Claudia P.

Govea
October 30, 2016
ECE 260/Section 1001
Historical Fiction Book File
Title: ​Esperanza Rising
Author:​​ Joe Cepeda
Publisher: ​Scholastic
Summary:​​ ​Esperanza thought she'd always live with her family on their
ranch in Mexico--she'd always have fancy dresses, a beautiful home, and
servants. But a sudden tragedy forces Esperanza and Mama to flee to
California during the Great Depression, and to settle in a camp for Mexican
farm workers. Esperanza isn't ready for the hard labor, financial struggles,
or lack of acceptance she now faces. When their new life is threatened,
Esperanza must find a way to rise above her difficult circumstances
Mama's life, and her own, depend on it.
Evaluation 1

Plot:
1. Believability (absence of coincidence, sentimentality, etc) 1 2 3 4 5
6 7 ​8 ​9 10
● Comment : ​The story reads the struggles that the family faces when
they become poor.
2.Major Dramatic Question (Clear early in book) YES ​YES(but slow
emerging) ​ NO
● Comment:
3.Other considerations (satisfactory conclusion, tension, clear
conflict, etc) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 ​8 ​9 10
● Comment:
4.Style and language (precise vocabulary, figurative language,
dialogue, cadence, understatement, unexpected insights, line in sand,
etc) 1 2 3 4 5 6 ​7 ​8 9 10
● Comment: ​The book has english and spanish words in the book.
5.Pacing 1 2 3 4 5 6 ​7 ​8 9 10
 ● Comment:
6.Character (dynamic protagonist, characters “ring true” [including
cultural considerations], etc) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ​9 ​10
● Comment: ​The story is believable because there is families in
Mexico that are rich and there is a point where they can struggle to
live the life they used to have.
7.Setting (detail, texture) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ​9 ​10
● Comment:
8.Theme (absence of overt didacticism?) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ​9 ​10
● Comment:
9.Other considerations (mood, tone, etc) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ​9 ​10
● Comment: ​It is book of adventure and struggle.
10.Is it a well-rounded piece? 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 ​8 ​9 10
● Comment: ​The book is well rounded piece and I loved reading the
book. It is a book i liked maybe because the both of languages in the
book.
11.OVERALL RATING (10 high; 1 low) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ​9 ​10
● Comment:
Title: ​Mirette on the Highwire
Author:​​ Emily Arnold McCully
Publisher: ​G.P Putnam Sons
Summary:​​ ​One day, a mysterious stranger arrives at a boarding house of
the widow Gateau- a sad-faced stranger, who keeps to himself. When the
widow's daughter, Mirette, discovers him crossing the courtyard on air, she
begs him to teach her how he does it. But Mirette doesn't know that the
stranger was once the Great Bellini- master wire-walker. Or that Bellini has
been stopped by a terrible fear. And it is she who must teach him courage
once again.

Evaluation 2

Plot:
1. Believability (absence of coincidence, sentimentality, etc) 1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 ​9 ​10
● Comment : ​The sentimentality in this book in how a girl changes the
courage of the person.
2.Major Dramatic Question (Clear early in book) ​YES ​ YES(but slow
emerging) NO
● Comment:
3.Other considerations (satisfactory conclusion, tension, clear
conflict, etc) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ​9 ​10
● Comment:
4.Style and language (precise vocabulary, figurative language,
dialogue, cadence, understatement, unexpected insights, line in sand,
etc) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ​9 ​10
● Comment:
5.Pacing 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ​9 ​10
● Comment:
6.Character (dynamic protagonist, characters “ring true” [including
cultural considerations], etc) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ​9 ​10
 ● Comment: ​The book rings true because there is kids that are able to
change the way people think. The way that a young girl teaches a
man to have courage again.
7.Setting (detail, texture) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ​9 ​10
● Comment:
8.Theme (absence of overt didacticism?) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 ​10
● Comment: ​Never lose your courage.
9.Other considerations (mood, tone, etc) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ​9 ​10
● Comment: ​While reading this book you think of being brave.
10.Is it a well-rounded piece? 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ​9 ​10
● Comment
11.OVERALL RATING (10 high; 1 low) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 ​10
● Comment: ​It is a piece that you can read to children and make them
think that they are able to change the world.
Title: ​Listening for Lucca
Author:​​ ​Suzanne LaFleur
Publisher: ​Weekly
Summary:​​ ​About two years ago Siena (now 13) began to dream about a
house by the sea and war planes crashing. Around the same time, Siena’s
little brother Lucca (now 3) stopped talking. Obsessed by visions from the
past, Siena grows apart from her friends and begins collecting abandoned
objects. Hoping that a change of scene will help both children, their parents
move the family from Brooklyn to Maine, moving into a house that has an
eerie resemblance to the one from Siena’s dreams. Siena connects to the
ghost of a dead girl from the past, whose brother died in WWII.

Evaluation 3

Plot:
1. Believability (absence of coincidence, sentimentality, etc) 1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 ​9 ​10
● Comment :
2.Major Dramatic Question (Clear early in book) ​YES ​ YES(but slow
emerging) NO
● Comment:
3.Other considerations (satisfactory conclusion, tension, clear
conflict, etc) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ​9 ​10
● Comment:
4.Style and language (precise vocabulary, figurative language,
dialogue, cadence, understatement, unexpected insights, line in sand,
etc) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ​9 ​10
● Comment
5.Pacing 1 2 3 4 5 6 ​7 ​8 9 10
● Comment:
6.Character (dynamic protagonist, characters “ring true” [including
cultural considerations], etc) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ​9 ​10
● Comment: ​They say that there is way to connect with ghost. They
say that there is a way to contact ghost.
7.Setting (detail, texture) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ​9 ​10
● Comment:
8.Theme (absence of overt didacticism?) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 ​10
● Comment: ​Objects and places can bring back the old history.
9.Other considerations (mood, tone, etc) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ​9 ​10
● Comment: ​The book has mysterious and suspense mood as you
read the book.
10.Is it a well-rounded piece? 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ​9 ​10
● Comment: ​It is an interesting book to read and it has mystery in it
that makes you want to keep reading.
11.OVERALL RATING (10 high; 1 low) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ​9 ​10
● Comment: ​This book brings back history from the WWII. A great
book to have kids read.
Title: ​Lunch-box Dream
Author:​​ Tony Abbott
Publisher: ​Square Fish
Summary:​​ Bobby and his family are visiting Civil War battlefields on the
eve of the war's centenary, while inside their car, quiet battles rage. When
an accident cuts their trip short, they return home on a bus and witness an
incident that threatens to deny a black family seats. What they don't know
is the reason for the family's desperation to be on that bus: a few towns
away, their child is missing.
Evaluation 4

Plot:
1. Believability (absence of coincidence, sentimentality, etc) 1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 ​9 ​10
● Comment : ​The racial and segregation back in the days. How sad
that a family is desperate to find their child but the laws of colored
people are not able to ride with the white people.
2.Major Dramatic Question (Clear early in book) ​YES ​ YES(but slow
emerging) NO
● Comment: ​Is the family going to able to find their child? Are the laws
going to be broken?
3.Other considerations (satisfactory conclusion, tension, clear
conflict, etc) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ​9 ​10
● Comment:
4.Style and language (precise vocabulary, figurative language,
dialogue, cadence, understatement, unexpected insights, line in sand,
etc) 1 2 3 4 5 6 ​7 ​8 9 10
● Comment
5.Pacing 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ​9 ​10
● Comment:
6.Character (dynamic protagonist, characters “ring true” [including
cultural considerations], etc) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 ​10
 ● Comment: ​It explains the laws in how the time of segregation was.
7.Setting (detail, texture) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ​9 ​10
● Comment:
8.Theme (absence of overt didacticism?) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ​9 ​10
● Comment:​​.
9.Other considerations (mood, tone, etc) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ​9 ​10
● Comment: ​This book shows the way in how people used to think of
the colored people. The feelings that they had towards the people of
colored people. It also shows how colored people had to struggle in
life.
10.Is it a well-rounded piece? 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 ​10
● Comment: ​It is a great book to read to the students when they are
learning about segregation and also the way the laws were.
11.OVERALL RATING (10 high; 1 low) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 ​10
● Comment:
Title: ​Dash
Author: ​Kirby Larson
Publisher: ​Scholastic Press
Summary:​​ ​After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor life changes for Mitsi
Kashino (11) and her Japanese-American family. Mitsi tries to stay strong
as she and her family are taunted, shunned, fingerprinted, and told they will
be relocated to an internment camp. The news that she cannot take her
beloved dog Dash to the camp, Mitsi begs her neighbor, Mrs. Bowker, to
take care of Dash. Mrs. Bowker agrees to take care of Dash, and writes
letters from Dash to Mitsi that follow the family from Seattle, Washington, to
Minidoka, Idaho.
Evaluation 5

Plot:
1. Believability (absence of coincidence, sentimentality, etc) 1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 ​10
● Comment : ​The attachment the young girl has with her dog and the
fear she has of leaving her dog behind.
2.Major Dramatic Question (Clear early in book) YES YES(but slow
emerging) ​NO
● Comment:
3.Other considerations (satisfactory conclusion, tension, clear
conflict, etc) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ​9 ​10
● Comment: ​She manages to stay in touch with her dog. The strong
bond she has with the person that stays looking after her dog.
4.Style and language (precise vocabulary, figurative language,
dialogue, cadence, understatement, unexpected insights, line in sand,
etc) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 ​8 ​9 10
● Comment
5.Pacing 1 2 3 4 5 6 ​7 ​8 9 10
● Comment:
6.Character (dynamic protagonist, characters “ring true” [including
cultural considerations], etc) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ​9 ​10
● Comment: ​The concentration camps that people were are being
send. The struggle that people had during that century.
7.Setting (detail, texture) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ​9 ​10
● Comment:
8.Theme (absence of overt didacticism?) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ​9 ​10
● Comment: ​It just teaches us that children struggle also with the laws
that were during that century.
9.Other considerations (mood, tone, etc) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ​9 ​10
● Comment:
10.Is it a well-rounded piece? 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ​9 ​10
● Comment:
11.OVERALL RATING (10 high; 1 low) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ​9 ​10
● Comment: ​It is an interesting piece in how the child is not willing to
abandon her dog on her own.