Review: White Lies: How the South Lost the Civil War and Rewrote History by Ann Bausum

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White Lies: How the South Lost the Civil War and Rewrote History by Ann Bausum

White Lies: How the South Lost the Civil War and Rewrote History
Ann Bausum
Roaring Brook Press
Published August 12, 2025

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About White Lies: How the South Lost the Civil War and Rewrote History

This powerful and unflinching examination of racism in America by award-winning historian Ann Bausum deconstructs the warped history of the Civil War for teen readers, perfect for fans of STAMPED, JUST MERCY, and ACCOUNTABLE.

Warning: This is not your average U.S. history book.

After the Civil War, the Confederates may have laid down their arms, but they were far from accepting defeat. By warping the narrative around what really happened during and after the Civil War, they created an alternate history now known as the Lost Cause. These lies still manifest today through criticism of Critical Race Theory, book banning, unequal funding for education, and more.

This book sets the record straight and explains the true history of the Civil War, and its complex and far-reaching aftermath. Written by historian and award-winning author Ann Bausum, White Lies is an impeccably researched chronicle filled with photos, robust back matter, additional resources, and more that fans of Howard Zinn’s A Young People’s History of the United States will enjoy.

My Review

I grew up (and still live) in Florida. I was educated in the public school system, and have vivid memories of history lessons that romanticized the Confederacy. The Confederate battle flag still flies in places in my hometown. I see it less often today than I did in earlier decades, though. If I stand outside and throw a rock, I’ll very likely hit someone who believes the Civil War was about states rights.

All that to say that I went into this book already a believer in Bausum’s premise. I figured I’d probably be familiar with a lot of the propaganda in the book and probably not surprised by much. While I’d heard some of the information before, there were still some shocking revelations.

I really appreciate that Bausam covers the shifting perceptions about the American Civil War from wartime to 2023. Following the thread of history helped me connect the dots between historical events in ways that I was unsuccessful at before. For example, the text covers the shift in how Confederate graves are maintained/honored at Arlington National Cemetery, especially under the direction of U.S. presidents.

The book also highlights various Confederate statues and monuments. Brief acts about the monument’s creation, its location, and current status appear on a page with an image showing the statue or monument. Learning about those was interesting, too.

This is a long book. I wish there were more photographs or other formatting to visually break up the text. However, Bausum’s arguments are carefully constructed. There’s no rushing to any conclusions here. The backmatter is pretty extensive and includes a long list of sources, research notes, an author’s note, a timeline, and an index.

Conclusion

Overall, this is an incredibly helpful resource. I realized after I finished reading this that another of Bausum’s books (The Bard and the Book: How the First Folio Saved the Plays of William Shakespeare from Oblivion) is already on my reading list. I’ve added a few of her other titles about the Civil Rights movement to my reading list as well.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
References to marriage.

Spiritual Content
References to Chapel construction. Vague references to God in letters and quotes from historical figures.

Violent Content
References to warfare, human enslavement and trafficking. Brief descriptions of abuse of enslaved people. A few brief descriptions of murder. References to racism and hate crimes.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: Verity Vox and the Curse of Foxfire by Don Martin

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Verity Vox and the Curse of Foxfire
Don Martin
Page Street Press
Published August 5, 2025

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About Verity Vox and the Curse of Foxfire

Witch apprentice Verity Vox has never encountered a problem magic can’t solve. So when a cryptic note invites her to Foxfire, she goes.

With her apprenticeship limiting her services to a year, Foxfire will be her biggest challenge yet. The town has already lost its only bridge, and many loved ones have disappeared in dealings with a shady magic peddler named Earl—leaving the whole town wary of magic.

Even as Verity wins the townsfolk over, she realizes she may not be able to save them. Going after Earl only returns Tacita, the missing girl who summoned Verity, but no one else. And the fight costs Verity the ability to fly and draws her to the old dark magic beneath the mountain.

As Verity hones her powers and grows to care for Tacita, she must learn that not everything can be solved with strength alone.

My Review

One of the really cool things about this book is the personal connection to the author’s life and real U.S. history the story contains. In an author’s note, Martin reveals that the fictional town of Foxfire, where the novel takes place, is inspired by a real town that was cut off from outside contact when a bridge failed. As an Appalachian native himself, Martin pulled the character names from his heritage. I love knowing the personal connection an author has to their work, and in this case, I think it adds a special spark to the story, too.

The tone of the writing is very whimsical, which is fun. This is a book that begs to be read aloud. It also feels like the kind of story that you’d imagine someone sitting by the fire on a long winter evening and sharing with their family.

I love the main characters, especially Verity’s familiar, Jack, or Jack-Be-Nimble, if you’re being formal. What is it about a cat who is not a cat in a fantasy novel? I love them all. Jack reminds me a little bit of Max, the cat-who-is-not-a-cat from the Ravenfall series by Kalyn Josephson, so if you’re a fan of that series, and Max specifically, definitely add this book to your reading list.

The story is stepped in magic with a sinister villain. Verity has to figure out what’s driving the dealmaker holding Foxfire in his grasp and how to use her magic to protect them. This is a perfect book for readers to graduate into after reading the Witchlings series by Claribel A. Ortega or the Ravenfall series by Kalyn Josephson.

Conclusion

If you like fairytale-esque stories, there’s a lot to love about Verity Vox and the Curse of Foxfire. It definitely has that fairytale feel, but it offers a fresh story. Except for a battle scene toward the end and a couple of brief descriptions that teeter on body horror, it’s a very accessible story.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used super infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing. Characters attend a wedding.

Spiritual Content
Verity is a witch in training who can perform magic. A magician named Earl uses magic to bind people to deals. References to gods and powerful magical beings of old.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Brief descriptions of body horror in a few scenes.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

MMGM Review: The Sky Was My Blanket by Uri Shulevitz

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The Sky Was My Blanket: A Young Man’s Journey Across Wartime Europe
Uri Shulevitz
Farrar, Straus, & Giroux
Published August 12, 2025

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About The Sky Was My Blanket

From celebrated Caldecott Award–winning illustrator Uri Shulevitz comes the gripping and revealing true story of a young Polish exile fighting to survive in war-torn Europe.

Born in the tumult of World War I, a young Jewish boy named Yehiel Szulewicz chafes at the borders of his hometown of Żyrardów, Poland, and at the rules set in place by his restrictive parents. Brimming with a desire for true adventure, he leaves home at fifteen-and-a-half years old to seek his future elsewhere. Little does Yehiel know, he’ll never see his parents again.

His journey takes him beyond Polish borders, to Austria, Croatia, France, and Spain. With no money and no ID papers, he often sleeps under the stars, with only the sky as his blanket. But even wayfaring Yehiel can’t outrun the evil spreading across Europe in the years leading up to World War II. As the fascists and Nazis rise to power, Yehiel soon finds himself a member of the Spanish Republican Army and then the Jewish Resistance in Vichy France, fighting for freedom, his friends, and his very life.

Inspired by the true story of Uri Shulevitz’s uncle and stunningly illustrated by the author, The Sky Was My Blanket is a unique and riveting account of one man’s courage and resilience amidst one of the darkest periods in global history.

Don’t miss Uri Shulevitz’s acclaimed memoir, Chance: Escape from the Holocaust: Memories of a Refugee Childhood, which bestselling author Elizabeth Wein called “harrowing, engaging and utterly honest” (New York Times Book Review).

My Review

I really liked the way this book was written. Each part is broken into very short chapters, usually only a page or so of text, often accompanied by a drawing. This allows the story to focus on the critical moments of Yeheil’s journey. It feels exactly like the snippets you might get when you sit down to ask a relative to tell their life story.

It’s also the kind of information that you’d tell an interested child if you were relating your experiences, so it doesn’t delve too deeply into the horrors of war that Yeheil must have witnessed.

Many of the World War II stories that I’ve read following Jewish characters relate experiences in Concentration Camps, and those are critically important stories to tell. (Perhaps only more important now.) Still, this narrative reminds readers that those aren’t the only experiences of war survivors.

I haven’t read Uri Shulevitz’s memoir, Chance: Escape from the Holocaust: Memories of a Refugee Childhood but after reading his account inspired by his uncle’s life, it’s high on my reading list.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 to 14.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Reference to marriage.

Spiritual Content
Reference to Jewish faith and traditions.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Reference to ghettos and concentration camps.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday

I’m sharing this post as a part of a weekly round-up of middle-grade posts called Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday. Check out other blogs with posts about middle-grade books today on Marvelous Middle-Grade Mondays at Always in the Middle.

Review: Amari and the Despicable Wonders by B. B. Alston

Fantasy, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , ,

Amari and the Despicable Wonders (Supernatural Investigations #3)
B. B. Alston
Balzer + Bray
Published August 27, 2024

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About Amari and the Despicable Wonders

The highly anticipated third book in the #1 New York Times bestselling Supernatural Investigations series that began with Amari and the Night Brothers!

Perfect for fans of Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, and Nevermoor.

War has come to the supernatural world, and Amari’s two worst enemies are leading the charge.

Elaine Harlowe has manipulated her way into becoming prime minister, using her mind control ability to force the Bureau to take up her vicious grudge against magiciankind. Meanwhile, Dylan Van Helsing, the newly crowned leader of the League of Magicians—and Amari’s former partner—is after a destructive new power that would not only ensure the magicians’ victory . . . it would make him invincible.

With neither the Bureau nor the League safe for Amari, and her newly returned brother, Quinton, determined to keep her out of the fray, she and her friends decide to find a way to end the war on their own.

So when they learn that the only way to stop Dylan is to find powerful magical inventions known as Wonders, they go after them. But wielding these items comes at a terrible cost, and Amari will have to decide just how much she’s willing to sacrifice . . . because the Despicable Wonders will demand everything.

My Review

I loved the first two books in this series, so the third was high on my reading list. It took me longer than I expected to finally get a chance to read it, though.

I didn’t hear a lot of buzz about the book when it came out. I think the publication date got pushed back a bit, which could have meant that the advance reviews were spread out more or something? I’m not sure what happened. At any rate, I pretty much went into the book without knowing anything more than the cover copy.

The first two books delivered fast-paced, high-stakes magical stories that kept me on the edge of my seat. This book unfolded a little more slowly and didn’t feel as focused on a single issue. I still enjoyed the magical world and the characters who joined Amari’s team. In particular, a ghost named Peekaboo and Amari’s best friend from her neighborhood both have significant roles in the story. There are some sweet and sad moments, too, with some other characters.

Amari is a great character. She continues to grow and reflect on her choices throughout the book. I liked that the things she experiences in this book make her think differently about some of the judgments she made regarding her brother’s behavior and his choices. I also like that Amari isn’t a one-girl show. She needs her friends, and they’re always stronger together.

This was a nice continuation of an engaging series. I think series readers will enjoy getting to see more of Amari’s adventures and the development of her friendships. The author just announced deals for books four and five in the series, so it looks like there will be more to come as well.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Hints of a crush between Amari and another character.

Spiritual Content
Characters have magical abilities. Magical creatures such as fauns exist and were brought to life by magic.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. References to torture (not shown on scene).

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: Pretty Girl County by Lakita Wilson

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Pretty Girl County
Lakita Wilson
Publisher
Published July 1, 2025

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About Pretty Girl County

The glitz of Gossip Girl meets the hustle of Leah Johnson’s You Should See Me in a Crown in this charming and hilarious story of ex-BFFs from PG County, Maryland, perfect for fans of Joya Goffney and Elise Bryant.

Girls like Reya Samuels always come from Prince George’s County. Reya is rich and she’s not afraid to show it—she wears designer clothes, drives a custom pink Audi, and lives in a neighborhood tucked behind a fancy cast iron gate. She works hard, but she can get anything she wants with a snap.

Sommer Watkins is from Seat Pleasant, where the cast iron gates are significantly smaller—and attached to the windows, where most folks are still trying to make ends meet. Every day for Sommer is a hustle, working at her dad’s bookstore, and using her art skills to scrounge up enough scholarship money for her dream school, Spelman.

Reya and Sommer used to be BFFs—back when Reya lived in Seat Pleasant, too. Now the girls are from different stratospheres—but when Reya desperately needs help to prove to FIT admissions officers that she has what it takes to make it in fashion, the only person who can help is Sommer. Reya promises to help Sommer in return—she’ll pay her for her services, helping Sommer afford the school her parents can’t.

As the girls work together, slowly they begin to trust each other again. But when new relationships push them both, and Sommer’s dad’s bookstore is suddenly in danger of closing, old wounds bubble up. Can the girls find a way to repair their friendship and stay true to themselves along the way?

My Review

This is such a great story of friendship. The story alternates between Sommer and Reya’s points of view. At the beginning of the story, their old friendship has ended, and Sommer isn’t interested in renewing it or connecting with any of Reya’s new friends. An opportunity associated with a schoolwide fashion show changes that, though.

The story has great pacing in terms of relationship development. The ways that Reya and Sommer’s friendship changes and each girl’s romantic opportunities develop feels natural and easy to follow. Each relationship faces challenges, and in both cases, the girls have to ask themselves hard questions about who they are and what they want their lives to look like.

It took me a minute to get into Reya’s character, but I ended up being really glad that the story was divided between both girls. I like the lessons that each of them learned.

Pretty Girl County is also a pretty lighthearted story. Sure, there’s some relationship drama and some family struggle. But this is the kind of book that anyone could read. It would make a great choice for a reader aging up into young adult books.

Also, bonus: there’s a fabulous reading list of books by Black authors in the back that’s worth checking out as well. The characters mention many of those titles as they work at the bookstore or talk about their own reading. I’ll definitely be adding some of those titles to my own reading list! The ones I’ve read already have all been well worth the time.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
One instance of mild profanity.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing.

Spiritual Content
References to church.

Violent Content
Some classist comments.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: The Wild Robot Protects by Peter Green

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The Wild Robot Protects (The Wild Robot #3)
Peter Green
Little, Brown BFYR
Published September 26, 2023

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About The Wild Robot Protects

Life for Roz and the animals on their island is wild, natural, harmonious. Her son Brightbill has even found a mate! But then, one day an injured seal washes ashore and warns of dangerous, cloudy waters that are flowing toward the island—and soon the animals are forced inland to fight over dwindling resources.

Roz calms and organizes the animals, but the poison tide takes a terrible toll on the island. And when the robot discovers that her new body is waterproof, she marches into the waves and sets out across the ocean, determined to stop the poison tide.

During her undersea journey, Roz encounters amazing geological formations and incredible creatures, and she sees the devastation caused by the toxic waters. Creatures she meets along the way direct her to a mysterious character known as the Ancient Shark, who explains that the poison tide is caused by a huge station that floats on the waves; a station operated by humans and by robots. To stop them, the Ancient Shark is prepared to attack with an army of sea creatures. However, Roz hopes to find a peaceful solution, instead. Can the wild robot save the ocean and her island and everything she loves?

My Review

This is the first middle grade series that my littlest and I enjoyed together. We had so much fun reading about Roz and her friends and everything she does to protect them and learn about the world. This story focuses on a threat to the environment and the animals on Roz’s island home. She sets out to find the source of the threat and stop it somehow. Her journey takes her across vast oceans where she meets other creatures and eventually learns what endangers her friends.

Like the other books in the series, this one contains short chapters (there are 80 in the whole 288-page book) with illustrations sprinkled throughout the text. My daughter loved getting to see Brightbill and his mate form a new family and for Roz to become a grandmother.

The whole story is really sweet. It reminds me a little bit of Charlotte’s Web in that it doesn’t shy away from the natural order. Some characters die, but their deaths are minimally discussed. It felt very age-appropriate to me, and she seemed to have no issues understanding what was happening or worrying more than an appropriate amount over something that happened.

Readers triggered by death, especially death of an animal should tread carefully, but I think that overall, those are handled really well within the context of the story.

Green also briefly explores the relationship between humans and machines and humans and the environment. While that’s a big, heavy topic, the story stays hopeful and leaves readers with an overall positive view of humanity.

I love this series. The short chapters make it an easy read-aloud or a great book for readers transitioning from chapter books to longer middle grade novels.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Roz’s son Brightbill (a goose) finds a mate and eventually has goslings.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. References to death and harm to animals from the toxins in the water. For example, early in the book, a seal washes up on the shore of the island with swollen eyes and a bloody nose after exposure to the tide. The seal later goes back into the water and drifts away. The narrative doesn’t specifically say the seal perishes.

A fire breaks out on a human base, threatening the lives of the workers and destroying some of the robots there.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.