MMGM: Vintage Children's Books for Modern Readers: Anna Rose Johnson

Do you like vintage children’s books? You know the books you or perhaps your grandmother grew up with (or were written about your great grandmother’s time) like Betsy-Tacy, The Secret Garden, or Anne of Green Gables. These were the books I lived in as a child, where the characters became as dear to me as real friends. I was so excited to discover a new-to-me author, Anna Rose Johnson, who shares this love and has written some beautiful modern books in this vintage style.

Today I’m featuring the two I’ve read, but Faith Hough, another MMGM blogger, recently featured an interview with Anna Rose about her latest book, The Blossoming Summer. 

If you like nostalgic reads like The Penderwicks or The Vanderbeekers series, but set in the early 1900s, you will love these books!

Synopsis for A Star That Always Stays:

 
Growing up on Beaver Island, Grand-père told Norvia stories—stories about her ancestor Migizi, about Biboonke-o-nini the Wintermaker, about the Crane Clan and the Reindeer Clan. He sang her songs in the old language, and her grandmothers taught her to make story quilts and maple candy. On the island, Norvia was proud of her Ojibwe heritage. 

Things are different in the city. Here, Norvia’s mother forces her to pretend she’s not Native at all—even to Mr. Ward, Ma’s new husband, and to Vernon, Norvia’s irritating new stepbrother. In fact, there are a lot of changes in the city: ten-cent movies, gleaming soda shops, speedy automobiles, ninth grade. It’s dizzying for a girl who grew up on the forested shores of Lake Michigan.

Despite the move, the upheaval, and the looming threat of world war, Norvia and her siblings—all five of them—are determined to make 1914 their best year ever. Norvia is certain that her future depends upon it... and upon her discretion. 

But how can she have the best year ever if she has to hide who she truly is?

 

My Take:

 
The writing style and the focus on the everyday elements of life reminded me so much of Maud Lovelace’s high school Betsy books. Norvia was an interesting heroine, because she was so shy, but I loved that because that was me as a young teen as well. I also loved how her heritage was natural to the story and though she encountered prejudice, the story showed who Norvia's true friends were. Faith was woven in as a natural part of life. I really enjoyed the chapters about the two Ojibwe grandmothers and their steadfast encouragement in Norvia's life. And although I am from a small family myself, I love reading about big families, and Norvia’s drama-loving sister, Dicta, steals every scene she’s in. There were a few minor things, like how divorce was handled for that period that didn’t ring true for me, and I wished we could have seen more of her dad and hear his side of the story. But overall, a lovely read. And Mr. Bingley, the family dog, was a delight!

Synopsis for The Luminous Life of Lucy Landry:

Lucy, a spirited French-Ojibwe orphan, is sent to the stormy waters of Lake Superior to live with a mysterious family of lighthouse-keepers—and, she hopes, to find the legendary necklace her father spent his life seeking…

Selena Lucy Landry (named for a ship, as every sailor’s child should be) has been frightened of the water ever since she lost her father at sea. But with no one else to care for her, she’s sent to foster with the Martins—a large Anishinaabe family living on a lighthouse in the middle of stormy Lake Superior. 

The Martin family is big, hard-working, and close, and Lucy—who has always been a dreamer—struggles to fit in. Can she go one day without ruining the laundry or forgetting the sweeping? Will she ever be less afraid of the lake?

My Take:

 
While A Star reminded me of Betsy-Tacy, The Luminous Life reminded me of Anne of Green Gables and The Little Princess. The set up is similar about a spirited, imaginative orphan girl who goes to live with a family, but what I loved is that Anna Rose brings her own spin on the story. Lucy is imaginative and gets into trouble because she’s daydreaming, but one of my favorite parts of the book was how she often imagines herself as a Princess or a waif depending on her mood. Unlike the Little Princess, imagining herself as a princess doesn’t make Lucy a better person, although sometimes it does. She’s proud of her heritage and her Papa who died in a shipwreck. I loved the beautiful large family dynamics. It is difficult to have a large cast and keep each character distinct. But Anna Rose does it well. I also enjoyed the mystery of the necklace and the shipwreck which added a lot of peril, especially toward the end.

This is a much shorter read than A Star and would be wonderful for advanced readers who are ready to move up to middle grade, but not ready for any dark themes. 

Max, the Reading Dog*

 

 

 

Max’s Take on a 5 bone scale: 

A Star: Mr. Bingley! I love a dog that’s named after a book character, especially if it’s from my mom’s favorite book (Pride and Prejudice).

 🦴🦴🦴🦴🦴

Lucy Landry had some gulls, but no dogs. And lots of water! I do not like boats or water. 🦴

Your turn:

Do you like vintage reads? What books did you love as a child?  

 

 

Check out other fabulous middle grades at Always in the Middle!