Dark Water Rising
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Cheryl Preisendorfer, Twinsburg City Schools, OH -- School Library Journal, 5/23/2008
Dark Water Rising(unabr.). 5 CDs. 5:19 hrs. Prod. by Listening Library. Dist. by Listening Library/Books on Tape. 2007. ISBN 978-0-7393-6169-6. $45.
Gr 6 Up–Seth, 16, has his life planned. He is resolute in his decision to become a skilled carpenter—until his father decides to move the family to the booming metropolis of Galveston, TX, where the opportunity for higher education can become a reality. After a short time, Seth becomes smitten by Ella Rose, the girl with the “straw blonde hair,” and it doesn’t take long for him to realize that the move wasn’t such a bad idea after all. But on September 8, 1900, a horrific and devastating storm changes their lives. Marian Hale skillfully brings to life this no-holds-barred account (Holt, 2006) of one of the nation’s worst natural disasters. She beautifully weaves together the aching depth of tragedy and loss and the resiliency of the human spirit. Her dedication to details—from the pulsing waves and slate shingles whizzing through the sky, slicing open anything in its path—grips readers throughout the novel. Stephen Hoye’s narration is smooth and seamless. His attempts at female voices are weak, but he excels as Seth and the “colored” boy and his grandfather. This coming-of-age story is a must-have for historical fiction collections.
