Kirkus Star
THE KIRKUS STAR
Awarded to Books of Exceptional Merit

BROWSE BOOK REVIEWS




2010 Best Children's Books: Historical Fiction


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Cover art for ONE CRAZY SUMMER
CHILDREN'S
Released: Feb. 1, 2010

"The depiction of the time is well done, and while the girls are caught up in the difficulties of adults, their resilience is celebrated and energetically told with writing that snaps off the page. (Historical fiction. 9-12)"
A flight from New York to Oakland, Calif., to spend the summer of 1968 with the mother who abandoned Delphine and her two sisters was the easy part. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE DREAMER
CHILDREN'S
Released: April 1, 2010
by Pam Muñoz Ryan, illustrated by Peter Sís

"A brief selection of Neruda's poems (in translation), a bibliography and an author's note enrich an inviting and already splendid, beautifully presented work. (Historical fiction. 9-13)"
Ryan's fictional evocation of the boy who would become Pablo Neruda is rich, resonant and enchanting. Read full book review >
Cover art for ALCHEMY AND MEGGY SWANN
CHILDREN'S
Released: April 1, 2010

"A gem. (author's note, bibliography) (Historical fiction. 10-14)"
Queen Elizabeth I is on the throne. Read full book review >
Cover art for ONCE
CHILDREN'S
Released: April 1, 2010

"A resonant shot to the heart—Gleitzman delivers a sharp sense of what it must have been like to be a child during the Holocaust, forced to grow up far too quickly. (Historical fiction. 12 & up)"
When his Jewish parents place young Felix in an orphanage in war-torn Poland, they tell him that they must leave to fix their book business. Read full book review >
Cover art for CHASING ORION
CHILDREN'S
Released: May 1, 2010

"A truly extraordinary page-turner that embraces life's big and small aspects with humor and a healthy respect for its profound contradictions. (Historical fiction. 11 & up)"
It seems unfair to 11-year-old Georgie Mason that in Indiana's summer heat she can't go swimming or even to the movies for fear of catching polio. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE WATER SEEKER
CHILDREN'S
Released: May 11, 2010

Holt infuses the American pioneer landscape with a hint of magical realism in this intimate and epic coming-of-age tale. Read full book review >