Praise for Audacity Jones to the Rescue:
*"[T]he story's themes of trust, friendship, and good manners will resonate with many. Audacity's charm and smarts make this historical adventure a winner." -- Booklist, starred review
*"Larson's thriller deftly mixes humor, heart-pounding moments, and a strongly evoked historical setting - it's truly a story with something for everyone." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Larson infuses her romp with plenty of humor, making Audacity, her cat, and friends into lively, likable characters. With characteristic deftness, she weaves her historical material seamlessly into the story; Audacity is a modern girl.... Clever, funny, and sweet in equal measures." -- Kirkus Reviews
"Readers will cheer Audacity's ingenuity and bravery as they relish every moment of her adventures. Highly recommended." -- School Library Journal
Praise for Liberty:
* "Larson once again creates an engaging story that is rich in historical details. She purposefully captures both the fear and the hope in a world torn by war as well as the simple love of a boy for his dog. Practically perfect." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"A slice-of-life tale for historical fiction fans and animal lovers alike." -- School Library Journal
"Larson brings the historical setting to life with vivid details and draws readers into the story with a heartfelt dog-and-child relationship." -- Hornbook
Praise for Dash:
Winner of the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction
A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year
*"Emotionally satisfying and thought-provoking." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review
*"[A] trenchant novel." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Historical fiction at its best." -- School Library Journal
Praise for Duke:
*"Exceptionally well-crafted and emotionally authentic." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review
*"[An] incisive tale of loyalty, patriotism, sacrifice, and bravery." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review
"A good example of how bravery comes in all shapes, sizes -- and breeds." -- Booklist
Praise for Hattie Big Sky:
A Newbery Honor Recipient
*"[An] engaging historical novel... [Larson] creates a richly textured novel full of memorable characters." -- Booklist, starred review
*"Larson... create[s] a masterful picture of the homesteading experience and the people who persevered." -- School Library Journal, starred review
"Refreshing." -- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
★ 10/05/2015
It’s 1910, and Audacity Jones is living in a struggling home for “wayward girls” in Swayzee, Ind., when a frequent donor, Commodore Crutchfield, arrives asking for a volunteer for a secret mission. Sharp-witted and well-read, Audie has her doubts about a man “who seemed to have no idea that mainsails were never lashed together with ropes” and “that the rank of Commodore had last been used by the United States Navy eleven years prior,” but she also has a taste for adventure. Before they leave, her favorite chocolate-striped cat, Miniver, slips into the Commodore’s car and becomes an integral part of this delightful historical mystery from Larson (Dash). Audie winds up in the nation’s capital where she makes several friends, including newsboy Juice and his grandfather, who works in the White House stable. Larson’s entertaining narration shifts attention among multiple characters amid the unfolding mystery of what, exactly, the Commodore is planning. First in a series, Larson’s thriller deftly mixes humor, heart-pounding moments, and a strongly evoked historical setting—it’s truly a story with something for everyone. Ages 8–12. Agent: Jill Grinberg, Grinberg Literary Management. (Jan.)
01/01/2016
Gr 4–6—Readers will delight in the spunk and resourcefulness of Audacity Jones. An orphan living at Miss Maisie's School for Wayward Girls, she employs her intelligence and natural leadership to compensate for Miss Maisie's negligence and inattention. One day, a patron, Commodore Crutchfield, comes by the home seeking an orphan to accompany him on a special trip. Audie gets a buzzing in her ear that compels her to volunteer for the adventure. As the trip gets underway, she has no idea where they are going and what their purpose is, but she sends postcards back to her friends at every stop. Eventually they arrive in Washington, DC, where she makes a new friend in Juice, a newspaper boy, who rescues her when Crutchfield leaves her stranded at Union Station. Juice and his friend and mentor, Daddy Dub, continue to keep an eye on Audie—and she needs their help when the Commodore and his friend Elva Finch cook up a nefarious plan involving the president of the United States. Audacity and her friends use their wits and courage to save the day. VERDICT Readers will cheer Audacity's ingenuity and bravery as they relish every moment of her adventures. Highly recommended.—Laura Fields Eason, Parker Bennett Curry Elementary School, Bowling Green, KY
2015-10-06
Audacity travels to Washington, D.C., where she foils a kidnapping plot at the White House. Audie is the only actual orphan at Miss Maisie's School for Wayward Girls in Swayzee, Indiana. She's also the only one who must spend time in the dreaded "Punishment Room," which is really an extensive library that she keeps secret from the others. Only an extremely clever stray cat, Min, keeps her company there. When the wealthy Commodore Crutchfield requests an orphan for a mission, Audie volunteers. With Min as a stowaway, they travel to Washington, but she soon learns that not all is on the level: there's wickedness afoot. Posing as a cook's assistant, she winds up in the White House, where she meets the president and learns of the plot to kidnap his niece. Audie, Min, and Juice, a spunky newspaper boy, team up to foil the crime. Larson infuses her romp with plenty of humor, making Audacity, her cat, and friends into lively, likable characters. With characteristic deftness, she weaves her historical material seamlessly into the story; Audacity is a modern girl, but her modern time is 1910. She marvels at the new automobiles that are replacing horses as transportation. The story's focus on Audacity's remarkable cat, with some chapters told from the cat's point of view, adds just another element of charm. Clever, funny, and sweet in equal measures. (Historical fiction. 8-12)
