Written by Gennifer Choldenko
I love historical fiction books, so I was excited to read this book. This book provides a good mixture of mystery and historical fiction. It takes place in San Francisco during the early 1900s. It is a story of a young girl who is interested in being a doctor during a time when she should be focused on her studies at finishing school. However, no one can stop her from finding ways to help her dad, a local doctor, with his patients. When rumors of a plague start circulating and one of her servants goes missing, Lizzie finds her self searching for answers. The book was fast-paced and interesting in that it also teaches a lesson on standing up for yourself.
Review by Vanessa Eyre, Robert Frost Elementary Media Center
Rating: ★★★★✩ (4 stars)
Interest Level: Grades 5-8
Lizzie Kennedy is a bright, intelligent 13-year-old living in San Francisco. It is 1900, a time when anything seems possible– unless you’re a girl who wants to be doctor and a Chinese boy who wants to be a scientist. Lizzie and Noah strike up an unlikely secret friendship and then discover that they aren’t the only ones living with a deep, dark secret. This was an interesting look at the Plague taking over San Francisco in the early 1900s and how people either tried to cover up the evidence or fight to reveal it through the local media. There was nothing offensive in this book and I would recommend this for 4th through 8th grade.
Review by Lynda H. Wilson, David Gourley Elementary Media Center
Rating: ★★★★½ (4.5 stars)
Interest Level: 4th-8th Grade
Author Website: http://www.gennifercholdenko.com/
Chasing Secrets
Written by Gennifer Choldenko
Wendy Lamb Books, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books
288 pages
Release Date: August 4, 2015
Sounds interesting. I think I’d like to try it!
Looks good.