Hi everyone, this week I have a quartet of reads arranged for your reading pleasure. If your tween is someone who enjoys stories with headstrong characters, moving storylines, and pages filled with letters, then this is the booklist for you! Why not dive in and have a read…
So glad you made it!! As I was typing this list up I realised that all four of these titles are set during the 1900s, and should have been categorised as ‘historical’! I hope you can forgive this blogger for an unfortunate ‘senior’ moment of forgetfulness 🙂
This first story is one I read several years ago. Same Sun Here by Silas House and Neela Vaswani (Candlewick Press, 2012) tells a tale of letters between two unlikely young children.Meena is a twelve-year-old Indian immigrant in New York City and River is a Kentucky coal miner’s son become pen pals, and eventually the two become best friends. Meena and River have a lot in common: both of their fathers are forced to work away from home to make ends meet, grandmothers who mean the world to them, and faithful dogs. Told in their unique voices through the letters they exchange, we learn of how Meena’s family have to study for their citizenship exams and of River’s fears when his town faces devastating mountaintop removal. What I liked the most was how their friendship developed through the letters and how they discovered common ground in both of their experiences. This powerful story teaches us the true power of friendship despite our differences and how joyful it is to open our lives to others who live beneath the same sun. Nominated for several awards, this amazing story is sure to keep you captivated from start to finish.
This next story, Until tomorrow, Mr Marsworth by Sheila O’Connor (G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2018) takes readers to the years of the Vietnam war during the late 1960’s. It’s 1968, and eleven-year-old Reenie Kelly has just one thing she’s looking forward to – her route as Lake Liberty’s brand-new paperboy. After her mother passed away, Reenie and her older brothers, Dare and Billy, were shipped off to live with their grandmother, leaving behind their lives in Missouri for their parents’ small Minnesota hometown. Without many friends over the summer, Reenie dedicates herself to her paper route, which brings her to the front door of Mr. Marsworth, the town recluse. When he doesn’t answer the door, she leaves a letter introducing herself. When he answers, the unusual pair become pen pals. Told through the letters they exchange, Reenie confides in the old man and tells him of all her troubles and learns many things about Mr. Marsworth. I loved most of all the small town setting and how Reenie ours her heart out in her letters. What she learns from her elderly neighbour takes her with surprise. Filled with mystery, family secrets, peaceful protests and bullying, this historical epistolary novel is bound to grip your heart and soul. An awesome read!!
Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary (Harper Trophy, 1983) was actually awarded the Newbery Medal in 1984 for its unique story and characters. It all started in second grade. Author Boyd Henshaw had been Leigh Botts’ favourite since then. As he starts sixth grade, Leigh is in a new school and finds himself lonely and troubled by his father’s absence. Then Leigh’s teacher assigns a letter-writing project. Naturally Leigh chooses to write to Mr. Henshaw, whose surprising answer changes Leigh’s life. Told entirely as letters to Mr. Henshaw or diary entries, we delve into the life of Leigh Botts as he navigates a childhood without a father in his life. One who is on the road and a mother who struggles to bring him up. The bright spark for me was the writing competition in the library and the competition day!! A true masterpiece by Cleary!! You can see clearly from every page exactly why this novel won the Newbery. Poignant, realistic, heartwarming and funny in all the right places, this is the perfect epistolary read to start your journey!!
This last title, I love you, Michael Collins by Lauren Baratz-Logsted (Farrar Straus Giroux, 2017) will take you to those years when man was racing to get to the moon! It’s 1969 and the United States is gearing up for what looks to be the most exciting moment in history: men landing on the moon. Ten-year-old Mamie’s class is given an assignment to write letters to the astronauts. Mamie is the only one who writes to Michael Collins, the astronaut who will come so close but never achieve everyone else’s dream of walking on the moon, because he is the one who must stay with the ship. After school ends, Mamie keeps writing to Michael Collins, taking comfort in telling someone about what’s happening in her life. Told entirely in the form of letters young Mamie has written to astronaut Michael Collins, we get to see what family life was like during that era and the events that shaped it. Detailing the Space Race and the moon landing on July 19, 1969, we see it through Marmie’s eyes. Her family life unravels with each letter and we learn of the roles of women, family bonds, that of friendship and most of all loyalty to one’s beliefs. Expertly written with a lovely storyline, readers will love this historical epistolary read!!
Best quote:
‘So I think now there must be ways to go off into the world and have adventures, to do the work that is important to you, while still somehow staying with those who matter most. Perhaps it is in how you conduct yourself and how you hold people in your heart. And home should not hold you back.’ – Marmie
I hope you enjoy this short booklist of reads. I’m always on the hunt for books filled with letters or diary entries! If you do find others, I’d love to hear from you and pile on more to my TBR!!
Stay safe and keep reading
Miss Mahee
Miss Mahee's Library of Reads 