My Guide To The History Mysteries Series

[rockstar91]

I was really dissapointed when they discontinued the series, but I'm glad I have them all. Just thought I'd put together a post giving series numbers, titles, authors, a synopsis, and my opinion for those of you who weren't able to get them all. (And many of the books I don't remember well enough to give my own opinion, so I'll be rereading them and add it later.) If you need to find this post, I'll probably put this on a web page and put it in my signature, or you could just search "History Mysteries Series". If you have any further questions about the series, just PM me or reply to this post. [img]smile.gif[/img]

#1- The Smuggler's Treasure
by Sarah Masters Buckey
Synopsis: It's 1814. America is at war with Britain, and eleven-year-old Elisabet Holder is suddenly alone. Her father- the only family she knows- has been taken prisoner by the British. Sent from Boston to New Orleans to live with relative's she's never met, Elisabet soon learns that a treasure is hidden in her new home. Her deperate search to find the treasure and buy her father's freedom takes her deep into a world of pirates, smugglers, and enemy ships!
My Review: This book starts the series off well. I absolutely loved it. It doesn't get boring at all as it's plot is continually exciting and you can really feel her frustration. The plot is well-connected and the characters are great.

#2- Hoofbeats of Danger
by Holly Hughes
Synopsis: It's 1860. Annie Dawson loves living on the Red Buttes Pony Express Station, with daring riders like her friend Billy Cody racing through to carry the mail coast to coast. But more than anything, Annie loves the pony Magpie. When Magpie suddenly turns wild and dangerous, Pa says she has to be shot. Annie's sure someone is poisoning the pony- but how can she prove it? And can she prove it in time to save Magpie?
My Review: It takes a little while to get into this book. I stopped reading it at first, then when back later and started again. Once you do, however, it's pretty good.

#3- The Night Flyers
by Elizabeth McDavid Jones
Synopsis: It's 1918. Pam Lowder and her pap raise the best homing pigeons on the North Carolina coast- homers with the rare ability to fly at night. While Papa's away in World War I, a stranger with a foreign accent comes to town. Soon Pam's best birds start to disappear, and Pam is sure the stranger is stealing them. Instead, she finds evidence of something much worse. Could the stranger be an enemy spy, threatening everything Pam hold dear- even Papa?
My Review: This is a book I'm rereading.

#4- Voices At Whisper Bend
by Katherine Ayres
Synopsis: It's 1942. America has just entered World War II, and Charlotte Campbell's brother Jim has gone to fight. Twelve-year-old Charlotte wants to help the war effort too, so she and her classmates start a scrap metal drive. When all the metal is stolen, Charlotte is furious. Her determination to catch the theif leads her out on the rain-swollen river at night. There she discovers evidence she doesn't want to find- and there she faces the fear that haunts her.
My Review: This book is great for Molly fans. Set during WWII, you really get a sense of the patriotism of the era. The plot is good, too.

#5- Secrets On 26th Street
by Elizabeth McDavid Jones
Synopsis: It's 1914. Susan O'Neal's widowed mother takes in a border to help pay the rent- an Englishwoman named Bea. As Susan helps Bea unpack, she glimpses a letter with the words
must be kept secret for now. Susan forgets about the letter for weeks...until Mum dissapears. Suddenly Susan realizes how little they knwo about Bea- and she becomes sure Bea is somehow involved in Mum's disappearance. To find her mother, Susan must uncover the secrets their mysterious border is hiding.
My Review: From what I remember, it was a pretty goo dbook and had a good mystery to it. I think I'll add it to my reread list, though.

#6- Mystery of The Dark Tower
by Evelyn Coleman
Synopsis: It's 1938. Bessie Coulter's father whisks her away from their Morth Carolina farm to Harlem, New York, with no explanation- leaving Mma behind. Twelve-year-old Bessie's determination leads her into the midst of the vibrant Harlem Rannaissance. As she searches for the truth about her family, she meets writer, artists, jazz dancers- even a millionare and a woman rumored to have magical powers!
My Review: This book is set during a time and place not touched by a lot of books. It's a nice change from the typical historical fiction novels set in WWII, Revolutionary War, etc. (Not that I don't love books set during those times, this just is something new.) The mystery/suspense part is great, but the ending isn't too exciting. Interesting, but not great like it's set up to be.

#7- Trouble At Fort La Poine
by Kathleen Ernst
Synopsis: It's 1732. Suzette Choudoir has spent each of her twelve summer on La Pointe Island, where Ojibwe people camp by the French fur0trade fort. This year, she's especially eager to arrive. If Papa wins the trappers' competition, the prize will let him stay with his Ojibwe family year-round instead of wintering in far-off Montral with the other French voyageurs. But a trouble-maker sabotages the competition- and Papa! Only someone who's both Ojibwe and French can figure out what's going on...someone like Suzette.
My Review:This was an interesting book, but not incredible. The plot isn't incredible or anything, but I did like the characters and it managed to hold my attention.

#8- Under Copp's Hill
by Katherine Ayres
Synopsis: It's 1908. Eleven-year-old Innie Moretti loves the library club at the new settlement house for immigrant girls in Boston's North End. She delights in borrowing books, listening to stories, dancing, and making friends. But soon strange things start to happen at the settlement house. Items go missing, or turn up in odd places. Is it a thief- or could the house be haunted? There is a cemetary just across the street...As Innie tries to solve the mystery, she start to look guilty herself!
My Review: I enjoyed this book. I love the character Innie, and the whole situation is very mysterious. I couldn't guess what was going on- it was like a real mystery. Good book.

#9- Watcher In The Piney Woods
by Elizabeth McDavid Jones
Synopsis: It's 1865. Near the end of the Civil War, twelve-year-old Cassie Willis learns that her brother Jacob has been killed while fighting in the Confederate army. Torn by grief, she runs to the secret thicket in the piney woods that she and Jacob loved- and stumbles smack into the hideout of a crazed deserter. Cassie escapes, but she can't forget the deserter's threats...or shake the feeling that soemone is watching her. Is the deserter spying on her family from the woods, planning to steal from them- or worse?
My Review: This is a book I'm rereading.

#10- Shadows In The Glasshouse
by Megan McDonald
Synopsis: It's 1621. Twelve-year-old Meredith Shipman is kidnapped from the streets of London and taken to the Jamestown Settlement in thw New World. There's she's forced to be an indentured servant in the glasshouse, where Italian glassblowers are competing to make the first cristallo, a highly prized clear glass. Glassblowing is the most magical thing Merry has ever seen- like turning fire to ice. But the spell is shattered when a midnight intruder makes trouble, and tries to frame her only friend!
My Review: This is the best book in the series The plot is f-a-n-t-a-s-t-i-c, and I adore the characters. I was really sad to finish it because it was such a good book, but the ending is both wonderful and surprising. I definitely reccomend this book.

#11- The Minstrel's Melody
by Eleanora E. Tate
Synopsis: It's 1904. Twelve-year-old Orphelia Bruce dreams of being a musical star- and she has the talent to make her dreams come true. Her biggest obstacle is Momma, who forbids her to perform anywhere but at church in tiny Calico Creek, Missouri. When Orphelia's idol, Madame Meritta, comes to town with her traveling minstrel show, Orphelia runs away with the troupe, hoping to perform at the Saint Louis World's Fair! On the road, Orphelia learns about show business- and uncovers haunting secrets about her family's past.
My Review: This is a good read. It's mystery is good, and it is well written.

#12- Riddle of The Prairie Bride
by Kathryn Reiss
Synopsis: It's 1878. All winter, Ida Kate Deming and her pap have exchanged letters with Caroline Fairchild, a widow from back east who answered papa's ad fpr a bride. When Caroline accepts Papa's proposal and arrives at their Kansas homestead, everything seems perfect- Ida Kate will have a mothwer agin, Papa will have a wife, Caroline and her baby will have a family.
So what is Ida Kate to do when she begins to sense that something is very wrong- and that her life and Papa's may be in danger?
My Review: This book was really good. It's suspense/mystery element is excellent, and I love the ending.

#10- Shadows In The Glasshouse
by Megan McDonald
Synopsis: It's 1621. Twelve-year-old Meredith Shipman is kidnapped from the streets of London and taken to the Jamestown Settlement in thw New World. There's she's forced to be an indentured servant in the glasshouse, where Italian glassblowers are competing to make the first cristallo, a highly prized clear glass. Glassblowing is the most magical thing Merry has ever seen- like turning fire to ice. But the spell is shattered when a midnight intruder makes trouble, and tries to frame her only friend!
My Review: This is the best book in the series The plot is f-a-n-t-a-s-t-i-c, and I adore the characters. I was really sad to finish it because it was such a good book, but the ending is both wonderful and surprising. I definitely reccomend this book.

#13- Enemy In The Fort
by Sarah Masters Buckey
Synopsis: It's 1754. Rebecca Percy lives in a New Hampshire fort on the edge of the English frontier. She's waited years for word of her parents, ccaptured by Abenaki Indians. Then Widow Tyler, the kind woman she lives with, takes in a white boy raised by Abenakis and just brought back by English soldiers. Rebecca is appalled to see that the boy's loyalties lie with the Indians. Is he responsible for a rash of thefts in the fort, even for the latest Indian attack? The answers shake Rebecca's deepest beliefs about Indians- and settlers.
My Review: This would have to be my second-favorite book in the series. It has a great plot and I really liked the characters. The ending is really good, and I couldn't put it down until I had finished it.

#14- Circle of Fire
by Evelyn Coleman
Synopsis: It's 1958. Mandy Thompson's secret hideaway is the most beautiful place she knows- a hidden forest clearing near her home in the Tennessee mountains. When Mendy dicovers that trespassers are coming to the clearing at night, trampling and littering it, she tries to scare them away. But the intruders are filled with hate. Instead of leaving the clearing, they turn on Mendy...and on those she loves. Mendy has never imagined duch hatred- and now she must find a way to fight it.
My Review: This is one I'm going to reread.

#15- Mystery on Skull Island
by Elizabeth McDavid Jones
Synopsis: It's 1724. Soon after Rachel Howell joins her wealthy father in Charles Town, South Carolina, she becomes friends with Sally, the tavern-keeper's daughter. When twelve-year-old Rachel is forbidden to see Sally, the girls find a secret meeting place- a deserted island in the Ashley River. There they discover mysterious carvings, a faint trail, a hidden lagoon....and danger that threatens everything that Rachel holds dear!
My Review: I really enjoyed this book- it has a lot of adventure in it. The characters aren't the kind you get attatched to (for me at least), but the plot and ending make up for that.

#16- Whistler In The Dark
by Kathleen Ernst
Synopsis: It's 1867. Twelve-year-old Emma Henderson is mortified when Mother takes to wearing a Reform Dress- hideous bloomers! Worse, Mother has accepted a newspaper job in wild, far-off Colorado Territory. But Emma can't imagine just how badly things will go in Twin Pines. From the moment she and Mother step off the stagecoach, it's clear that someone doesn't want them there.
My Review: Great book- it's mystery element is great, but so is the rest of the plot. I love the characters, and it has a really good conclusion.

#17- Mystery At Chilkoot Pass
by Barbara Steiner
Synopsis: It's 1897. Swept up in the great Klondike gold rush, Hetty McKinlry sails north with Papa and her dashing Uncle Donall. Landing in Alaska, Hetty feels excitement in the air. But as the McKinleys trek the rugged trail into the Chilkoot Pass, their adventure turns grim. Winter descends, and Hetty discovers she is traveling with thieves...one of whom may be her own uncle. By the time she unveils the truth, Hetty and her family have been forever changed by her journey to the far north.
My Review:T he book begins well, but it can become tedious towards the middle.
Stick with it, however, and you won't be sorry. It has a nice ending and it's well worth the read.

#18- The Strange Case of Baby H
by Kathryn Reiss
Synopsis: It's 1906. Hours after the San Francisco earthquake hits, Clara Curfman finds a baby abandoned on her doorstep- apparently orphaned in the quake. Clara's family welcomes the baby, hoping he can fill the void left by the death of Clara's brother two years before. But Clara suspescts the baby is not what he seems- and that he is in danger. Pursuing her suspicions through the devastated city, Clara encounters both tragedy and unexpected blessings.
My Review: I enjoyed this book. It wasn't super, but it had a good ending and held my attention through most of the book. Even though it wasn't fantastic, it is worth reading.

(Got to go, will finish later.)

The synposis for each book was taken from it's back cover.

Note: At the end of each of the books there is a wonderful "Looking Back" section that tells you all about the time the book takes place in, like at the end of The American Girls Collection books.
Disclaimer: Remember that my review is only my opinion of the book. The best way to judge a book is to read it for yourself! [img]biggrin.gif[/img]

<font color="#33CCCC"><font size="1">[ October 08, 2006 01:54 PM: Message edited by: randomAGchic ]</font></font>

<font color="#33CCCC"><font size="1">[ October 08, 2006 04:46 PM: Message edited by: randomAGchic ]</font></font>

<font color="#33CCCC" size="1">[ October 08, 2006 11:03 PM: Message edited by: randomAGchic ]</font>

[KimberBee]

Oh wow, that's an amazing guide!! I own 3 of the books and had read them all at one point, but that was ages ago and I've forgotten pretty much all of them. Your guide is so helpful, I'll definatly be making some trips to the library to reread some of those!

[xmaskat]

I didn't realize there were so many books in this series. I have 5 of the books.

Does anyone know why they decided to discontinue them?

[rockstar91]

There are 22 books in the series. It seems to me like they were reired about three years ago- correct me if I'm wrong. I think I got them as a gift for either Christmas or my birthday, three years ago.

<font color="#33CCCC"><font size="1"> [ October 08, 2006 04:50 PM: Message edited by: randomAGchic ] </font></font>

<font color="#33CCCC"><font size="1">Edited to remove reference to age</font></font>

<font color="#33CCCC" size="1">[ October 09, 2006 01:15 AM: Message edited by: Jeanette M. ]</font>

[dolllover]

There are 22 books, the last one came out around February/March 2004.

[rockstar91]

Does anyone know when the series started?

[dolllover]

I think the series started in 1999. 22 books over less than 5 years is good. I wonder why they stopped writing the books, they had to have been relatively popular to have so many books in such a short period of time. [img]eek.gif[/img] [img]confused.gif[/img] [img]rolleyes.gif[/img]

[cowgirlsue]

Thank you for the synopses! My DD is just beginning to read these books, so this will make a great guide.

Our local children's bookstore still sells new copies of some of the History Mysteries. But I like finding them at yard sales for a quarter, like I did this past weekend! [img]graemlins/thumbs_up.gif[/img]

<font color="#33CCCC" size="1">[ October 09, 2006 12:37 AM: Message edited by: EleanorofAquitane ]</font>

[Felicity_Fan85]

I got the Enemy in the Fort one over the summer-it takes place at Fort #4, which is about 20 minutes from my house. I plan on taking Felicity there in the summer.

[agmama]

I just stopped at my Goodwill this morning to look for any AG finds. I found 15 of these History Mysteries #1-15. I was really excited and bought them all. My dd isn't quite ready to read them but she will be in a few years.