Billy Creekmore

July 2, 2007
In this fast-paced historical adventure set in 1905, Porter (A Dance of Sisters) propels the memorable 10-year-old narrator Billy on a rollicking and tense journey that includes a harsh upbringing in a Dickensian orphanage, a narrow escape from a career in the glassworks, a stint in a coal mine as a mule skinner and a turn in the circus. Billy, deemed to be "unlucky" after his mother died birthing him on Friday the 13th, possesses a gift for storytelling and a flair for humorous insight, despite his bleak circumstances. Porter ably demonstrates the pressures that drove children to work and the dangers and inequities of the mining system, such as the rigged company store and dangerous conditions that inspire Billy and others to join a union. This ends in violent tragedy (based on actual events) and wrenches Billy away from his newfound family. Though an episode in which Billy coincidentally finds his father proves a bit contrived, Billy's intelligence shines through. Through it all, readers will root for this plucky hero and admire his courage, humor and grace. Ages 10-up.

July 1, 2007
Gr 4-7-Porter has successfully woven elements of David Copperfield, Oliver Twist, and Huckleberry Finn into the character of Billy Creekmore, a 10-year-old "orphan" living in the Guardian Angels Home for Boys at the beginning of the 20th century. His story takes readers on an unsentimental journey to look at defenseless children who were forced to work on hardscrabble farms with little hope of improving their condition. Unexpectedly, Billy is rescued by a hitherto unknown uncle who takes him to live in a small cottage in a West Virginia coal town. There, the boy finds others his age and younger hard at work in the mines. A recruiter from the United Mine Workers secretly gets some workers to sign up, only to have strike breakers terrorize the community and kill his uncle. Billy's journeys and troubles continue when he runs off to join a traveling circus. Memorable characters, completely villainous or kind, fill the pages of this picaresque novel. Readers will empathize with the children's bitter deprivations and feel hopeful when Billy realizes he can make his life better. This is a well-told historical tale about an engaging and resourceful protagonist who learns to appreciate his many gifts as he makes his way in the world."Lillian Hecker, Town of Pelham Public Library, NY"

Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 20, 2007
In this fast-paced historical adventure set in 1905, Porter (A Dance of Sisters) propels the memorable 10-year-old narrator Billy on a rollicking and tense journey that includes a harsh upbringing in a Dickensian orphanage, a narrow escape from a career in the glassworks, a stint in a coal mine as a mule skinner and a turn in the circus. Billy, deemed to be "unlucky" after his mother died birthing him on Friday the 13th, possesses a gift for storytelling and a flair for humorous insight, despite his bleak circumstances. Porter ably demonstrates the pressures that drove children to work and the dangers and inequities of the mining system, such as the rigged company store and dangerous conditions that inspire Billy and others to join a union. This ends in violent tragedy (based on actual events) and wrenches Billy away from his newfound family. Though an episode in which Billy coincidentally finds his father proves a bit contrived, Billy's intelligence shines through. Through it all, readers will root for this plucky hero and admire his courage, humor and grace. Ages 10-up.

Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2007
Ten-year-old Billy Creekmore has had a hard-luck life: he's spent his childhood in the Guardian Angels Home for Boys, his only hope for release the prospect of working in the Morgantown glassworks. When, however, he encounters a fellow orphan on the run from the glass factory, he realizes that life there is grimmer even than in the orphanage. He is rescued at the last minute by his long-lost uncle, whom he joins as a mule skinner in the coal mines, but a failed unionizing attempt leaves Billy homeless again. Porter constructs her tale in three parts, sending Billy across the vividly realized turn-of-the-century Appalachian countryside from orphanage to coal mine to circus. It's an unlikely enough tale, but in both character and construction it harks back to the sprawling novels of the nineteenth century, sharing with them a zeal for adventure and a passion for the ill-treated. A subplot regarding Billy's ability to sense spirits seems ancillary to the narrative thrust but does not materially detract from his compelling history.

(Copyright 2007 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

January 1, 2008
Ten-year-old Billy grew up in the Guardian Angels Home for Boys. Porter constructs her tale in three parts, sending Billy across the vividly realized turn-of-the-century Appalachian countryside from orphanage to coal mine to circus. The book harks back to the sprawling novels of the nineteenth century, sharing with them a zeal for adventure and a passion for the ill-treated.

(Copyright 2008 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)