PDF - Christian Library Journal

MIDDLE SCHOOL
FICTION
F. Slavery--Fiction; United States--History--Civil
War, 1861-1865--Fiction. 159 p. Middle school.
Hunting in a Virginia swamp for an escaped
hog, Gideon Tugwell overhears men planning to
burn down both Briarstone Plantation and
Gideon’s home. Gideon runs to Briarstone to
tell William, the owner’s son, about the
impending uprising.
Emily, a relative of William’s from the North, is
living at Briarstone. She wants to ask him not to
sell Nat to the slave trader. Earlier, Emily and
Gideon had tried to help Nat escape, and now he
must wear a collar with a bell. Angry and bitter,
Nat fears for his life when he learns he will be
sold to a slave trader.
Before Emily can appeal to William, however,
Gideon comes in with the news of the rebellion.
Emily and Gideon fear they’ll be murdered in
their beds at dawn on Sunday. Now they need
Nat’s help to find the leader of the uprising. Nat
had decided to run, but gives up his bid for
freedom in order to help Emily and Gideon.
Uprising At Dawn is a fast-paced and exciting
account of an attempted slave rebellion. The
Civil War and the issues that prompted it
become real as Lee Roddy describes life in
Virginia in 1862. Roddy skilfully weaves
together numerous sub-plots. The characters are
well-developed and show the diversity of
opinion that existed in the North and South on
slavery. Many young people will be surprised at
the amount of responsibility young teens
assumed at that period in history. The cover
illustration by Chris Ellison is well done and
adds to the excitement of the story.
Barbara A. Bryden, Freelance Writer, Olympia, Washington
articles and poetry substantiate the strength of
this story, a certain tragedy turned into a real
canine hero’s opportunity. Everything about this
story is enjoyable and satisfying.
Rev. Jim McKinney, Teacher, Port Orchard, Washington
The wreck of the Ethie, by Hilary Hyland.
LCCN 99024706. Atlanta: Peachtree,
1999. ISBN 1561451983, PAP, $7.95.
F. Ethie (Steamship)--Fiction; Shipwrecks--Fiction;
Dogs--Fiction; Survival--Fiction; Newfoundland--
Ficiton. 115 p. Elementary.
Proof that real life has everything that fiction has
to offer, and more, The Wreck of the Ethie is
based on a real shipwreck on the coast of
Newfoundland. Colleen and Skipper, her huge
canine protector and friend, enjoy life on this
island province and are thrilled by all that their
coastal cliffside cottage has to offer. Storms
bring many things in to the shore, but the fateful
day that the S.S. Effie crashed over the “whale’s
back” brings meaning and purpose to all that the
dog and girl have shared before. The shipside
sequences are told through Patrick, the ship’s
boy, who works hard to help deliver passengers
and crew safely to a cove he has worked before
as a fisherman.
Hilary Hyland’s first book is brisk and full as
she covers the terrible challenges the people
face, here on the North American homeland of
the Vikings. Coastal storms that rival
Hollywood’s “Perfect Storm” threaten to tear
life apart on the rocks as each season passes.
Skilled research and lively writing make this
true tale an interesting read. Accompanying
S P R I N G 2 0 0 1 4 0 C H R I S T I A N L I B R A R Y J O U R N A L