Historically Speaking

A mysterious outbreak of typhoid fever is sweeping New York. Could the city’s future rest with its most unlikely scientist?      Julie Chibbaro is the author of two YA historical fiction titles, Redemption and now, Deadly.  In both, she brings to life rich characters in well developed historical settings.   Julie speaks about her latest book, Deadly, in this interview.   1.   I'm not sure if we choose our stories or if they choose us. What was the case with Deadly?   Writing is all about making choices, which isn’t always easy.   Kind of like shopping in a store that has a hundred different kinds of everything, and they all look good.   Which one do you pick?   Sometimes, you just have to try each one out, see what works best. 2. What were the challenges in bringing this story to printed page? The answer to that goes back to question one.   I started writing Deadly in 2004, only it was called Fever then, and was told...

I have always focused on historical fiction in this blog, but I couldn't pass up recommending two great nonfiction books I recently read. The first is award-winning author Jim Murphy's latest - TRUCE. In TRUCE, published by Scholastic, Murphy deftly tells the story of the Christmas Truce that miraculously occurred during World War I. It is extraordinary to hear the tale of how soldiers were able to put aside their weapons during horrific circumstances to share puddings and beer and, more importantly, goodwill! The other book, THE GREAT AND ONLY BARNUM, was a YALSA-ALA Excellence in Young Adult Nonfiction finalist.  Candace Fleming brings the legendary showman to life through her text, old circus posters, photographs, ticket stubs, and etchings.  If you've ever enjoyed the big top, this is a must read!