PhyllistheAuthor

I have been trying to read the various Battle of the Books selections for our local contest. I have recently read two historical novels. I liked The River Between Us and disliked Adaline Falling Star.

The River Between Us by Richard Peck is the story of two mysterious girls on their way to St. Louis who arrive in the small river town of Grand Tower. Although the story is set in 1861, it begins and ends in 1916. The book won a number of awards and it is well worth reading. The book could have been improved with the addition of a map.

Adaline Falling Star by Mary Pope Osborne is supposedly the story of Kit Carson's Native-American daughter. The author provides no historical note. So the reader doesn't know if Kit Carson actually had a daughter and if this tale represents her story. I disliked this book because most of the people in the book are bad. Adaline, the heroine, lies, steals, and tries to commit suicide. At one point in the story, she steals and then wears boys clothes. One might argue that she had to do this and other morally reprehensible things in order to find her father. However, I am tired of girls dressing like boys in novels. What does this tendency say about being a girl?