Guest Post : Darian's BOTY

* Darian is my stepson. For those of you reading Darian's posts for the first time, he is a nine-year-old fourth grader. His goal this year is to read 32 books...though it looks like he will get way past that by the time we reach December 31st. He is an excellent reader and is currently reading at a ninth grade level. All reviews are written in Darian's own words. I type for him and help prompt him when he needs help knowing what to tell the readers. Enjoy!! (You can also follow Darian on Goodreads.)

I rated Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson 3 out of 5 stars. I read this book for school because I am in the ALP class (Advanced Learning Program). The 4th grade ALP class is different from a normal 4th grade class because it is for more advanced students who can do work faster. We do more projects because we usually have more time and we can work at things above our grade level. We're usually ahead of other 4th grade classes.

This book is kind of a mystery, danger and historical book. The whole thing is based on a disease.

A girl named Mattie (Matilda) lives during the yellow fever incident in Philadelphia in 1793. A lot of people start dying from the normal summer sickness, but this year the sickness is spreading quicker and killing more people than usual. Matilda and her family run a coffeehouse near the river. When a person dies, the church bell rings once for every year of their life. Eventually, Matilda has to move out into the country where the sickness isn't as bad. She and her grandfather both get sick.

My favorite part is when Matilda got the sword and cut a guy's arm. The guy is a robber that is trying to steal the stuff from the place that they are at. The reason she stabs him is because he is strangling her grandpa.

I only gave it a 3 because historical fiction usually has more information about what the book is about. It didn't really talk a whole lot about the yellow fever, it only said that a lot of people died. I would've liked to know more about yellow fever.

I kind of like historical fiction because I wish it was one thing or the other, it was fake or it was real. It is in between. I don't like that as much because it makes it more complicated.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to read about illness, danger and medicine. I think anyone from about third graders to adults and probably grandparents would like this book.