Big River’s Daughter by Bobbie Miller –OPTIONAL

Miller, Bobbi Big River’s Daughter 200 pgs. Holiday House, 2013. $10.87.  Content: Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content: G ;  Violence: PG.

River is a young girl raised on the Mississippi river by her famous pirate fathers. When a natural disaster separates them, she must hold her own. Quickly she is ensnared into the politics of the river, as numerous factions try to capture her, hoping to gain the knowledge of her fathers connections. But River has her own mind and her own plans. She is brave and snarky and quickly joins forces with the in-famous Annie Christmas and her sons. Together they not on have their hearts set on a famous long lost treasure but apparently the means to possibly make it happen!

This was a fantastic book! The tone is set bright and vivid  with larger than life characters and a fast pace. There are lots of references to tall tales, both the people, like Mike Fink, and in the delivery of the story. It’s a fun intrigue-filled adventure that was so fun to read. That being said, the language is so authentic that I think students would give up fairly quickly. It was fairly challenging!! Students old enough to fall into the story regardless of that, might not be that interested in the story of such a younger girl.

EL, MS –OPTIONAL Reviewer: Stephanie Elementary School Librarian & Author.