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(3)
4-6
In the sequel to A Nest for Celeste, the eponymous mouse falls asleep in a wagon near her New Orleans home and ends up on another adventure. Celeste rides a steamboat, climbs trees with squirrels, swims with beavers, and helps a young Abe Lincoln. The accessible animal fantasy's comforting theme--that home is wherever you find happiness--is complemented by Cole's cozy pencil illustrations.
196 pp.
| Candlewick
| October, 2017
|
TradeISBN 978-0-7636-7755-8$24.99
(4)
4-6
On April 27, 1865, the steamboat Sultana--overcrowded with Union soldiers being transported home from POW camps--sank. The events were overshadowed by news of Lincoln's assassination. Walker digresses to discuss steamboats, POW camps, and the Civil War; it can be somewhat challenging to keep track of the various characters introduced. Numerous photographs, maps, portraits, and lithographs are interspersed. Extensive source notes are appended. Bib., ind.
(4)
4-6
American Girl Mysteries series.
On a steamboat traveling up the Mississippi, Marie-Grace helps her new friend Wilhelmina figure out where her recently deceased father hid the gold that will save her family's land. The steamboat setting is well described and though the dialogue is wooden, young readers will enjoy puzzling through some nursery rhyme clues to solve the mystery.
(2)
4-6
In this rip-roaring turn-of-the-twentieth-century adventure, twelve-year-old Cissy Sissney and two of her classmates visit their beloved former teacher, whose acting troupe has taken up residence on a rundown steamboat. Villains emerge, hijinks ensue, and Cissy and friends save the day. The ensemble cast brims with quirky, original characterization in this warmhearted paean to the tall tales of the American West.
Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
May, 2011
151 pp.
| Peachtree
| April, 2010
|
TradeISBN 978-1-56145-524-9$12.95
(3)
4-6
In 1852 Emma and her mother board the steamboat Sally May. For headstrong Emma, a forbidden trip to visit her pony, Twist, on the main deck reveals a new world full of danger and unlikely friendships. Hart's diverting historical adventure includes authentic period details and an informative afterword on the history of riverboat travel.
48 pp.
| Boyds
| February, 2007
|
TradeISBN 978-1-59078-434-1$19.95
(4)
4-6
Historical and modern steamboats and their roles in transportation and commerce are covered thoroughly. The author's passion for his topic is evident through his meticulously detailed histories of individual vessels, though the dense text will likely overwhelm readers looking for a basic introduction to the subject. Many contemporary and historic photographs of various types of steamboats help break up the pages. Websites. Glos., ind.
233 pp.
| Houghton
| October, 2006
|
TradeISBN 0-618-56329-6$16.00
(2)
4-6
In 1896 fourteen-year-old Megan (younger sister of Hannah from Gray's Together Apart) spends the summer traveling up the Mississippi River on her sister and brother-in-law's steamboat. An inquisitive heroine with a poet's eye for detail, Megan can't always discern people's moral characters. Although the novel sometimes stalls, its sedate pace is balanced by some character-based intrigue, and Megan's transformation is ultimately rewarding.
40 pp.
| Farrar
| April, 2005
|
TradeISBN 0-374-37236-5$16.00
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Adam Rex.
A brief bouncy rhyme ("Floating palace, / white and red, / chimneys belching overhead") describes the excitement when a Mississippi steamboat docks at a small town. Locals gather, travelers disembark, and crates and barrels are unloaded, revealing luxuries such as pickles, sugar, and lace. The art has a cinematic quality as small illustrations give way to large, busy tableaux.
(2)
K-3
Illustrated by
Holly Meade.
This picture-book biography of the country's first female steamboat captain portrays the river-loving Blanche first as a child and then as a young woman whose husband, a steamboat captain, teaches her the mysterious, unpredictable ways of the Mississippi. Exuberantly colored cut-paper art effectively realizes the three central characters of the story: Blanche, the river, and the romantic steamboat itself.
Reviewer: Susan P. Bloom
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
March, 2000
128 pp.
| Enslow
| July, 1999
|
LibraryISBN 0-7660-1141-0$$19.95
(3)
YA
Historical American Biographies series.
These effective, if formulaic, biographies are well documented with chapter notes. Information boxes supplement the main texts (for instance, a reference to Mark Twain seeing a Pony Express rider is accompanied by a sidebar that provides a brief overview of the Express). Unexceptional black-and-white photos illustrate the lucidly written books. Time lines are included. Bib., glos., ind.
32 pp.
| Holiday
| March, 1999
|
TradeISBN 0-8234-1433-7$$16.95
(4)
K-3
Illustrated by
Bill Farnsworth.
Kroll breezes through the life and inventions of Robert Fulton in this picture book biography. A lot of information and history is relayed in thirty-two pages; as a result, the text, while informative, reads more like a list of events than a narrative, and Fulton's character is only sketchily revealed. The strength of the book lies in the illustrations: Farnsworth adds atmosphere and historical setting to the story with his detailed paintings.
40 pp.
| Simon
| November, 1998
|
TradeISBN 0-689-81542-5$$16.00
(3)
K-3
This biography of Samuel Clemens/Mark Twain is in equal parts a paean to his beloved steamboats and an account of their short-lived reign on the mighty Mississippi. It parallels the steamboats' rise and fall with Clemens's life from youth to steamboat pilot to celebrated author. Maps, diagrams, and bibliographies incorporated into the intricate illustrations add to an unusual and interesting take on two revered American institutions. Bib.