Colonial Madness

Gr 4–6—Not everyone is lucky enough to be best friends with their mother, but then not everyone has Tori's mother for a mom. They share a special bond in fact, heightened by her father's death when Tori was a toddler. Making ends meet as a seamstress is not easy for the single mom, however, and the two have fallen on some challenging times. So when her not quite beloved great-aunt dies leaving her estate to whomever is clever enough to spend two weeks there without modern conveniences, it comes as a welcomed challenge. Tori and her mom join numerous other family members in an attempt to outdo one another at playing Colonial America. Elements of adventure, competition, and first romance will appeal to middle grade readers in this unique genre mash-up. The strongly bonded mother/daughter relationship, while by no means perfect, is refreshing and despite being repeatedly put to the test, strengthened by book's end, making this novel as much about personal growth as it is an entertaining escapade. Some elements of the story are weak and unrealistic, but the premise and plot are fun, the characters are identifiable, and the historical bits are well woven into the plot. Adventure-seeking readers wanting to dip their feet in historical fiction certainly won't be disappointed.—Rebecca Gueorguiev, New York Public Library