From the back cover: The year is 1878, and the spirited Sally Lockhart, once again defying Victorian sensibilities, has gone into business for herself. When one of her clients loses a large sum of money in the unexpected collapse of a British shipping firm, Sally sets out to investigate. But as she delves deeper into the identity of the wealthy and elusive industrialist who … [Read more...] about The Shadow in the North by Philip Pullman: A-
Historical Fiction
Hornblower During the Crisis by C. S. Forester: B
From the back cover: Although unfinished at the time of C. S. Forester's death, Hornblower During the Crisis delivers a full measure of action at sea—the hallmark of this incomparably exciting series of historical adventures. On the threshold of securing his first post as captain, Hornblower finds himself forced by the exigencies of war to fight alongside a man whom he has … [Read more...] about Hornblower During the Crisis by C. S. Forester: B
The Ruby in the Smoke by Philip Pullman: B+
From the back cover: "Beware the seven blessings..." When she first utters these words, sixteen-year-old Sally Lockhart doesn't know their meaning. But when an employee of her late father hears them, he dies of fear. Thus begins Sally's terrifying journey into the seamy underworld of Victorian London, in search of clues that will solve the puzzle of her father's death. … [Read more...] about The Ruby in the Smoke by Philip Pullman: B+
Hornblower and the Hotspur by C. S. Forester: A
From the back cover: April 1803. The Peace of Amiens is breaking down. Napoleon is building ships and amassing an army just across the Channel. Horatio Hornblower—who, at age twenty-seven, has already distinguished himself as one of the most daring and resourceful officers in the Royal Navy—commands the three-masted Hotspur on a dangerous reconnaissance mission that evolves, … [Read more...] about Hornblower and the Hotspur by C. S. Forester: A
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman by Ernest J. Gaines: A-
From the back cover: The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman has sold over a million copies nationwide since its publication in 1971, making the fictional character of Miss Jane so real many people don't know she exists only in the imagination of Louisiana-born author Ernest J. Gaines. Miss Jane is over 100 years old when she is interviewed by an area high school teacher … [Read more...] about The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman by Ernest J. Gaines: A-