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LINCOLN AND SLAVERY

Name: LINCOLN AND SLAVERY
Author: Peter Burchard
ISBN: 0-689-81570-0

by Peter Burchard ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 1, 1999

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A look at Abraham Lincoln’s evolving views and actions toward African-Americans and slavery; Burchard avoids a dry, textbook-like presentation, but sometimes jumps from one period to another without effective transitions. Burchard succeeds in his main purpose, painting a complex portrait of Lincoln’s character; he emerges as a real human being with some flaws, but also with enormous maturity, wisdom, and compassion. The text is enlivened by anecdotes and details from Lincoln’s life and from the lives of other notable figures of the period, such as abolitionists and fellow politicians. Such a clear picture of the times is further aided by black-and-white photographs and drawings from the period. Readers will come away with a strong grasp of the tensions that led to the Civil War, and an understanding of the African-American struggle for freedom; the clarity of Burchard’s writing and thinking eclipses any textbook offering on the subject. (index, not seen, notes, bibliography) (Nonfiction. 12-14)

Pub Date: June 1, 1999

ISBN: 0-689-81570-0

Page Count: 181

Publisher: Atheneum

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 1999

Categories:

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT HISTORICAL FICTION

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CUTTING LOOSE

by Michael Z. Lewin ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 1999

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Masquerading as a man, a young woman sets out to find her friend’s killer in New York and London at the turn of the century; disguise proves to be simultaneously liberating and imprisoning in Lewin’s big-canvas historical novel. No one is who she or he seems to be, not the gender-bending heroine Jackie who spends most of her life as Jack so she can play baseball; not her best friend, Nance, a black performer who “passes” as white, and who dies of a stab wound in the opening pages. Cleverly structured and meticulously detailed so that every piece of information neatly clicks into the jigsaw-puzzle ending, the novel runs on two tracks. One chronicles Jackie’s past history starting with her grandmother (whose incredible life both mirrors and influences her granddaughter’s); the other details her current adventures as the avenger of her best friend, along with a surprise unveiling of her father’s murderer. After a vivid trip through 19th-century America, the novel concludes in and around the music halls of London, where Jackie’s past and present converge. The derring-do climax fails to ignite, for this is a book in which the journey surpasses the destination, but overall Lewin produces a grand adventure that readers won’t soon forget. (Fiction. 12-14)

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1999

ISBN: 0-8050-6225-4

Page Count: 520

Publisher: Henry Holt

Review Posted Online: May 30, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1999

Categories:

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT FICTION | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT HISTORICAL FICTION | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS

- BOOK REVIEW
FAMILY WAY
by Michael Z. Lewin

- BOOK REVIEW
OH JOE
by Michael Z. Lewin

- BOOK REVIEW
FAMILY PLANNING
by Michael Z. Lewin

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THE SQUIRE, HIS KNIGHT, AND HIS LADY

by Gerald Morris ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 1999

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This sequel to The Squire’s Tale (1998) finds Morris’s affable young hero, Terence, still serving the legendary Sir Gawain. The kingdom of Camelot, where they are living, is in despair over Queen Guinevere’s affair with Sir Lancelot; when Gawain is challenged to meet the Knight of the Green they set off on a new quest. Terence is still young, but he is no longer the novice of the previous novel; when Gawain is imprisoned by the treacherous Marquis of Alva and scheduled for execution, it’s up to Terence to save not only his knight, but the beautiful and spirited Lady Eileen. The three of them come upon an enchanted castle, where the lord of the realm turns out to be the Green Knight in disguise: Gawain is forced to pass two additional challenges in order to regain face. There is a well-crafted but tumultuous unfolding of events, and an author’s note in which Morris explains his abiding affection and respect for Gawain; this personal touch may send readers straight off to Chaucer. Even Arthur and Guinevere make up in this engaging adventure, an ideal follow-up to the first book and just as full of characters who are brave, loyal, and admirably human. (Fiction. 12-14)