Royal Reads = Historical Fiction

Black Duck by Janet Taylor Lisle

Set in the days of Prohibition, Janet Taylor Lisle's fictional account of a rum-running boat known as The Black Duck pulls the reader into a time and place not only filled with shady characters and mafia lords, but with "law-abiding citizens" who will walk a tad bit on the wrong side of the law in order imbibe on occasion.

The story is told in flashbacks as David Peterson, a high school boy seeks the truth behind a rumor that a notorious rumrunner lived in town. In his persistence to know the story behind this rumor, David finds himself on the doorstop of an elderly gentleman who just might know the truth, but the problem is that Ruben Hart isn't talking. As David does his research and consistently comes around to visit, the story about Ruben's involvement in those days of rumrunning begins to unfold one piece at a time and along with David, the reader is drawn into a tale filled with history, mystery, murder and suspense, as well as an ending that is unexpected.

A great read, especially for those who love historical fiction and suspense! Created from historical fact, the author does a tremendous job of weaving fact with fiction to create a compelling and intriguing story aimed at intermediate to upper-grade readers.

Visit the following link for an interview with the author about this book:

http://janettaylorlisle.com/author/BTinterview.html

KEYWORDS: Prohibition, friends, family

Good Books

In the world of children's literature, there are lots of good books. The question is "what makes a book good?" In exploring the variety of children's awards and honors given, one can get a sense of what a good book is, but ultimately a good book depends on the response of the reader.

A good book that I recently read, The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer was nominated for the Best Juvenile category of the Edgar Awards, sponsored by the Mystery Writers of America.

Set in London's Victorian era, the main character Enola Holmes (younger sister of the famous Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes), finds herself drawn into the world of mystery and intrigue when on her fourteenth birthday her mother disappears, seemingly without a trace. However, Enola soon discovers several hidden codes and ciphers left by her mother and sets off to pursue these leads. Disguising herself to avoid her brothers, Enola heads to London. However, she is soon sidetracked by the disappearance of a young Marquess, and must find a way to save his life as well as her own. Fortunately, Enola is a young lady who has bravado and can think on her feet, skills that prove to be life-saving for the young protagonist.

The atmosphere in which this story is set comes to life for modern-day readers with depictions of social life, gender roles, and living conditions of the Victorian age in London that are vividly created through the writing. As the story progressed, I found myself compelled in watching the character development undergone by Enola, for she is not the same person at the end of the book that she was at the beginning. In this book, Nancy Springer does a marvelous job of offering the reader a multi-layered story which contains twists and turns and several surprises, making the book hard to put down.

I would certainly classify this as a "good book" on my bookshelf and would recommend this book to those who enjoy good mysteries, strong female protagonists, or books set in historical places. I look forward to more titles in the Enola Holmes Mystery series.

Keywords: female protagonist, Sherlock Holmes, Victorian era, London