Rating: 3/5 StarsGenre: Historical Fiction
Release Date: 10/13/09
About the Book: (From Amazon): In the grimy London of 1935, eleven-year-old Dominic Walker has lost his voice. His mother is sick and his father’s unemployed. Rescue comes in the form of his Uncle Roo, who arrives to take him and his young sister, Marlo, to Cornwall. There, in a boarding house populated by eccentric residents, Marlo, who keeps a death grip on her copy of The New Art of Cooking, and Dominic, armed with Incredible Adventures for Boys: Colonel Lawrence and the Revolt in the Desert, find a way of life unlike any they have known. Dominic’s passion for Lawrence of Arabia is tested when he finds himself embroiled in a village uprising against a band of travelers who face expulsion. In defending the vulnerable, Dominic learns what it truly means to have a voice.
GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: Medina Hill is a cute historical read for tweens. The story may play out a little too conveniently for older readers, but for young readers I thought it was perfect. I loved the eccentric cast-they were lots of fun. I just wish we could have gotten to know them a little more. But I did like what we did see-I especially liked Birdie, who can communicate with the dead.
I also liked Dominic's adventures with the gypsies and Sancha was a great character. The friendship between Dominic and Sancha is the one we really get to see the most, and I thought their interactions were true to tweens today and readers could relate. I also got a kick out of Marlo, Dominic's sister, and her quest to find the perfect recipe to enter the local fair. I think my favorite part of this one was the fact that a book that Dominic was reading played a big part in the story.
This is one I would add to your library if you have students looking for historical reads that aren't bogged down in depressing storylines.
Want to read more about Medina Hill? Follow the tour to Chicklish.
Full Disclosure: I recieved this from the publisher as part of this tour
The premise and the summary are intriguing enough. Hope I get to read this book soon. Though you have said it's more for young readers I am sure it won't hurt to read a good simple story once in a while :)
ReplyDeleteIt was great to read your review. Thanks for the link, too! We've enjoyed joining in with the book tour.
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