Blue Birds

January 19, 2015
In this historical novel about the lost colony of Roanoke, set in 1587 and written in free verse, Rose (May B.) weaves two distinct, culturally diverse voices while tracing the developing friendship between Alis, a 12-year-old English settler, and a native girl named Kimi. The narrative immediately establishes a sense of urgency and danger when Alis and her fellow colonists arrive in Roanoke (not their intended destination), where they discover the previous settlers have disappeared; further tension arises as Kimi reflects on the brutality her Roanoke tribe has already suffered at the hands of the British. Rose skillfully paints the abject loneliness that primes both girls for friendship: Alis is the only girl in the settlement, and Kimi’s father was beheaded by colonists, who also brought the disease that killed her sister. Though the poems generally alternate between the girls’ voices, Rose occasionally combines both perspectives into a single poem to powerful effect. An afterword offers more information about the mystery of Roanoke. Rich with detail, it’s a memorable account of a friendship that transcends culture and prejudice. Ages 10–up. Agent: Tracey Adams, Adams Literary.

January 1, 2015
Rose's novel in verse explores the mystery of the Lost Colony.Set in 1587, when 117 men, women and children arrived on Roanoke Island to start a new English colony, the story begins from the perspective of 12-year-old Alis, the only girl among them. Although no girls were among these colonists in actuality, as Rose explains in an author's note, she imagines Alis there as a nursemaid to the younger children in the fort. Always eager to flee her job, to give vent to her grief for her missing uncle (a colonist who arrived on the island earlier), and to explore the "strange and wondrous" land, Alis defies warnings to stay inside the safety of the fort and explores more of the island. When she drops a beloved wooden bird carved by her uncle and it's found by Kimi, a 13-year-old Roanoke Indian, the poems alternate viewpoints between both girls as they form a secret friendship. Composed in varying formats, the descriptive and finely crafted poems reveal the similarities the two girls share, from loved ones lost to hatred between the English and the Roanoke to a desire for peace. The inclusion of Manteo, the first Native American to be baptized into the Church of England, mirrors the girls' desire to bridge their two cultures. Fans of Karen Hesse and the author's May B. (2012) will delight in this offering. (author's note) (Historical fiction/verse. 10-13)

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February 1, 2015

Gr 4-7-Like Rose's debut novel, May B. (Random, 2012), Blue Birds is historical fiction told in free verse. Set in the late 1580s, the story centers on two young girls who forge an unlikely bond, one which defies the conventions of their respective communities and threatens to shatter an already fragile detente. Alis is a colonist who's just arrived on the island of Roanoke with her family and a small band of English men and women intent on settling the New World. Kimi is a young Roanoke girl who watches the arrival of the white folk with a mixture of curiosity and trepidation. Over time, even as tensions mount and violence erupts between the two peoples, the young women find each other amid the confusion, hatred, and ignorance-communicating through gestures and simple words. Told in alternating voices, rendered in distinct font styles for each girl, the verses allow readers to see their relationship evolve from one of tentative friendship to a deep bond of sisterhood. As the girls become closer, their poems occasionally share a page, the short stanzas working together as meaning and understanding is reached. Rose's writing is accessible and filled with rich details describing the setting: the rough and ragged barracks in which the settlers strive to make a home as well as the vibrant natural beauty of Kimi's village and surrounding woods. Based loosely on the slim evidence surrounding the events of the infamous Lost Colony of Roanoke, Rose takes some liberties with history (explained in an author's note): there was no record of a young woman-other than wives and mothers-being among the group of settlers during that time period. Similarly, the actual whereabouts of the missing settlers is one of history's great mysteries. The tough choices the characters must make are, on the whole, believable outgrowths of their burgeoning bond. The ending, however, may stretch credulity for some readers. VERDICT With two compelling main characters and an abundance of rich historical detail, Rose's latest novel offers much to discuss and much to appreciate.-Kiera Parrott, School Library Journal

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2015
Grades 4-6 Twelve-year-old Alis and her parents are among the English settlers who land on Roanoke Island in 1587 expecting to join the colony there. Finding only an empty settlement and some human bones, they struggle to survive on their own. Though they fear the local Indians and that fear quickly escalates, Alis slips out of the settlement repeatedly, makes contact with an Indian girl named Kimi, and befriends her. Gradually they become as close as sisters. When the tension between their peoples turns to violence, Alis takes an unusual path. In an appended author's note, Rose relates what is known about the Lost Colony and what changes she has made, such as placing a girl among the settlers. Written in blank verse, the first-person narrative alternates between Alis and Kimi, offering insights into both cultures as well as the girls' characters and their personal stories. The use of different typefaces works well to differentiate the two voices, which occasionally appear in tandem when the girls are together. An imaginative historical novel with two sympathetic protagonists.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)