Jamie Gilson

The year is 1614. Recently orphaned Lizzy Tinker has lived half of her twelve years in Holland, but she does not feel at home there. Lizzy belongs to a small congregation of religious refugees who have fled England in order to worship as they choose. The Dutch people enjoy a free and easy lifestyle that Master William Brewster constantly admonishes his austere English Pilgrims to resist. Many find this difficult, including Lizzy.

Although the Brewsters took her in when her father died, she show more doesn't feel at home with them either. Her undisciplined tongue always seems to get her in trouble. What is more, Lizzy has a talent for cooking, and she loves making sinfully delicious Dutch cookies and cakes. Her kitchen craft has landed her a job cooking for a Dutch family whose precocious eight-year-old son has a stubborn nature, artistic talent, and nose for trouble even greater than Lizzy's own. Heaven help her now!

With meticulous research and great imagination, Jamie Gilson has created an authentic, entertaining story that brings to life seventeenth-century Holland and the unique culture that fostered both the Mayflower Pilgrims and master painters such as Rembrandt. show less

*Fun* historical fiction! Omg, I just had the best time w/ a Juv. HF that I can recall. Sure, I learned a lot. Especially because it's a period and place I knew almost nothing about before. And sure, Lizzie had a tough life, so the book wasn't all giggles. But it was well-written, interesting, and heartwarming, and I fell in love with all three principal children, and want to know more about them (between the end of the book and the epilogue). I will absolutely look for more by the author. show more Highly recommended. show less

I really worried that this was going to be racist/culturally inappropriate and was really worried about reading it, but it ended up being really good.

The bully in the story ended up being so well-written I wanted to beat him up, just like I wanted to beat up all the bullies in my childhood (and never did because they were all bigger than me).

The best part for me was probably the end, the way things came together and Harvey and Tuan mature because of circumstances and come to recognize each show more other as ... individual persons.

Adrianne show less

In style and topic, this is very similar to Sixth Grade Can Really Kill You by Barthe DeClements—both are about kids who are dyslexic and having trouble in school. The copy I read was deaccessioned from the library, probably because the MC’s parents discuss whether or not he is “r#t#rded” and because the type of orthodontia in this book is out of date and contemporary kids might not understand what was happening. (Do kids still have to wear retainers and accidentally throw them out show more in the lunchroom?) But the novel was really funny and well-written and had lots of action, including a tornado. It was like a beautiful slice of my 1980s childhood and I enjoyed it very much. Apparently Jamie Gilson died just last year. I am going to look for more of her books. show less