Kirkus Star
THE KIRKUS STAR
Awarded to Books of Exceptional Merit

BROWSE BOOK REVIEWS




Best Teen Books of 2012: Exploring the Past (page 5)

Interested in history, recent or ancient? Try some of these books, which range from nonfiction to realistic fiction to fantasy, to get your time-travel fix.


Cover art for NO CRYSTAL STAIR
CHILDREN'S
Released: Feb. 1, 2012

"A stirring and thought-provoking account of an unsung figure in 20th-century American history. (author's notes, source notes, bibliography, index) (Fictional biography. 12-18)"
Lewis Michaux provided a venue for his fellow African-Americans to have access to their own history and philosophy at a time when the very idea was revolutionary. Read full book review >
Cover art for IN DARKNESS
CHILDREN'S
Released: Jan. 17, 2012

"A dark journey well worth taking—engrossing, disturbing, illuminating. (author's note) (Fiction. 14 & up)"
A tale of two Haitis—one modern, one historic—deftly intertwine in a novel for teens and adults. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE BOOK OF BLOOD AND SHADOW
CHILDREN'S
Released: Jan. 10, 2012

"A classy read that repays reader effort. (historical note) (Thriller. 12 & up)"
Here's something refreshing: a religious-historical thriller with a nifty Mobius strip of a plot—think Nancy Werlin channeling Dan Brown—serving up shivery suspense, sans fangs or fur. Read full book review >