School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-6-Nine-year-old Ann McKenzie longs to be a doctor like her father, the Williamsburg apothecary. Redheaded, impulsive, bright, eager, and caring, Ann is much more interested in visiting patients than in learning the proper duties of a young woman of her times. Though the tone is a bit didactic, the protagonist is a likable heroine and the plot is fast paced-from the burning of the capitol to the rise of a smallpox epidemic. The construct of a story within a story-as if being told to modern-day schoolchildren visiting Colonial Williamsburg-is awkward and unnecessary, though once Ann's tale begins, it flows. Historical notes on Williamsburg, childhood, and medicine in the Colonial period; a detailed map; and several recipes are included. A concerted effort has been made to separate fact from fiction-unlike the treatment in the "Dear America" series (Scholastic). The foreword explains that the main character was a real person. For fans of the "Felicity" books (Pleasant Company), also set in Williamsburg, this is a must read; for other historical-fiction buffs, it's an acceptable choice.-Robin L. Gibson, Muskingum County Library System, Zanesville, OH (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
[cf2]Dreams[cf1] tells of Kristin Swensen from Sweden, [cf2]Hope[cf1] features Rebekah Levinsky from Russia, and [cf2]Promise[cf1] focuses on Irish Rose Carney's immigration story. Although formulaic, these books present three strong female characters whose attempts to reconcile their heritage with their new lives offer an interesting look at important eras in American history. From HORN BOOK Fall 2000, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
