Blog Tour: Leo, Dog of the Sea Book Review

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Book received at no charge to facilitate review.

Originally a dog with no name, Leo has become adept at catching rats on ships. After four different voyages, he has also become adept at avoiding humans. When Leo sneaks onto the Trinidad, with Captain General Ferdinand Magellan and his crew, he finally gets a chance to develop friendships with a few of the crew members. Leo even gets his name after saving Marco, the stowaway's life.

The first person narrative through the eyes of Leo, the dog works well with historical fiction rich in detail of the hard life aboard the ships. From vivid descriptions of sailors suffering scurvy to the harsh treatment of the natives from Magellan, readers grasp some of the horrors endured by historical figures and the lands and people they discover. While the adventures in the story are enough to captivate a young audience, the detailed facts of Magellan's journey and the back story of the role of dogs in history make for a must read.

 Rating ★★★★★

Publishing Information:

Publisher: Peachtree Publishers (April 2017)

ISBN: 978-1-56145-964-3

Ages: 7-10

This book can be purchased from the following retailer:

Book Review and Giveaway: The Privateer's Apprentice by Susan Verrico

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The Privateer's Apprentice 
    by Susan Verraco

After the death of his parents, Jameson Cooper assumes he will take over his father's printing shop. Instead, he is thrown out on the streets of Charles Towne (Carolina Territory) and sentenced to life as an indentured servant to the baker for a false charge of stealing bread.

His first day on the job he ends up as a victim of a kidnapping in which he is knocked out. When he regains consciousness, he finds himself aboard the Destiny under the direction of Captain "Attack Jack" Edwards. Somehow, Jameson manages to get on the captain's good side which seems surprising considering a series of missteps by him. The captain even gives him a special assignment based upon his  map making skills.

Though the plot veers off course at times, the descriptions of life at sea will both captivate and gross out the young historical fiction buff. Jameson must use his knowledge to rescue the captain which provides a nerve-racking resolution that appeal the the adventurer at heart. Age 11-13. Rating: Good to Recommended 

Publishing Information

 Peachtree Publisher (Sept. 1, 2012)

Hardcover: 224 pages

ISBN: 9781561456338

 

Disclosure: Review copy received from publisher at no charge. 

Giveaway Details: 

Winner will receive a copy of The Privateer's Apprentice by Susan Verrico. Please use the Rafflecopter form to enter. By entering, you acknowledge you have read the terms on the form and agree to them. Giveaway ends 5/8/2013 at 11:59 EST.

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Historical Fiction Books for Boys by age

Tweet I have compiled a short list of historical fiction based on age. If you have a book you would like to see on the list, please contact me and I will add it.

Picture Books 

The Babe and I David Adler
Back of the Bus Aaron Reynolds
Baseball Saved us Ken Mochizuki
A Big Cheese for the White House : The True Tale of a Tremendous Cheddar  Candace Fleming

Death of the Iron Horse  Paul Goble 

Farm Summer 1942  Donald Hall
Freedom Summer  Deborah Wiles
Henry's Freedom Box Ellen Levine
Peppe the Lamplighter by Elise Bartone
Pink and Say by Patricia Polacco
Quiet Hero: The Ira Hayes Story by S.D. Nelson
Shipwreck! The True Adventures of a Japanese Boy by Rhoda Blumberg
Shoeless Joe and Black Betsy by Phil Bildner
Silent Movie by Avi

The Unbreakable Code by Sara Hoagland Hunter 

When Joe Lewis Won the Title   Belinda Rochelle

Willy and Max: A Holocaust Story  Amy Littlesugar

Chapter books Ages 4-8

The Art of Keeping Cool by Janet Taylor Lisle

A Ballad of the Civil War by Mary Stolz and Sergio Martinez 
The Boy Who Saved Cleveland  James Giblin
Day of the Dragon-King by Mary Pope Osborne
Diary of a Drummer Boy  Marlene Brill 
Dog of Discovery: A Newfoundland's Adventures With Lewis and Clark  Laurence Pringle
Ice Wreck (A Stepping Stone Book) by Lucille Recht Penner

First Flight: The Story of Tom Tate and the Wright Brothers  by George Shea and Dan Bolognese

Robert Henry Hendershot  Susan E. Goodman
Sailing for Gold  by Deborah Hopkinson
Say-Hey and the Babe  by Neil Waldman
School at Crooked Creek  Laurie Lawlor

Sleds on Boston Common: A Story About the American Revolution by Louise Bordon
Time Traveler: Children Through Time by Angela Bull

V for Victory by Teresa R. Funke

Middle Grade Books Ages 9-12 

 Beyond the Deepwoods by Paul Stewart
The Copper Treasure by Melvin Burgess 
Daniel's Walk by Michael Spooner
Down Sand Mountain by Steve Watkins
El Guero by Elizabeth Borton De Trevino

Gabriel's Horses, Gabriel's Triumph, Gabriel's Journey (Racing to Freedom Trilogy) by Alison Hart
Ghost Soldier by Elaine Marie Alphin 
The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick

Neil Armstrong is My Uncle and Other Lies Muscle Man McGinty Told Me by Nan Marino 

One Crazy Summer  Rita Williams-Garcia
A Single Shard   Linda Sue Park (Newberry winner)
The Story of Jonas by Maurine F. Dahlberg

The Trouble With Jeremy Chance George Harrar
When the Whistle Blows by Fran Cannon Slayton
Woods Runner  Gary Paulsen


Young Adult (Teen)

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain 
 Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
Choosing Up Sides by John H. Ritter
Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell
Journey to Topaz by Yoshiko Uchida
Kingdom by The Sea by Robert Westall
My Brother Sam Is Dead by James Collier
Nothing to Fear by Jackie French Koller
The Notorious Izzy Fink by Don Brown  
The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane
Sounder by William Armstrong (Newberry Winner)
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee