I was looking forward to reading this book because I really like history. My dad is a history teacher, and I sometimes read history text books for fun. I love historical fiction and I really like social justice. You would think this would mean that I would LOVE this book, and the fact that it had made it onto some folks Newbery short list made me even more interested. Despite all of this, I was not a big fan. It took a LONG time to get into, and you didn't get connected to the personal story of the people impacted. I am sure that I learned lots by reading it and I will connect parts of what I learned to other things, but I can't say this is anywhere close to my favorite. I like to read some nonfiction when thinking about the Newbery, but this would not be on my list of contenders this year. If a non fiction book should be considered I would pick Amelia Lost.
Rating: **
