Critical Reviews
Critical Reviews: Send ‘Em South
“Send ‘Em South is a gripping tale…The book is well written in an easy to understand format, based on facts, that young adults will find easy to read. The story is filled with love and sadness, dedication and sacrifice. You will be captivated by these young heroes and want to travel with them through history. If you are a fan of American history I encourage you to read these books. Even with my Canadian background I find this series to be very well written, gripping and full of mystery and intrigue.” — Wendy Hogan, Editor, http://www....
Read MoreCritical Reviews: On the Trail of John Brown’s Body
“The second in Alan N. Kay’s Young Heroes of History series, On the Trail of John Brown’s Body, is every bit as good as the first. Whereas that book juxtaposed the plight of a slave family and a northern family filled with abolitionists and sympathetics, this book follows the adventures of two boys and their fathers as they journey to the Kansas Territory in the days when John Brown cast the longest shadow in the land. David and George, two of the young heroes from the first book, are the main characters here as well, along with their fathers. They have typical frontier adventures, but always in the background (and often in the foreground) is the...
Read MoreCritical Reviews: Off To Fight
Normally, I summarize a book and then give the background, but in this case I have to reverse the process. I first heard about the “Young Heroes of History” series in 2007 when a friend sent some information about the books. Then last year, while visiting in Pennsylvania, I picked up #’s 3, 5, and 6. In 1846, three Irish brothers, Robert, Jonathan, and Sean Adams, immigrate to America. Their children and friends are the main characters. In Book One, Send ‘Em South, David, son of Jonathan, finds a fugitive slave girl who has bravely traveled the underground railroad to Boston. Can he save her before the slave catchers get her? In Book Two, On the...
Read MoreCritical Reviews: Nowhere To Turn
From School Library Journal Grade 5-8-In this fourth book in a series set near Philadelphia in 1862, 12-year-old Thomas, an orphan with three siblings, joins the Union army to escape local bullies and the favoritism his aunt and uncle show toward their own children. Even in the army Thomas encounters bullies yet makes some friends and acquires a dog he names Blue. In his first battle, the Union army is defeated; Thomas narrowly escapes and deserts. Back at home he pretends to be injured to help save face but is discovered. He returns to his regiment with Blue where they participate in the battle of Antietam. The hardships on families and the horrors of war come to life....
Read MoreCritical Reviews: No Girls Allowed
Grade 4-6–During the Civil War, Mary Adams wants to do more than work at the aid society so she sets out for the front lines, where she cleans the wounds of Lynn Rhodes and then conceals the fact that Lynn is female. When the secret is revealed, the teens must reevaluate their roles and determine how best they can help as women in a man’s world. Mention of historical figures and places allows readers to learn facts in an easy-to-read format. A bibliography and historical photographs are included.–Denise Moore, O’Gorman Junior High School, Sioux Falls, SD — School Library...
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