VVMBookBlog

It’s 1849 in London, England, and this latest book by Avi made me feel like I was in the middle of a Charles Dickens book. In fact, the latest selection from a book by Dickens played a part in this book, as did living conditions in Victorian England such as poverty, bad air and water quality, and people just trying to survive.

John Huffman is 14 and when his father is suddenly sentenced to debtor’s prison for not paying his gambling debts, John has to take on the responsibility for the future of his mother and sister. But who is his father really? Is he the “gentleman” he claims to be and what about his job as a clerk in the Naval Ordinance Office where he works with secrets concerning weapons and their use? And who are all of these people following him? Is there anyone he can trust to help him? He thought maybe he could trust Sary the Sneak but will she let him down, too?

The Traitors’ Gate is the gate prisoners accused of treason against their country went through from a boat on the Thames River and up to the Tower of London where they would most likely be killed. Is John’s father really a traitor?

I really got caught up in the mystery running through this book, trying to figure out who the “good guys” were. I became pretty disgusted with John’s whiny family members–mother, sister and father. He seemed too good for ALL of them! But read it and see what you think. And decide how you would like to live in mid-19th century London!

Rucker Park Setup by Paul Volponi

J.R. and Mackey are friends on and off the basketball court. Both have dreamed of the championship game on Rucker Court. When the dream becomes a reality, J.R. dies in a stabbing. Part of playing in the Rucker Park area is knowing who to trust. Basketball is the game in this neighborhood. Gambling, bribes, and payouts corrupt the game. Mackey needs to decide how to play the game after his friend dies.

This is a realistic fiction novel about how the game of basketball is played on the inner city streets. It is a great book although it is filled with profanity. If one can get past the profanity in the book and read it for the story, it is well worth the read. I wish the author would have left out the profanity, but it is probably a realistic portrayal of the inner city game.