The Diary of Pringle Rose (Dear America)

The Diary of Pringle Rose (Dear America)
by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
Scholastic, 2013. 245 pgs. Historical Fiction

After a few years' break, the American Girl books are back in full flower, and The Diary of Pringle Rose is a fine, realistic, nuanced addition to the series. Pringle and Gideon's parents have been killed in a carriage accident and her aunt and uncle want to put Gideon--who would now be known as a Down syndrome child--into an asylum. The two run away from home to find one of her mother's friends in Chicago, but the woman has herself been committed to an asylum so they move in with a family they met on the train. The book appears to be about the Great Fire in Chicago and it is, briefly, but it is mostly about labor relations in the late 1800s. Pringle's father was a mine owner and the family she moves in with are union organizers. A budding romance comes to an unexpected finish, and though the story's ending is satisfying it is certainly not a happy ending in any conventional way. What distinguishes The Diary of Pringle Rose is Susan Bartoletti's masterful prose style, the breadth and depth of research that packs so much of 1870s America into these pages, and strong characters in realistic situations. Well done.

Comments

Dude, That's Rude! (Get Some Manners) by Pamela Espeland & Elizabeth Verdick

If there's one book today's kids need to read, it is Dude, That's Rude! (Get Some Manners) . The authors provide a fun format for teaching etiquette to children. They discuss proper behavior at home, at school, at other people's homes and in public places. The information is completely up-to-date with cellphone manners and netiquette included. Fun, cartoony illustrations are on practically every page giving the book great visual appeal. This book is perfect for boys and girls in the fourth grade or older. WARNING: Bodily functions are discussed.

Faces of the Moon by Bob Crelin

Faces of the Moon by Bob Crelin Illustrated by Leslie Evans Charlesburg; 2009; unpaged Faces of the Moon is a short nonfiction book that describes the different phases of the moon and why the moon appears like it does on certain nights. This book is short and sweet so even the youngest of moon lovers will enjoy it. The layout is simplistic and easy to follow. I don’t know much about the moon so I found it very interesting.

The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester 2008

J Fiction 328 pages I almost didn't finish this book. I got to Chapter 4, and was just about ready to quit (a kind of slow story about a girl, name of Piper McCloud, who discovers she can fly, parents freak out, she becomes a social outcast, yadda, yadda) but suddenly, right there in Chapter 4, the story takes a sharp turn and becomes really interesting . Piper finds herself in the company of others like her, but not "fliers", and under the care and authority of Dr. Hellion. I won't even tell you any more. Read this book. Forester does a great job of keeping you wondering who's the good guy and who's the bad? Piper is a likeable, strong, endearing character that girl readers will enjoy. But don't NOT give it to boys! The main male character is an extremely intelligent young man who is one of the ones you wonder about . . . good or bad? This is a good one, well worth your time.

Provo Library Children's Book Blog

Search This Blog