Historical Novels for Middle Grade Readers
Edith Hemingway’s newest release, That Smudge of Smoke, spans the years from 1929 to 2015 in a middle grade novel about two 12-year-olds navigating crucial changes in their lives. The vital link between the characters and the time periods is a diary, hidden in a door for the intervening eighty-six years—a door salvaged from an old Chesapeake Bay steamboat. The diary, known as Dorie, takes on the unexpected role of narrator, a compelling character in itself. Fans of Lauren Wolk (Beyond the Bright Sea) and Natalie Babbit (Tuck Everlasting) will enjoy this multi-generational story of hope, friendship, family, and of the far-reaching influence of history and music.
For a sneak peek into the lives of Dorie, Piper, and Garrett, watch the trailer below…
“This heartwarming novel is rich with vivid historical detail, compelling 12-year-old voices (Piper and Garrett), and (my favorite) a diary named “Dorie,” bound together with priceless memories, loyalty, and love. I wept and rejoiced with all three of these characters as they journeyed through grief and hope, sadness and joy.”
DJ Brandon, author of the forthcoming Tell Me Why the Jack Pine Grows (from West 44 Books)
“Mix together a spunky girl, a grieving father, a companionable cat and a secret diary, and you have the recipe for a compelling middle grade novel, That Smudge of Smoke. Edie Hemingway sets her story in the Chesapeake Bay where steamboats carried passengers and freight during the 19th and early 20th centuries. The captain of the SS City of Atlanta finds himself widowed and responsible for his daughter Piper, who takes readers along as she explores the steamboat, snacks in the galley, befriends a stevedore, and observes the phases of the moon and birds of the Chesapeake. Piper’s adventures end abruptly with a smudge and zig-zag in her diary. What happened to Piper, her father, the cat and the diary? A young clarinetist will tell you the rest…”
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