Book-It 'o14! Book #42
Oct. 11th, 2014 02:11 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alivemagdoleneThe Fifty Books Challenge, year five! (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013) This was a library request.
Title: Troubles For Cécile by Denise Lewis Patrick, illustrated by Christine Kornacki
Details: Copyright 2011, American Girl
Synopsis (By Way of Back Cover):
"Cécile's summer is off to a glowing start. She loves spending time with her older brother, Armand, who is finally home from France. And she and her friend Marie-Grace enjoy helping at a nearby orphanage, playing with the children. But a shadow falls over the bright summer when Cécile hears that a terrible sickness--yellow fever--is spreading in New Orleans. When yellow fever strikes in her own home, Cécile is more afraid than she has ever been before. Can she find the strength to help when her family needs her most?"
Why I Wanted to Read It: Remember my remembrances of the American Girl franchise? And my reviews of the character Kit's six-book series? And my reviews of the character Rebecca's six-book series? Remember my review of the first book in this series? And the second? The third? Okay, then.
How I Liked It: Having now read all the books in the Cécile and Marie-Grace six book series (I'm getting to the reviews), Cécile's stories are generally better.
The previous book in this series was Marie-Grace's actual ascension into true American Girl form; Cécile had been there from the start. Still, this is to be her moment of reckoning. Yellow Fever strikes her family and before the book is through, it takes a life close to her.
Given that these are books written for children, a tragedy isn't going to be as tragic as you'd expect, but the author gets as close to and as real as she can, and it's hard to imagine that it's not effecting for the audience it's intended.
The illustrations are by the same illustrator that's worked (and that I've disdained) throughout the series.
The "Looking Back" examines the Yellow Fever epidemic of 1853, explaining previous epidemics as well as ones that followed, and how New Orleans was affected and fought back.
Title: Troubles For Cécile by Denise Lewis Patrick, illustrated by Christine Kornacki
Details: Copyright 2011, American Girl
Synopsis (By Way of Back Cover):
"Cécile's summer is off to a glowing start. She loves spending time with her older brother, Armand, who is finally home from France. And she and her friend Marie-Grace enjoy helping at a nearby orphanage, playing with the children. But a shadow falls over the bright summer when Cécile hears that a terrible sickness--yellow fever--is spreading in New Orleans. When yellow fever strikes in her own home, Cécile is more afraid than she has ever been before. Can she find the strength to help when her family needs her most?"
Why I Wanted to Read It: Remember my remembrances of the American Girl franchise? And my reviews of the character Kit's six-book series? And my reviews of the character Rebecca's six-book series? Remember my review of the first book in this series? And the second? The third? Okay, then.
How I Liked It: Having now read all the books in the Cécile and Marie-Grace six book series (I'm getting to the reviews), Cécile's stories are generally better.
The previous book in this series was Marie-Grace's actual ascension into true American Girl form; Cécile had been there from the start. Still, this is to be her moment of reckoning. Yellow Fever strikes her family and before the book is through, it takes a life close to her.
Given that these are books written for children, a tragedy isn't going to be as tragic as you'd expect, but the author gets as close to and as real as she can, and it's hard to imagine that it's not effecting for the audience it's intended.
The illustrations are by the same illustrator that's worked (and that I've disdained) throughout the series.
The "Looking Back" examines the Yellow Fever epidemic of 1853, explaining previous epidemics as well as ones that followed, and how New Orleans was affected and fought back.
