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Siege
When Jason agrees to go camping with his cousin Sean, he doesn’t picture two weeks at a War of 1812 reenactment camp. But that’s where he ends up. The historically accurate camp bans all trappings of modern life, like cell phones and electricity. Jason is not impressed, but they do get to fire muskets, and he secretly likes that, despite the general dorkiness of the camp. And then there’s the cute girl who works in the mess tent. And the sneaking around at night getting into trouble, which is fun—until Jason and his friends keep running into a camp counselor who is clearly up to no good. They resolve to find out exactly what the counselor is up to, but they may have taken on more than they can handle.
- GenresYoung Adult
136 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2014
13 people want to read
About the author
Jacqueline Pearce
22 books16 followersJacqueline writes historical and contemporary fiction for children and teens, and is also a haiku poet. Her kids' books include Discovering Emily, about the childhood of artist, Emily Carr, Manga Touch, an easy-to-read YA novel that follows a teen girl's exchange trip to Japan, The Truth About Rats (and Dogs), a multi-cultural middle grade story about a boy who struggles against stereotypes and family expectations when he fosters a pet rat and prepares for a BMX bike competition, and Weeds and other stories, a short story collection in which the lives of urban teens intersect with nature in often unexpected ways. Jacqueline's non-fiction book, What Animals Want (written in consultation with the BCSPCA), is out fall 2021.
Jacquie's poetry can be found in a number of group collections, including A New Resonance 11: Emerging Voices in English-Language Haiku (Redmoon 2019). She is also editor of Last Train Home, an international collection of haiku, tanka, and rengay about trains and train travel (Pondhawk 2021). (Last Train Home, was written for adults, but middle grade and young adult readers will find many intriguing small poems within.)
Jacqueline lives on the edge of a ravine with her husband, daughter, dog and two cats, perched between nature and the city.
Jacquie's poetry can be found in a number of group collections, including A New Resonance 11: Emerging Voices in English-Language Haiku (Redmoon 2019). She is also editor of Last Train Home, an international collection of haiku, tanka, and rengay about trains and train travel (Pondhawk 2021). (Last Train Home, was written for adults, but middle grade and young adult readers will find many intriguing small poems within.)
Jacqueline lives on the edge of a ravine with her husband, daughter, dog and two cats, perched between nature and the city.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 12, 2015
Disclosure/disclaimer: I assigned my own value scale to this book as I began reading; as a consequence, I rather enjoyed it. Did the author or publisher intend it to be an entry-level novel for reluctant readers who enjoy Scooby Doo® mysteries? The answer is probably not (although Orca does have an imprint that specifically targets readers who need a little boost, I don't think this book comes from there). Despite that, I decree [hear me roar] that this book fits into that niche perfectly and that there are probably a decent many children who would benefit from such books: thus, the 3-star rating.
This little paperback is not earth-shattering, nor is it even great young adult literature (in fact, it isn’t even YA; it is recommended for ages 10-14, and that is where it belongs. There are a couple instances of minor crude language or almost-swears, a peek at a potential romance of the most innocent sort, and mild intrigue and adventure, as well as an overt reference to drugs; even including these factors, the book is harmless and suitable for the entire recommended age range). On the flip side of the same coin, it is certainly not poorly written, and it is honest. Simple language and fast pace, a quick introduction to characters, relationships, settings, and pertinent background information, as well as a healthy dose of history, make it ideal for readers with a short attention span and/or limited vocabulary.
Siege has a little of everything – whether that is appealing or no can be left up to the reader. As I read, I wondered whether to categorize it as historical fiction, ghost/paranormal fiction, romance, or adventure, and decided to go ahead and slap an ‘all of the above’ label on it. It is juvenile fiction; we don’t truly need to be pickier than that, right? Right.
With roughly a quarter of the book left to read, I started to wonder when the central conflict would surface, and how it could be resolved in the pages remaining. True to sitcom-style writing, ten pages later a high-stakes battle between good and evil suddenly appeared and was then neatly wrapped up in another six pages, leaving time for a cheesy moral and sentimental farewells among the cast of characters.
One aspect of the book that I did find noteworthy was that, by prompting her characters to consider them, the author asks her readers also to think about the atrocities of war. With all the memorialized battlegrounds and preserved forts dotting both the US and Canada, citizens of either country may take for granted the wars that were fought and the lives that were lost in terrible ways in those places. It is good to be reminded of and grateful for such sacrifices in our histories, and Pearce manages to nudge readers in that direction in an altogether non-traumatizing but appropriately solemn fashion.
This little paperback is not earth-shattering, nor is it even great young adult literature (in fact, it isn’t even YA; it is recommended for ages 10-14, and that is where it belongs. There are a couple instances of minor crude language or almost-swears, a peek at a potential romance of the most innocent sort, and mild intrigue and adventure, as well as an overt reference to drugs; even including these factors, the book is harmless and suitable for the entire recommended age range). On the flip side of the same coin, it is certainly not poorly written, and it is honest. Simple language and fast pace, a quick introduction to characters, relationships, settings, and pertinent background information, as well as a healthy dose of history, make it ideal for readers with a short attention span and/or limited vocabulary.
Siege has a little of everything – whether that is appealing or no can be left up to the reader. As I read, I wondered whether to categorize it as historical fiction, ghost/paranormal fiction, romance, or adventure, and decided to go ahead and slap an ‘all of the above’ label on it. It is juvenile fiction; we don’t truly need to be pickier than that, right? Right.
With roughly a quarter of the book left to read, I started to wonder when the central conflict would surface, and how it could be resolved in the pages remaining. True to sitcom-style writing, ten pages later a high-stakes battle between good and evil suddenly appeared and was then neatly wrapped up in another six pages, leaving time for a cheesy moral and sentimental farewells among the cast of characters.
One aspect of the book that I did find noteworthy was that, by prompting her characters to consider them, the author asks her readers also to think about the atrocities of war. With all the memorialized battlegrounds and preserved forts dotting both the US and Canada, citizens of either country may take for granted the wars that were fought and the lives that were lost in terrible ways in those places. It is good to be reminded of and grateful for such sacrifices in our histories, and Pearce manages to nudge readers in that direction in an altogether non-traumatizing but appropriately solemn fashion.
January 10, 2015
After agreeing to "go camping" with his cousin, Jason finds himself at war reenactment camp, and there are about 500 other ways he'd rather spend his summer. But after experiencing a few battles and meeting the camp director's pretty daughter, he realizes camp isn't that bad. One night, while exploring the camp after hours, the Jason and his group of friends uncover a mystery that they are unwittingly drawn into, and it endangers everyone at the camp.
Though the plot was quickly paced, the frequency and placement of the mini-lessons about the reenactment battle's history that were delivered by characters in the book, took me out of the story and I found myself wishing they'd either been included as footnotes or left out of the story altogether. Written for a 2-3rd grade reading level, this was a quick read, but the target audience (YA, war and mystery readers) is so narrow it isn't a title necessary for every collection.
Reviewed for the Southwestern Ohio YA Materials Review Group, ARC kindly provided by the publisher.
Though the plot was quickly paced, the frequency and placement of the mini-lessons about the reenactment battle's history that were delivered by characters in the book, took me out of the story and I found myself wishing they'd either been included as footnotes or left out of the story altogether. Written for a 2-3rd grade reading level, this was a quick read, but the target audience (YA, war and mystery readers) is so narrow it isn't a title necessary for every collection.
Reviewed for the Southwestern Ohio YA Materials Review Group, ARC kindly provided by the publisher.
October 23, 2014
I gave this book 5 stars because I had a lot of fun writing it. It is a short, easy-to-read story in the Orca Currents series for reluctant readers, so please keep that in mind if you're interested in reading it. I wanted to write something that would appeal to readers (ages 10-14) who find larger novels intimidating (and something that would particularly appeal to boys), and I wanted to introduce some War of 1812 history. The story is inspired by research I did on the War of 1812 for a different project a couple years ago, which involved looking at how the war affected ordinary civilians (especially women and children) as well as soldiers. As I watched a large battle re-enactment (200th anniversary of the Battle of Queenston Heights), I glimpsed the main character in "Siege" walking through the musket and cannon smoke.
October 23, 2014
I gave this book 5 stars because I had a lot of fun writing it. It is a short, easy-to-read story in the Orca Currents series for reluctant readers, so please keep that in mind if you're interested in reading it. I wanted to write something that would appeal to readers (ages 10-14) who find larger novels intimidating (and something that would particularly appeal to boys), and I wanted to introduce some War of 1812 history. The story is inspired by research I did on the War of 1812 for a different project a couple years ago, which involved looking at how the war affected ordinary civilians (especially women and children) as well as soldiers. As I watched a large battle re-enactment (200th anniversary of the Battle of Queenston Heights), I glimpsed the main character in "Siege" walking through the musket and cannon smoke.
December 8, 2014
This Orca Currents title is about two cousins who go to a War of 1812 re-enactment camp. Set in Canada, near Niagara Falls. Jason feels a little misled because his cousin only said they were going camping. So when he finds himself without a cell phone and electricity, he's a bit upset. However, firing muskets and the cute girl in the mess tent make things a little better - plus sneaking around in the middle of the night. But things take a turn for the dangerous when they accidentally stumble onto some illegal dealings.
Even though it is set present day, it feels like historical fiction due to the reenactment plot-line. Great pick for a reluctant reader who is interested in warfare, but otherwise could be a hard sell.
Even though it is set present day, it feels like historical fiction due to the reenactment plot-line. Great pick for a reluctant reader who is interested in warfare, but otherwise could be a hard sell.
October 24, 2022
This book was super interesting and I didn’t want to put it down! I chose this book as a book read for a school project and it turned out to be one of my favorite books. The ending is not at all what I expected and it had a major turn. I will say that it does have a fast moving plot though and it all kind of doesn’t develop until the last chapter.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews