Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson
Book Review By Lisa Sharp This young adult, historical fiction novel takes place during the American Revolution. Isabel, a 13 year old, orphaned, slave girl and her younger sister, Ruth, have been promised freedom by their elderly owner in Rhode Island. However, upon the owner’s death they are sold to cruel, Patriot, slave owners in New York. The reader is transported back to the British invasion of New York City. In her desperate plot to escape to freedom and return to Rhode Island, Isabel finds herself involved in a secret mission to overthrow the British. Although she is forced spy on the enemy, she realized that they may be her only hope for freedom. The plot is full of action and adventure. Laurie Halse Anderson encourages the reader to feel the weight of Isabel’s chains of slavery and the constant desire for freedom. Curzon, one of the other young slaves in the book is a loyal soldier of the Patriots and will fight to the death to defend his country. Isabel cannot understand his loyalty to those who are enslaving him. This misunderstanding leads to tension between the two main characters and thought provoking conversations about the institution of slavery. Even if the plot seems slow at the beginning, the character development and suspenseful ending are worth hanging on until the end. The author writes as the characters would audibly sound, so some of the language and vocabulary may be challenging, but it’s mostly an easy read and can be finished quickly by an average reader.
0 Comments
The Magic of Music
By: Afia Paracha Imagine your world being changed in an instance. Suddenly, you don't know what happened. How your entire life changed in a moment. In "Echo" by Pam Munoz Ryan, this is what happens to the three main characters. Friedrich, living in Trossingen, Germany, in 1933 finds that when Hitler comes to power, he hasn't won the luck of the draw. For Mike, living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1935, he finds himself suddenly being adopted, but then finding it isn't what he expected. Finally, Ivy, living in La Colonia, California, in 1942, finds herself being moved from her town to a new home in Orange County, away from her friends. All three take place during or near World War II. All connected by music, they learn that sometimes you have to push through your troubles to find the light on the other side. To begin the story, we meet Friedrich, a boy living in Germany when Hitler begins to gain power. Already shunned for his birthmark, it increases as new laws are set in place. His father and uncle are the only people that see him for who he truly is, other than his sister, who begins to follow Hitler. His only consolation is music, playing the cello and his newfound harmonica. When things get worse, with the Jewish being shunned, along with any deformities, like his birthmark, life begins to get worse and worse. Friedrich learns to move forward to reach a better future, using music to help him cope. Next, we meet Mike, a boy living in an orphanage in Pennsylvania, in 1935, near the Great Depression. He sees no hope of getting adopted, but sticks in for his brother, Frankie. When he finally gets fostered, he sees that it isn't what he thought it'd be. Consoled only by music, he begins to make a plan. Finally, we meet Ivy, a girl living in California, during World War II. Her brother Fernando is fighting in the war, when suddenly, she's moving to a new house. When she goes there, she finds herself discriminated, being sent to a different school, just for being Hispanic. She has to fight through to find her ending.All three characters face their own challenges, and to find more, read "Echo", by Pam Munoz Ryan. Picture Source: “‘Echo’ by Pam Munoz Ryan.” Pennington Public Library, www.penningtonlibrary.org/book- review-echo-pam-munoz-ryan/. |
AuthorThe book reviews are written by many different readers. To contact Afia Paracha, the creator of this website, email "[email protected]". ArchivesCategories
All
|