New Additions to the Blog

The warm weather has me thinking summer, and some of you have asked me about the blog over the summer. I will be maintaining the blog this summer, so check in and see what I am reading.

This week I have added links to the my suggested summer reading lists. Along the right hand side you will notice links to the summer reading for grades 5-8 and for grades7+. I hope that whenever you are looking for a good read this summer you will look back at the lists.

You will also find at the bottom of the right-hand bar a new poll on summer reading. Take a minute to give your answers and see how much folks read in the summer!

Chains

Laurie Halse Anderson is a master of writing historical fiction for young adults. I loved her books "Speak" and "Fever 1793." "Chains" is her newest book and was a finalist for the National Book Award and won the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction. "Chains" is the story of Isabel and her sister Ruth during the Revolutionary War. As the country battles for freedom, so do the girls from their cruel owners in New York. Often books talk of slaves during the Civil War, but barely address the issue of slavery pre-Revolution. The cruelty and degradation shown to these girls is appalling. I don't want to give away the ending, but it does end rather abruptly. You will find yourself wishing to know more! Read the summary below, and check out the book from the library.

From School Library Journal
Set in New York City at the beginning of the American Revolution, Chains addresses the price of freedom both for a nation and for individuals. Isabel tells the story of her life as a slave. She was sold with her five-year-old sister to a cruel Loyalist family even though the girls were to be free upon the death of their former owner. She has hopes of finding a way to freedom and becomes a spy for the rebels, but soon realizes that it is difficult to trust anyone. She chooses to find someone to help her no matter which side he or she is on. With short chapters, each beginning with a historical quote, this fast-paced novel reveals the heartache and struggles of a country and slave fighting for freedom.