2 Adventures, Quite Different.

As much of a history nerd as I am, I don't know a whole lot about Henry Hudson's voyages, and I think that was helpful (suspense-wise anyway) when I read Quest by Kathleen Benner Duble. This story of Henry Hudson's voyage is told from the perspective of four characters, two on the ship Discovery with Henry Hudson and two back in Europe, awaiting the return of the ship. John Hudson is Henry's 17 year old son (the middle child) who has gone on voyages with his father before. He has the task of keeping the ship's logs and so his entries (which lean much more towards journal entries than ship logs) comprise his contribution to the story. Seth Syms is one of the sailors (first time, poor soul) on Discovery, older than John, but befriends him and enjoys John's pranks. Seth is writing letters to his mother, even knowing that the letters will not get to her until he has returned from the voyage. Richard Hudson is Henry Hudson's youngest son, about 8 years old, and his story is told in the third person (which was a little jarring at first as the other three stories are told in the first person), making observations of what Richard thought of his brothers, but also what his mother went through while his father was at sea (often times captains' wives had to beg for credit until their husbands returned). The final part of the story is told in journal format by Isabella Digges, the daughter of one of Hudson's investors. Digges sends his daughter to a Dutch family as a companion so that she can spy for him. The head of the family is a part of the Dutch East India Trading Company and Isabella's charge is to seek out some of the maps and somehow convey the information of the new world back to her father. When the Discovery takes an extraordinary amount of time to return (the ship was trapped in the ice in Canada for the winter), the story starts to pick up and things get a little harried. I really enjoyed this book. It's quick paced and short (240 pages) and with a few kind of creepy details (a description of a man who froze to death and discussion of hangings) it's definitely better off for middle schoolers than grade schoolers. There is a helpful author's note at the end, noting where Duble got her inspiration for the story and what's true and what's not, as well as her belief that there needed to be some strong females characters (Isabella Digges, definitely, and Katherine Hudson). Highly recommended for history fans or anyone looking for a different type of adventure story.
Jellaby by Kean Soo is a fantastic graphic novel good for the grade school set (probably 3-5, though even some 2nd graders could probably tackle it). Jellaby is a giant purple monster that Portia finds in the woods near her house. Portia is raised by her mother as her father mysteriously disappeared. She doesn't have many friends, but Jellaby encourages Portia to get involved on the side of Jason, who is being bullied. She and Jason (after Jason unexpectedly meets Jellaby) become tentative friends and determine they should find a way to get Jellaby home. Jellaby recognizes a photo from a Halloween exhibition and the kids determine they need to take Jellaby there. Jason's parents are entirely absent from the story. These two grade schoolers con their way onto a train to the City (Jellaby's only speech is when he buys tickets on the train--it's hilarious) but something (inevitably) happens and the book ends there! Fantastic book. The color scheme is primarily in shades of purple, with a red barrette for Portia and a yellow hoodie for Jason distinguishing them from the rest of the kids (Jellaby's got some red stripes). There's a subplot of what actually happened to Portia's father (she keeps having nightmares) that will keep the story moving. Can't recommend it enough and I eagerly await the next volume.
Remarkably, I'm not waiting for anything, but content to be reading The Diamond of Drury Lane by Julia Golding. Another historical fiction about Cat Royal, an orphan who lives in the Royal Theatre in Drury Lane in 1790 London. I'm curious to see how it will turn out. I'll be patiently reading and update you next time.
Keep reading,
The Savage Librarian.