Copper Sun

Author: Sharon Draper
Recommended Age: Young Adult
Publisher: Simon Pulse
ISBN-13:  978-0-689-82181-3
ISBN-10: 0-689-82181-6  
Year Published: 2008
No. Pages: 302
Genre: Historical Fiction
Main Character Gender: Female
Read & Reviewed by: Katie

Fifteen-year-old Amari loves life in her home village in Africa. She spends her days teasing her younger brother Kwasi and daydreaming about her soon-to-be husband Besa. Amari’s carefree life changes when Besa spots a band of white-skinned Europeans heading down the path to their village. A feast is declared to welcome the visitors.

The village of Ziavi puts on a celebration full of storytelling, dancing and drumming. Before they can finish the festivities the visitors start killing the adults and young children of the village. Her brother tries to get her to run into the jungle but as they do, he is shot and Amari is chained and forced to walk across Africa with others from her village for days on end. Amari is soon packed onto a ship where those who die are tossed overboard. Amari survives with the encouragement of a woman named Afi, as she soon discovers that she is aboard a slave ship. Upon arrival to America, she is bought by Mr Derby, a rich white man as a birthday present for his son. Amari meets Polly, an indentured servant and the two girls bond with one another in order to survive. Will Amari ever find the freedom she dreams of?

The Liberation of Gabriel King

Author: K.L. Going
Recommended Age: 10 years +
Publisher: Penguin Group
ISBN-10: 039923991X
ISBN-13: 0399239915
Year Published: 2007
No. Pages: 151
Genre: Historical Fiction
Main Character Gender: Male
Read & Reviewed by: Jack



Frita Wilson once said, “Some people are just born chicken ain’t nothing gonna make them brave.”

Gabriel King, born chicken, has just graduated fourth grade, his one year of respite from school bullies, Duke Evans and Frankie Carmen. Gabe is not only worried about this but, he is fearful of everything. Now, he refuses to leave grade four and move up so he can avoid his tormentors.

Frita, Gabe’s best friend, decides that both she and Gabe need to make lists of their fears and they need to spend their summer overcoming each and every fear. Gabe’s list includes loose cows, spiders, Frita’s brother, but most of all, the fifth grade. Frita’s list is shorter, but since she is the only black girl in an all white school, hers will be the most challenging to overcome. Will Gabe and Frita overcome their fears and learn something about themselves in the process?

Wonderstruck

Author: Brian Selznick
Recommended Age: All Ages
Publisher: Scholastic Press
ISBN: 978-0-545-02789-2
Year Published: 2011
No. Pages: 637
Genre: Historical Fiction
Main Character Gender: Mixed
Read & Reviewed by: James




Wonderstruck is two stories in one that are linked together, and are 50 years apart. One story is told in pictures and the other is told in words. The first story, told in words, is about a boy named Ben. In 1977, Ben misses his mom, who recently died, and wants to meet his long lost dad. He discovers a clue he believes will lead him to his dad, so he runs away to New York City. In the second story, set in 1927, and in pictures, Rose longs for a mother who can't be there for her, so she sets of to New York City. Both Rose and Ben visit the Museum of Natural History. It is here that their parallel stories intersect.

The Clearing

Author: Heather Davis
Recommended Age: Young Adult
Publisher: Graphia
ISBN-10: 0547263678
ISBN-13: 978-0547263670
Year Published: 2010
No. Pages: 228
Genre: Historical Fiction
Main Character Gender: Mixed
Read & Reviewed by: Taylor


 
“Every day about this time, he heard the whir of dragonflies on their mission to the creek. It was familiar, but there was so much he would never know again- at least, he was pretty sure he wouldn’t.”

Amy moves to the country to live with her Aunt Mae at the start of her senior year to put an abusive relationship behind her and have a fresh start. She stumbles through the mist in the clearing behind her Aunt Mae’s cabin and meets a guy named Henry. Henry is different than any boy Amy has ever met; he speaks and dresses in an old fashioned way and treats her better than anyone ever has. Amy starts wondering who Henry really is.

One day, Amy crosses the clearing to surprise Henry, but ends up finding a greater surprise for herself. Henry has been hiding something from her. He is stuck in the endless summer of 1944. Amy has never felt better than in Henry’s world. It’s sunny and warm, there’s fresh apple pie and there’s Henry. It’s a place of refuge from her own world.

Time of the Witches

Author: Anna Myers
Recommended Age: 12+
Publisher: Walker and Company
ISBN: 978-0-545-22863-3
Year Published: 2009
No. Pages: 197
Genre: Historical Fiction
Main Character Gender: Female
Read & Reviewed by: Kat





“Mama, I want to charge Rose as a Witch.”

“That's ridiculous my dear,” said her mother. “Rose can not be a witch. The girl still owes us a year of service. Maybe next year.”

Welcome to the absurd Salem Witch Trials, where 19 accused witches were hanged in 1692 on the flimsy accusation of a group of girls.

Drucilla Overbey is an orphan from birth. She has moved houses many times and finally has found a place she can call home with the Putnam family on the outskirts of Salem Village. Graceful and charming outwardly, Dru's adopted mother, Ann Putnam, exhibits odd behaviour behind closed doors, which includes crying fits and an attempted suicide. This is the result of the loss of several children - Ann is convinced her miscarried babies were murdered by enemies trying to harm her family. Although she is strange, Dru feels drawn to Ann, the mother she never had.

When a new reverend and his family move into town, Mistress Putnam sends her daughter and Dru to seek the answer to the 'murders' of her deceased children from Tituba, the reverend's servant. She also becomes close friends with Reverend Parris and a 'valuable ally in his quest to bring righteousness to this forlorn community.' Life takes a strange turn as girls begin to fall ill. Accusations of witchcraft fly as the girls point fingers at villagers- often at the encouragement of Ann Putnam. Caught up in the groupthink of her peers and the Putnams, Dru becomes one of the accusers and finds herself swept up in the hysteria and caught in a dangerous game- one ruled by blackmail, fear, threats and a will to live.

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