Books to review come to me in many ways. The best way is word of mouth. One of my writing buddies, who is on a prestigious awards committee, called me one day last month to say she had just read the best book and I should buy it. At the time I was leaving town and taking my e-reader with me, and lucky for me the book was available. I haven't read all the books up for the Newbery, but I will say this one should be in contention.
My Life with the Lincolns, by Gayle Brandeis, is a hilarious middle grade novel that should rack up tons of awards.
Told in the first person and set during the civil rights activities of 1966, the book chronicles a year in the life of twelve year old Mina, who believes that her family is the reincarnation of Abraham Lincoln and his family. She is the middle child, Tad. Mina is so convinced that she has her dad name his furniture store Honest Abe's Furniture and she writes a newsletter for the store with little tidbits about Abraham Lincoln. Mina is also a hypochondriac, so sure that she has all sorts of ailments, that she is on a first name basis with the local pharmacist.
In the course of the story, her dad enlists her help as he becomes a civil rights activist in Illinois. Sworn to silence by her dad and unbeknownst to her mother and sisters, Mina attends a gathering with her dad to hear Dr. Martin Luther King speak. Together they go to activist meetings for equal housing and desegregation and become deeply involved in the freedom movement of the time. When the Black teenage son of a friend is brought to live with the family, fireworks fly and prejudices come to light. Not only did I learn much about the fight for equal rights in the 60's from this book, my heart broke for this family trying their best to do what was right, but paying a steep price. You can't help but love this kid who is convinced that her family, just like the Lincoln family, must suffer for the cause. Buy, buy, buy this book! It is fabulous.
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