A line in the sand The Alamo diary of Lucinda Lawrence, Gonzales, Texas, 1835

Gr. 4^-7. This fictional diary of 13-year-old Lucinda in Gonzales, Texas, in 1835^-1836 tells of the unrest under Mexican rule that led General Santa Anna to invade and the "Texians" to rebel. Plucky Cinda mixes her longing for book learning with stunning details of how hard everyone works on a farm: butchering a hog, making lye soap and candles. Amid all this, Garland lays out arguments for and against the rebellion in the voices of Cinda's father and brothers. We see clearly, too, what war meant for the men (ragtag equipment, no supplies, cold, boredom) and for the women (trying to keep food for themselves and the troops, planting and harvesting alone, and then fleeing with as much as they could carry). Heroes like Davy Crockett and William Travis appear in their proper places. Cinda's accounts of the Runaway Scrape, where many women and children died in the flooding rain, and of the massacres at the Alamo and Goliad, filtered through the loss of her brother and other relatives, will make vivid for readers this period of American history. Historical notes and illustrations are included at the end. A fine addition to the Dear America series. --GraceAnne A. DeCandido

Gr 5-8-Thirteen-year-old Lucinda Lawrence recounts the story of the Texas Revolution, from September, 1835, to April, 1836. Important incidents, such as the "Runaway Scrape" and the Battle of San Jacinto, come to life with the girl's description of how these events affected her family. Carefully researched and historically accurate details add interest and give a clear picture of the many hardships and simple joys of early Texas farm life. Lucinda's diary also becomes a way for her to express the excitement of a teen crush, sadness over the deaths of family members, and disgust and disappointment over the horrors of war. Unfortunately, the narrative occasionally seems disjointed and lacks the transitional links that provide a smooth continuity from one diary entry to the next. Also, Lucinda's family often travels from one location to another, resulting in plot threads that don't always seem necessary. The title and cover are misleading; they imply that the book focuses on a girl's eyewitness experiences during the Alamo confrontation. That battle segment actually occurs late in the book, proportionally few pages are devoted to it, and the protagonist's only experience with it is hearing booming cannon fire as her family flees San Antonio. Still, this is a pleasurable story. An addendum summarizes the history of Texas from 1519 to 1847, and includes black-and-white reproductions.-Phyllis Graves, Creekwood Middle School, King- (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

As talk of hostility increases just prior to Texas's war of independence from Mexico, thirteen-year-old Lucinda does what she can to help her family. Her father opposes the war, but her brother goes to San Antonio to defend the Alamo. Lucinda's story is engaging while showing the complicated issues of the revolution. The book includes a historical note and pictures from the time. From HORN BOOK Spring 1999, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.