Zimmer, Tracie Vaughn. Floating Circus.
Bloomsbury see St. Martins, 2008, 198p, $16.95, 978-0-8234-2093-3
Life on an 1850’s river showboat is presented through the eyes of eleven-year-old Owen, who has run away from an orphanage. Exciting action, friendship, family and growing up are all themes in this quick read book.
Eleven-year-old Owen, delivered by his mother to an orphanage when she can no longer take care of him and his brother, strikes out on his own believing that his younger brother will have a better chance on the Orphan Train without him. Wandering the streets of Pittsburgh, Owen sneaks aboard the showboat River Palace. There he finds work and a new kind of family, especially a baby elephant and freed black jack-of–all-trades, Solomon. Owen finds many dangers – mauling by a lion, yellow fever, storms and fugitive slave catchers.
A quick read with excitement, pathos, loss, survival and hope. This introduces the reader to a little know slice of American history when showboats plied the rivers bringing shows, which included the circus. There is an author’s note about the history behind the fictionalized story.
Great for upper elementary and middle school both as historical fiction and rousing good read. JT
Showing posts with label Zimmer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Zimmer. Show all posts
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Monday, January 19, 2009
42 Miles by Tracie Zimmer
Zimmer, Tracie Vaughn. 42 miles.
Clarion (Houghton Mifflin), 2008, 73p, $16.00, 978-0-618-61867-5.
42 miles are worlds apart as JoEllen tries to reconcile her city life with her mother and life on the farm with her father. At times, it seems as if she is two different people, as she struggles to find her own identity in this free-verse novel.
“School days in the city with Mom / weekends on the farm with Dad.” 42 miles are worlds apart as JoEllen tries to reconcile her city life with her mother and life on the farm with her father. Ellen, to her mom, jokes with her friends, plays the sax, lives for fashion and old movies, and works at a second-hand shop. Joey, to her dad, rides horses with her cousin, creates outrageous recipes with her dad, mucks out the stables and listens to bluegrass music. At times, it seems as if she is two different people, as she struggles to find her own identity in this free-verse novel.
Enjoyable and well written, illustrated with black and white collages that look like scrapbook entries, this book will be an enjoyable, and quick, read for older middle school students.
Recommended for middle school collections and YA departments at public libraries. This should be an enjoyable, coming-of-age novel in verse for girls from 6th through 8th grades. PN
Clarion (Houghton Mifflin), 2008, 73p, $16.00, 978-0-618-61867-5.
42 miles are worlds apart as JoEllen tries to reconcile her city life with her mother and life on the farm with her father. At times, it seems as if she is two different people, as she struggles to find her own identity in this free-verse novel.
“School days in the city with Mom / weekends on the farm with Dad.” 42 miles are worlds apart as JoEllen tries to reconcile her city life with her mother and life on the farm with her father. Ellen, to her mom, jokes with her friends, plays the sax, lives for fashion and old movies, and works at a second-hand shop. Joey, to her dad, rides horses with her cousin, creates outrageous recipes with her dad, mucks out the stables and listens to bluegrass music. At times, it seems as if she is two different people, as she struggles to find her own identity in this free-verse novel.
Enjoyable and well written, illustrated with black and white collages that look like scrapbook entries, this book will be an enjoyable, and quick, read for older middle school students.
Recommended for middle school collections and YA departments at public libraries. This should be an enjoyable, coming-of-age novel in verse for girls from 6th through 8th grades. PN
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