The Cazalet Chronicles by Elizabeth Jane Howard

 The Cazalet Chronicles, a series of five books: 

(The Light Years, Marking Time, Confusion, Casting Off and All Change),

by Elizabeth Jane Howard. Published and republished over the years, available as a set on amazon.com. 

When I read an interview with Camilla, Prince Charles' wife, she mentioned that some of her favorite books were this series by Elizabeth Jane Howard. Then, I read that Hilary Mantel touted them, too. WHAT? I had never heard of the Cazalet Chronicles! So, I searched local libraries and no one had the complete set. I invested and started reading...then the 2020 pandemic hit. No worries, I have been  in England in 1937-1950's all summer long with the Cazalet family!

Beginning in pre WWII years, The Brig and the Duchy have a holiday home in the countryside. Their three sons and their wives have an array of children and homes and readers learn their stories through the books. Quite the family saga, not everyone survives, not every marriage survives, and the children grow up and have their own stories. Tiny details about what life was like during WWII make the books believable and provide a look into the past.  Of course, nothing went back to the same after the war. Houses had been bombed. Servants were basically gone.  So the Cazalets adapted to the more freewheeling 1950's with zest. I can see why especially English women who lived through the times featured in all the books have picked up these stories and enjoy them fondly. Howard tells good stories, features interesting people, describes locales and places well, and makes time just fly by! Not a bad thing at all in a pandemic...

P.T. Barnum books

 We Are All His Creatures: Tales of P.T. Barnum, the Greatest Showman by Deborah Noyes. Candlewick, 2020. Historical fiction. YA

P. T. Barnum was a real person. His promotion of Jenny Lind, General Tom Thumb, and other unusual beings made him famous. This fictional series of short pieces each showcase one of the people in his life, one of the people or exhibits in his vast collection, or an event that featured such. Barnum was, no doubt, a great marketer. But, his personal life and treatment of his family and employees did not make him a person to imitate. Noyes does a good job of tying together these fascinating, but rather bleak, imagined narratives. Each is illustrated by a small photograph that helps make the people real.

 The Great and Only Barnum: The Tremendous, Stupendous Life of Showman P.T. Barnum by Candace Fleming. Illustrations by Ray Fenwick. Schwartz and Wade Books, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, 2009. Middle grades and up. Biography.

This is a biography of P.T. Barnum, but so much more! It uses photographs, circus posters, drawings, and text boxes to tell the story of his life and work. When he died in 1891, his fame had made him known worldwide. Fleming is objective in balancing the unique aspects of his collection with the "side show" nature of his advertisements. She even includes a link where readers can hear Barnum himself speak online. Photographs chart the history of Barnum's museum and circus development.

So many of the state tests ask students to compare works of fiction and nonfiction. These two books would capture the interest of many, but provide very different perspectives on Barnum. Readers curious about P.T. Barnum will want to read both!

Carville's Cure by Pam Fessler

Carville's Cure by Pam Fessler. LiveRight, a division of W.W. Norton, 2020. Adult nonfiction.

Remember the people in the Bible who were outcast because they had leprosy? Or what happened to them in Ben Hur?  Fast forward to 2020. Pam Fessler has  written a fascinating and well researched book about the disease, now known as Hansen's Disease, patients who have suffered, and treatments over the years.

While this is her first book, Fessler writes like a pro. Her husband has a family connection with Hansen's Disease, but the narrative is not at all just first person. She chronicles the history of the Louisiana Leprosarium in Carville, Louisiana and follows many of its patients. While many would compare the facility to a prison, Fessler explains how the federal government got involved, what happened to the patients, what happened to the facility, and what happens to patients today. Most readers would never think that they may work with, teach, or associate with patients who have Hansen's Disease in the modern world. Help end the stigma and discrimination by updating your own information by reading Fessler's book. Extensive notes and a bibliography are included.

Stella Endicott and the Anything-Is-Possible Poem by Kate DiCamillo

Stella Endicott and the Anything-Is-Possible Poem by Kate DiCamillo. Illustrated by Chris Van Dusen. Candlewick Press, 2020. Children's chapter book.

In this, the fifth book in the Tales from Deckadoo Drive series, the story is about second grader, Stella Endicott. Stella loves school. She loves her teacher. She loves her neighborhood. But, when Horace Broom, another second grader questions her truthfulness, the fun begins. Of course, the children end up as friends, but the adventures that get them there are quirky, down-to-earth, and hilarious.

DiCamillo's writing is so smooth that it is a pleasure to read. She always teaches something: in this case, all about metaphors AND the planets!  Readers will flock to their libraries to find out more about Baby Lincoln, Mercy Watson, and the other neighbors on Deckadoo Drive.  Put some paper out as students will want to write their own poems as well.

Death in Rough Water by Francine Mathews

Death in Rough Water by Francine Mathews. SOHO Press, 2016. Fiction. Crime, detectives.

A fun summer who done it for anyone who loves Nantucket! Detective Merry Folger works under her father, the police chief. When her childhood friend, Adelia's father dies on his fishing boat, Del returns to the island with her two-year-old daughter in tow. Soon Merry is pulled into even more turmoil with more lives in danger. Mathews gets the trivia right and readers will feel like they are right there, too.

Check out other titles in this series or look for the author's other series starring Jane Austen and written under the name Stephanie Barron.

Never Have I Ever by Joshilyn Jackson

Never Have I Ever by Joshilyn Jackson. William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins, 2019. Fiction mystery.

Amy is a wife, mother, stepmom, and friend. She seems quite normal as a member of her neighborhood book club. But, when a new woman named Roux appears at a meeting, Roux challenges the women to a "game" and their secrets all begin to appear. Even Amy and her friend, Char, have secrets. The teen, Luca, is astonishingly handsome and immediately appeals to Amy's stepdaughter, Maddy. As Amy tries to put together the pieces of information that Roux and Luca drop like red herrings, the plot takes creepy twists and unexpected turns. Can Amy protect those she loves as well as her past? This cul-de-sac will keep you reading until far too late in the night!

Kent State by Deborah Wiles

  Kent State by Deborah Wiles. Scholastic, 2020. Middle school and up.

During the turbulent times of the late 1960's, America was divided over the War in Viet Nam. On May 4, 1970, at Kent State University in Ohio, the National Guard was called to quell a student protest on the campus. Pandemonium ensued. Four students were shot and killed.

Deborah Wiles uses this real event to provide voices that represent many of the people who were there. From students to community members to guardsmen and others, people of diverse beliefs and cultures speak about what they saw and felt. Told in blocks of spoken text by unnamed characters, the book would make a dramatic impact as a spoken performance. Wiles uses her extensive research to describe what happened at Kent State and to encourage readers to take a stand for what they believe in.