KEEPING UP WITH AUNT KATE

In the 1860s before Abraham Lincoln became president, an orphan girl, Nell Warne, was dropped off at the doorstep of her only living relative Aunt Kate.  Aunt Kate wanted no part of Nell since leaving their small town after the death of her husband. You see, she blamed Nell's beloved father for that particular tragedy and has never gotten over it.  Nell was determined to change Aunt Kate's mind by being helpful as possible so she won't be sent away to some orphanage to live with total strangers which Aunt Kate kept threatening her with.

So begins the relationship between Nell and Aunt Kate based on necessity and mutual respect as the two hire themselves as undercover female detectives with The Pinkerton Detective Agency to root out crime and deceit.  The story is loosely based on the real life Kate Warne told through the point of view of fictional Nell through narrative and letters with her best friend of the same age whose family escaped slavery by using the Underground Railroad.  

Readers will enjoy the adventures of Nell and her no nonsense Aunt Kate in The Detective's Assistant by Kate Hannigan. For readers in 6th- 8th grade who enjoy historical fiction and strong female protagonists in an action packed story. 

MINTY THE SLAVE

Minty, the nickname of Harriet Tubman when she was a little girl, hates being a slave. All she thinks about is getting off the plantation. She is lucky in that she lives with her family, and they do their best to make her situation more bearable. But Minty is bound and determined to leave, and her father sees it best that he train her to live off the land. When Minty finally gets a chance to escape, she hesitates too long and the opportunity slips away. While she is saddened by her inability to follow through, she is not discouraged and vows to one day escape. MINTY: A STORY OF YOUNG HARRIET TUBMAN by Alan Schroeder is great for 3rd grade and up. This book also won the Coretta Scott King Award for Jerry Pinkney's gorgeous illustrations.

THE STARS GUIDE YOUR WAY

THE DRINKING GOURD by F. N. Monjo is a little bit of history with a twist of doing the right thing. Tommy Fuller gets in trouble at church one Sunday and is sent home, only to find a family of runaway slaves hiding in his barn. The Drinking Gourd, also known as the Big Dipper, contains the North Star which is leading Big Jeff and his family to Canada, and Tommy’s father is hiding them. Tommy’s father states that laws should not be broken, but there are exceptions to every rule. There aren't many historical fiction stories for the early reader, much less one that deals with the Underground Railroad. This is a great book to get younger readers into the historical fiction genre. For Kindergarten - 3rd grades.