The Happy Librarian
Historical Fiction:
A literary genre where the story takes place in the past.
A Tyranny of Petticoats
By Jessica Spotswood
Summary: From an impressive sisterhood of YA writers comes an edge-of-your-seat anthology of historical fiction and fantasy featuring a diverse array of daring heroines.
Criss-cross America — on dogsleds and ships, stagecoaches and trains — from pirate ships off the coast of the Carolinas to the peace, love, and protests of 1960s Chicago. Join fifteen of today’s most talented writers of young adult literature on a thrill ride through history with American girls charting their own course. They are monsters and mediums, bodyguards and barkeeps, screenwriters and schoolteachers, heiresses and hobos. They're making their own way in often-hostile lands, using every weapon in their arsenals, facing down murderers and marriage proposals. And they all have a story to tell.
With stories by:
J. Anderson Coats, Andrea Cremer, Y. S. Lee, Katherine Longshore, Marie Lu, Kekla Magoon
Marissa Meyer, Saundra Mitchell, Beth Revis, Caroline Tung Richmond, Lindsay Smith
Jessica Spotswood, Robin Talley, Leslye Walton, Elizabeth Wein
Review: Filled with historical stories of badass women throughout time, this anthology will have readers on the edge of their seats, ready to see what dangers and accomplishments the next story will hold. Each story not only includes heroines worthy of so much more than a short story, but also historical settings and elements. Each story shares one main character: History, which is more than just an elemental setting in this anthology, it's a character worthy of praise.
This is the first in a two-part duology, the second one titled The Radical Element.
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Key Elements: Southern Belles, Bank Robberies, Sisterhoods, Aviary, Political Unrest, War, Danger, Romance
Genres: Young Adult, Historical Fictions, LGBTQ, Romance, Anthologies
Out of The Dust
By Karen Hesse
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Summary:
When Billie Jo is just fourteen she must endure heart-wrenching ordeals that no child should have to face. The quiet strength she displays while dealing with unspeakable loss is as surprising as it is inspiring.
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Written in free verse, this award-winning story is set in the heart of the Great Depression. It chronicles Oklahoma's staggering dust storms, and the environmental--and emotional--turmoil they leave in their path. An unforgettable tribute to hope and inner strength.
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Winner of the 1998 Newberry Medal Award for distinguished contribution to children's literature.
Review: An often overlooked tragedy in US history is the Dustbowl, an era in the 1930s where the land, the sky, and the air were filled with dust. The dust was caused by eroded top layers of soil and haunted states from the Midwest and the southern Plains. The prose style story uses poetry to shed a light on a forgotten struggle of the American people, one that is made worse by the unspeakable horrors of the first and second world wars, and the Great Depression. Billie Jo is a determined and affectionate protagonist who doesn't wear rose-colored glasses and allows readers to see the true sadness that was the Dust Bowl.
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Key Elements: Family Life, Poverty, The Great Depression, The Dust Bowl, Historical Fiction
Genres: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Middle Grade, Poetry
The Glittering Court
By Richelle Mead
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Summary:
Big and sweeping, spanning from the refined palaces of Osfrid to the gold dust and untamed forests of Adoria, The Glittering Court tells the story of Adelaide, an Osfridian countess who poses as her servant to escape an arranged marriage and start a new life in Adoria, the New World. But to do that, she must join the Glittering Court.
Both a school and a business venture, the Glittering Court is designed to transform impoverished girls into upper-class ladies who appear destined for powerful and wealthy marriages in the New World. Adelaide naturally excels in her training, and even makes a few friends: the fiery former laundress Tamsin and the beautiful Sirminican refugee Mira. She manages to keep her true identity hidden from all but one: the intriguing Cedric Thorn, son of the wealthy proprietor of the Glittering Court.
When Adelaide discovers that Cedric is hiding a dangerous secret of his own, together they hatch a scheme to make the best of Adelaide’s deception. Complications soon arise—first as they cross the treacherous seas from Osfrid to Adoria, and then when Adelaide catches the attention of a powerful governor.
But no complication will prove quite as daunting as the potent attraction simmering between Adelaide and Cedric. An attraction that, if acted on, would scandalize the Glittering Court and make them both outcasts in wild, vastly uncharted lands…
Review: This story is all about deception and secrecy, with the backdrop of luxury and the promise of romance. Following Adelaide as she struggles to hide her true identity offers insight into the historical repression of women. Left with no other choices, Adelaide flees her home and life for a chance at a new future in a new land. But leaving home isn't the easy solution she was hoping for, and an unexpected and dangerous love interest may ruin more than her reputation.
This is the first book in a trilogy.
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Key Elements: Luxury, Noble Life, Poverty, Education, Arranged Marriages, Romance, Historical Fiction
Genres: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Romance