(#38 in the 2005 Book Challenge)

Yay! So my friend Kim sent me this book, which takes place in a cemetery in Memphis during a 19th century yellow fever epidemic. You may be thinking that you didn't realize that yellow fever epidemics were a hot topic in children's lit, but you never know. I enjoyed this story very much (being a fan of epidemics myself), although I suspect the reading level might be a little out of sync with the subject matter. It might very well freak out a younger kid, and somewhat older kids who might be more interested in historical fiction and vaguely creepy supernatural things and yellow fever deaths might find the reading a little too on the basic side. I would love to see this story with a more complex treatment. I would say the story is 9 - 12, and the reading level is more like 7 - 10. However, my friend the famous children's librarian has a whole road show based on morbid and scary books and how they appeal to boys who are otherwise reluctant readers, so what do I know?

Grade: A-
Recommended: Especially to fans of historical fiction for children, also great for anyone visiting Memphis if, as I do, you like to read fiction with a real anchor in a particular venue to "set the scene," as it were, for your trip. ( )