History, More or Less

This last week everything I've read seems to have a historical bent. Nat Turner by Kyle Baker is an amazing graphic novel about the life of Nat Turner, leader of a slave rebellion. His story is a powerful one and telling it through this medium makes it even more so. The images are haunting. Recommended for teens and up.

I also read Karen Hesse's upcoming book, Brooklyn Bridge. If you are looking for a book to illustrate the idea of voice, this would be perfect. Joe lives in Brooklyn in 1903 and you can hear the Brooklyn accent in your head as you read. My favorite line comes when he meets a young woman who will be staying with his family for a while and he describes her with, "Pauline Unger looked like a girl who never bought on sale." A story about family, hard work, and opportunity in a new world. Available in September.

Finally I read Heroes of the Valley by Jonathan Stroud, the author of the Bartimaeus Trilogy, a series I found somewhat dark. Heroes is lighter in tone than the Bartimaeus but it's not all laughs either. Set in a fictional world that owes a lot to Scandinavian mythology, this is a classic hero's journey story. Halli has never fit in at home, sets out to avenge his uncle's murder, grows and changes as he travels, and finally comes home where he must protect his home and everyone he cares about from a deadly threat. Perfect for readers of The Sea of Trolls by Nancy Farmer. Available in January.