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Hood, Ann
4 Reviews
(3)
4-6
In 1966, only Trudy and three nerds remain in Trudy's once-popular Beatles fan club. Amid unsettling changes--an aloof former best friend; a largely absent father; teasing about her full name, Gertrude--Trudy hopes her life will change from meeting Paul McCartney when the Beatles come to Boston. This detail-rich historical novel will resonate with today's tweens nurturing their own passions while dealing with shifting experiences.
Reviewer: Carolyn Shute
(4)
4-6
Treasure Chest series.
Maisie and Felix time travel to 1840s Hawaii and meet teenage Liliu, who will grow up to be Hawaii's last queen. Before the twins return to their own time, they encounter Herman Melville and get kidnapped by sailors on a whaling ship. The atmospheric historical setting, with well-integrated details of Hawaiian culture, balances the weak time-travel plot device. Biographical notes are appended.
Reviewer: Katie Bircher
(4)
4-6
Treasure Chest series.
Twins Maisie and Felix discover a hidden room filled with historical artifacts. Touching a letter addressed to American Red Cross founder Clara Barton transports them to 1836, where they meet the fourteen-year-old future "Angel of the Battlefield." Inconsistent time-travel logic and scant information on the real-life Barton make the twins' journey feel purposeless. An appended biographical note fills in some details.
Reviewer: Katie Bircher
(3)
4-6
Twelve-year-old narrator Madeline thinks she performed a miracle after her father lives through a deadly avalanche. When he decides to leave the family and start a new life, Madeline starts going to church regularly and focuses on becoming a saint. Madeline's matter-of-fact voice masks her vulnerability until a trip to Italy brings perspective in this story about faith and family.
Reviewer: Rebecca Hachmyer
4 reviews
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