Her adventurous spirit had been fueled by her Uncle Samuel’s stories. She longs to break free from the cultural constraints of her time. What has happened? Where has her Uncle Samuel gone? Is he still alive, or have the natives on the island – the Roanoke tribe – butchered him along with all the settlers? And what of their own fate?Īs the only girl in the settlement, Alis yearns for kinship. It’s 1587 and Alis and her family have been forced off their ship onto the island of Roanoke where they discover that the English settlement where they intended to live is deserted and has been burned to the ground.
Rose thrusts her readers immediately in the middle of a dangerous and frightening time in American history. Tall order for a middle grade or YA book. This is a book for readers who like to have their paradigms rocked, and for those who hunger for their faith in humanity to be restored.
It’s a book for readers of historical fiction, of action adventure, of sacrificial friendship. But I’d caution readers not to judge this book by it’s lovely cover. Yes, Blue Birds‘ cover will definitely attract girl readers.
Kids might guess that it’s a “girl book” given the two girls on the cover. I’d ask them if they notice anything that might be clues to what the story is about. When book talking with young readers, I inevitably begin with the cover. (If you pre-order Blue Birds, you will have a wonderful opportunity to receive a special gift from the book’s author – see the end of the post for information about that!) I’ve been following Rose’s progress since, and when she offered an opportunity to read and review an early copy of her follow up novel as part of a week-long celebration, I jumped at the chance. was published, the Merrimack Public Library had entered and won an Author Skype with Rose, and, as they say, the rest is history.
Rose, a former teacher, debuted in 2012 with middle grade read May B. When May B. I had the wonderful privilege to receive an ARC (Advanced Reader’s Copy) of Caroline Starr Rose’s new verse novel, Blue Birds (Putnam Juvenile, March 10, 2015).
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