| Curiosity teaches about the Underground Railroad without the stodginess of a textbook. In it, Ginger Wanamaker and her friend Irene Fong are spending a month with Ginger's grandparents while both of their parents are taking a trip to the Netherlands.
The grandparents, George and Abby, live in rural Indiana and enjoy a wealth of activities that they share with the girls. On one of the early trips they take to visit one of George's friends, the girls get to see a hidden room that was used to hide runaway slaves prior to the Civil War. Then, with the assistance of a fox terrier named Laird, Ginger and Irene begin making their own discoveries back at George and Abby's home. While Curiosity is crammed with lessons about myriad topics, it doesn't read like a textbook. The characters are all very likable and interesting. The antagonist takes the form of hidden history, history that must be discovered before it is permanently buried and lost. The girls go on a journey of discovery. Along this journey, we get to know all of the characters better. Ginger is our narrator and we learn with her. Irene tells us about her heritage in Suriname and its close ties to the Dutch. George is into coin collecting, genealogy, and fixing up classic sports cars. Abby likes to surf the Internet, listen to oldies rock music, and bake. | ||
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Plot & Themes Tone of book? - upbeat Time/era of story - 1980's-1999 Political/social activism Yes Plotlet: Is this an adult or child's book? - Age 11-14 Main Character Gender - Female Profession/status: Age: - a kid Ethnicity/Nationality Main Adversary Identity: - none Setting How much descriptions of surroundings? - 5 () United States Yes The US: - Midwest Farm/Ranch? Yes Farm/Ranch: - farm Writing Style Amount of dialog - significantly more dialog than descript |
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