Pacaritambo

ALOHA MEANS COME BACK: The Story of a World War II Girl
by Dorothy & Thomas Hoobler. B&W illustrations by Cathie Bleck and Leslie Dunlap. Condition: UNREAD 1991 Silver Burdett Press hardcover & DJ (in mylar jacket), first ediiton, first printing. Content: Laura and her mother join her Navy father in Hawaii in 1941, where suspicion against the Japanese-American residents runs high in an atmosphere of expectation that the United States and Japan will go to war. The last chapter in the book is a really neat guide to making a lei - complete with diagrams on how-to. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
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AFTER THE WAR (An ALA Best Book for Young Adults)
by Carol Matas. B&W maps. Condition: UNREAD 1996 Aladdin paperback, first printing. Bookstore stamp half-title page. Tiny edgewear. Content: "Didn't the gas ovens finish you all off?" is the response that meets Ruth Mendenberg when she returns to her village in Poland after the liberation of Buchenwald at the end of World War II. Her entire family wiped out in the Holocaust, the fifteen-year-old girl has nowhere to go. Members of the underground organization Brichah find her, and she joins them in their dangerous quest to smuggle illegal immigrants to Palestine. Ruth risks her life to help lead a group of children on a daring journey over half a continent and across the sea to Eretz Israel, using secret routes and forged documents -- and sheer force of will. This adventure will touch readers, who will marvel at the resources and inner strength of mere children helping other children to find a place in this world in which they can belong. Carol Matas, one of the foremost authors of historical fiction, brings the desperation and passion of this remarkable journey to life. Grades 7 - 10 +. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
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ARCTIC STORIES
by Michael Arvaarluk Kusgak. Wonderful color illustrations by Vladyana Krykorka. Condition: NEW 2003 Annick Press (Toronto-New York) hardcover (pictorial boards - NO DJ issued). Reinforced library binding. Decorated endpages. Content: Inuit writer Kusugak revisits the tiny Arctic Circle community where he spent his childhood, mining memories of the past in this trio of stories featuring a girl named Agatha. In Agatha's world, everyday life can include waking up in springtime to discover that the family's igloo has collapsed. In "Agatha and the Ugly Black Thing," a research blimp flies over the community, frightening the residents, while "Agatha and the Most Amazing Bird" describes the region's many feathered visitors, including a pet raven that returns to Agatha's grandmother each winter. In "Agatha Goes to School," the author pairs forthright comments on the practice of removing Inuit children to convent schools ("The nuns did not make very good mothers and the priests, who were called fathers, did not make very good fathers") with a dramatic story of a skating expedition that goes awry. Kusugak writes with clarity and dry humor. The cool colors of the setting's northern exposure bleed through the borders of Krykorka's watercolor and colored-pencil illustrations, creating a soft and slightly dreamy effect. This is a wonderful introduction to the Inuit culture for young children. Ages 6 +. [1copy available]
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BRIAN BORU: Emperor of the Irish
by Morgan Llywelyn. Condition: Very good pre-read 1997 TOR paperback, first MMPB edition, first printing. Spine crease with slight roll. Content: A lively adaptation of Llywelyn's adult novel, Lion of Ireland, relates the story of the tenth-century hero who repelled the Vikings and united his country to become Ireland's first High King. "One thousand years ago, Brian Boru was just a young boy in the west of Ireland when he witnessed the horrors of the Norse invasion--an attack that left his mother and two of his brothers dead. It was then that he swore to one day put an end to his country's suffering. Boru grew to be a great warrior. He fulfilled his dream and became the first High King of a united Ireland--a land where all people could live in safety and and without fear." An excellent introduction to Irish/Celtic history for young adults. [1 copy available]
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DRAGON: Hound of Honor (Adapted from the Legend of the Dog of Montargis)
by Julie Andrews Edwards and Emma Walton Hamilton. B&W decorations and maps. Cover art by Tristan Elwell. Condition: UNREAD 2003 Harper Collins hardcover & DJ (in mylar jacket), first edition, first printing. Content: Thierry is a ward of the Count of Montargis in medieval France. He wants to become a squire to a knight, and is fascinated when a tournament is held on his guardian's estate. But concern arises when Aubrey de Montdidier, the knight betrothed to the Count's daughter, fails to turn up for the festivities. Three days later his horse and faithful hound, Dragon, return to the castle, spooked and injured. Dragon then leads Thierry and Guy DeNarsac to Aubrey's murdered body. As the entire castle mourns his death, Thierry and DeNarsac realize that the clue to the murderer lies with Dragon, the only living witness. Edwards and Hamilton render a beautifully written retelling of "The Legend of the Dog of Montargis." The descriptions of castle life, the tournament, and Paris in the 14th century are well researched and presented in a manner that is both lyrical and thrilling, and the heroics of the knights and of Dragon are exciting. While the complex names and the insertion of French phrases might be confusing at first, a glossary and a family tree aid in understanding. A well-done historical novel with an exciting mystery that will hold the attention of middle-grade readers. Ages 10+. [1 copy available]
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I, JUAN de PAREJA (Newbery Medal Book)
by Elizabeth Barton de Trevino. Condition: Gently pre-read 1990 Sunburst Trade paperback, 6th printing. Read to page 32 and abandoned. Interior clean & tight with 1 dog earred page. Small edgewear at corners and top spine. A very nice copy. Content: Based on "thin threads" of truth, "I, Juan de Pareja" explores the relationship between famous 17th-century Spanish painter Diego Velazquez and his black slave, Juan de Pareja. Written in first person as if Juan is really telling his story, it is the chronicle of much of Juan's life and and his colorful experiences as apprentice to a master painter. Historical detail also adds great richness to the book. Author de Trevino has captured the mood of 17th century Spain perfectly, and her accounts of Juan's Italian travels fascinate the reader as well. Art facts and descriptions are well-placed, and the reader will find themselves interested in the rich history presented in the book, rather than bored by it. Furthermore, supporting characters are excellent! The portrayal of Diego Velazquez was well-imagined by the author, and the master painter's comments ring with insight and truth. The nobles, the painter's family, the Spanish king, Dutch painter Ruebens...they all come to life in "I, Juan de Pareja." [1 copy available]
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INDIAN CAPTIVE: The Story of Mary Jemison (Newbery Honor Book)
written & illustrated by Lois Lenski. B&W maps & illustrations. Condition: UNREAD 2004 Scholastic Trade Paperback, 4th printing. Perfect but for a light shelfwear diagonal crease bottom front cover. Content: Twelve-year-old Mary Jemison took her paceful days on her family's farm in eastern Pennsylvania for granted. But on a spring day i 1758, something happened that changed her life forever. A band of warriors invaded the house and took the Jemison family captive. Mary was separated from her parents and brothers and sister. She traveled with the Indians to southern Ohio and later to a Seneca village on the Genesee River in what is now Western New York where she became Dehgewanus, or "Two Falling Voices" . Several times she tried to run away, but the Indians were kind to her and taught her many things about the earth, its plants, and its creatures. Then Mary was finally given the chance to return to the world of white men. But she had become a sister to the Indians. How could she leave them? Based on a true story, hre is the unforgettable tale of the legendary "White Woman of the Genesee." [1 copy available]
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JOURNEY TO AMERICA (Historical Fiction)
by Sonia Levitin. B&W illustrations & cover art by Charles Robinson. Condition: NEW 1986 Aladdin Paperbacks Trade Paperback edition, 19th pritning. Content: Reviewer: "This the story of Lisa Platt, who, along with her mother and sisters, escapes form 1938 Berlin to Switzerland (as did the author's family) to escape persecuction of the Jews. Not only is she torn from her familiar home, she and her mother and sisters are without Lisa's father, who went to America and had them wait in Switzerland until he could send for them. The thing that makes this book memorable are the very believable emotions that Lisa and her family have...saying good-bye to their beloved housekeeper, leaving treasured belongings behind, and living with terrible uncertainty and little money in Switzerland. It is all told though first-person perspective by Lisa, and it brings a "personal" touch to the Holocaust. Journey To America shows us another heart-wrenching journey to the "land of the free" far different than the that of Pilgrims. Winner of the National Jewish Book Award. [1 copy available]
$ 2.85 + $ 3.09 media shipping. [Email for shipping charges on international orders.]

KISS THE DUST (Historical Fiction)
by Elizabeth Laird. Cover art by Diana Zelvin. Condition: NEW 1994 Puffin Books soft cover, 18th printing. Content: In light of recent news, this is an excellent read for Young Adults. This a story based on the real experiences in the mid-80's of Iraqi Kurds now living in England. For Tara, 13, and her family, their ordeal is cruel and often life-threatening, yet they are among the lucky ones. Wealthy Baba (secretly a power in the Kurdish military) still has money even after repeated searches, while Daya manages to smuggle her jewels. Escaping the police as they leave their luxurious home in a city in northern Iraq, they take a taxi to their primitive vacation house in the mountains. For Tara, the return to village ways is almost as much of a shock as the bombs that eventually drive the family over the border into Iran, to a refugee camp infested with bedbugs and assaulted by deafening prayers rasped from a loudspeaker. Eventually, Baba makes contact with relatives in Teheran and passage to London is negotiated. Ever-present dangers maintain suspense--from a brutal street-killing Tara witnesses to her older brother's miraculous escape; meanwhile, Laird builds a sympathetic picture of the embattled Kurds and a compelling portrait of Tara and the sobering changes wrought in her and her family by the events. [1 copy available]
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LETTERS TO OMA: A young German girl's account of her first year in Texas, 1847 (Historical Fiction)
by Marj Gurasich. B&W illustrations by Barbara M. Whitehead. . Condition: NEW 1989 TCU Press Chaparral Books Trade Paperback, fifth printing. Content: After her family moves from Germany to Texas in 1847, fifteen-year-old Tina chronicles in letters to her grandmother their struggle to survive in a strange new place while preserving their traditional German ways. [1 copy available]
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Madeleine Takes Command (Historical Fiction)
by Ethel Brill. B&W illustrations by Bruce Adams. Condition: Good +, 1946 Whittlesey House hardcover (library binding), 6th printing. This is an ex-library book that's in very good condition inside. The binding does show some wear. Library markings. Content: Reviewer: "Originally written in 1946, this is a true story of the 17th century Canadian frontier. With her parents away, it is up to 14 year old Madeleine de Vercheres and her two younger brothers to lead the defense of a small outpost against a surprise Mohawk attack. Based on actual events, this book gives us comfortable moderns a harrowing glimpse into the rough and perilous past. The characters are charming, sympathetic, and perfectly in keeping with those real people described in the Jesuit Relations and other primary sources of the time period. Though Madeleine is truly a courageous figure, at no time does she become "Xena," performing impossible feats of physical strength. Instead, she is able to preserve the family homestead with quick thinking, tireless energy, steady resolve, self-denial, an optimistic spirit, and devotion to family. [1 copy available]
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MATILDA BONE (Historical Fiction)
by Karen Cushman. Beautiful wrap-around cover illustration by Trina Schart Hyman. Condition: UNREAD 2002 Dell Yearling Trade Paperback, first priting. Light shelfwear to front cover corners. Interior clean & tight. Content: Matilda is a medieval orphan girl who arrives as an apprentice to Peg the Bonesetter on Blood and Bone Alley. Matilda has been brought up by Fr. Leufredus in a manor house where her late father had been clerk, and she is horrified that she is now expected to perform such tasks as cleaning, shopping, and tending the fire. Matilda's pride at being able to read and write, and her initial disdain of Peg, Peg's husband Tom, Margery the physician, and the other humble denizens of the area is palpable. Matilda's Latin oaths ("Saliva mucusque!" or "spit and slime") and her mental conversations with the saints provide humor, and her growth in self-knowledge as well as her friendships with both young and old in her new community keep readers sympathetic. [1 copy available]
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THE MIDWIFE'S APPRENTICE (Historical Fiction)
by Karen Cushman. 1996 Newbery Medal. Wrap-around cover art by Trina Schart Hyman. Condition: NEW 1996 Clarion Books small hardcover & DJ (in mylar jacket). 5th printing. Perfect. Content: Karen Cushman likes to write with her tongue firmly planted in her cheek, and her feisty female characters firmly planted in history. In The Midwife's Apprentice, which earned the 1996 Newbery Medal, this makes a winning combination for children and adult readers alike. The story takes place in medieval England, and our protagonist is Alyce, who rises from the dung heap (literally) of homelessness and namelessness to find a station in life--apprentice to the crotchety, snaggletoothed midwife Jane Sharp. On Alyce's first solo outing as a midwife, she fails to deliver. Instead of facing her ignorance, Alyce chooses to run from failure--never a good choice. Disappointingly, Cushman does not offer any hardships or internal wrestling to warrant Alyce's final epiphanies, and one of the book's climactic insights is when Alyce discovers that lo and behold she is actually pretty! Still, Cushman redeems her writing, as always, with historical accuracy, saucy dialogue, fast-paced action, and plucky, original characters that older readers will eagerly devour. (Ages 12 and older) [1 copy available]
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MOUTON'S IMPOSSIBLE DREAM (Historical Fiction)
by Anik McGrory. Color illustrations. Condition: NEW 1998 Gulliver Books hardcover (pictorial boards) first edition, first printing. No DJ. Content: McGrory bases her spirited debut on the true story of the world's first free-flying balloon flight, masterminded in 1783 by Joseph and Etienne Montgolfier near the palace of Versailles. Each day, Mouton, a sheep living on the Montgolfier farm, gazes longingly on the brothers' drawings of flying machines and declares, "Someday I'm going to fly." Then one day the farmers load their wagon with the drawings and materials to construct a flying balloon. They also pack the rooster, as one brother, in one of McGrory's clever handwritten asides, queries, "C'est mon d?ner?" The sheep and duck surreptitiously follow the wagon to Versailles and, after reaching the palace grounds, the animals hide in a large basket, which turns out to be the base of the flying balloon. The brothers decide to let the three creatures test the balloon ("If the animals can fly, we'll know it's safe!") and Mouton's "impossible dream" comes true. McGrory's watercolors make less of an impact than her text, in part because her palette often seems washed out. She incorporates period details and her animals frequently sport endearing expressions, but her compositions aren't always sufficiently filled in or framed to show off these strengths. On balance, however, the book offers a diverting mix of fact and fancy. (BTW, the sheep lived out it's life in Marie Antoinette's petting zoo) Ages 3-7. [1 copy available]
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PAGAN IN EXILE (The "Pagan" series)
by Catherine Jinks. Condition: NEW 2004 Candlewick hardcover (pictorial boards) & DJ (mylar jacket not appropriate here), first edition, first printing. Content: In this follow-up to Pagan's Crusade, it is 1188, Jerusalem has fallen, and Pagan Kidrouck, the Arab-Christian squire, and his lord, Knight Templar Sir Roland, have returned to France, where Roland plans to ask his father and brothers to take up arms against the infidels--a very bad idea, as it turns out. Pagan relates the story in a wry, often caustic voice that adds a bit of sanity to the events that swirl around the returnees--events that are pitted by danger, cruelty, and quite literally blood and guts. Jinks dramatically evokes a historical time that was particularly dark and dirty. Roland is a knight of honor, but his relatives are louts who like nothing better than fighting, using creatively coarse language, and killing animals--and people--for sport. A subplot about Christian heresy and a homosexual proposition for Pagan extend the story even further. Along with the drama and darkness, readers will find intensity and, yes, humor. Historically accurate and fun. Grades 9 - 12. [1 copy available]
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PAGAN'S CRUSADE (The "Pagan" series # 1)
by Catherine Jinks. Condition: NEW 2004 Candlewick soft cover, third printing. Content: Desperate and looking for work, sixteen-year-old Pagan Kidrouk finds a new life as an assistant to Lord Roland de Bram of the Templar Knights, but when a powerful army begins to march on Jerusalem, Pagan must make an important decision while his Lord must decide who he can trust. "Jinks's alternately hilarious, often poignant novel turns medieval history into fodder for both high comedy and allegory." Grades 9 - 12. [1 copy available]
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PRISONER OF TAOS
by Helen Lobdell. Cover art by Theresa Brudi. Condition: UNREAD 1970 Abelard-Schuman hardcover & DJ (in mylar jacket), no edition or printing given - assumed first edition. DJ price clipped. Interior clean & tight - no tanning. Content: This is interesting historical fiction for young adults. It takes place during the Great Pueblo Uprising in New Mexico (1680) when the Pueblos drove the Spanish out of New Mexico and back to El Paso and Mexico. This story involves two Spanish youngsters marked for death and their former Indian slave boy as they escape to the mountains - each learning lessons about getting along with those of different backgrounds. [1 copy available]
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TEXAS ROSE: DILUE ROSE HARRIS (A Girl of Early Texas) (Inscribed Copy)
by Rita Kerr. Condition: UNREAD 1986 Eakin Press hardcover (pictorial boards - no DJ - some were issued without DJs), first edition, no printing given. INSCRIBED by author in 1996. Content: This book is about little Dilue Rose and her family who came to Texas in 1833 when Rose was eight years old. They settled near Harrisburg and experienced the hardships and adventures that were prevalent when Texas was struggling to gain its independence from Mexico. Texas Rose is based on Dilue's reminiscences of her life and early days. She wrote her memoirs in her later years and they were published in the 1900, 1901, & 1904 issues of The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association. Great for younger kids (ages 8+) who live in Texas or who are interested in early frontier life. Questions welcome [1 copy available]
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TO BE A SLAVE (A Newbery Honor Book)
by Julius Lester. B&W Tom Feelings paintings illustrate. Condition: UNREAD 1969 Scholastic Point paperback, first printing. Tiny edgewear with pale tanning to interior page edges. Content: To be a slave. To be owned by another person, as a car, house, or a table is owned. To live as a piece of property that could be sold. This book is about how it felt. The words of black men and women who had themselves been slaves are here, accompanied by Julius Lester's historical commentary and Tom Feelings's powerful and muted paintings, To Be a Slave has been a touchstone in children's literature for over thirty years. "It is rare to find a book that enables children to identify as compellingly with slaves as this one does." Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
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VISION QUEST (A Golden Kite Honor Book Winner)
by Pamela F. Service. Condition: UNREAD 1992 Fawcett Juniper paperback, fourth printing. Appears that a tag has been removed front inside front cover leaving a mark. Content: Visions of an ancient Indian shaman form in Kate Elliot's mind almost from the first time that she holds his charm stone in her hand. A desire to understand the vision overcomes not only her grief for her deceased father, but also the difficulties that she has making friends because of her shyness. Jimmy Fong, "amateur archaeologist," helps Kate track the site of her shaman's petroglyph in the deserts of Nevada, where they run into a marijuana-selling pot hunter. Service has masterfully blended such disparate items as grief and shyness with descriptions of the west, archaeology, Indians, and space and time. Readers' interest will be captured from the first page, ending with satisfaction that all of the themes are resolved. The shifting in time between the visions and reality are clearly demarcated and easily understood. The theme of a young girl trying to accept a father's unexpected death is dealt with sympathetically. Good book to get kids interested in the ancient Native Americans. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
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WHEN NIGHT EATS THE MOON
by Joanne Findon. Cover art by Igor Kordey. Condition: NEW 2000 Red Deer Press Trade Paperback, first printing. Content: Holly doesn't understand why her mother is so hostile to her flute playing. Nor is it easy for her to deal with being in England with relatives while her parents are home in British Columbia deciding if they'll stay together. She's especially disappointed by her long-anticipated visit to Stonehenge: everything is behind barbed wire and it's too touristy. But flute music and some pots that hold bits of time take Holly back to Stonehenge, 600 B.C., where the local people, who are being threatened by Celtic invaders, think Holly is the savior who has been foreseen by the runes. Although a historical note admits that the time frame has been tinkered with, the story itself will capture the imaginations of children who like time travel or historical fiction. Unlike some time-travel stories, the devices here make sense, and Findon does a particularly good job explaining how the ancient history has affected Holly and her mother's relationship. A solid read. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
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