Ashes, by Laurie Halse Anderson, is the third and final book in Anderson’s Seeds of America trilogy. It tells the story of four escaped slaves in revolutionary America. The main characters are sisters Isabel and Ruth who have escaped from slavery and are trying to get to Rhode Island and freedom. Ruth and Isabel have a complex relationship because Ruth was taken as a young child by the plantation’s owner to work on another plantation, but Ruth believes that Isabel sent her away voluntarily. As the two sisters journey towards freedom, their relationship strengthens, especially when they are alone in the forest on their way to Yorktown. The book concludes with the marriage of Isabel and her friend Curzon in the army encampment. The plot of the book revolves around the dilemma Isabel faces when picking a side in the American Revolution. I found the book to be unrealistic because Ruth thinks that Isabel sent her away, but she would know by then that as a slave, Isabel would not have had the power to control who left the plantation. Another part of the story that I found to be unrealistic was that Isabel missed being a slave because of the structure. On the other hand, I did enjoy reading about the time Isabel and Ruth spent in Williamsburg as well as the army encampment. Nevertheless, I found the book interesting to read. Anderson, who is the author of several books, including Fever, Forge, and Chains, does a good job of making history interesting to learn about, and paints a vivid picture of historical events through the eyes of her diverse characters. This book made me read other sources about American history to form my own opinions about the story and the characters’ experiences. For that reason, I would recommend that others read this book. Ashes by Laurie Halse Anderson. Simon & Schuster, 2017. Buy the book here and support Children’s Art Foundation-Stone Soup in the process! Have you read this book? Or do you plan on reading it? If so, comment below!
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Oliver Twist, Reviewed by Vivaan Kartik, 8
Oliver Twist is a literary classic written by Charles Dickens, an English author in the 19th century. I have read an illustrated adaptation of this book. The book is set in London and the protagonist is Oliver who is an orphan. He lived in a workhouse at age 9 but after asking for more food was confined and as a punishment he was apprenticed to Mr. Sowberry who treated him cruelly. When it became unbearable, Oliver escaped to London where he walked straight into the clutches of a gang of pickpockets from where he finds it almost impossible to escape. This book focuses on the darker side of life in those times. Though Oliver Twist is not really a children’s book, I chose Oliver Twist because I was really interested to know what life for children was like in the 19th century. In other books where I have read about the Victorian era I found out that children in those days as young as 6 years old were used as accomplices and were put down chimneys to open the main door for burglars to enter. All these stories made me eager to read Oliver Twist. Though it is a depressing story Oliver finds ‘peace at last’. So the end was definitely my favourite part. A despicable character was Mr Bumble, the master of the workhouse, because he was so callous. (He reminded me of Ms Trunchbull from the book ‘Matilda’ by Roald Dahl). I would recommend reading this book because it teaches you quite a lot. Orphans were often ill treated and most money given to workhouses was not even used for the welfare of the people living in it. Children being trained for criminal activities was rife in the 19th century in big cities like London and is probably even happening now. The gangs targeted children who were oppressed as they made easy targets. Those children are vulnerable and quickly say yes to anyone who is going to give them food and shelter as they are desperately in need for it without knowing what they are getting into. Oliver Twist is my age and he should be going to school and learning like me but he’s actually deprived of basic necessities and leads a life that is beyond any child’s imagination. An important thing that I learnt from reading this book is that we are very fortunate to have a good family, education, house, food and friends and we must always find happiness with whatever we get. This book like this world has good and bad characters – the good are always fighting for peace while the bad are always trying to deter them. Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens. Penguin Classics, 1839. Buy the book here and support Children’s Art Foundation-Stone Soup in the process! Have you read this book? Or do you plan on reading it? If so, comment below!
All’s Faire in Middle School, Reviewed by Sabrina Guo, 11
Victoria Jamieson’s fantastic new graphic novel, All’s Faire in Middle School, tells the tale of an eleven-year-old girl named Imogene (Impy, for short) who, after being homeschooled her whole life, is entering a public school for the first time. Impy has grown up at the Renaissance Faire themed park in Florida where her father performs as a knight in jousting competitions and her mom runs a souvenir shop. Impy is finally old enough to work as a squire, an assistant to the knights, and even though some of her job is just shoveling up horse poop, she’s willing to do anything to how that she’s worthy of becoming a knight–her ultimate dream. Impy knows that knights are required to be chivalrous, honest, and brave…all traits she will need as she starts public school, which is a very frightening quest indeed! The first time she goes into the lunchroom at her new public school, she realizes that everyone is sitting with people they’ve known since elementary school, and she doesn’t know anyone. Luckily, she finds a group of seemingly-nice girls and hits it off with them. But when she is invited to one girl’s house, which is actually a mansion, Impy starts to become aware of the differences between her new friends and herself. She begins to see her own appearance in a new light, as well as her family’s weird lifestyle, and their not-so-nice-and-rich apartment. She also learns in middle school that everyone has a dragon inside. The girl who lives in a mansion starts to mock Impy for wearing different clothes and shoes than the other girls in their group. After Impy spends the money and time to buy a new outfit to fit in, her new friends start talking about how uncool it is for her to copy them. Then, Impy starts doing mean things just to fit in. After a difficult week at school, she gives into peer pressure and draws an unflattering picture of a girl named Anita who is considered the teacher’s pet. After one of Impy’s supposed ‘friends’ posts the picture all over the school, Anita sees the picture and is hurt, which makes Impy’s heart sink. Is Impy more of a dragon than a knight? Even though Impy doesn’t do the right thing, Ms. Jamieson makes Impy’s struggles relatable by showing us Impy’s insecurities and how they lead her to do things she regrets. Overall, this was a great graphic novel and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves adventurous books filled with color and vitality. The humor in this book is never-ending, like when her family embarrasses her at school and when she talks back to her ‘friends.’ I also learned many life lessons from this book; it gives a lot of good tips and on how to let your inner knight shine through and tame your inner dragon. For example, choosing the right friends plays a big part, along with having the ability to determine whether they see you as a friend too. The book also teaches you about peer pressure and how to be cautious so a similar situation doesn’t happen to you. Ms. Jamieson does a great job showing that you should not be afraid to be different from others, even if fitting in might seem like the best choice sometimes. This book shows us, through Impy’s journey through middle school, that you should not just follow others to feel accepted and in place. Being unique lets your true inner light shine through. All’s Faire in Middle School by Victoria Jamieson. Penguin Random House, 2017. Buy the book here and support Children’s Art Foundation-Stone Soup in the process! Have you read this book? Or do you plan on reading it? If so, comment below!
