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KINGS MOUNTAIN

Name: KINGS MOUNTAIN
Author: G. Clifton Wisler
ISBN: 0-688-17813-8

by G. Clifton Wisler ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 1, 2002

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The fighting during the American Revolutionary War set neighbor against neighbor and family against family and it was in the south that those feelings were especially intense. The battle of Kings Mountain, fought in South Carolina in October of 1780, was a solid British defeat and pivotal to the outcome of the conflict. This story by the veteran writer of historical fiction follows young Frank Livingstone, who would rather sketch than fight and kill. He believes that he can never measure up to the memory of his older brother, who died in a childhood accident. When Frank and his sister travel from their mountain home to their grandmother’s tavern in Camden, they witness first-hand the dangers of life under the British military occupation. Once there, his ability to sketch enemy positions allows him to participate in the patriot cause without having to fire his prized Dickert rifle. An author’s note, background historical information, and a chronology of events help the reader understand the events. However, the actual battle comes so late in the story that it seems anticlimactic, and the real-life heroes and villains of the time are never fully fleshed out. As a coming-of-age story of a boy, there are merits. As historical fiction, there are too many lessons grafted onto the narrative. (Fiction. 10-14)

Pub Date: June 1, 2002

ISBN: 0-688-17813-8

Page Count: 160

Publisher: HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2002

Categories:

CHILDREN'S HISTORICAL FICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
MUSTANG FLATS
by G. Clifton Wisler

- BOOK REVIEW
THE DRUMMER BOY OF VICKSBURG
by G. Clifton Wisler

- BOOK REVIEW
CALEB'S CHOICE
by G. Clifton Wisler

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THE SEVENTH MOST IMPORTANT THING

by Shelley Pearsall ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 8, 2015

Luminescent, just like the artwork it celebrates. (Historical fiction. 10-14)

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Traumatized by his father’s recent death, a boy throws a brick at an old man who collects junk in his neighborhood and winds up on probation working for him.

Pearsall bases the book on a famed real work of folk art, the Throne of the Third Heaven, by James Hampton, a janitor who built his work in a garage in Washington, D.C., from bits of light bulbs, foil, mirrors, wood, bottles, coffee cans, and cardboard—the titular seven most important things. In late 1963, 13-year-old Arthur finds himself looking for junk for Mr. Hampton, who needs help with his artistic masterpiece, begun during World War II. The book focuses on redemption rather than art, as Hampton forgives the fictional Arthur for his crime, getting the boy to participate in his work at first reluctantly, later with love. Arthur struggles with his anger over his father’s death and his mother’s new boyfriend. Readers watch as Arthur transfers much of his love for his father to Mr. Hampton and accepts responsibility for saving the art when it becomes endangered. Written in a homespun style that reflects the simple components of the artwork, the story guides readers along with Arthur to an understanding of the most important things in life.

Luminescent, just like the artwork it celebrates. (Historical fiction. 10-14)