by Amy Timberlake
Amazon Description:
In the town of Placid, Wisconsin, in 1871, Georgie Burkhardt is known for two things: her uncanny aim with a rifle and her habit of speaking her mind plainly.
But when Georgie blurts out something she shouldn't, her older sister Agatha flees, running off with a pack of "pigeoners" trailing the passenger pigeon migration. And when the sheriff returns to town with an unidentifiable body - wearing Agatha's blue-green ball gown - everyone assumes the worst. Except Georgie. Refusing to accept the facts that are laid down (and coffined) before her, Georgie sets out on a journey to find her sister. She will track every last clue and shred of evidence to bring Agatha home. Yet even with resolute determination and her trusty Springfield single-shot, Georgie is not prepared for what she faces on the western frontier.
My Thoughts:
Amy Timberlake's marvelous middle grade book, One Came Home, recently received a Newbery Honor Award. The author went to great lengths to research this historical fiction novel, and her extra efforts made this story seem to come alive. Rich with adventure and mystery, the story's main character, Georgie, will make you laugh, cry, and at times, even become angry. The plot's twists and turns are worthy of an adult novel, and you won't learn the answer to the mystery until the very end. The rich setting descriptions and authentic jargon of the time will transport you back to the Midwest just after the close of the Civil War. I would highly recommend One Came Home to readers from the ages of eight to fourteen.
To learn more about the author Amy Timberlake, click here: http://amytimberlake.com/about/
