Sarah DeFord Williams

I enjoyed this. ?áIt's not nearly as 'scary' or supernatural as some descriptions imply. ?áAnd of course I remember 1985, but to today's young readers, this is actually historical fiction in two time periods. ?áThe girls who find the diary from 1918 don't have cell phones, aren't overly protected, do have chores, don't have internet... and the girls from 1918 had war and influenza and big families and even more chores....

The title is from Pilgrim's Progress, basically an adventure story that preached Christian values of dedication, humility, courage, etc. ?áThe lessons Sadie learns over the course of this book include patience and resilience.

I love that the stepmother is sweet and the members new family love each other.?á?á I love Grandma Brooks, and the other reason that the story is set in 1985.

I love the idea that Sadie is an artist and each chapter is named after a color that she has named. ?áAn artist, like a poet, sees more, because she has to slow down to observe the details and get the colors right. ?áBut the color names are very personal. ?áFuzzy Monster Green? ?áIs that neon green, Oscar the Grouch green, shamrock green? ?áDoes Williams realize that each reader will have her own idea of what Crackling-Rage Red would be??

Short book, quick read.… (more)

I'm generally wary of historical fiction for middle grade readers, especially those that fall into the "we're all the same just in different times." NOT! However, Palace Beautiful is the first title I've seen that effortlessly blends two different time periods and the girls from each of them.

It's 1985 and the main character, Sadie, is thirteen. She's scared and excited about moving to a new house and a little tired of her younger sister's Zusu's tantrums. When she meets the mysterious and dramatic girl next door, Bella, she's hopeful that she may have finally made a friend. There are a lot of new, good things about moving to Salt Lake City from Dallas, but Sadie sometimes feels like there are too many new things in her life. New house, new friend, new mother, new baby. Then she and Bella find a diary hidden in a secret room in the attic and discover the life of another girl, Helen, who lived in 1918. As she and Zusu and Bella read Helen's journal and see the flu epidemic and daily life through her eyes, they begin to deal with their own families and friendships and discover how much they have in common with Helen and with each other.

I'm very pleased by the way Ms. Williams was able to keep the girls' voices realistic and historically accurate without dumping information or throwing the reader out of the story. As I was saying earlier, this is the first book I've seen where the author managed to relate the characters to each other - both Helen and Sadie have experienced tragedy and difficult times in their families - without compromising the historical accuracy of the characters' voices and behavior. While historical fiction isn't generally popular, I think I could easily find readers that would enjoy the glimpses of history as well as the family and friendships of the girls. Fans of the Dear America and American Girl series will be especially interested in this story, but I'd also hand it to girls who like realistic, interesting fiction about relationships. This is an excellent debut novel and I look forward to seeing what the author produces in the future.

But...oh that cover. You got a bum deal, Sarah Williams. Granted, the main characters and most of the story is set in the 1980s, but did the cover have to look like it was printed in the 80s? Frankly, I'm reluctant to buy this because it's going to take a lot of handselling to get over the cover. However, I could be wrong - it's possible that kids won't pick up on the blurry earth tones and the set faces of the characters and will like seeing the secret room. I'm going to wave the ARC around a bit and see what reactions I get.

Update: I passed this galley along to a ten-year-old girl who loves to read...and she LOVED it! She is sharing it with her friends and they have even had a little informal bookclub over lunch! She's going to keep the galley so she and her friends can share it and I'm buying a copy for the library in my next book order. Clearly, this book just needs a little extra love to find some very happy readers!

Verdict: Recommended, add a little booktalking and the cover won't matter

ISBN: 0399252983; Published April 2010 by Putnam; ARC provided by publisher at ALA; Purchased for the library… (more)

Sadie and Zuzu have just moved to Salt Lake City, Utah from Houston, Texas with their father and very pregnant stepmother, Sherrie. They've moved to be near Dad's mother, Grandma Brooks, and they've bought an old, well-kept house in her neighborhood. Sadie meets Bella, who lives next door with her neat-freak mother, and the three girls discover a small, hidden room in the attic of their new home. It's been decorated: the words "Palace Beautiful" are painted near the doorway, there's an old family portrait from the early 1900's pinned to the wall with a necklace hanging from the pin... and there's a journal. "To whoever finds this journal, I'm leaving behind this book on purpose. All the bad things in the world lie inked on these pages, and at present,I don't want to remember. Sincerely, Helen White." Helen grew up in the house, and wrote the journal during the 1918 influenza epidemic. As the girls take turns reading Helen's journal, they fear the worst for Helen and her family... and even though friends can be odd sometimes and little sisters can be wretchedly annoying, it's easier to find the courage to face the bad things, both past and present, when those who care about you are with you. Set in the 1980's, this is a great family story with wonderful, strong girl characters (from 1918 to 1985)! 6th grade and up.… (more)