Yellow Star by Jennifer Roy

I'm looking forward to discuss this book for eighth grade book club later this week. Yellow Star was a quick, but engrossing historical fiction read. Written in verse, it recounts the experiences of Syvia and her family during World War II. Based on the experiences of her aunt during the war, Jennifer Roy chose to share her aunt's story through a first person narrative. Syvia was four and a half when her family and all the other Jews in Lodz, Poland were moved to the ghetto. By the time liberation came the quarter million Jewish population of the city numbered at 800, with only 12 surviving children. A powerful story of war and suffering told through a child's eyes.

Works Cited
Yellow Star Cover. LibraryThing. Web. 15 Nov. 2009 http://www.librarything.com/work/1194939

Quest by Kathleen Benner Duble

Quest is a historical fiction book about the time when the crew of the Discovery try to discover a passage to the east. Different parts of the book are told by one of four people; John Hudson, the son of Henry Hudson Henry who is the captain of the Discovery, Richard Hudson, who was the brother of John, Seth Syms, a boy who was trying to escape from someone and replaced his cousin Nicholas on the Discovery, and Isabella Digges, who has fallen in love with John. I like how this book is told from four different points of view, and it’s not the kind of book that uses sailor terms.
I would give this book 4.5 stars out of 5.

Review by cecx2

Works Cited
"Quest Cover." Online image. LibraryThing. 13 Jan. 2009 http://www.librarything.com/work/5046595/40437245

Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson

Chains takes place while the Revolutionary War is raging. When their owner dies, Isabel is left alone with her younger sister, Ruth. They are denied their pledged freedom and taken from Rhode Island to New York to work for a Loyalist couple. After meeting another slave, a boy named Curzon on the side of the Patriots, she is torn between which side she should support. Isabel begins to play her part in the conflict, wishing only to gain freedom for her and Ruth.
Chains was a smooth, simple read that gave me a slightly different angle on the Revolutionary War. Although I had already known a little about the War, the author presented the events in a way that made me feel like I was learning about them all over again through the eyes of a young slave girl. For a young adult historical fiction book, it was very good compared to others I have read and got started quicker rather than dragging on. However, as I got to the end, I felt as if it wasn’t complete, and wanted to know more about the fates of the characters. Overall, I would rate this book 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Review by Bear Xiong

Works Cited
"Chains Cover." Online image. LibraryThing. 30 Nov. 2008 http://www.librarything.com/work/5175837/

The Green Glass Sea

The Green Glass Sea by Ellen Klages is a Caudill 2009 nominee. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this historical fiction book. The book is set during World War II and revolves around life in top-secret Los Alamos where scientists are inventing the gadget, a.k.a. the atomic bomb. The Green Glass Sea refers to the mineral that is created as a result of the test of the gadget.

Dewey goes to live with her father on The Hill in Los Alamos during World War II. Her father is a scientist working on the invention of what is referred to in the book as the gadget. When Dewey's dad, Jimmy, has to go to Washington DC to meet with the President, Dewey stays with the Gordon family. The Gordon's daughter, Suze, and Dewey don't get along so well at first. Their conflict and the ways they find to connect to each other occur as the adults are working feverishly trying to get the gadget to work to put an end to the war.

A lot of people and events are simply alluded to in the story, which is great because it doesn't slow the story down, but I wonder how much Highland readers will connect events and people in the story with historical events and people. Students, if you read this book, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this!

Image Citation
"The Green Glass Sea Cover." Online image. LibraryThing. 16 July 2008 http://www.librarything.com/work/1149553/33391435