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Reeder, Carolyn
3 Reviews
(3)
4-6
Three linked novellas, each starring a different boy, begin with the secession of South Carolina and end shortly before the first major battle of the Civil War. Reeder effectively and uniquely couples drama and history (most successfully in the last novella) and introduces young readers to the relentless chain of events that led to our nation's bloodiest conflict.
Reviewer: Amy Lois Cohn
(4)
4-6
Kate's canal boat family has changed now that her mother has remarried. While her stepfather is fighting in the Civil War and her stepsiblings are stealing her mother's affections, Kate decides to make the long annual canal trip alone, with only her stepbrother for help. The characters are realistic, and the story is interesting, but Kate's coming to appreciate her new family is not conveyed with much punch.
Reviewer: Juliet Stebbins
(4)
4-6
World War II is the background for the story of a troubled family whose authoritarian father alienates all its members. The historical details, from air raid drills to the internment of Japanese Americans, are thoroughly researched, but the characters seem constructed rather than developed. The focus is split between external forces--the war--and internal struggles within the family so that the two seemed yoked rather than joined.
Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.
3 reviews
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