Historical fiction for children is full of characters like Alexandra—a plucky young girl with 21st-century attitudes. The setting is Judea circa 165 B.C.E. and the land is ruled by the Syrian Greek Antiochus. Alexandra, who would be considered an overachiever in any era, is prodded by her mother, a classic (and classical) pushy parent, to follow the example of Queen Esther and write an account of the grave dangers faced by the Jews under the rule of a tyrant. Alexandra roams the streets of Jerusalem with her friend Rachel, whose hair is always neat while the literate Alexandra eschews the wooden comb and mirror her mother gave her as well as any other decorative enhancements to her appearance. It is through her eyes that readers see the gradual tightening of the noose around the necks of the Jews, culminating in the sacking of the Temple. Alexandra’s father leaves to join the group of fighters known as the Macabees, the Hammers for God, led by the courageous Judah. Three years pass before Alexandra can recount the miraculous victory of the heavily outnumbered Macabees over the Greeks. The passage of time sees changes in Alexandra: she sports a new hairdo and an age-appropriate interest in boys. Chaikin (Angels Sweep the Desert Floor, not reviewed, etc.) places more emphasis on the drama of the battle for religious freedom won by the Macabees than on the miracle of the oil that lasted eight days. She succeeds in fleshing out the familiar story with historical detail. Fieser’s (Invisible Kingdoms, p. 1480, etc.) colorful, soft-focus illustrations include a historical map of Judea. (author’s note, afterword) (Fiction. 10-13)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2002
ISBN: 0-8050-6384-6
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2002
A tween gets in over his head in this introspective and nostalgic story.
Thirteen-year-old Joey Goodman spends every August in Atlantic City, New Jersey, at his grandparents’ hotel.
It’s 1975, and the city is soon to become a gambling resort as old hotels are replaced with casinos. Joey’s passion is playing Skee-Ball at the boardwalk arcades. There, he attracts the attention of shady Artie Bishop, known as the king of Steel Pier, and becomes involved in Bishop’s unspecified criminal activities. Suave Artie engages Joey in conversation about the boy’s favorite book, The Once and Future King, and Joey begins to regard him almost as a new King Arthur. Artie offers him a job chaperoning his daughter, Melanie, when she comes to visit. After Joey finishes his unpaid waiter’s shift at the hotel restaurant each day, he lies to his family, meets Melanie, and they explore the piers’ seedy amusements. Joey falls for 15-year-old Melanie, and she regards him fondly but is attracted to his older brother Reuben. The close-knit Jewish family of four bickering brothers, parents, uncle, and grandparents (especially wise grandpa Zeyde) is lovingly portrayed. The descriptions of Joey’s ponderings about God (he’s had his bar mitzvah but is undecided) and Artie’s business dealings may not hold young readers’ interest, and the immersive setting could appeal more to adults old enough to remember the time and place. All characters are presumed White.
A tween gets in over his head in this introspective and nostalgic story. (author’s note) (Fiction. 10-13)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-72843-034-8
Page Count: 248
Publisher: Kar-Ben
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2022
In a snowbound Swiss village, Matti figures it’s a good day to make a gingerbread man. He and his mother mix a batch of gingerbread and tuck it in the oven, but Matti is too impatient to wait ten minutes without peeking. When he opens the door, out pops a gingerbread baby, taunting the familiar refrain, “Catch me if you can.” The brash imp races all over the village, teasing animals and tweaking the noses of the citizenry, until there is a fair crowd on his heels intent on giving him a drubbing. Always he remains just out of reach as he races over the winterscape, beautifully rendered with elegant countryside and architectural details by Brett. All the while, Matti is busy back home, building a gingerbread house to entice the nervy cookie to safe harbor. It works, too, and Matti is able to spirit the gingerbread baby away from the mob. The mischief-maker may be a brat, but the gingerbread cookie is also the agent of good cheer, and Brett allows that spirit to run free on these pages. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-399-23444-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1999
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