Mobley, Jeannie. Bobby Lee and the Criminal Element.

Mobley, Jeannie. Bobby Lee and the Criminal Element. Holiday House 2017 228p  $16.95  ISBN 978-0-8234-3781-8  elem/ms  Historical Fiction  E-BN         

When Bobbie Lee becomes an orphan at age 13 in 1929, he decides that his future lies as a criminal working for a famous Chicago gang. His pickpocketing skills should allow him to be useful to mob leaders. He boards a steam-powered train and finds himself investigating a murder that happened in New Orleans, his hometown. Also traveling on the train are three men and a widow with her baby, all potential suspects in the widow’s husband’s death. Details on train travel in the early 20th century flow smoothly into the story, as do descriptions of the changing countryside between Louisiana and Chicago. Also incorporated into this historical novel are facts about Jim Crow laws and Prohibition and how these institutions affected daily life. A compelling mystery drives the story, which has an authentic feel and maintains consistent tension and danger within a framework of soulful contemplation about whether Bobbie Lee is suited to be a criminal or not. Believable supporting characters and some humorous moments as well as historical facts make this a perfect historical novel. A great book to accompany social studies units on race relations in the 1920s and the effects of the Jim Crow laws. An addendum explains the inspiration for the story as well as historical facts about race relations, jazz, and railroad life in the 1920s. Strongly recommended as an adjunct to teaching about Prohibition or Jim Crow laws and their impact on people.  

Summary: Bobbie Lee, 13 years old, decides to travel to Chicago to become a criminal in a famous gang. His trip via railroad from New Orleans to Chicago is packed with action and mystery. The novel refers to the Jim Crow Laws and to facts about steam railroads. Grades 4-8.

Mystery-Fiction, Prohibition, Jim Crow-Fiction     --Lois McNicol

Freedman, Russell. Vietnam: A History of the War.

Freedman, Russell.  Vietnam: A History of the War.  Holiday House  2016  150p      $20.00 ISBN 978-0-8234-3658-3      hs/adult  Nonfiction  E-BN                 

After reading the first chapter of this book, any reader would be able to surmise that Russell Freedman is an award-winning author.  One does not have to read the back cover to know that many of his books have won widespread praise. His style is very readable.  In addition, his choice of information to include in  a book that could easily have been a ten-volume set and his strategic choice and placement of photographs combine to make this a stellar book.  His vocabulary is as rich as his narrative style, and he has a way of presenting nonfiction that makes it read like fiction.  Nonfiction is often a tough choice for young adults to make when settling down to read.  This book will not be a tough choice.  Because of the great notoriety of the Vietnam War, the book will be read, and read by many.  One could easily see a social studies teacher centering an entire unit on this book.  There is certainly enough content to encourage lots of debate, both written and oral. It showcases the years of oppression suffered by the Vietnamese and portrays the indomitable spirit of a people who despised being under the control of others, starting with the Chinese, followed by the French, and continuing with the Americans (who, as Freedman mentions, were viewed as an oppressor by the North.)  With nonfiction it can be difficult to refrain from showing one’s bias, but Freedman does a wonderful job of presenting controversial data by using lots of primary sources.  As Freedman notes, had the United States agreed to Ho Chi Minh’s wishes, the war could have been prevented.  He describes the dismay of the American people at finding themselves embroiled in a war to prevent the spread of Communism, when actually, the Vietnamese people suffered far greater harm during the war than they might have under a Communist dictatorship.  Freedman leaves it for the reader to decide who was right and who was wrong in this war.            

Summary: Freedman’s book starts with pre-history, goes through the French occupation, continues with the rise in power of Ho Chi Minh, and describes the details of the war, both politically and emotionally, with statistics, dates, principle characters and aftermath.

 Vietnam War                                                                                                              —Martha Squaresky

MacFarlane, John. Stormstruck!

MacFarlane, John.  Stormstruck!  Holiday House  2015  138p.  $16.95     ISBN 978-0-8234-3394-0    ms  Conflict    E-BN 

     

Twelve-year-old Sam overhears his father say that it is time to have the family dog put to sleep.  He sneaks out in the early morning and sets sail in a small sailboat with the dog, aiming for an island off the coast of Maine.  The weather does not cooperate.  They are caught in a blinding fog, surrounded by sharks, and a beset by the weather as a huge storm approaches.  Sam summons great courage and ingenuity in his attempt to survive and save his dog as well as the elderly hermit who tries to help him.  He gets some help from a one-eyed cormorant, the hermit, and the excellent advice he has previously received from his elder brother.
 

This is a short book packed with action and adventure.  At times it feels like “what else can go wrong?”  Sam makes several immature and poor decisions, but with his sailing experience and the teachings he remembers from his brother, he comes through successfully.

The story ends with Sam and his crew sailing towards home, and the reader does not learn about the consequences Sam will face there.  Middle-school readers, especially boys, will devour this novel of action and survival, making it an excellent title for them.  Survival and action make it a sure winner.

Summary: Twelve-year-old Sam takes his aged dog out in his sailboat so that his parents cannot have the dog put to sleep.  He is caught in a storm, and this becomes a survival story, and an exciting read for middle-school readers.

Survival at sea-Fiction                               --Joan Theal

Joiner, Sara. After the Ashes.

Joiner, Sara.  After the Ashes.     Holiday House  2015  278p  $17.95  ISBN 978-0-8234-3441-1  ms/hs  Historical fiction  VG-BN

Sara Joiner has created quite an intriguing character in Katrien.  Living with her father and aunt in Java, she has some rather unusual interests.  She adores Darwin’s theories and she collects insects, “not bugs, but insects,” as she likes to correct people.  At odds with everyone around her, she has a particular dislike for Brigitta Burkart, her nemesis, who seems to have interests that are the polar opposite of Katrien’s, such as social skills and traditional “woman’s work”.  Katrien’s aunt and father are further challenged when Katrien insists on running around with her local Javanese friend, Slamet.  With her Asperger-like ways, Katrien soon finds herself in hot water with Vader (Father) and Tante Greet.  Both want her to develop her role as a future wife and housekeeper, but Katrien resists.  While the rising action develops, the reader learns all about Krakatau, for the setting is the summer of 1883 when it erupts with devastating results and takes thousands of lives.  About halfway through the book, Joiner’s story really begins, for it is here that Katrien manages somehow to survive, aided by her expertise in Darwinian theories, when all others around her perish.  The drama is increased in part, by her new friendship with Brigitta, who also survived.  The two girls wander through the jungle searching for water and safety and form a new relationship based on survival.  Their relationship in surroundings that would make less strong-willed children give up is intriguing.  Joiner’s descriptions parallel the film “The Impossible”, and that is a bit distracting, especially when the girls find a baby, as did the mother and son in the film.  Nevertheless, there is more than enough originality in Joiner’s descriptions to support her dedicated research on the topic of volcanos and tsunamis, and readers will learn a lot.  Young readers will remember this book forever.  There is something compelling about surviving against impossible odds.             

This book is a very good choice for both middle- and high-school libraries.  It will fill a role in teaching history with its depiction of Krakatau’s explosive devastation, and the formation of a friendship between two unlikely young ladies will entertain immensely.

Summary:  Katrien’s sworn enemy becomes her survival partner when Krakatau erupts violently.  Together the girls face adversities such as the loss of family members and homes, as well as other horrors from the tsunami that follows the eruption.

Volcanos-Fiction, Survival-Fiction, Friendship-Fiction   -–Martha Squaresky

Axelrod, Amy, & David Axelrod. The Bullet Catch: Murder by Misadventure.

Axelrod, Amy, & David Axelrod.  The Bullet Catch: Murder by Misadventure.  Holiday House  2015  245p  $17.95  ISBN 978-0-8234-2858-8   ms/hs  Historical fiction  VG-BON

Leo and three orphans leave their orphanage and strike out on their own.  Leo is a master pickpocket and secures money for the group, Murph is a master liar, and the other two boys provide the brains and brawn to stay just a step ahead of the police.  When Leo is betrayed by his friends, he goes in search of a job that fits his area of interest, which is magic and illusions.  He becomes an apprentice to the Great Barzini, who is about to strike it big.  Could this master magician be even more duplicitous than Leo bargained for?  This novel includes a lot of historical detail about New York City, the magicians of the era, the magic tricks of the era, and the ragtag existence of many young people with little education, compared to that of the wealthy adults around them.  This book is a fascinating read about illusions and the people who perform them, and it provides a rich understanding of New York City life in the early 1900s.  The mother/son writing team would do well to collaborate on other books, as this one is sure to spark a lot of interest.  The characters are very believable and their motives ring true. Some of the issues explored are that of truth versus deceit, the nature of friendship, and how people get by in a world in which they feel alone. 

Summary: Leo is betrayed by one of his fellow orphans in New York City in 1917. He manages to escape the police and find legitimate employment in the service of a magician who is about to strike it big.  Great historical details and a compelling story make this a book of note for grades 6-12.      

Magic-Fiction, New York City-History-Fiction                --Lois McNicol