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BOOK REVIEWS – HISTORICAL FICTION
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Title: The $66 Summer ********************************************************* Author: John Armistead Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 8 Critique: I have one reason why I gave the $66 Summer a rating of 8. For the most part, this is an excellent book with lots of adventure and excitement. The book was thrilling and hard to put down once I started reading it. The main reason I gave this book an 8 is because of how it ended; they never solved the mystery of who murdered Staple Garrison. Overall, it was a great story with a not-so-great ending. Library Location: Other Scott Grade 7
Title: Across Five Aprils ********************************************************* Author: Irene Hunt Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 6 Critique: I thought the book was good but I did not like how the author wrote how the people talked when they were southern during the 1800s. I didn’t like it because I could not understand how the author wrote the Southern talk. Library Location: Classroom library Brian Grade 7
Title: After the War ********************************************************* Author: Carol Matas Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 6 Critique: The book was in the time period of World War II, and was adventurous. I wouldn’t recommend this book to young students because it’s very sad. Library Location: St. Leo Main Library Michael Grade 7
Title: Anastasia, the Last Grand Duchess ********************************************************* Author: Carolyn Meyer Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 7 Critique: It talked about the same things over and over, but it didn’t talk enough about the world around her. I used this book for my historical bias report. Library Location: St. Leo Main Library Casey Grade 7
Title: Anastasia, the Last Grand Duchess ********************************************************* Author: Carolyn Meyer Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 8 Critique: It was very interesting and good at explaining her life. I like it a lot. I used this book for my historical bias report. Library Location: St. Leo Main Library Molly Grade 7
Title: Around the World in 80 Days ********************************************************* Author: Jules Verne Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 7 Critique: I gave this book a 7 because it was interesting, but it had some hard names, like Phineas Fogg, Passepartout, and Aouda. Still, I liked the book. From reading the book, I learned about the most commonly used transportation in the 1860’s – 1870’s. I couldn’t really understand parts of it, though. Library Location: Eric Grade 6 Title: Around the World in 80 Days ********************************************************* Author: Jules Verne Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 10 Critique: This book is filled with adventure and wonder of what happens next. The problems are small and big, but the characters always overcome them. Library Location: Other Chris Grade 7
Title: Beyond the ********************************************************* Author: Avi Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 8 Critique: I would give this book an 8/10 because I felt it was a good book to read for my book report, but the story moved along slowly. The book itself was exciting but needs a little more suspense. Overall, it is a good book which I recommend to everyone. It also had a lot of historical fact. Library Location: Other Craig Grade 6
Title: Blizzard’s Wake ********************************************************** Author: Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 9 Critique: Blizzard’s Wake tells about a true time in
history with made-up characters. It is so exciting that you sometimes get
butterflies. It is especially exciting to read about the conflict
between the characters. Once I hadn’t realized it but I stayed up until
Library Location: Clemmons Public Library Elise Grade 6
Title: The Bloody Country ********************************************************** Author: Collier, James Lindsay and Christopher Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 7 Critique: I give it this rating because it is a very well written book and is interesting; but even so, it is a sad book, and I don’t like sad books very much. It does give historical information and I found out more about that period. Library Location: Becky Grade 8
Title: The Bomb ********************************************************** Author: Taylor, Theodore Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 8.5 Critique: There were many reasons I like this book. One of these reasons is because there was a lot of action in the book. I also like how Sorry, who was the main character, took on a leadership role among his people. The last reason I liked this book was because there were a lot of emotions and there wasn’t the usual expected happy ending. This book was not hard to understand so I would recommend it for anyone from ten years old and older. I would also specifically recommend this book to people who enjoy reading books about historical events. Library Location: Evan Grade 7
Title: The Bomb ********************************************************** Author: Taylor, Theodore Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 6 Critique: The book had a lot of interesting information and good character personalities, yet it didn’t have much action or suspense. Library Location: Chance Grade 8
Title: The Bomb ********************************************************** Author: Taylor, Theodore Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 9 Critique: This book was a very good book. It is my favorite book that I have ever read. Library Location: Benedict Grade 8
Title: A Boy at War ********************************************************* Author: Harry Mazer Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 10 Critique: I would give this book a 10 rating. I thought the book was great because I really enjoy learning more about the war. The book was fun to read, because it gave very interesting facts about the war. My favorite part was when the family dropped leis into the sea. It sounded like it was very beautiful but yet very sad because the families were saying good-bye to their dead husbands or fathers. The book did have some sad parts, but overall I thought it was great. I would recommend that you read this book if you enjoy reading about World War II like I do. Library Location: St. Leo Main Library Natalie Grade 6 Title: A Boy at War ********************************************************** Author: Mazer, Harry Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 8 Critique: It’s a story about a boy my age.
There is a lot of adventure and action in this story. The main
character, Adam, is a real hero in this story about Library Location: Paul Grade 8
Title: A Boy at War ********************************************************* Author: Harry Mazer Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 6 Critique: It talks about war and battle, and I am really interested in war and battle. Library Location: Other Jonathan Grade 6
Title: A Boy at War ********************************************************* Author: Harry Mazer Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 8 Critique: I gave it an eight because the author made Library Location: Other Arielle Grade 6
Title: Christmas After All ********************************************************* Author: Kathryn Lasky Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 10 Critique: I love to read about the Great Depression and what happened during it. This story was very interesting. It gave me an idea of what happened during the Great Depression from a girl’s point of view. Every time you turn a page in this book, the suspense just keeps building. This book also has some information about the Dust Bowl. Library Location: Borders (Also available at St. Leo School Library) Daniela Grade 6
Title: Christmas After All ********************************************************** Author: Lasky, Katherine Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 10 Critique: This book was full of suspense! Every night I would read more than I had planned to and I would dread it when my parents would tell me to go to bed. I love this book. Library Location: Grade 8
Title: Cleopatra IV:
Princess of the ********************************************************* Author: Carolyn Meyer Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 8 Critique: The reason I gave this book an 8 was that it was very interesting to read about her culture. It also was an adventure that was so well described that it was like she took you with her. The only part that was boring was while she spent her time on the ship. Also, the ending was very abrupt! Library Location: Erica Grade 8
Title: The Count of Monte Cristo ********************************************************* Author: Alexandre Dumas Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 8 Critique: The reason I rated the book an 8 is because it is fery interesting. I took 2 points off because in the beginning it was a little boring. If you like exciting endings, then you will like this book. Library Location: home (also available at St. Leo School Library) John Grade 6
Title: The Count of Monte Cristo ********************************************************** Author: Verne, Jules Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 8 Critique: This book has a lot of events that
have problems. But Library Location: other Christopher Grade 6
Title: The Devil’s Arithmetic ********************************************************** Author: Yolen, Jane Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 10 Critique: I like this book because it explains about how bad the Jews had it, like the gas showers and being hung. They all had to get shaved bald and tattooed, even the women. I think everyone should read it. Library Location: other Stephen Grade 8
Title: The Devil’s Arithmetic ********************************************************* Author: Jane Yolen Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 10 Critique: This book was wonderful. It teaches us about Jewish history and about what went on during the Holocaust. It also shows us that you should have respect for your elders because of what they went through. It was all around a wonderful book except when sad things happened like people passing on or them being separated from their families. Library Location: St. Leo Main Library Lea Grade 6
Title: Dreams of the Golden Country ********************************************************* Author: Kathryn Lasky Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 5 Critique: This book gave a lot of details, and it
was very interesting. There was no
action in the story. It was about a
Jewish immigrant girl from Library Location: Paige Grade 6 Title: Early Sunday Morning ********************************************************* Author: Barry Denenberg Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 8 Critique: This book is very good because it was very
exciting. But at the beginning it was
a little boring. But it was very good
in the end. It was about a girl and
her family in Library Location: St. Leo Main Library Laura Grade 6 Title: Early Sunday Morning ********************************************************* Author: Barry Denenburg Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 8 Critique: I think tis book was a really educational book. I gave it an 8 because I enjoyed reading the journal entries – it really made me feel like I had been transported back to her time. The reason I did not give it a ten is because I do not like historical fiction, I like more fiction books. Library Location: St. Leo Main Library Hana Grade 6
Title: Early Sunday Morning ********************************************************* Author: Barry Denenbert Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 10 Critique: The book gave a lot of historical facts. It used very distinctive words. It was really good, it told you what really happened. Library Location: Other Julia Grade 6
Title: Escape from ********************************************************* Author: Ian Serailler Genre: Historical fiction Rating: 10 Critique: I thought this was a great book. It was suspenseful and sometimes
thrilling. The way the author
described the most important moments with such detail made it extra-enjoyable
to read. The suspense of the nazi soldiers bombing the city of Library Location: Evan Grade 8
Title: the Fifth of March ********************************************************* Author: Ann Rinaldi Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 8 Critique: I think that it was a good book because I thought it was interesting and still I learned something new. It was about the Boston Massacre, so it was something I already knew about, but it took the story more in depth. I would recommend it to anyone who likes an interesting and adventurous book. Library Location: Other Alyssa Grade 6
Title: Greater Than Angels ********************************************************* Author: Carol Matas Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 9 Critique: It was great. A fourteen-year-old girl is in the middle of World War II. She survives being a jew. It is a wonderful story and I love it. I recommend it to everyone. Library Location: St. Leo Main Library Bonnie Grade 6
Title: Hitler’s Daughter ********************************************************* Author: Jackie French Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 5 Critique: This book was good but not great because it was hard to understand and it was a bit boring. It was about a girl named Heidi and she was Hitler’s Daughter. It told a little about the concentration camps and a little bit about Hitler. I am sure other people would like this book though, because historical fiction is not my favorite type of book. Library Location: home Delaney Grade 6 Title: I am David ********************************************************* Author: Ann Holm Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 8 Critique: Some of the reasons that this book is great are
that the author uses so many descriptions and details in this book. The author also goes in depth about David’s
journey and how it was to live in a concentration camp for 12 years and how
cruel the guards treated the prisoners.
Another reason is when David finally escapes,
the author expresses his desire to go to Library Location: Jacob Grade 8
Title: I Thought My Soul Would Rise and Fly ********************************************************** Author: Hansen, Joyce Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 8 Critique: I really enjoyed this book, but it was just mainly about slavery and what they did everyday. It was exciting at some points and was also interesting. I would recommend it to people who don’t have a lot of time but still want to read a book – even for pleasure. Library Location: other Annie Grade 8
Title: I Thought My Soul Would Rise and Fly: the Diary of Patsy, a Freed Girl ********************************************************* Author: Joyce Hanson Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 7 Critique: The story was good, but not great. It is about a 12 or 13-year-old girl who is a freed slave. She is a teacher to all of the slave children and teaches them to read and write. I thought the book was a little bit boring and it did not have enough action. I liked the characters and the setting. You will learn a lot about the slaves what their life was like. Library Location: St. Leo Main Library Claire Grade 6 Title: I Thought My Soul Would Rise and Fly ********************************************************* Author: Joyce Hansen Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 9 Critique: I gave this book a 9 because I really enjoyed this book. It’s about a 13-year old slave girl who lived through the Civil War. I liked this book because it’s not boring even though it has many historical facts. There is a lot of action going on all the time, and it is very interesting. This book is perfect for a historical fiction book report. Library Location: Eileen Grade 8
Title: I Walk in Dread: The Diary of Deliverance Trembley, Witness to the ********************************************************** Author: Lisa Rowe Fraustino Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 8 1/2 Critique: This book was exciting, but it was slow at the beginning, and the old English language was slightly difficult to read. Despite this drawback, it held my attendion and was fun to read. It was a real page-turner. I also learned many things I never knew before in this book. The author did a good job of describing the life of the people in that time period (Colonial Salem in the 1600’s). Library Location: Borders Chelcie Grade 8
Title: Indian Captive ********************************************************* Author: Lois Lenski Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 8 Critique: This book was good but sad to see how much the main character suffered. Learning about the Indians was fascinating. Library Location: St. Leo Main Library Liz Grade 6
Title: Jason’s Gold ********************************************************** Author: Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 10 Critique: The reason I give this book a ten is
because it is full of adventure and very exciting. The main character
in the story is a fifteen-year-old boy named Jason. He is strong,
brave, and very intelligent. On his way to Library Location: other Scott Grade 6
Title: Jason’s Gold ********************************************************* Author: Will Hobbs Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 8 Critique: It was full of surprises and it kept me entertained. Library Location: St. Leo Main Library Hunter Grade 6
Title: Johnny Tremain ********************************************************** Author: Forbes, Esther Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 8 Critique: It was around the Revolutionary War time period and I like those kinds of books. The book gave away things that would happen later on in the book. It is also somewhat adventurous and was very good. Library Location: Bobby Grade 8
Title: Johnny Tremain ********************************************************* Author: Esther Forbes Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 7 Critique: The reasons I gave this book a 7 out of 10 are because it had a lot of action, but sometimes the story trailed off to another time and place. Also, there were too many main characters in the story. Sometimes it was hard to tell who was who. Overall, it was a so-so book and had a lot of adjectives. I don’t exactly highly recommend it, but I recommend it. Library Location: Other Craig Grade 6
Title: Johnny Tremain ********************************************************* Author: Esther Forbes Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 9 Critique: This book happened to compare to exactly what we
were learning in history at the time.
This was the Revolutionary War with the colonists and the
British. I could really relate well in
both the novel, and the history chapters in
class. That made the book really fun
to read. Also, it is impossible to
predict the events in this book. For
example, when Johnny burns his hand and cripples it, when he is searching for
a new trade, and several other times.
This book is very interesting in terms of the history (Boston Tea
Party, Revolutionary War, Boston Massacre). It won the Newbery Award, and it most
definitely deserved it. If you like
early colonial times in Library Location: Barnes & Noble (also available at St. Leo Library) Jared Grade 8
Title: The Journal of Biddy Owens ********************************************************* Author: Walter Dean Myers Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 5 Critique: I liked this book because it is about a
baseball team that travels around the Library Location: St. Leo Main Library Anthony Grade 6 Title: The Journal of Joshua Loper ********************************************************* Author: Walter Dean Myers Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 4 Critique: I think this book is very detailed and hard to understand. It is about a boy named Joshua that goes on a cattle drive when he is 16. I gave it a 4 because it was too grown-up and difficult to read. Library Location: St. Leo Main Library Cole Grade 6 Title: The Journal of Scott Pendleton Collins ********************************************************* Author: Walter Dean Myers Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 10 Critique: It is one of the most interesting historical
fiction books I have ever read. The
book is so historically correct, and it is not dull! Most of the historical fiction books I have
read are so dull and long that they take me an hour just to read twenty
pages. This book is very action-packed,
and it gives every detail about what really happened on D-Day. The Journal of Scott Pendleton Collins is about a young Library Location: Zachary Grade 8
Title: The Journal of Scott Pendleton Collins ********************************************************* Author: Walter Dean Myers Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 10 Critique: It has some interesting facts. I learned some things about World War II. I also like the book because it was about a young man in the army. Scott Pendleton Collins was a man in World War II. I was glad he did not get killed in the war. Library Location: Other Adam Grade 6
Title: The Journal of Patrick Seamus Flaherty ********************************************************* Author: Ellen Emerson White Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 9 Critique: I gave this book a 9 because it was about
a heroic soldier. The soldier’s name
was Patrick Seamus Flaherty. He was in
the Vietnam War when the North Vietnamese were fighting for the whole country
of both North and Library Location: St. Leo Main Library Matthew Grade 6 Title: The Journal of Scott Pendleton Collins ********************************************************* Author: Walter Dean Myers Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 8 Critique: It is very realistic and gory. It is suspenseful and some parts you don’t want to put the book down. Library Location: St. Leo Main Library Dane Grade 6
Title: Kris’ War ********************************************************** Author: Matas, Carol Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 8 Critique: I like this book very much. It was very interesting and exciting! Interesting things happen on almost every page. One thing was that there was some gore because it was about World War II. It gives a lot of detail of what kind of stuff really did happen in the war. It was a great book. Library Location: Sarah Grade 8
Title: Lady of Chiao Kuo: Warrior of the South ********************************************************** Author: Yep, Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 8 Critique: It was well written and very informative. It was interesting, but the political standings of the time were very confusing and it was difficult to understand what was happening in the struggle for power. Library Location: other Gina Grade 8
Title: Lady of Ch’iao Kuo ********************************************************* Author: Laurence Yep Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 9 Critique: This book is extremely interesting. It is very exciting and sad. I like this book because it’s a diary and because it tells about the life of a determined, adventurous young lady. Why I gave this book a nine and not a ten is because of the war parts and the killing parts in this book. I read this book for my historical bias report. Library Location: Other Lindsay Grade 7
Title: The Last Silk Dress ********************************************************* Author: Ann Rinaldi Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 5 Critique: I have long been a fan of Ann Rinaldi’s work. She has written many wonderful historical fiction novels that I have thoroughly enjoyed. This one was slightly disappointing. While its storyline was well-planned and the characters vibrant and lovable, there were places where I found myself getting bored. It was not as exciting as her other books – not as pleasing to read. However, as the story progressed into the intensity of the Civil War and the narrator, Susan, encountered more adventures and made difficult decisions, I began to enjoy it more. Library Location: home Caroline Grade 8
Title: The Light in the ********************************************************** Author: Conrad Richter Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 4 Critique: This book was interesting, but very uneventful. Library Location: Classroom Library Chas Grade 6
Title: Lisa’s War ********************************************************** Author: Carol Matas Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 4 Critique: This book was kind of boring because I really don’t like historical fiction. But if you like historical fiction, you might like it. Library Location: Classroom library Olivia Grade 6
Title: Lisa’s War ********************************************************** Author: Matas, Carol Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 8 Critique: I thought this book was very interesting. It was full of suspense, too! It was about a girl, so I could relate to it easily. I also like this book because it’s about Lisa, the main character, and how she grows up and matures. In other words, the story takes place over a number of years. These are the reasons why I gave this book the rating I did. Library Location: Jennifer Grade 8
Title: Marie Antoinette, Princess of ********************************************************* Author: Kathryn Lasky Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 7 Critique: There was some bias in this book, but it was still a good book. I used this book for my historical bias report. Library Location: St. Leo Main Library Anna Grade 7
Title: Marie Antoinette: Princess of ********************************************************* Author: Kathryn Lasky Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 6-7 Critique: Reading this book was enjoyable. I liked learning about the historical
character Marie Antoinette. Although,
at some points, I found the book a little “slow” or slightly boring. I also like the pictures and historical
information in the back of the book – it helped me to visualize the
characters, and the time period in which the book takes place. All in all, I believe Marie Antoinette,
Princess of Library Location: Lauren Grade 8
Title: Mountain Valor ********************************************************** Author: Houston, Gloria Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 8 Critique: The book had lots of suspense and action. Additionally, the main character was a girl in her teen years, so I could relate to what she was thinking. Library Location: Katherine Grade 8
Title: My Brother Sam is Dead ********************************************************* Author: James and Christopher Collier Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 8.5 Critique: It really grasped your attention, to to the conflicts happening. Library Location: Other Erinn Grade 6
Title: My Brother Sam is Dead ********************************************************** Author: Collier, Lincoln, and Collier, Christopher Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 8 Critique: This was a very good book because it kept me reading and it had a good story line. I really have to say this book was interesting. I would suggest this book to all. Library Location: other Grade 8
Title: My Secret War ********************************************************** Author: Osborne, Mary Pope Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 7 Critique: This book was in a diary format so it was different than most books. It was pretty good. I would recommend it to you. Library Location: Olivia Grade 6
Title: My Secret War ********************************************************* Author: Mary Pope Osborne Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 9 Critique: This is a great book for 6th graders if you like World War II. I thought it was a little sad, but it is really good. It’s about a girl who had a dad in the army and has to move around a lot. She is trying to fit in with her classmates while she writes to her dad. The war goes on as she meets new friends and helps out with the war. Library Location: St. Leo Main Library Jacqueline Grade 6 Title: My Secret War ********************************************************** Author: Mary Pope Osborne Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 9.75 Critique: I thought that this book was really exciting and suspenseful at some places. Most of the time you feel as if you are really there. Library Location: St. Leo Main Library Marissa Grade 6
Title: Nory Ryan’s Song ********************************************************* Author: Patricia Reilly Giff Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 9 Critique: I really enjoyed this book. It was a great story about the potato
famine Library Location: St. Leo Main Library Monica Grade 6 Title: Number the Stars ********************************************************** Author: Lowry, Lois Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 6 Critique: The book I read was hard to get into at first, but as you go on, it draws your attention. Library Location: other Erinn Grade 6
Title: Number the Stars ********************************************************** Author: Lois Lowry Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 10 Critique: I gave this book a ten because it has
suspense. It is also very interesting. I would recommend this
book to anyone that is interested in the Holocaust. In this book, Annemarie
tries to protect her jewish friends while the Nazis
invade Library Location: Classroom library Matt Grade 6
Title: Nzingha ********************************************************* Author: Patricia McKissack Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 6 Critique: This book is about a girl who will eventually become the king of tribes, and her adventures. I used this book for my historical bias report. Library Location: St. Leo Main Library Steffie Grade 7
Title: Old Yeller ********************************************************** Author: Gipson, Fred Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 8 Critique: I give this book this rating because there were a few parts in it that on my part weren’t strongly written. But, there were also a lot of parts in the story that are well described and very strongly written. Overall, this book is wonderful. Library Location: other Lea Grade 6
Title: One Eye Laughing, the Other Weeping ********************************************************** Author: Denenberg, Barry Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 9 Critique: This book was so, so extremely sad, but equally as good. It really touched me and made me feel like I was there with Julie Weiss, fighting the war with her. Library Location: Liz Grade 6
Title: One Eye Laughing, the Other Weeping ********************************************************** Author: Barry Denenberg Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 10 Critique: Because this book was full of adventure and there was always something interesting going on. I really liked this book and encourage everyone to read it. Library Location: St. Leo Main Library Alex Grade 6
Title: Out of the Dust ********************************************************** Author: Karen Hesse Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 7 Critique: Because it was a book that really makes you think about the impact of your life. This book had more than one sad event, so it really drew your attention toward the fun, sad, and realistic parts, and really caused you to think. Library Location: Other Erinn Grade 6
Title: Paul Revere, American Patriot ********************************************************** Author: Stevenson, Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 8 Critique: It was good but not the best book I have ever read. However, it was good. Library Location: other Joseph Grade 8
Title: Rebel Siege ********************************************************* Author: Jim Kielgaard Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 9 Critique: It is a book abouth the Revolutionary War. A rifle-maker’s boy goes to war with a friend but returns home and he and his father both go back and join the American Militia. Very detailed battles. If you like the Revolutionary War or the Over the Mountain Men, you should read this book. Vivid descriptions of battles, and the author used the main character to tell about how life was back then. Library Location: home Zach Grade 6 Title: The Red Badge of Courage ********************************************************** Author: Crane, Stephen Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 7 Critique: This book was extremely interesting and gave me insight into what might be happening among the Civil War soldiers. Some of the language was hard to understand because of the time period. Overall, this book was very informative. Library Location: public library Nicole Grade 8
Title: The Rise and Fall of Jesse James ********************************************************** Author: Robert Love Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 10 Critique: I learned a lot about the life of the best outlaw in the world. It was exciting and it kept me reading. It was the best book I’ve ever read. Library Location: Other Cameron Grade 6
Title: Seeds of Hope ********************************************************** Author: Kristiana Gregory Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 9 Critique: I gave Seeds of Hope a 9 rating because I really enjoyed reading it and it was very well written. Also I liked reading Seeds of Hope because it took place during the Gold Rush, which I think is a very interesting time period because it amazes me how much people will sacrifice for gold. Also the plot of this book is very neat and works well in a diary format. I encourage everyone to try reading this book because of the amazing story it holds inside. Library Location: St. Leo Main Library Molly Grade 6
Title: So Far From Home: The Diary of Mary Driscoll, an Irish Mill Girl ********************************************************* Author: Barry Denenberg Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 9 Critique: This was an excellent book! Although there were some parts where it got
boring, or felt like there were WAY too many descriptive words in that
passage, the book was overall an excellent read. The girl is from Library Location: Borders (also available at St. Leo Library) Ally Grade 8
Title: So Far From Home ********************************************************** Author: Barry Denenburg Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 7 Critique: I would give this book a seven because it was very good. It gave very distinct description of places and characters. They made it really sound like it was long time ago! These are the reasons that I gave the book a seven. Library Location: Other Jessica Grade 6 Title: Star in the Storm ********************************************************* Author: Joan Harlow Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 9 Critique: I thought this book would be pretty bad,
but I was so wrong. It’s about a dog
in Library Location: Home (also available at St. Leo Main Library) Grade 6
Title: A Time for Courage: the Suffrage Diary of Kathleen Bowen ********************************************************* Author: Katherine Lasky Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 9 – 9.5 Critique: This book was very interesting, and it also contains many historical facts about the suffrage movement of the 1920’s. I usually find these books somewhat boring, but because it was such an interesting part of history, it kept me interested throughout the book. I would recommend this book to girls who like history, and for girls who are not afraid to take any risks, no matter what it costs them. Library Location: home Megan Grade 8
Title: A Time for Courage: the Suffrage Diary of Kathleen Bown ********************************************************* Author: Kathryn Lasky Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 8 Critique: This was an interesting book about women fighting for their right to vote. There were many parts of the book where you didn’t want to put it down; however, several parts were very boring. I was able to relate to some of the characters in parts of the book. I think it is a good historical fiction book, but I would not read it in my spare time. I think that you would enjoy this book is you like historical fiction books. Library Location: Nicole Grade 8
Title: To Kill a Mockingbird ********************************************************** Author: Harper Lee Genre: Historical Fiction Rating 10 Critique: It is an adventurous book and it was also a kind of mystery book. I think that it was a book that kept me reading because it is very interesting and exciting. Library Location: Other Alyssa Gaudio Grade 6
Title: The Seeing Stone ********************************************************** Author: Crossley-Holland, Kevin Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 6 Critique: I gave this book a “6” because of two reasons: one positive, one negative. The negative reason is because even though it is of the historical fiction genre, it doesn’t give as much information as you might expect. The positive reason is that the story line was good and the characters’ personalities differed. Library Location: other Camp Grade 8
Title: Strawberry Girl ********************************************************** Author: Lois Lowry Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 2 Critique: It was rather boring. I did not like the time period and it was only about one person. She spent all of her time gardening, or thinking, and I did not find this particularly interesting. Library Location: Other Katie Grade 7
Title: The Sword in the Stone ********************************************************** Author: Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 5 Critique: It was not interesting and long. Library Location: Other David Grade 6
Title: A Tale of Two Cities ********************************************************* Author: Charles Dickens Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 8 Critique: My reason for giving the above rating is because it is a great plot but there is a lot of pages. Library Location: Other Chris Grade 6
Title: Tom Paine ********************************************************** Author: Brett, Grace Neff Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 9 Critique: It was very informative and interesting. It is a really good book for research and can help you on your projects. Library Location: Grade 8
Title: ********************************************************* Author: Anna Kirwan Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 9 Critique: It was, in general, a good source of
information. This book did contain some bias and untruths, and because
it is mainly Library Location: St. Leo Main Library Carleigh Grade 7
Title: ********************************************************* Author: Anna Kirwan Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 7 Critique: It is well-written and very historically
accurate. It took place in 1829, Library Location: Other Alison Grade 7
Title: War Comes to Willy Freeman ********************************************************** Author: James Lincoln and Christopher Collier Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 9 Critique: The book was very exciting and stayed that way through the book. I liked how it said at the end what was true and what wasn’t. Library Location: St. Leo Main Library Grade 6
Title: The Winter Hero ********************************************************* Author: James and Christopher Collier Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 7 Critique: The book had lots of action, but in between the events (Shay’s Rebellion), it was kind of boring. Library Location: Classroom Library Grade 6
Title: The Witch of Blackbird Pond ********************************************************** Author: Speare Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: 10 Critique: The Witch of Blackbird Pond keeps you on your toes. It is an adventurous book. It also is mysterious. If you like adventurous books you would like the book that I read. Library Location: Classroom library Heather Grade 6
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