Bo at Iditarod Creek

November 1, 2014
This sequel to Bo at Ballard Creek (2013) continues the adventures of the 5-year-old gamine and her "two papas," Alaskan gold miners in the late 1920s. Bo's outsized dads, who adopted her in infancy, are loving and hardworking. The conclusion of the first novel saw the family welcoming another child and relocating. In their new town they meet generous, kindly (with one exception) neighbors of various ethnicities. The children explore, make new friends and begin home-schooling. As before, the pacing is leisurely, and much is conveyed through clear exposition that evokes time and place well. Mild expletives and some mentions of smoking and drinking fill in a slightly rough-and-tumble background appropriate to the setting, and some darker elements encroach in the form of a character later revealed to be the victim of heartbreaking abuse. Then, Bo's friend says the N-word, eliciting an adult's firm rebuke. (The author's note explains that at the time, the word was nonchalantly used.) Main characters are well-drawn, but some are stock-the jolly, Yiddish-speaking shopkeeper and the Japanese brothers with broken English feel tired. Overall, another warm and charming outing, and the family's move to a different town and larger, permanent home is a satisfying ending-though Bo's ever changing family dynamic may summon another sequel. (Historical fiction. 8-12)

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December 1, 2014

Gr 4-7-Would you rather have a funny or sober dentist? Many such perplexing and sometimes humorous questions are asked in this follow up to Bo on Ballard Creek (Macmillan, 2013). Five-year-old Bo and her lovingly assembled family are on the move to a new Alaskan gold-mining town in the 1920s. Pham's illustrations beautifully match the careful and tender timbre of the book. Vivid historical and geographical details in a time of early American expansion cover the Alaskan landscape, including how people traveled (on pole boats). Each of these details are used to explore people's relationships and the ways that they cared for one another (or didn't) in an often trying world. Bo's family, comprised of her two papas-mining partners who took her in-and an adopted brother, give particularly tender windows into family moments and important life lessons. For instance, one of Bo's fathers is black and gets called the n-word by a child who doesn't know better. The treatment of the incident matches the childlike feel of book: the word is regarded as extremely hurtful-without much deeper exploration. The ending is predictable but heartwarming. Hill's author's note is absolutely necessary for greater, deeper content, though it could be expanded. The series is a good historical fiction alternative to the "Little House on the Prairie" books, with updated understandings of race, gender, and family. It also provides many reasons to be grateful for modern dentistry and air travel.-Lisa Nowlain, Darien Library, CT

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from December 15, 2014
Grades 3-6 *Starred Review* This sequel to the Scott O'Dell Awardwinning Bo at Ballard Creek (2013) finds Bo, younger brother Graf, and their papas leaving one Alaska mining town for another. After an arduous river journey, they reach Iditarod Creek, settling into a little house near the mines where Arvid and Jack will work. Bo is disappointed there is no school (and only four other children in town), but as she meets neighbors and makes friends, she comes to realize that happiness can be found in many places. Set in the gold fields of Alaska in 193031, this episodic novel is just filled with local color. Readers will sense that not everything that happens is wonderful (or even G-rated), but Bo and Graf approach life with a wide-eyed trust that comes from knowing their papas will keep them safe. Pham's frequent pencil illustrations clarify story details and help break up longer sections of text. Reminiscent in tone to Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House books or Louise Erdrich's Birchbark House series, this volume stands on its own. The rescue and adoption of a third child and a move to another mining locale suggest that more tales of this exceptional family could be in the works.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)