WWW.PUBLISHERSWEEKLY.COM 87Review_CHILDREN’S
Children’s Overseas Reception Board
children who were being sent, like others
before them, to safety in Canada. The
volume describes the families’ tearful
farewells and then the children’s delight
during the first days on “the floating
palace.” Frequent hints of the approaching
disaster build momentum as the attack
nears, and the tension increases dramati-
cally as the narrative shifts to riveting
individual stories of those awaiting rescue
in lifeboats or on rafts. Accompanied by
photographs and illustrations and including
documentation of all who were on board,
this is a harrowing yet inspiring look at a
little-covered historical event. Final art
not seen by PW. Ages 10–14. (Oct.)★ Ordinary Hazards: A Memoir
Nikki Grimes. Wordsong, $19.99 (336p)
ISBN 978-1-62979-881-3
Grimes (One Last Word) presents a grip-
ping memoir in verse constructed from
imperfect recollections of the hardship
and abuse she endured as a child. Having
lost chunks of her memory as a result of
traumatic expe-
riences, Grimes
relies on her art
to fill in the
blanks. In
recurring
entries titled
“The Mystery of
Memory,” and
“Notebook,”
Grimes contex-
tualizes her
scattered remembrances to provide a sense
of time and place for readers (“Where is
the chronology of a life/ chaotic from the
start?”). Grimes eloquently conveys the
instability of a childhood lived in the
unpredictable wake of a mentally ill mother
and abusive stepfather alongside hopeful
anecdotes about the safe haven provided
by her beloved older sister, her growing
faith, and the often absent yet doting
father she lost too soon. Underlining the
idea that “a memoir’s focus is on truth,
not fact,” Grimes courageously invites
readers to join her on a journey through
the shadows of her past, bridging “the
gaps/ with suspension cables/ forged of
steely gratitude/ for having survived my
past/at all.” Ages 12–up. (Oct.) ■Nonfiction
No Map, Great Trip: A Young
Writer’s Road to Page One
Paul Fleischman. Greenwillow, $16.99 (144p)
ISBN 978-0-06-285745-3
In this combination memoir and
writing handbook, Newbery Medalist
Fleischman (Joyful Noise) writes with
humor and frankness about growing up in
Santa Monica, Calif., in the 1960s. With
supportive parents who encouraged
inventiveness and exploration, Fleischman
developed both an insatiable curiosity and
wanderlust at a young age. From building
a shortwave radio at age 10, to creating
his own satirical news pamphlet in high
school, to traversing the country with
little more than the clothes on his back,
he details how early experiences provided
inspiration for his characters and stories.
His amusing anecdotes also lead nicely
into the “Writing Know-How” tips he
sprinkles throughout the book. Though
his stories are easy to read and engaging,
Fleischman’s advice for writers—asking
questions, drawing from your own experi-
ences, and keeping a notebook handy to
jot down observations and thoughts—is
fairly standard, and may even get lost
amid the volume’s memoir components.
Still, the book serves as an inspiring look
at how an award-winning author eventu-
ally found his voice, and may prompt a
budding young writer to find the courage
to put pen to paper. Ages 8–12. (Oct.)Torpedoed: The True Story of the
World War II Sinking of
“The Children’s Ship”
Deborah Heiligman, illus. by Lawrence Lee.
Holt/Godwin, $19.99 (288p) ISBN 978-1-
62779-554-8
In this gripping account, Heiligman
(Vincent and Theo) relates the September
1940 attack by a German submarine on
the British passenger ship SS City of
Benares, which killed 258 people,
including 77 children. In unflinching
detail, the book depicts the often fatal
struggles of enduring a torpedo strike at
sea, as well as the selfless acts of those
striving to keep other passengers alive.
Distinguished by expertly woven
research, including the author’s own
interviews, the book focuses on the 90Violet is exiled to Lyric, Maine, where her
family used to spend their summers.
Living quietly with her uncle Toby and
volunteering at the local aquarium, Violet
reflects on her childhood with her brother,
makes new friends through coworker
Orion, and gains interest in the history of
her great-great-great-grandparents, the
town’s much-celebrated founders. Against
the evocative backdrop of rugged coastal
Maine, Drake’s suspenseful novel offers
three strands of high drama: the impact
of Sam’s mental illness on Violet, Violet’s
family history (her grandmother, the lone
survivor of a shipwreck, posed as a boy
while working for her future husband),
and a complicated love triangle between
Violet, Orion, and Orion’s friend Liv, who
has a special interest in Violet’s ancestors.
The story of her grandmother’s transfor-
mation creates intriguing parallels with
the internal changes Violet undergoes. If
at times the novel seems crowded, Violet
emerges as a genuine, sympathetic pro-
tagonist struggling to create something
new from the wreckage of her life. Ages
14–up. Agent: Peter Knapp, Park Literary &
Media.(Oct.)
I Know You Remember
Jennifer Donaldson. Razorbill, $18.99 (336p)
ISBN 978-1-59514-854-4
Ruthie, 17, is glad to be heading back
to Anchorage, Alaska, her hometown
until she was 14, even though the reason
for the trip is her mother’s sudden death.
She’s not sure about moving in with her
father and his new family, but her best
friend, Zahra, still lives there, and Ruthie
looks forward to picking up where they
left off. There are two problems, though:
not only has Zahra changed drastically
since Ruthie left, she has also disappeared.
Determined to find her, Ruthie inserts
herself into Zahra’s friend group and gets
involved in the search, which takes her
through hiking trails and deserted camp-
grounds, as well as old secrets. Donaldson
(Lies You Never Told Me) tells a suspenseful,
surprising story with a vivid sense of
place. And in Ruthie, Donaldson has cre-
ated a driven, fearless—even reckless—
character who will stop at nothing to
track down her best friend and recreate
the relationship she’s so desperately
missed. Ages 14–up. (Oct.)