A Friendship for Today by Patricia C. McKissack.

This novel is based on McKissack’s own experience in the 50s as one of the only African-American children at her elementary school.  It is her obvious appreciation for the era that makes this book shine.  Rosemary can run faster than anyone in her school, she gets good grades and has a lot of friends.  The town is going to close the colored school and integrate the children in a new school.  Rosemary’s year is filled with the worry of a new school, prejudice and bullying, family difficulties and a friend getting polio.  It is a vivid snapshot of a year where Rosemary manages to stay true to herself and build a new community.

McKissack’s writing is accessible and friendly.  I appreciated a story featuring an African-American family better off than the white families around them.  The strength of people in the community, their values and the way they are instilled in  Rosemary really resonates throughout the novel.  Rosemary is a girl with spunk, plenty of spirit and a drive to excel.  At the same time, the novel does not shirk away from describing the era, the prejudice and the lack of tolerance.  The opinions of white people in the community are painted with complexity as are the reactions of the children of both races. 

In such a slim volume, it is a treat to find a complex yet warm look at this difficult period in our history.  Very accessible for children, I could see this book being used to start discussions on tolerance and prejudice in schools.

The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray.

This final book in the astounding Gemma Doyle trilogy nicely completes the series.  Gemma finds herself unable to access her magic and enter the realms at first, but finds a door to let her into the magical realms along with her two friends Ann and Felicity.  Gemma is under immense pressure both in the realms and in her mortal world to share the magical power she holds with either the tribes in the realms or the Order.  Gemma hesitates, enjoying the reputation and respect she gains with the power, until it is almost too late for her world.

These books are complex and amazing.  Part of the wonder of the books is the way that their structure imitates the Victorian society they portray.  Readers are caught in a web of plot threads that move ahead at a stately pace.  Under all of it runs darkness and temptation that invite readers to dive in.  But one must read on with the corseted pace of the novel.  Until the end, where all thought of propriety is lost in a rush of action, explanation and beauty. 

Bray’s writing is exquisite as always and her pacing as mentioned above is exceptional.  Gemma as a character is wonderfully unreliable, trapped in seeing the world through her own lens.  The cast of characters are often surprising once one begins to understand them better.  That is another of the treats of the novel as the reader sheds the lens of Gemma and begins to really understand the world she is living in. 

Highly recommended, but make sure you read them in order!  Perfect reading for girls who enjoy romance and fantasy or either genre.