Biography is NOT my genre: a review of three biographies

Metaxas, Eric. Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2010.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer had integrity. Metaxes has written his biography to reflect that integrity.  As most critics have said, this is a definitive biography.  Here comes my personal prejudice.  I just don’t like biographies that detail the historical context and then afterward talk about the person.  I don’t want a 50-year history of Germany.  I just want to know about the major events in a person’s life.  Therefore, I skimmed through the first half of the book because I was interested in Bonhoeffer’s war activity. However, as I skimmed through the pages, I began to see a connection between Bonhoeffer as a theologian and his personal choices.  It was interesting to learn just how well-educated, well-connected and well-respected he was as an intellectual.  I was not aware of the extent of his personal struggles to encounter grace, to conquer depression, to live boldly and act boldly in an evil world.  I didn’t realize how much his spirituality had meant to him.  His decisions to first, support the Jewish people, and later to become involved in the German counter-intelligence movement ran deeply, and he acted with great conviction that what he was doing would further the kingdom of God here on this planet we’ve been given.  When I had this epiphany, the book and the events to which Metaxes lent narrative came together. My first thought was that this book is a must-read for anyone interested in theology and/or authentic Christian living. My second recommendation would be for historians who study Germany between the wars.  The lives of the upper-middle class and German aristocracy led by families such as the Bonhoeffers are not told often enough. The feelings of the German people as a whole are often overshadowed by Hitler’s evil deeds.  It is somehow comforting to know that many thousands of Germans were not satisfied and did not welcome him as the leader of their country. It’s comforting that many of them were pro-active from the inside in trying to stage a coup. The extent Bonhoeffer’s personal involvement in Valkyrie will never be known, but since he was implicated and killed for it, I’m sure there are many brave deeds and sacrifices the reader will never know.  I would not have come to this opinion had I not read this book. Knowing Bonhoeffer was ready to die for his convictions still doesn’t make up for the earthly contributions he could have made to Christianity had he lived. I don’t think he would like to be idolized or made a martyr by those he left behind.  I think his legacy would be for each of us to work out the gift of salvation on earth with genuine acts of devotion and compassion.

Awards and Reviews

ECPA Christian Book Award (2011)

John C. Pollock Award for Christian Biography (2011)

''In Hitler's Germany, a Lutheran pastor chooses resistance and pays with his life. . . Eric Metaxas tells Bonhoeffer's story with passion and theological sophistication, often challenging revisionist accounts that make Bonhoeffer out to be a 'humanist' or ethicist for whom religious doctrine was easily disposable. . . Metaxas reminds us that there are forms of religion -- respectable, domesticated, timid -- that may end up doing the devil's work for him.” --Wall Street Journal

''In this weighty, riveting analysis of the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Metaxas offers a comprehensive review of one of history's darkest eras, along with a fascinating exploration of the familial, cultural, and religious influences that formed one of the world's greatest contemporary theologians. . . . Abundant source documentation brings to life the personalities and experiences that shaped Bonhoeffer . . . Insightful and illuminating, this tome makes a powerful contribution to biography, history, and theology.'' --Publishers Weekly

''A welcome new biography of one of the twentieth century's leading lights. Metaxas magnificently captures the life of theologian and anti-Nazi activist Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945), who 'thought it the plain duty of the Christian-and the privilege and honor-to suffer with those who suffered.'  Metaxas rightly focuses on his subject's life, not his theology, though readers will learn plenty about his theology as well. The author makes liberal use of primary sources, which bring Bonhoeffer and other characters to vivid life.” --Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Wall Street Journal

Books & Culture

Sheinkin, Steve. Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War. New York: Roaring Book Press, 2015.

Of the historical biographies I've been reading lately, this one is the best.  The writing is direct and clear, and the focus is on the events of Ellsberg's life that specifically led up to his involvement in the leaking of the Pentagon papers. Of course, everyone has heard of Watergate, but I did not know exactly what had prompted that investigation.  I had no idea it was related to the Pentagon Papers.  It was a fascinating story, and it does read a bit like a spy novel because there was actually real spying going on (duh!) The story is told in a way that reminds the reader of the government's accountability to the people as well as the protection of First Amendment rights.  The book is biased toward the liberal side of the argument, but this is most probably because it is about Ellsberg who was, indeed, a liberal.  There was some thought put into representing the conservative viewpoint, as well, in the inclusion of direct quotes from Nixon, Kissinger, etc.; however, the government covert operations and the persons involved do not come across as "good guys" in this story. The addition of the story of a US POW, Alvarez, added to the intensity of the story.  By sharing a personal account, readers are able to feel the urgency of putting an end to the Vietnam War and its atrocities.  The idea of Civil Disobedience, the role of Journalism and First Amendment Rights, government checks and balances are all teachable concepts inherent in the book. It is thoroughly researched, containing 9 pages of Works Cited and 25 pages of source note.  The epilogue makes asks the question of Edward Snowden--is he a hero or a traitor?  Sheinkin notes that Snowden is not the original government whistle blower--Ellsberg was.

Awards and Reviews

Finalist for the 2015 Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Young Adult Literature
National Book Award Finalist 
Selected for the 2016 Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People List

Winner: YALSA Award for Nonfiction for Young Adults

“Lively, detailed prose rooted in a tremendous amount of research, fully documented. . . Easily the best study of the Vietnam War available for teen readers.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Sheinkin has done again what he does so well: condense mountains of research into a concise, accessible, and riveting account of history. . . [This book] will keep readers racing forward.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Powerful and thought-provoking.” —Booklist, starred review

“Fast-paced and fascinating. . . backed up by meticulous research.” —VOYA, starred review

"Thoroughly researched, thoughtfully produced, and beautifully written . . . a timely and extraordinary addition to every library." —School & Library Journal, starred review

Teaching Resources

Teachers Guide for the Book

Documentary Home Page

PBS Documentary Page with links to Lesson Plans for Educators

Teaching the Vietnam War (Zinn Education Project)

Anderson, M.T. Symphony for the City of the Dead: Dmitri Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad. Somerville, MA: Candlewick, 2015.

I read until page 97, and then I had to stop.  I came back to the book this morning and spot-read a few more passages, to give it one last chance. This is a comprehensive book about Shostakovich, but there are long passages that deal with history, not mentioning Shostakovich at all.  Thank you for the detail and the hard work, but the biographies I find more appealing don't bother with the historical context.  Even though I am sure the point of including such information is to inform the reader of how closely-related historical events shaped the subject's life and work, too much is still too much.  I also find that when Shostakovich becomes the subject (after the historical background has been laid), the biography take the form of a daily, almost hourly account of his activities.  Again, I'm not interested in all of that.  As a reader, I just want major events in a person's life that contributed to his or her work.  I had the same experience when reading Jon Anderson's CHE GUEVARA: A REVOLUTIONARY LIFE. Exhaustive biographies are just...too...tedious for this reader.  If you happen to like biography as a genre or long books about history, this book is perfect.  There are only a small handful of students at my school to whom I would suggest this title.

Reviews and Awards

YALSA Nonfiction Award for Excellence, 2016

Horn Book Honor Book, 2016

“Gr 9 Up—The compelling, well-researched narrative relates what is known of Shostakovich's story, what is speculation, what is revisionist history, and what new sources have revealed. The chilling details of the Stalin regime and the plight of the Russian people even before the Germans arrived will be eye-opening to many teen readers. The book has all the intrigue of a spy thriller, recounts the horrors of living during the three year siege, and delineates the physical oppression and daunting foes within and outside of the city. This is also the story of survival against almost impossible odds. Through it all, Anderson weaves the thread of the composer's music and the role it played in this larger-than-life drama”—Luann Toth, School Library Journal

“The storytelling is captivating, describing how Shostakovich began composing the symphony under relentless bombardment in Leningrad and later finished it in Moscow, its triumphant performance in Leningrad during the siege, and how it rallied worldwide sympathy for Russia's plight. Music is at the heart of the story. As Anderson writes in the prologue, "it is a story about the power of music and its meanings," and he communicates them with seeming effortlessness in this brilliantly written, impeccably researched tour de force. A triumphant story of bravery and defiance that will shock and inspire.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“In a gripping narrative, helped along by ample photos and shockingly accurate historical details, Anderson offers readers a captivating account of a genius composer and the brutally stormy period in which he lived. Though easily accessible to teens, this fascinating, eye- opening, and arresting book will be just as appealing for adults.”—Booklist (starred review)

Teaching Resources

Teacher’s Guide from Candlewick Press

Gier, Kersten. Ruby Red. Trans. Anthea Bell. New York: Henry Holt, 2011.

I am being really honest here. One of my students recommended this series. It's a Young Adult series about a contemporary 16-year-old who time travels in London. I find the protagonist uninteresting, the plot slow, the romance boring and slow, and the period detail when time travel does occur is stereotypical and shallow. It's probably because I've read many, many books. I've read YA that is better written. I've also read actual literature from the time period to which the heroine travels back. I'd much rather students just read actual Austen or Dickens or Shakespeare. However, if a student finds this series interesting--I would not hesitate to recommend it to him or her. Perhaps if I were in Grade 6 or 7, I would have loved this series, and my interest in reading Austen, Dickens and Shakespeare would have increased because of it.

The author's page is here and contains links to the book trailer and various interviews that are useful.  I should mention this is the first of "The Ruby Red" trilogy, which also includes the titles "Emerald Green" and "Sapphire Blue."  I must admit, the covers are very beautiful.  

Livin' in a Powder Keg and Givin' Off Sparks

Ashley Hope Pérez

OUT OF DARKNESS

Minneapolis, MN: Carolrhoda Lab, 2015.

ARC provided by Carolrhoda Lab/Lerner Publishing

Henry, Naomi's step-father, and twins Cari and Beto's real dad, in a fit of newly found religious zeal to "make things right with God" takes them from their grandparents in San Antonio to live in the oil boom town of New London, East Texas, in 1937. This means more opportunity for the twins who are in Grade 3, smart, and white-skinned. But at 18 years old, Naomi is very self-aware of her dark skin, her poverty, and her ethnicity. At home, she struggles to overcome her hidden fears that the ugly monster Henry she remembers from her childhood will soon return, especially since she is older and looks like her mother once had. As  she endures ostracism at school and the burden of taking care of her family, Naomi finds herself attracted to Wash, an African-American from the New Egypt community who has befriended the twins and becomes smitten with her. The tension of their forbidden relationship is set against the historical backdrop of the horrific New London School explosion of March 18, 1937.

The story arc of Pérez's characters is well-suited for the setting. The story is tense, violent, and explodes, leaving few survivors to relate the tragic events that actually occurred. Racial tension and the race for money, oil, and souls in Depression Era East Texas was a powder keg waiting for a match, and Pérez found the fuse in this realistic narrative.

I would advise for mature students only, ages 16+, as there is intense and graphic violence of both sexual and physical nature.

LIKE WATER ON STONE

Walrath, Dana. Like Water on Stone. New York: Delacorte, 2014. ISBN: 978-0-385-74397-6 

Shahen Donabedian wants more than anything to escape his sleepy little Anatolian village to go to New York City, just like his uncle before him. His twin sister, Sosi, does not feel the same, having just discovered the earliest stirrings of affection for Vahan Arkalian, the clock-maker's son. Together, Shahen and Sosi, are expected to help their parents with the family mill-work, grape harvests and care of their five-year-old sister, Miriam. When the unthinkable happens, and the children are forced to flee while their parents are brutally murdered, nothing matters but survival.

A very sensitive book detailing the horrors of the Armenian genocide for a brother and two sisters in 1914, as they escape to Aleppo with the help of an eagle. Walrath doesn't spare us the details-senseless murder, rape, rivers running with blood, death by starvation-but her choice of free verse somehow gives the reader a chance to come up for air once in a while. In addition, she pays attention to the little details of her Armenian heritage-the music, the food, the daily duties of mothers and daughters. She also explores daily interactions among Turkish Muslims, Kurds and Armenians in rural villages before nationalism crept across the Ottoman empire. Great understanding and depth of insight into the human condition is portrayed in this deceptively simple book.

Author's Website: danawalrath.com

Teaching Guide

A Great and (not too) Terrible Book

Bray, Libba (2003). A Great and Terrible Beauty. New York: Delacorte. 

This book and the author get tons of hype from Booklist and ALA. This book was fine, and some girls will get into the series, but it's not great. As far as historical fiction, the descriptions of England, India, gypsies--all a bit cliche. It's not a read alike for The Hunger Games or Divergent crowd. There was some mixing of occult and mythology. That was odd. Plus, what was the veiled lesbian stuff? And the repressed sex? Just a bit too much.

All that criticism aside, Bray is an enjoyable writer.  Anyone who suffered through the Twilight series will certainly enjoy this series more.  It is far better written and the female characters are much more nuanced and independent. For the literati, it might appeal for comparisons to The Crucible, as it does contain some similar themes--jealousy, adolescent friendship, first love, coming of age.  

The book is the first in the Gemma Doyle Trilogy.  Other titles are Rebel Angels (Gemma Doyle, #2) and The Sweet and Far Thing (Gemma Doyle, #3).   You can read more about the series on the author's homepage.  Fans of the author should check out her other books as well at http://libbabray.com/. 

A Story Better Told--a review of LIZZIE BRIGHT AND THE BUCKMINSTER BOY by Gary D. Schmidt

Turner Buckminster is a “preacher’s kid,” and he doesn’t fit into his new life in Phippsburg, Maine, in 1912.  His peers don’t accept him, his father is demanding, and the townspeople hold him up to higher expectations than he can sometimes meet.  He is so miserable that all he can do is think about “lighting out for the territories.”  Then, a chance meeting with a local island girl, Lizzie Bright, gives him hope that life will be more bearable after all.  However, the events that are about to spiral out of control for the star-crossed friends are less than hopeful.  In fact, they are tragic.  In an honest coming-of-age novel about a boy on the verge of manhood, Gary Schmidt delivers a cast of memorable characters and an unforgettably tender story in his Newbery Honor book. 

Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary D. Schmidt

Some readers may not know that Gary Schmidt is an English professor. His careful crafting of Turner’s story reflects his vast knowledge of literature as a craft. In Turner’s encounter with a whale, readers hear definite echoes of Melville’s Moby Dick:

“Turner reached the whale’s eye, and they looked at each other. They looked at each other a long time—two souls rolling on the sea under the silvery moon, peering into each other’s eyes. Turner wished with a desire greater than anything he had ever desired that he might understand what it was in the eye of the whale that shivered his soul” (80).
The motif of cold, moonlight is repeated in the death of Turner’s father and in the new life Turner forges for himself.

Schmidt’s characters are wonderfully drawn, and most of them are dynamic and full of surprises. The villain, Mr. Stonecrop, is truly regenerate, and Schmidt leaves his final end unresolved. The crotchety Miss Cobb, for whom Turner is forced to play the organ for one hour every afternoon, is a perfect old spinster, obsessed with what her last words might be. She reprimands Turner, “Have you thought about what your last words might be? You’re never too young to know what your last words might be. Death could come along at any moment and thrust his dart right through you” (25). Seeming friends become insidious enemies, and enemies become lasting friends. Schmidt uses the various seasons of the New England landscape as a backdrop for the story. Spring and summer bring hope and fulfillment while fall and winter harbinger change and death.

The novel humanizes a horrific story. I recently read about what happened to African-Americans of this era when they were sent to mental institutions.  While the true story of Malaga’s ousted community may be too much for young readers to bear, Schmidt’s book raises awareness of the event, which is truly a dark blotch in American history, in a way that young people will understand. He doesn’t sugar-coat the events, but he limits the reader’s experience to that of Turner’s, which is heavy enough for a young reader. Lizzie’s death is truly upsetting. Themes of becoming an individual, friendship, and love and loss are universal. More importantly, they are realistic, as the novel doesn’t deliver a fairy tale ending, even when it seems that one might be possible. Young adults will respond to Schmidt’s respectful candor. The story of Malaga Island—a story best left untold—is probably best told through the lens of historical fiction. Schmidt is a master storyteller.

Awards and Reviews

Newbery Honor Book, 2005
Michael L. Printz Honor Award, 2005
Young Hoosier Book Award
Volunteer State Book Award
Garden State Teen Book Award
West Virginia Children’s Choice Book Award
Sequoyah Book Award
Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children’s Book Award
Virginia Reader’s Choice Awards

“Schmidt's writing is infused with feeling and rich in imagery. With fully developed, memorable characters and a fascinating, little-known piece of history, this novel will leave a powerful impression on readers.”—Connie Tyrrell Burns, School Library Journal (May 2004)


“The author bases this story on facts from the early 1900s, telling it with a lyrical style that supports Turner's steady path toward maturity while dealing with racism, religious belief, intellectual development, family ties, and loyalty. There are many subtle dimensions to Turner's progress with grace under pressure as he learns to stand up for what he believes.”—Patricia Morrow, VOYA (August 2004)


“Schmidt takes his time with his tale, spinning gloriously figurative language that brilliantly evokes both place and emotion. Turner himself is a wonderfully rich character, his moral and intellectual growth developing naturally from the boy the reader first meets. There can be no happy ending to this story, but the telling is both beautiful and emotionally honest, both funny and piercingly sad.”—Kirkus Reviews (N.d.)

Lesson Extensions

Watch “Malaga Island: a Story Best Left Untold,” a radio documentary and photo exhibition that covers the true story of what happened to people of mixed race from the Malaga community. There are images of the island and its settlers before and after. The truth hurts more than the fiction, so beware of sensitive students.

Random House offers an excellent Educator’s Guide for this novel covering themes such as coming-of-age, family relationships, friendship, racism and prejudice, and self-esteem. There are curricular connections to various subject areas, a writing exercise about personification, and a revealing interview with the author.


Katherine Ruppel (2006) has created A Teaching Guide for Gary D. Schmidt’s Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy. This standards-based unit emphasizes literary elements as well as issues of prejudice and personal responsibility.


Vital Stats
Schmidt, Gary D. (2004). Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy. New York: Random House. ISBN 0553494953

Rosenthal., R. and Philbrick, K. (2009). Malaga Island: a story best left untold.  Accessed November 17, 2011 from http://malagaislandmaine.org/index.htm.



Shazam!--a review of THE GREEN GLASS SEA by Ellen Klages

There is a wealth of information to discover in well-crafted historical fiction.  The Green Glass Sea, a remarkable debut novel by Ellen Klages, is a treasure chest of facts about the Atomic age carefully tucked away in a compelling fictional narrative of a young girl who didn’t mind being different.

The Green Glass Sea by Ellen Klages

Dewey Kerrigan doesn’t fit in. She is a sympathetic character from the beginning of the novel, where we find her waiting outside on the steps for her father, a mathematician who works for the government in an "undisclosed location," to pick her up. Dewey has a weird name, she has a limp, she likes “boy things” like radios and mechanics. None of this matters to Dewey, though, because she is about to find herself in a secret city surrounded by men—and women—of genius, including Dick Feynman and Robert Oppenheimer, who share her interests. Suze Gordon is a misfit, too, but unlike Dewey, she wants to fit in; the harder she tries, the worse it is. Suze and Dewey find themselves thrown together in Los Alamos through a series of unfortunate events which happen to Dewey. The story of their unusual friendship is set against the backdrop of the race to develop the “gadget,” toward the end of World War 2. Much like the girls in the story, the reader is drawn into the web of unavoidable circumstances surrounding the quest to end the war and left to ponder the broader implications of science for both creation and destruction.

I am so glad I read this book. I didn’t know much about Los Alamos, the Manhattan project or the people who were involved in it, but I could have learned about this from any book. What really stands out as special about Klages’ novel is the very practical and matter of fact nature of her storytelling. While Dewey's relationship with her father is particularly poignant, Klages doesn’t employ emotional tricks to earn the reader’s sympathy. She very realistically portrays two young ladies as unique individuals who are trying to find their place in the world that they find themselves in. Her attention to historical detail is evident in her re-creation of a child’s world in the 1940s—comics, Nehi soda, LIFE Magazine. The reader experiences this world through the eyes of the heroines as they learn that “bad stuff happens” but there is also friendship and beauty to be discovered. The author’s note is brief, but offers some very concise resources for readers who may want to learn more about the history that inspired this captivating story.

Awards and Reviews

Scott O’Dell Award, 2007
New Mexico Book Award, 2007
Judy Lopez Award, 2007
Finalist, Quall Awards, 2007
Finalist, Northern California Book Awards, 2007
Finalist, Locus Award for Best First Novel, 2007
Children’s Picks List, BookSense, 2006/2007

Starred Reviews
Horn Book Guide (Spring 2007)
VOYA (February 2007)
Horn Book (November/December 2006)

“Clear prose brings readers right into the unusual atmosphere of the secretive scientific community, seen through the eyes of the kids and their families. Dewey is an especially engaging character, plunging on with her mechanical projects and ignoring any questions about gender roles.”—Steven Engelfried, School Library Journal (November 2006)

“Klages evokes both the big-sky landscape of the Southwest and a community where ‘everything is secret’ with inviting ease and the right details.”—The Horn Book Magazine, Nov/Dec 2006

“…the characters are exceptionally well drawn, and the compelling, unusual setting makes a great tie-in for history classes.”—John Green, Booklist (November 15, 2006)

“…the view of the Manhattan Project through the eyes of two out-of-the-loop children is an intriguing entrée to this somber piece of history.”—Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (January 2007)

Lesson Extensions


The historical tie-ins for this book are obvious. I would have students research old copies of LIFE Magazine, the Saturday Evening Post, and other magazines contemporary to the times. Many artifacts from this time are also available in local antique shops and “junk” stores. It would be interesting for collaborative groups to create a History Box surrounding this era.

Students in science could study more about atoms and nuclear energy through the lives of the scientists who researched it. It’s also a good book for discussing the ethics of scientific research. Students could watch the movie Fat Man and Little Boy to learn more about the feelings of the people who created the world’s first weapon of mass destruction.

For Grade 5 or 6 Literature Circles, Scholastic offers a Literature Cirlce Reading Guide with Questions and Extension Activities.
The Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Book Award (Illinois) has a website with activities and resources to accompany books which have received this award. Resources for The Green Glass Sea include links to the history of Los Alamos, the Manhattan Project, the Trinity Test Site, a biography of Robert Oppenheimer, videos of nuclear explosions, and information about Trinitite (the mineral behind the name The Green Glass Sea).

Vital Statistics

Klages, Ellen. (2006). The Green Glass Sea. New York: Viking. ISBN 0670061344



Ain't Nothin' but a Gold-digger--a review of THE BALLAD OF LUCY WHIPPLE by Karen Cushman

Our Physical Science Classes are in the Media Center today researching Rocks and Minerals. When I was pulling books about gold, I just happened to see a photograph of Deadwood Gulch in the Black Hills of South Dakota circa 1876. In the shadowy, blurred black and white, I see men…some jaunty looking and fresh, others rather scraggly, bearded. And though I can’t be sure, there is one woman. The text reads, “Gold strikes still happen in modern times. But the stampedes of the nineteenth century are gone forever. The places where gold is easily retrieved have, for the most part, been found” (48). How fortunate for us that we have historical fiction writers who bring those "gone forever" places back to us in living color. And what greater fortune that Karen Cushman has recreated the time and place in a coming of age story of a young, teenage girl in The Ballad of Lucy Whipple.

The Ballad of Lucy Whipple by Karen Cushman

California Whipple’s parents always dreamed of moving West. Even after California’s father dies, her mother is determined that she will move the family to Lucky Diggins, California, at the heart of the Gold Rush. California is less than thrilled, and in a series of letters home, declares that she is now to be called Lucy. In Lucy Whipple, Cushman has created a plain-spoken character who doesn’t pull any punches, and Cushman’s book doesn’t either. She does a particularly adept job at dealing with the harsh realities faced by settlers such as battling sickness, hunger, and the forces of nature. The death of Lucy’s brother Butte is touching without being maudlin. Cushman balances the difficulties of pioneer life through humor, humanity and the sheer natural beauty of California in the 1800s. The picture of Clyde the preacher, who is so tall, his feet touch the ground when he rides into camp on a donkey is only one example of the ballad-like exaggeration Cushman subtly works into the writing.

There is a lot to love in this book. Cushman’s partial use of Lucy’s letters to tell parts of the story add to the authenticity of the work, as they allow the author to share details about the Gold Rush era in a very natural way. Though some of Lucy’s language seemed stereotypical at first (the use of the words tarnation and dag diggety! had me expecting the phrase What the Sam Hill?), I came to love Lucy more and more as I experienced her delights and disappointments. Lucy’s world is so well-developed that I found myself wishing that the lesser developed stories of her friends in Lucky Diggins could be told as well (an escaped slave named Bernard, the old coot Amos Frogge, Lucy’s courageous mama). Lucy’s search to belong, thus creating her own identity, are themes readers in any time and place can appreciate; but Lucy’s story is what they will enjoy.

Awards and Reviews
Booklist Editors’ Choice
School Library Journal, Best Books of the Year
New York Public Library, 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing
Booklinks Lasting Connections Selection
Notable Children’s Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies
Notable Children’s Book in the Language Arts
IRA Teachers’ Choice
Texas Lone Star Reading List Selection
School Library Journal, Best Books of the Year
Booklist Editor’s Choice
John and Patricia Beatty Award
ABC Children’s Booksellers Choice Award

“Cushman’s heroine is a delightful character, and the historical setting is authentically portrayed. Lucy’s story, as the author points out in her end notes, is the story of many pioneer women who exhibited great strength and courage as they helped to settle the West. The book I full of small details that children will love.”—Bruce Anne Shook, School Library Journal (August 1996)

“Many readers will recognize their own dislocations in Lucy’s reluctant adventure.”—Hazel Rochman, Booklist (August 1996)

Lesson Extensions

Personal Connections. Paula Laurita at Bella Online uses Lucy’s struggle in her difficult circumstances as a way for teenage girls to reflect on the struggles of their own personal experiences. She has created a journal writing activity, based on Lucy’s letters.

Historical Connections. Students studying any era can benefit from writing letters from the point of view of any character in history. Using Lucy’s letters as an example, students could create a series of three letters incorporating historical facts about any given era (Civil War, Revolutionary War, World War 2, etc.). In addition, students could research historical photos or artifacts from the time, and include them in a portfolio assignment.

Social Studies. Teacher Jill Esquivel has developed a 5th Grade lesson plan incorporating Geography and History standards. Students work in cooperative groups to plan a journey along the Wilderness Road or Oregon Trail and write a “post card home.” She cites the book as one resource for helping make pioneer journeys real for students.

Vital Stats
Cushman, Karen. (1996). The Ballad of Lucy Whipple. New York: Clarion. ISBN 978-0395728062.

References
Hellman, Hal. (1996). The Story of Gold. New York: Franklin Watts.