Striking visuals augment an already-captivating tale.
Having tackled Robin Hood in Outlaw (2009) and King Arthur in Excalibur (2011), Lee now envisions Joan of Arc's humble beginnings to her inevitable martyrdom.
In 15th-century France, war and turmoil are constants as the French struggle to throw off English rule. Jehanne d'Arc, a devout country maiden, begins to receive messages from God after a fall and a consequent hit to her head. Her divine voices instruct her how to lead the French out of their occupation and restore the monarchy. At a time when women could be condemned for simply wearing men’s clothes or cutting their hair, Joan is a fearless trailblazer who leads by faith, strength, and conviction even though she knows that she will eventually be martyred for her efforts. Joan is evinced as a stubborn, confident heroine, but Lee keeps her likable by emphasizing her love of her family as well as her piety. Though Joan's fate is foretold in the opening pages, a heroic blend of epic battles and palpable wartime tension keep the pages flying. Illustrator Hart cleverly plays with perspective in many panels, some offering over-the-shoulder or from-the-ankles-up views of a scene and others zooming out with shadowy, indistinct features, then sharply juxtaposing the next with clear, close-up shots of emotive and defined faces, creating a dramatically cinematic feel. He and co-colorist Costa keep tight control over palette and lighting to complement this effect.
Striking visuals augment an already-captivating tale. (Graphic historical fiction. 12 & up)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-7636-7613-1
Page Count: 112
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2015
A tense adventure about interracial adoption that gets to the heart of what’s most important: love.
The life of a Connecticut girl is turned upside down by the Fugitive Slave Act.
In her debut for young readers, Alonso introduces readers to a bandaged and badly bruised 14-year-old Martha Bartlett as she reads a letter from her white abolitionist father, an Underground Railroad “station keeper,” about her ailing mother, a white Quaker who helps him. Readers learn how Martha received her injuries in a flashback that begins with the arrival of her adopted brother, Jake, the infant free son of a runaway, possibly mixed-race teenager named Mariah and her slave owner, when Martha was 6. Jake’s origin and what readers will likely see as autism challenge his family’s love and communal concern as they all create a web of lies and other safeguards to protect him. When Martha unintentionally leaves Jake, now 7, alone, slave catchers kidnap the boy and take him back to Maryland. Martha—spurred by her own guilt, the shocking revelation about her own beginnings, and the attendant casual racism regarding her birth that romantically devastates her—decides to cross the Mason-Dixon Line to bring Jake home. Alonso pens an informative, easy-to-follow adventure story that nevertheless tackles the persistent issues arising from antebellum America, including race and skin color, situational ethics and their devastating consequences, and allyship and using privilege for justice.
A tense adventure about interracial adoption that gets to the heart of what’s most important: love. (author’s note, maps) (Historical fiction. 12-14)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-60980-800-6
Page Count: 220
Publisher: Triangle Square Books for Young Readers
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2017
A compelling novel that stands both on its own merit and as an addition to the wealth of Titanic literature.
The tragic tale of the Titanic serves as backdrop for a series of smaller familial tragedies.
Three girls board the luxurious ship with no idea that their fates are soon to be irrevocably entwined. Lucy’s hope for this trip is for her parents to show affection for each other, though her father’s dark personality makes this unlikely. Abby, Lucy’s maid, hopes her secrets go undetected long enough for her to start a new life in America. And Isabella hopes to discover why her parents woke her in the night and made her board the Titanic—alone. An entertaining series of mishaps, misunderstandings, and revelations play out on various decks as the well-known climax approaches, this knowledge increasing the tension even further. In her debut novel, Jane liberally sprinkles historic references amid the action, including Marconi’s wireless and the women’s suffrage movement, to fold an authentic educational experience into the story. Jane shines at atmospheric descriptions of the opulence of the ship and the people themselves while also managing to bring her powers of keen observation to the third-class passengers, many of whom were immigrant families full of hope. The characters are white and of European background and straddle several economic classes.
A compelling novel that stands both on its own merit and as an addition to the wealth of Titanic literature. (Historical fiction. 12-15)Pub Date: July 31, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-338-22665-2
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: April 29, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2018
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