Annie to help her find the Book of the dead so that she can go to the afterlife. Jack and Annie try to decode a message on the nearby wall for the ghost queen and are successful. They follow the ghost down the hallway, up some stairs, and into a cold, drafty room. Here the ghost disappears.They find a boat on the other side of the room and grab a jar out of it. Then they grab a scroll out of the jar. It is the Book of the Dead. They walk through a door and into a room with only a long golden box in it. The kids look into the box and are stunned to see a real mummy. Annie runs off in disgust. Jack sets the Book of the Dead on the box and backs out of the room. He continues out the boat room and down the stairs. He turns into the hallway and tries to find his sister. He hears her voice, but starts walking in the wrong direction. He turns and heads in the other direction. He walks back up the stairs and into the room with the boat. He notices an open door that he didn't notice before. He enters the room, which is at the top of a staircase exactly like the room he had just come up. He walks down the stairs and enters a hallway that also looks like the previous one. Jack finds Annie, who had gotten lost, and they turn to go back up the stairs. Just as they do, the doors close and the torches go out. They walk down the hallway looking for secret doors, but instead end up right back where they started. They hear a meow and see the black cat from before. They follow it all the way to the outside of the pyramid. The cat then runs off and disappears into the waves of heat in the distance. The kids go back to the tree house and grab the Pennsylvania book. Jack turns and sees the queen in her boat floating through the air on her way to the Afterlife. The Jack points to the book and wishes them home.When they got back, they organized the books in the tree house. While doing this, they discover an "M" in the floor. Jack touched the M and felt a tingling in his body. Leaves started to blow. The kids leave the tree house and go home. When they arrive, their mom is making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I liked this book because it is really interesting for many people of all ages.

Picture Book

The Wall by Eve Bunting

 A dad and his son making that long trip to visit father/grandfather, whose name is printed into the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C. They look under 1967, the year Grandfather died in the war. Once they find his name, Dad takes out paper and pencil to make a rubbing of his father's name as a keepsake. They leave a picture of the grandson below the grandfather's name. The boy has already looked through some of the items that relatives and friends leave at the base of the Wall. They meet many different groups people: an elderly couple obviously visiting their son's name, a grandfather and grandson visiting the soldier-dad's name, and a group of girls on a field trip. Their behavior is proper, but not reflective of loss such as the others experience. The fourth type of visitor becomes the most deeply moving encounter. A man in a wheelchair with a blanket folded over where his legs should have been, a soldier with a decorated ribbon, and obviously a Vietnam veteran at that, rolls in. It is a chance meeting the boy will never forget. When they leave, the boy is sad, but a lot wiser. He would like a grandpa as the other boy had, but he is proud to know his grandfather served his country. I loved this book because it is really touching and informational.