Book Review: The Big Dark

THE BIG DARK by Rodman Philbrick explores life in a small town after an apocalyptic event.

When a geomagnetic storm disrupts all electronic devices, lawlessness ensues and an anti-Semitic survivalist tries to take charge of their town. The situation becomes desperate when Charlie’s mother begins to run out of medicine. Charlie must trek 50 miles through the snow in search of the nearest hospital.

Although the bad guy is somewhat one-dimensional, the author successfully captures the havoc caused by the disaster. The themes of courage, tolerance, and personal responsibility are effective for the middle grade audience.

Librarians will find this quick read provides a nice introduction to science fiction and dystopian novels for readers seeking to expand their reading options.

To learn more about the author, go to http://www.rodmanphilbrick.com/.

Published by The Blue Sky Press, an imprint of Scholastic on January 5, 2016. ARC provided by the publisher.

Book Review: The Hired Girl

THE HIRED GIRL by Laura Amy Schlitz is an engaging work of historical fiction aimed at tweens.

Set in 1911, fourteen-year old Joan runs away from her oppressive home in rural Pennsylvania hoping to reinvent herself as a hired girl in the city of Baltimore. Pretending to be an eighteen-year-old named Janet Lovelace, she lands a job as a housekeeper in a Jewish home. As she strives to learn more about her Catholic heritage, she also becomes familiar with Jewish tradition.

Most young readers will enjoy the conversational style of the diary format. With a hint of flirty romance and a focus on period clothing, librarians will find that the book is of more interest to girls than boys. However, it will have a wide readership among youth who enjoy reading the classics and are attracted to a protagonist who has a passion for reading.

Many works of fiction for youth avoid conversations about religion, however this novel is filled with thought-provoking discussions of culture, philosophy, and religion including concerns about anti-semitism and the role of religion in society.

Published by Candlewick on September 8, 2015.