Science Fiction in Victorian England

Some books don't fit into the usual genres.  Historical fiction, science fiction, humor, and fantasy are all easy enough to recognize, but what do you do when all four collide in the same book?  Philip Reeve wrote just such a book (and then wrote two sequels for good measure).

 Reeve, Philip (2006). Larklight. (Grades 6-8)

Arthur Mumby and his very proper sister, Myrtle, live in a remarkable house--in outer space.  The year is 1851, and, thanks to Sir Isaac Newton's discoveries about gravity, humans have invented ships that can take them to the moon and beyond.  Queen Victoria's British Empire, for instance, stretches all the way from Venus to Mars, and explorers spend plenty of time around Jupiter.

When Arthur's family receives an unexpected visitor, he and Myrtle are launched into a daring adventure with alien moths, space pirates, and giant white spiders that threaten the Mumbys at every turn.  Arthur tells most of the story himself, but Myrtle's diary entries make regular appearances to fill in some gaps.

Despite the ever-present danger, Larklight and its sequels--Starcross and Mothstorm--are wildly imaginative and humorous books.  You can read an excerpt from the first chapter here!  If it sounds a little strange when you read it, just be patient.  It's supposed to sound like an old, Victorian novel, but it doesn't take long to get used to.  Be sure to pick up a copy of the book itself: the illustrations make the book even more fun to read.

Action, adventure, and a hidden diamond

Golding, Julia (2008). The Diamond of Drury Lane. 424 pages.
Grades 6-8.


Set in London c. 1790, Cat, who was orphaned as an infant, lives at the Drury Lane Theater under the care of Mr. Sheridan. One night, she stumbles upon a secret meeting and learns that there is a diamond hidden in the theatre. To protect the diamond, Cat embarks on an action-packed adventure with Pedro, an African violinist, her noble friends: Lord Francis and Lady Elizabeth, as well as her street friends. But is there really a diamond or is Cat protecting something else? From the boxing matches to the street gangs, this story is full of action and drama. Stay tuned for more books in this series.

Exciting historical fiction

Kathryn Lasky's The Last Girls of Pompeii.

184 p. Gr. 6-8

In the year A.D. 79, 12 year old Julia is the youngest child in the Petreius family who was born with a deformed arm, which she refers to as the “Curse of Venus.” The summer has been a busy one for Julia, because her sister Cornelia is to be wed. Both their parents are consumed by the wedding preparations and Julia gets dragged from one augur to the next. While her family is preparing for the upcoming wedding Julia and her slave Sura begin to notice strange things happening in Pompeii. First they notice that the water from the fountain is not flowing as freely as usual and then they smell sulfur, which has an odor like rotten eggs. Little do they know that beneath Mount Vesuvius there is a volcano that is ready to erupt and destroy the lives of the ones they love.