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Kate Milford
BIBLIO: 2012, Houghton
Mifflin Harcourt, Ages 12 to 18, $8.99.
REVIEWER: Kristi Bernard
FORMAT: Young Adult
ISBN: 9780544439429
Author Kate Milford loves writing stories set in the past
with plenty of true historical references. Her book, The Boneshaker, is the
sequel to The Broken Lands. The Boneshaker puts readers in 1914 Missouri where
readers are introduced to Natali Minks. Natali loves machines and her story
revolves around solving the mystery of a traveling medicine show. Milfords
underlying themes in these books shares a story of family, community, courage
and looking evil in the eye. The Broken Land hotel had gotten its name in an
act of bad translation from a Dutch word for Long Island. Meet Sam Noctiluca of
Coney Island in 1877. He lived at the Broken Land. He didn’t lose at cards
often and he was good at playing games and cheating at them too. But when he met
two interesting strangers he was soon opened up to a world of good versus evil
of the supernatural kind. Jin and her uncle Liao stayed at the Broken Lands too
and run The Fata Morgana Fireworks Company, which had the best displays around
and would be in town for three days. Jin was sent to buy items and a
dispensary, on her way back she literally stumbled over a dead body with its
head missing. Here is where she met Sam. It was then that the mystery of the
dead body opened a door to a world of supernatural beings. Sam, Jin and their
friends call on the story of Jack Hellcoal. He was a woodsmen pioneer who was
given three wishes from a beautiful women who came to his door looking for
warmth, food and shelter. One day she was gone and Jack searched for her and didn’t
find her. He used his wishes in a selfish way. Other strangers like the woman
come to him to carry him to hell, but he refused to go and tricked them.
Eventually, Jack left his cabin and ended up at the gates of hell. The devil gave
him a piece of coal and sent him on his way to find his own place in the world.
Not welcome in heaven or hell Jack set out to find a place where the crossroad
is present. Sam and Jin know that the
world is in a very sensitive place since the Civil War ended. The people were
angry. Lots of lynching’s, bombings, strikes and people out of work had made
the country vulnerable. The country was at a crossroads for freedom. Jack and
his band of roamers would do whatever it took to make Sam and Jin’s home their
place. Will Sam and Jin along with the others be able to harness their own
supernatural gifts to save the world from Jack Hellcoal and is evil agenda?
Milford provides readers with loads of history.
Readers will learn about Ambrose Bierce, the Brooklyn Bridge,
Chinese Fireworks, the Civil War and much more. Readers will be engaged with
the characters, scenery and especially the battle. Teachers could use this tool
to open up dialogue regarding history as a classroom read-a-loud. Readers will
also find detailed black and white illustrations that will enlighten on the
characters and their surroundings. The front of the book has an illustrated map
of Coney Island, Brooklyn and its surroundings.
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