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Historical Fiction


Three historical fiction novels are reviewed below:
  • Scott O'Dell Award winner: The Green Glass Sea by Ellen Klages
  • The Midwife's Apprentice by Karen Cushman
  • Newbery Honor Book: Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm
The Green Glass Sea by Ellen Klages

  

Plot Summary
     Dewey Kerrigan is introduced as an intelligent, lonely girl of slight build. She is almost eleven when the novel opens in 1943, and her grandmother and caregiver has just been sent to a nursing home after a stroke. Dewey is traveling toward New Mexico to live with her father at an army base which she quickly discovers is engulfed in secrecy. Her destination is Los Alamos, a base involved in the "Manhattan Project," in which scientists worked to develop the first atomic bomb.
    A second central character, Suze Gordon, is soon introduced. Suze is a large girl who often feels ostracized by the group of girls she desires as friends. When Dewey's father leaves for a few weeks, Suze finds herself sharing a room with the girl everyone calls "Screwy Dewey." Although the girls' relationship is full of conflict and misunderstanding in the beginning, their unique interests and passion for creatively arranging items they find at the dump soon leads them to develop a deep bond of friendship. During May of 1945, Dewey's father is hit by a car and dies. Dewey continues to live with the Gordons and finds Terry Gordon, Suze's mother, supportive and caring. It becomes clear that Dewey will continue to live with the Gordon's after the war ends. 
    In the early morning hours of July 17, 1945, Dewey and the Gordons witness from a distance the first detonation of an atomic bomb at the Trinity site, 220 miles from Los Alamos. Terry's ethical scruples about the use of the bomb clearly strain her marriage from that moment on. In the final scene of the novel, Dewey and the Gordons visit the Trinity site on August 6 in celebration of Suze's birthday. The girls marvel at the green glass, covering 75 acres of the desert, that was melted into formation by "the gadget." Terry continues to express her concern about the ethics of using this weapon against other human beings. As the family drives away from the site, the reader learns that the first atomic bomb has been dropped on Hiroshima.

Critical Analysis
     As a snapshot of army life that was shrouded in uncertainty and secrecy, Ellen Klages has crafted a novel that successfully immerses the reader in the time period as well as in the fears and hopes of those working on this new and, to those involved, exciting weapon. The day-to-day life of the children living in Los Alamos is described in great detail, transporting the reader into the time and the location of the story. The concerns of adults working on the project are expressed most clearly through Dewey's father and the Gordon parents, and this gives the reader additional insight into the adult response to this stressful and uncertain project.
    The authenticity of historical events that frame the story is demonstrated by Klages' inclusion of dates in chapter headings throughout the novel. Significant events, such as the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Germany's surrender, are described with appropriate detail, and the emotional reactions of the central characters and all those living in Los Alamos are also clearly depicted. The reader is able to not only understand the events themselves, but also to empathize with the emotions Americans felt when these events occurred. 
    One interesting stylistic element that Klages has used involves switching between present and past tense at different times in the novel. The present tense is used when Klages describes Dewey's emotions during very difficult periods, such as when she first leaves her grandma's house, when she struggles with living with Suze, and when she faces the truth that her father has died. The stylistic choice seems to be chosen to help the reader personalize and sympathize with Dewey's emotions. Some readers might benefit from an analysis of this grammatical choice, as it can seem unintentional and disruptive to smooth reading at first.
    Because the novel ends before the characters have learned that an atomic bomb has been dropped on Hiroshima, it is clear that additional content is needed. Some readers might find it frustrating that the culmination of the work at Los Alamos is not described or addressed in this novel. To learn more about Dewey and to understand public and private reactions to the atomic bombs used against Japan, the audience will have to read the sequel, White Sands, Red Menace, which was published in 2008 (ISBN: 9780670062355).

Review Excerpts
  • Scot O'Dell Award, 2007
  • Julie Lopez Memorial Award for Children's Literature, 2007
  • New Mexico State Book Award, 2007
  • Starred review in The Horn Book
  • Starred review in Publisher's Weekly (10/23/2006):  "Klages makes an impressive debut with an ambitious, meticulously researched novel set during WWII.Writing from the points of view of two displaced children, she successfully recreates life at Los Alamos Camp, where scientists and mathematicians converge with their families to construct and test the first nuclear bomb.... Details about the era—popular music, pastimes and products—add authenticity to the story as do brief appearances of some historic figures including Robert Oppenheimer, who breaks the news to Dewey that her father has been killed in a car accident. If the book is a little slow-moving at times, the author provides much insight into thecontroversies surrounding the making of the bomb and brings to life the tensions of war experienced by adults and children alike."
  • Review in School Library Journal (11/01/2006): "Clear prose brings readers right into the unusual atmosphere of the secretive scientific community, seen through the eyes of the kids and their families. Dewey is an especially engaging character, plunging on with her mechanical projects and ignoring any questions about gender roles.... After the atomic bomb test succeeds, ethical concerns of both youngsters and adults intensify as the characters learn how it is ultimately used. Many readers will know as little about the true nature of the project as the girls do, so the gradual revelation of facts is especially effective, while those who already know about Los Alamos’s historical significance will experience the story in a different, but equally powerful, way."
  • Review in Booklist (11/15/2006): "The novel occasionally gets mired down in detail, but the characters are exceptionally well drawn, and the compelling, unusual setting makes a great tie-in for history classes."
Connections
  • This novel most clearly ties to history or social studies lessons about World War II, which might be part of a World or U.S. History curriculum. (Note: In Texas, World History is a sixth grade course, and this novel is perfect for this age group.) Teachers might consider offering this book as a choice among others to build background knowledge and perspective about the 1940's time period. After reading their selected novels, students might share their unique understanding of the time period through a poster or Glog. During class discussions of the time period, students should be encouraged to share additional information they learned from their chosen novels. Other novels that address the reactions of Americans to the events of World War II and that might be offered as book choices include:
    • White Sands, Red Menace by Ellen Klages (ISBN: 9780670062355)
    • Two Suns in the Sky by Miriam Bat-Ami, a Scott O'Dell Award winner (ISBN:  0142300365)
    • Willow Run (ISBN:  0440238013) and Lily's Crossing a Newbery Honor Book (ISBN:  0440414539), both by Patricia Reilly Giff
    • Under the Blood Red Sun by Graham Salisbury, a Scott O'Dell Award winner (ISBN:  0553494872)
    • See this list of books for more ideas
  • Radio is one of Dewey's interests that the reader learns more about throughout the novel. Understanding how radios work is not essential to comprehension of the novel, but many students will find the topic interesting. Before beginning the novel, students can be introduced to resources such as the "How Radio Works" page from How Stuff Works.
  • Various "real people" appear during the course of the novel, and a few who might be of interest to students for further study include Dorothy McKibbin, Robert Oppenheimer, and Richard Feynman.
  • Klages offers a list of recommended sources for readers seeking more information about Los Alamos and the making of the atomic bomb (see pp. 320-21). Some websites that offer additional information include:
  • For a webquest directed at high school students who have read this novel, see "Exploring the Atomic Bomb," created through Zunal.com.
Bibliography
Klages, Ellen. 2006. The Green Glass Sea. New York, NY: Viking. ISBN 0670061344.



The Midwife's Apprentice by Karen Cushman

Plot Summary
     The main character, a girl introduced as Brat who is soon renamed Beetle, is first seen sleeping in a dung hill, trying to escape the elements by hiding in a barn in thirteenth century rural England. Beetle is scrawny, dirty, and alone, but a midwife discovers her and takes her in as a servant. Eventually Beetle becomes an apprentice to the midwife, collecting and preparing a variety of herbs and concoctions and accompanying the midwife when she is called to deliver babies. Beetle is attentive and industrious and quickly discovers that she is able to remember the various potions needed for birth and that she is able to calm and assist those in labor.
    After being complimented for her appearance and having had a man suggest that she might be able to read, Beetle renames herself Alyce and assumes a greater sense of individuality. She helps a small boy very much like herself find a place to work where he will be fed and sheltered, and she feels a great sense of pride in having cared for someone else. She assists with the birth of twin calves and later is left to deliver a baby on her own. She tries to assist a woman in labor a second time but is unable to deliver the baby without the midwife's expertise. Alyce flees in shame and begins working at an inn away from the village. There she begins to learn to read from one of the boarders.
   When the midwife visits the inn, Alyce hides as she hears her story related from the midwife's point of view. From this conversation, Alyce learns that the midwife was only disappointed in Alyce because she gave up on learning and practicing midwifery, not because she was not able to deliver one baby. Alyce finally realizes she would like to continue training to be a midwife, and she returns to the midwife's cottage, demonstrates her commitment, and returns to her apprenticeship.

Critical Analysis
     The Midwife's Apprentice is a quick, engaging read that, unfortunately, has limited appeal. The plot is fast-paced, and Alyce is dynamic and fascinating, eliciting both sympathy and frustration from the reader. The dialogue found in the book reflects dialects and speech patterns which might be associated with the time period and educational level of the characters. Medieval midwifery is described with a fair amount of detail, especially in regard to the herbs and potions used by midwifes who relied on a combination of superstition, tradition, and experience to practice their craft. In spite of these qualities and because of its female central character, its female-focused topic, and a genre that does not always appeal to this age group, this book has limited appeal to the target audience.  
    As evidence of the validity of this work as historical fiction, Cushman includes an "Author's Note" on the final pages that summarizes the factual information included in the novel. She does not, however, include any sources or offer any suggestions for additional reading. In the end, curious readers are left to explore this very expansive and sometimes controversial topic on their own, if so desired.

Review Excerpts
  • Review in Booklist (03/15/1995): "This is a world, like Chaucer's, that's neither sweet nor fair; it's rough, dangerous, primitive, and raucous. Cushman writes with a sharp simplicity and a pulsing beat.... The characters are drawn with zest and affection but no false reverence. The midwife is tough and greedy...yet she's the one who finally helps Alyce to be brave. Kids will like this short, fast-paced narrative about a hero who discovers that she's not ugly or stupid or alone."
  • Review in Publisher's Weekly (02/27/1995): "Cushman has an almost unrivaled ability to build atmosphere, and her evocation of a medieval village, if not scholarly in its authenticity, is supremely colorful and pungent.... Some of the characterizations lack consistency (particularly that of the midwife), the plot depends on a few too many conveniences and the development of the themes seems hurried, ‘but no matter. The force of the ambiance produces more than enough momentum to propel the reader from start to finish in a single happy sitting."
  • Review in School Library Journal (05/01/1995):  "With simplicity, wit, and humor, Cushman presents another tale of medieval England.... Characters are sketched briefly but with telling, witty detail, and the very scents and sounds of the land and people's occupations fill each page as Alyce comes of age and heart. Earthy humor, the foibles of humans both high and low, and a fascinating mix of superstition and genuinely helpful herbal remedies attached to childbirth make this a truly delightful introduction to a world seldom seen in children's literature."
Connections
  • One of the topics that might spark student interest, especially those interested in a career related to medicine, is the use of herbal remedies to ease pain, to induce contractions, or to stanch bleeding. In the "Author's Note," Cushman offers a fairly comprehensive list of the herbal remedies mentioned within the novel. Students might be asked or encouraged to research herbal remedies in general or specific herbs mentioned in the book. There are ample online resources related both to past and present use of herbal remedies during labor and delivery. Maturity level and background knowledge are important considerations in recommending additional information to students. Some research sources might include:
  • After reading this book, an interest in the history of midwifery might be sparked. Students can be encouraged to research this topic and present their findings in timeline format. Consider having students use a Web 2.0 tool such as Dipity to create and present their timeline.
  • To use this book in the classroom, consider the teacher-created "Midwife Webquest," which offers a complete unit to accompany the book and a variety of quality resources to support the topics addressed in the book.
  • Students who enjoy learning about this time period might also enjoy the following related books:
    • Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman (ISBN:  0547722184)
    • Crispin: The Cross of Lead by Avi (ISBN: 0786816589)
    • A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver by E.L. Konigsburg (ISBN: 068984624X)
Bibliography
Cushman, Karen. 1995. The Midwife's Apprentice. New York, NY: Clarion Books. ISBN 0395692296.



Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm

Plot Summary
     Turtle in Paradise is the story of a girl named Turtle and her various struggles during the summer of 1935. Turtle's mother Sadiebelle is a single mom who works as a housekeeper in New Jersey and is prone to making bad decisions when it comes to finances and men. When Sadiebelle gets a job working for a woman who will not allow Turtle to live in her home, Turtle is sent south to the Florida Keys. She is brought to a street called Curry Lane because it is inhabited entirely by members of the Curry family. Sadiebelle's sister, Aunt Minnie, married a Curry, and so Turtle finds herself reluctantly taken into a house inhabited by her aunt and uncle and their three rowdy sons, Beans, Buddy, and Kermit. 
    During the course of the summer, Turtle joins the three boys and their similarly nicknamed friends in a variety of adventures. The boys make up a group called the "Diaper Gang," and from them Turtle learns a bit about caring for babies and running a lucrative business. Turtle gets to know her cranky grandma and discovers a treasure map in her grandma's crumbling piano. When she and the boys find the buried treasure, they are trapped in a shack during a hurricane but are rescued and returned to their families much wealthier. At what would be the end of Turtle's visit, Sadiebelle returns, Turtle orchestrates a tearful reunion between Sadiebelle and her formerly estranged mother, and Turtle makes preparations to return to New Jersey and begin living her dream life with her mother, her mother's new husband, and her newly amassed fortune.
    Turtle soon finds that her dreams are still out of her grasp, however, when it becomes clear that her mother's husband has taken Turtle's money and left the island without them. By this point, Turtle has come to appreciate many of the aspects of living in Key West, and both she and her mother make the decision to live with Aunt Minnie until they can make it on their own again.

Critical Analysis
     As a work of fiction, Turtle in Paradise offers an engaging plot, interesting (if not always entirely believable) characters, and a clearly described setting. Most of the plot flows smoothly and logically, although the treasure hunt is a bit far-fetched and forced within the framework of the book. The final scene of the treasure hunt does, however, serve to clarify and solidify the relationship between Turtle and the man who the reader will presume is her father. The characters are dynamic and, by the end of the book, the reader is left curious and concerned about the future lives of Sadiebelle and Turtle.
    In its historic aspects, the book consistently and intentionally depicts the day-to-day lives of individuals struggling during the Great Depression. Roosevelt is mentioned a few times, and a hurricane that truly devastated parts of the Florida Keys during the summer of 1935 is key to the climax of the novel (the treasure hunting scene). Reading the thorough "Author's Note" at the end of the book will help the reader understand the significance of the  book as historic record; the place and the people of the novel are based on true places and people, and Holm even points out that the treasure hunt could have been a real event if rumors she's heard from the time period are true. 

Review Excerpts
  • Newbery Honor Book, 2011
  • American Library Association Notable Book for Children
  • Booklist Editor's Choice
  • Texas Bluebonnet List
  • Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Book of 2010
  • New York Times bestseller
  • Starred review in Publisher's Weekly (05/03/2010): "Two-time Newbery Honor author Holm again crafts a winning heroine who, despite her hardened exterior, gradually warms to her eccentric family members... Infused with period pop culture references, a strong sense of place, and the unique traditions and culture of Key West natives (aka "Conchs"), this humorous adventure effectively portrays Turtle as caught between her mother's Hollywood-inspired dreams and the very real family and geography that offer a different kind of paradise."
  • Starred Kirkus Review (04/15/2010): "Turtle’s discovery of the charms of family is as valuable as the pirate treasure the children weather a hurricane to find. Holm’s voice for Turtle is winning and authentic—that of a practical, clear-eyed observer—and her nimble way with dialogue creates laugh-out-loud moments. Sweet, funny and superb."
  • Starred review in Booklist (04/15/2010): "Holm uses family stories as the basis for this tale, part romp, part steely-eyed look at the Depression era. Reminiscent of Addie in the movie Paper Moon, Turtle is just the right mixture of knowingness and hope; the plot is a hilarious blend of family dramas seasoned with a dollop of adventure. The many references to 1930's entertainments (Terry and the Pirates, Shirley Temple) will mostly go over kids' heads, but they'll get how much comics and movies meant to a population desperate for smiles."
Connections
  • Holm offers a very brief list of nonfiction resources that might be of interest to the reader. They include:
    • Storm of the Century: The Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 by Willie Drye (ISBN:  0792241037)
    • Children of the Great Depression by Russell Freedman (ISBN: 0547480350)
    • Category 5: The 1935 Labor Day Hurricane by Thomas Neil Knowles (ISBN:  0813033101)
    • Hard Times: An Oral History of the Great Depression by Studs Terkel(ISBN:  1565846567)
  • The author has also referenced the following web sites:
  • In addition to the topics addressed above, students might also enjoy viewing clips of Shirley Temple (there are plenty on YouTube).
  • Children interested in learning more about the author will want to see Jennifer Holm's website. On the website, Holm includes a section for educators. No teacher's guide is currently available for Turtle in Paradise, but Holm does provide resources for three of her other books.
  • Historical fiction that addresses elements of the Great Depression abounds. For examples of books for a variety of age levels, see the Amazon.com page found here.
Bibliography
Holm, Jennifer L. 2010. Turtle in Paradise. New York, NY: Random House. ISBN 9780375836886.

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