Tomorrow, the River

December 1, 2006
Gr 6-8-Its 1896, and feisty Megan Barnett, 14, leaves her family in Nebraska to be a mothers helper for her sister, who lives with her husband and young son on a Mississippi steamboat. Her adventures begin as soon as she boards the train, where a charming college student occupies the seat next to her. Scoundrels, river rats, and an accident all provide grist for twists and turns in the plot as Megan learns to swim, navigate the river, take photographs, fish, and nurse her injured brother-in-law back to health. Newspaper articles give hints about the characters whom Megan meets and are an integral part of the plot. History and river life are skillfully woven into the fast-moving plot, and the characters are fully realized. The dialogue has enough 1890s vernacular to give a sense of the period, and historical information flows smoothly in the text. A first choice for independent reading or as a read-aloud."Kathryn Kosiorek, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Brooklyn, OH"

Copyright 2006 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2006
Set in 1896 and rooted in the details of hard daily work, this novel, which follows 14-year-old Megan, who leaves her Nebraska home to help her sister Hannah's family on a boat journey, is both a survival adventure and a realistic coming-of-age story. There's even a touch of romance. The writer's research sometimes overwhelms the story as the young girl learns to fish, steer the boat, treat her brother-in-law's gangrene, and more. But fans of Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House" "books will enjoy the information of life on the boat and on the shore. The characters are beautifully drawn; the warm relationship between the sisters is especially well handled. Best of all is Megan's coming-of-age. Even as she hears her mother's disapproving voice and toils tending the clam cooker covered in slime and grease, she discovers her gift for photography; and, with the support of a loving young man, dares to dream of a career with a camera.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2007
In 1896 fourteen-year-old Megan (younger sister of Hannah from Gray's [cf2]Together Apart[cf1]) spends the summer traveling up the Mississippi River on her sister and brother-in-law's steamboat. An inquisitive heroine with a poet's eye for detail, Megan can't always discern people's moral characters. Although the novel sometimes stalls, its sedate pace is balanced by some character-based intrigue, and Megan's transformation is ultimately rewarding.

(Copyright 2007 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

January 1, 2007
In 1896 fourteen-year-old Megan, younger sister of Hannah from Gray's Together Apart (rev. 11/02), takes the train from her Nebraska prairie home to Iowa to spend the summer traveling up the Mississippi River on her sister and brother-in-law's steamboat. An inquisitive heroine with a poet's eye for detail, Megan considers herself "good at seeing things," so that, for instance, a lantern hanging from the train ceiling appears to her as "light that's trapped like a wild critter in a cage." What Megan can't always discern is the moral character of the strangers Gray strategically places in her path, some of whom, though seemingly well-intentioned, are criminals. The novel's sedate pace is balanced by the intrigue Gray stirs up with newspaper clippings, occasionally inserted between chapters, that alert readers to the strangers' shady doings and other happenings of which Megan remains temporarily unaware. The narrative sometimes stalls when describing Megan's newfound passions, such as riverboat piloting and photography, as if Gray herself finds these subjects too fascinating to let go. Nevertheless, it's rewarding to follow Megan's transformation from a girl unsure of her strengths and future to a confident young woman who doesn't just drift helplessly in the current but actively takes the helm.

(Copyright 2007 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)