Category Archives: Historical Fiction

Genre

Feb
26
2015

One Dead Spy by Nathan Hale

Posted by

 

61qPSDxSF9L._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_My book is called One Dead Spy by Nathan Hale (The name of the spy). It is in a series called Hazardous Tales. The book is about a real spy named Nathan Hale telling his story to the Hangman, who is about to hang him, and an English soldier. The setting is the tree where the Hangman is going to hang Nathan Hale because he was spying on the English, and the time is 1776.

I would describe Nathan as loyal because even though he was sick he still wanted to spy on the English to help his country. I would describe the Hangman as funny because when Nathan was telling him his story he would always interrupt and make jokes. I would describe the English soldier as mean because whenever Nathan was talking about wars between England and America and England won he would always tease Nathan about America losing the war. One thing that I think is interesting is that there is a bonus story at the end about Crispus Attucks who was an escaped slave but got killed in a fight with English soldiers. I think this is interesting because I thought that the story would only be about Nathan Hale. Another thing I thought was interesting was when Nathan’s friend Ben escaped from the British army but he left his horse there so he went all the way back to the British army to save his horse. I think it is interesting because he could have died but he still saved the horse.

I enjoyed this book because it has a lot of wars and battles and I like to learn about that kind of stuff. I also enjoyed this book because it has very, very detailed pictures of battles and other stuff. I would recommend this book to people who like history because it has big historical events in it. I would also recommend this book to people who like action because it has a lot of wars and battles. I don’t think this book relates to any books or TV shows that I know of. I would rate this book 4 stars because it was a very good book.

Feb
25
2015

Aaron’s Gift by Myron Levoy

Posted by

My story is called Aaron’s Gift, from the book The Witch of 4th Street, by Myron Levoy.  This story is about Aaron Kandel and an injured pigeon he found in Tompkins Square Park.  He found the pigeon when he went to the park to go skating.  Aaron noticed that the pigeon could not fly. He decided to take the pigeon home and ask his mother if he could keep it there. His mother said yes because the pigeon was injured.  He tried to fix the pigeon.  His grandmother lived with his family and loved animals. She would feed the birds that came to their fire escape and would also talk to them. The main setting of the story is Aaron’s house in the Lower East Side.

 

Aaron is thoughtful because he wanted to save the pigeon. He is gullible because later in the story he falls for a trick the older boys play on him. Aaron was smart because he taught the pigeon how to take things back and forth using popcorn. One important part of the story is when the older boys tried to kill the pigeon by putting Pidge in a fire. Luckily, the pigeon flew away before they put him in the fire. He was planning to the give the pigeon to this grandmother for her birthday. Aaron was sad because he could not give Pidge to her because it flew on top of a tenement. But his grandmother thanked him because the pigeon was free which made her happy.

 

I enjoyed the story because it was happy in the beginning when he found the pigeon. It was scary and sad in the middle when the older boys tried to kill his pigeon and beat him up. And then it was happy again in the end when he got home safely and his grandmother was happy that the pigeon was free. I would recommend this story because it has a lot of drama and unexpected scenes. I would also recommend this if you enjoyed the other stories in this book. I would rate this story four stars.

1328945

Jan
29
2015

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Posted by

imgres The book I read was written by Frances Hodgson Burnett. The main character is Mary Lennox. Mary was a girl who had a mother who only liked to go to parties and did not care about Mary. So, her mother gave Mary an Ayah (a nanny) to look after her. This made Mary very selfish and a person nobody would love or care about. Then cholera came to where she lived and her Ayah, mother, and father died. Then she was sent to Yorkshire to live with her Uncle Craven at Misselthwaite Manor. Which is where the book mainly takes place.

A really interesting part was when Mary heard about a garden at the manor that had been locked up for ten years. She also heard that Mr. Craven buried the key somewhere in the gardens. Another interesting part was when she heard a crying child and asked Martha ( Mrs. Medlock’s servant) what it was. She said it was the wind. But Mary knew it was a person. Mary is contrary because she once said that if a lot of people wanted her to do something she said she wouldn’t do it (even dying). She is also a lonely person because when a robin wanted to become friends with Mary she didn’t have any friends before that. She is also a nature lover because she loves gardening all kinds of flowers.

I thought this book was excellent because Mary learns what it’s like to have friends. There is also a lot of mysteries in Misselthwaite Manor. I would recommend this book because it has some pretty funny parts. Also everyone thinks of Mary in a different way. From one to five I would rate this four ½.

 

Jan
14
2015

The Alchemyst by Michael Scott

Posted by

imgres Alchemyst_Nicholas_Flamel

 

The Alchemyst

By Thomas

In the there are things called Auras (not Aura, the girl in fourth grade) and almost everybody has a different one. The main characters are Sophie and Josh Newman, Dr. John Dee, Perenelle Flamel, and Nicolas Flamel. The title of my book is and it is in the series The Secrets of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel. The Author of my book is Michael Scott.The problem is that Dee and “The Bad Guys” are trying to remake the old time when Danu Talis (Atlantis) was still above water but Perenelle, Nicholas, Sophie, and Josh are trying to stop them because it will cause things to blow up all around the world. The setting of the book is in 2007 in the beginning of the summer and they travel all over world. I think the author of the book did a lot of studying because he takes so much Mythology from so many different places.

In the Alchemyst there are things called Auras (not Aura, the girl in fourth grade) and almost everybody has a different one. The main characters are Sophie and Josh Newman, Dr. John Dee, Perenelle Flamel, and Nicolas Flamel. The title of my book is The Alchemyst and it is in the series The Secrets of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel. The Author of my book is Michael Scott.The problem is that Dee and “The Bad Guys” are trying to remake the old time when Danu Talis (Atlantis) was still above water but Perenelle, Nicholas, Sophie, and Josh are trying to stop them because it will cause things to blow up all around the world. The setting of the book is in 2007 in the beginning of the summer and they travel all over world. I think the author of the book did a lot of studying because he takes so much Mythology from so many different places.

 

Perenelle is smart, tall, and elegant. Perenelle is smart because Nicholas always says “If only Perenelle were here” because he doesn’t have very good ideas. Perenelle is tall and elegant because in the book it says “was a tall, elegant woman.” I think the story is about the life of Nicholas Flamel. I also think the book is about the prophecy which you will find out if you read the book. One of the most interesting parts in the book is the battle of Hekate’s (Heh-ca-tay) Shadowrealm. Another one of my favorite parts are when Dee goes into Bastet’s home.  I think the part that changes the story the most is when Perenelle gets captured by Dee. One of the main characters does not make any big decisions.

 

I loved this book because it has some of my favorite genres. My favorite genres are Mythology and Action. I would recommend this book to people who like adventure and Mythology. The genres are Mythology, Action, and Adventure. This book has a main character mentioned in the first book in the Harry Potter series. I give this book five because it is a really good book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dec
11
2014

The Blood of Olympus By Rick Riordian

Posted by

the-blood-of-olympus-cover

     My book’s name is Blood of Olympus and the author is Rick Riordan. The main characters are Leo, Percy, Frank, Hazel, Jason, Piper, Annabeth, Nico, Reyna and Coach Hedge. The book is set in America, Europe and the Atlantic Ocean. The problem of the story is that some “people” try to destroy the Earth. Leo, Percy, Frank, Hazel, Jason, Piper and Annabeth are trying to save the world and Nico, Reyna and Coach Hedge are trying to transport a forty foot tall statue across the Atlantic Ocean.

     I think the biggest event in this story is when they decide to go with the snake people to try to stop the earth from getting destroyed and waking Gaea. Another interesting thing about the book is when they risk the Argo 2 getting destroyed to get back to Camp Half Blood. They need to get back because Camp Half Blood is about to get destroyed by Gaea. Leo is good with machines and can wield fire from his hand (so he’s fireproof, his whole body is) and his problem is that his true love is on an island called Ogygia, which a man never finds twice. Percy’s ability can control the sea/water to his will and he can breath underwater but his problem is he just came back from Tartarus and is not fully healed yet.

     I enjoyed this book because I like mythology, action, and fantasy and this book has all those things. The action is when they battle the “people”and the Earth/Gaea. The fantasy is the story,the mythology is the fantasy. I would recommend this book to people who like action,fantasy and mythology because this book has a lot of it. I would give this book five stars because it is so popular and it is Amazing!

 

Aug
15
2014

Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson

Posted by

“Fever 1793” is about Mattie Cook, a girl who lives in Philadelphia in 1793. When Yellow Fever brakes out Mattie’s world is turned upside-down! Disease is everywhere destroying every thing it can. When her mother gets sick Mattie leaves the city with her grandfather. But find sickness is everywhere!

Mattie liked to spend her days avoiding chores and planing ways to her family’s business the best. But when the fever hits Mattie wonders if she will survive! And worrying about her mother doesn’t help ether! When she comes home she meets this young child on the street. But when Mattie finds a broken doll near her she asks if it is her doll all she says is “she is broken” and when Mattie asks were her mother is she says, “my mommy is broken too”.  The little girl’s mother was dead.  So Mattie decides to be her new mother. This makes her think there are so many fever orphans (orphans who’s parents died of yellow fever). Am I one too? 0978068984891_500X500

I would recommend this book to 5th graders and up. I would rate this book 5 stars.  This was a very sad but good book and

I think it was a historical fiction.

Jun
04
2014

Al Capone Shines My Shoes by Gennifer Choldenko

Posted by

Screen Shot 2014-06-04 at 9.34.22 PMThis book review is going to be about the book Al Capone Does My Shirts. The book was written by Gennifer Choldenko. The book is about a boy that lives on Alcatraz, the worst prison to be on at thetime. As you might have guessed there are ups and downs when you are living around the worst criminals in America. Alcatraz is basically a gigantic rock (or island) covered in cement, topped with bird crap.

 

The main characters name is Moose, short for Matthew. He is very solidly built, nice to everyone except for the warden’s daughter named Piper. For example he is constantly hanging out with a 7 year old that likes him. When he first gets to the island he is sent to the warden’s office to promise to help the wardens daughter carry her projects to and from school. It turns out that Piper is more trouble than Moose thought.

 

Within the first few hours of school Piper has broken her dad (the warden’s) rule about not talking about living on Alcatraz. Also she makes people pay to have their laundry done by the criminals but then won’t pay the people who helped her do it.

 

In the beginning of the book you think that Al Capone is really bad but he is actually pretty nice to moose. For example one time Moose goes to the sell house and Al is complimenting him. He also helps Natalie Moose’s sister to go to a school for children with autism. He asks Al Capone to help her get in.

 

One quote from Piper is,”You won’t get any of the money we make.”. So to conclude this book review the book is about how Moose will keep a good record with the grownups and a good relationships with the children on the island. I recommend it if you like mystery and adventure, a fast moving book, or a book about living near a prison. I would rate this book 100 stars out of 5. ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************* Ok that might not be 100 but it is pretty close to it.

 

May
05
2014

Standing In The Light by Mary Pope Osborne (from the dear America series)

Posted by

 

Carry is a young girl living in 1763 in Pennsylvania. She loves to wright in her diary. And she has three younger siblings named Thomas and Eliza and baby Will. She goes to school every day. And she is very kind and she likes to see the good in people. Because it seems to help her in the story. She and her family are religious.


imgres-2

One day when Carry was  walking to school two native men come and take her and her little brother. They take them to their clan area but it is not right there. They have to take a long journey to their  clan area. When they get there Carry and Thomas get separated. And Carry worries that she will never see him again!

I really liked this book because it is an adventure and historical story (I LOVE HISTORY!) I would recommend this book to 3rd and 4th graders because I think that they would understand it the most and I think that is that level. I would give this book 5***** stars because it is so good because it takes history and add fiction!    (There are other books in this series if you are interested!) -Ruby

 

May
02
2014

Dead End In Norvelt By Jack Gantos

Posted by

Dead End In Norvelt By Jack Gantos is a gothic-humor-historical-fiction-part -autobiography. If  you read the book then you will understand by what I mean by this.

 

Dead End In Norvelt is set in WWII in Norvelt. Norvelt is a place in Pennsylvania. It is called Norvelt because it was founded by eleaNOR rooseVELT and the last few letters became Norvelt.

 

The main characters are Jack, Bunny, Mrs. Gantos/Mom, Mr. Gantos/Dad, and Ms. Volken. Jack is funny and mischievous. Jack always can cheer-up and put-down anyone he wants to. Bunny, is Jack’s best friend. She doesn’t like that Jack got grounded and that she doesn’t get to play baseball with him. Mrs. Gantos is Jack’s mom. She is strict and loving, but not both at once. His dad, Mr. Gantos, has an old airplane that he rides a lot. Jack’s mom will not let Jack ride in it, even though he really wants to. His dad is always doing something with Jack behind his spouses back.

 

Ms. Volken is the hand-frying obitist. An obitist is a person who writes obituaries. Since she literally fried her hands. Now her fingers do not look and work the same way they used to. So Jack’s mom forces him to be Ms. Volken’s scribe. She is sometimes dead on serious and sometimes extremely hilarious. But sometimes people get mixed up between the two.

 

The plot is about Jack’s worst summer of his whole entire life. He got grounded by a dangerous stunt and his dad is forcing him to make a bomb shelter to protect from the russians. Even though they were in the middle of Pennsylvania and so on.

 

I enjoyed this book fairly well. It is not bad but it is not good. I say this because I wish that there was more action but the humor made up for it. I would recommend this book to

funny people. There is never a chapter in this book where there is not some stupid pun or a strange joke. I would rate this book 3 out of 5 stars.imgres

Apr
30
2014

Al Capone Does My Homework, Gennifer Choldenko

Posted by

search*°•The Al Capone series doesn’t need to be read in order, only the first and second book need to be read in order•°*

 This is the last book in the series.

Moose and the gang are having fun, spying on the cons, helping them to. Moose needs to help Capone, who has already gotten nat into a special school for kids with disabilities. Moose is nice, and now it is working against him flowers for Mae Capone, Al’s mom…

 

He needs help and has a limited time period to do it. He has to look like he is alone, not with his friends on the boat, ware Mae will be.

 

But there are some cons with them on Alcatraz that are up to something of their own.

Piper has found a list, not just any list, a list made by cons, and not just any list from a con, but a game, but not any game… a game that can kill, literally. And it looks something like this: And guess who the new assistant warden is; Moose’s dad…Nat is also getting really smart.