Skip to main content

Curiosity

By
 Cover image for Curiosity
Curiosity
by Gary Blackwood
Penguin, 2014.  313 pgs.  Historical Fiction

     Many real characters and one real automaton inhabit the pages of Gary Blackwood's latest historical/mystery fiction title. Rufus Goodspeed is a chess prodigy and essentially an orphan.  His father, the Reverend Tobias Goodspeed is in debtor's prison with no means of freeing himself, and his mother is gone. Rufus sees a way to help himself and his father when he is offered the job of playing chess vicariously in the cabinet of the Turk, an actual historical automaton and sideshow figure in the mid-1800s who wowed observers with his chess-playing abilities even though someone hidden inside the Turk's cabinet was actually moving the pieces. His new employer stalls off paying him so that he cannot help his father in his time of greatest need, and he must constantly be on guard against anyone discovering his secret and exposing the Turk as a fraud, as Edgar Allan Poe seems intent on doing. Danger, romance, youthful brilliance and aged deceit fill these pages making a fine, if somewhat slow-moving historical story of an unusual time in American history. Kids who enjoyed The Invention of Hugo Cabret may take to this story as well.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

An ABC of Flowers

By
An ABC of Flowers   by Jutta Hilpuesch New York, NY : Philomel Books, [2019] It turns out there really is a flower for every letter. This sweet book has a photograph of every flower and  a sweet cartoon illustration to go along with it. All your favorite flowers are here (forget-me-nots, mums, and sunflowers), along with some you probably haven't heard of before (billy ball, kalanchoe, xeranthemum?).  This is a perfect book for reading together, and readers of any age will enjoy every page. Don't miss this great springtime alphabet book. 
Post a Comment
Read more

From Story Time: The Letter "B"

By
From Monday Book Babies Bird, Balloon, Bear By Il Sung Na Alfred A. Knopf, 2017.  Picture Book. Bird is new to the forest, and he’s looking for a friend. Bear could use a friend, too. But Bird is too shy to introduce himself. Just as he musters the courage to say hello . . . it’s too late! Bear has already found a friend: a bright, shiny red balloon. Has Bird missed his chance?  From the acclaimed Il Sung Na comes a charming and beautifully illustrated story about courage, kindness, and friendship.  --Publisher From Monday Cuentos El primer día de un colegio Texto de Adam Rex Ilustraciones de Christian Robinson Traducción de Teresa Mlawer Editorial Corimbo, 2017.  Spanish Picture Book. Aquel verano, cuando terminaron de construir la escuela Frederick Douglass, el edificio comenzó a hacerse muchas preguntas: ¿Cuál será mi destino? ¿Quién vivirá entre mis paredes? ¿Para qué me utilizarán? Através de sus conversaciones con el conserje y t...
Post a Comment
Read more

Display: Out of this World Books Found Here

By
Hello By Aiko Ikegami Berkeley, CA: Creston Books, 2019. Picture book. In this wordless picture book, an alien visits Earth, makes friends with a little girl, and returns to his home planet to share his experiences. - Publisher We Are Definitely Human By X. Fang Toronto: Tundra Books, 2024. Picture book. When three mysterious visitors from "Europe" crash-land in Mr. Li's field, he does what any good host would: he invites them back to his farmhouse and offers to help fix up their "car". No, there's nothing strange about these guests at all. Just like other humans, they "make business", "play sportsball" and "wear hat". As the townsfolk also come to the aid of the visitors and the gathering turns into a little party, interplanetary relations reach an all-time high. - Publisher Greetings Floof! Written by C.J. Hong Illustrated by A.J. Smith Toronto: Kids Can Press, 2024. Picture book. Floof from planet Ploof has landed! And it...
Post a Comment
Read more