Jolly Fish Press has a historical fiction series for ages 8 to 12 called I AM AMERICA, written by various authors about characters who lived at different times throughout U.S. history.
I picked up IF THE FIRE COMES by Tracy Daley.
Here’s the back-cover synopsis:
Tracy Daley’s writing is topnotch. I instantly loved Joseph and Maya and became invested in their story right away. The descriptions and details transported me back to 1935 and the economic troubles of the Great Depression mixed with racial injustice and a raging wildfire.
Despite the harsh circumstances, Joseph’s personality is a lot of fun. He pretends to be a spy, always notices what kind of shoes people wear (being in the shoeshine business), and has an interest in training carrier pigeons. I thoroughly enjoyed being in the mind of this character for the length of the novel.
A lot of kids love historical fiction and I recommend this title to them wholeheartedly.
