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A KILLING IN PLYMOUTH COLONY

Name: A KILLING IN PLYMOUTH COLONY
Author: Carol Otis Hurst
ISBN: 0-618-27597-5

by Carol Otis Hurst & Rebecca Otis ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 29, 2003

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How does an insular community of Chosen Ones deal with outsiders, especially when one of them is a murderer? How do outsiders feel, when one of them is the son of Governor Bradford? Hurst and Otis examine such dynamics in 1630 Plymouth in a story based on a true incident about which little is known. Told through the eyes of John Bradford, the 11-year-old son of the governor, this reads like a plot summary, with little development of setting and character. The third-person point of view is distancing, and the dialogue, in spite of “aye” and “’tis” and “ye” sprinkled throughout, is wooden, sounding at times more like speeches or monologues than conversation. The thoughts and emotions attributed to John make him seem older than he’s supposed to be. Though the premise is solid, the story doesn’t do it justice. (preface, cast of characters, afterword, glossary) (Fiction. 10-14)

Pub Date: Sept. 29, 2003

ISBN: 0-618-27597-5

Page Count: 160

Publisher: Walter Lorraine/Houghton Mifflin

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2003

Categories:

CHILDREN'S MYSTERY & THRILLER | CHILDREN'S HISTORICAL FICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
TERRIBLE STORM
by Carol Otis Hurst & illustrated by S.D. Schindler

- BOOK REVIEW
TORCHLIGHT
by Carol Otis Hurst

- BOOK REVIEW
YOU COME TO YOKUM
by Carol Otis Hurst & illustrated by Kay Life

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THE BLETCHLEY RIDDLE

by Ruta Sepetys & Steve Sheinkin ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 8, 2024

A rich, enthralling historical mystery that engages and educates.

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Siblings decode familial and wartime secrets in 1940 England.

Headstrong 14-year-old Lizzie Novis refuses to believe that her mother, a U.S. embassy clerk who was working in Poland, is dead. After fleeing from her grandmother—who’s attempting to bring her back to America—Lizzie locates her 19-year-old brother, Jakob, a Cambridge mathematician who’s stationed at the clandestine British intelligence site called Bletchley Park. Hiding from her grandmother’s estate steward, Lizzie becomes a messenger at Bletchley Park, ferrying letters across the grounds while Jakob attempts to both break the ciphers generated by the German Enigma machines and help his sister face the reality of their mother’s likely fate. With a suspicious MI5 agent inquiring about Mum and clues and codes piling up, the siblings, whose late father was “Polish Jewish British,” eventually decipher the truth. Shared narrative duties between the siblings effectively juxtapose the measured Jakob with the spirited Lizzie. Lizzie’s directness is repeatedly attributed to her being “half American,” which proves tiresome, but Jakob’s development from reserved to risk-tolerant provides welcome nuance. The authors introduce and carefully explain a variety of decoding methodologies, inspiring readers to attempt their own. A thoughtful and entertaining historical note identifies the key figures who appear in the book, such as Alan Turing, as well as the real-life bases for the fictional characters. Interspersed photos and images of ephemera help situate the narrative’s time period.

A rich, enthralling historical mystery that engages and educates. (Historical mystery. 10-14)