THE BOY WHO SAVED CLEVELAND

Famed nonfiction writer Giblin makes a mostly successful foray into historical fiction with this slim novel based on a true story. In the summer of 1798, Cleveland, Ohio is a tiny three-cabin settlement reachable only by flatboat from Lake Erie. Without horses or mules, the settlers walk to a mill two miles away to grind their dried corn into meal—the mainstay of their diet until their first harvest. When malaria strikes, ten-year-old Seth, the last one still healthy, must make the daily trip alone, carrying enough corn to keep everyone fed. Giblin’s history is impeccable, but the plain style that serves him so well in nonfiction is a liability here—he doesn’t put the reader firmly into Seth’s shoes, or make his struggle seem large enough that success is anything but assured. Still, this will interest young readers and could spark interesting classroom discussion. (Historical fiction. 7-12)