Standing in the Light: The Captive Diary of Catharine Carey Logan, Delaware Valley, Pennsylvania, 1763 (Dear America) by Mary Pope Osborne

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-7-Set in the Delaware Valley of Pennsylvania in 1763 and written in journal format, this book tells the story of Caty Logan, a Quaker girl who is upset by news of Indian raids on nearby farms. Although her father explains that these attacks are in retaliation for promises broken by the settlers and the English government, she is still frightened. While on their way to school several weeks later, Caty and her brother are captured by a group of Lenape. Although she fears that they will both be murdered, they are not harmed and are given to two members of the tribe who had lost children to measles, a disease brought by white traders. Through her friendship with Snow Hunter, a young man who had been captured nine years earlier, Caty gains an understanding of these people and their beliefs. She also begins to fall in love with him. Eventually, English soldiers rescue the girl and her brother. Caty's return to Quaker life is very difficult; she feels estranged from her mother and her old friends and yearns for Snow Hunter and her Indian family. Osborne successfully sustains readers' attention with a strong story line while informing them about American history. Through Caty's experiences, they will gain a clearer understanding of the Quaker religion and the beliefs of the Lenape. Complete with background information and illustrations depicting life during this era, this is a solid piece of historical fiction.
Ann M. Burlingame, North Regional Library, Raleigh, NC
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 3^-6. This offering in the Dear America series (see also White's Voyage on the Great Titanic, reviewed below) introduces Catharine Carey Logan, a 13-year-old Quaker girl living in rural Pennsylvania in 1763. When Caty and her younger brother, Thomas, are captured by a band of Lenape warriors, she fears the worst. For months she rails against her captors at every opportunity, despite their humane treatment of her. Then, her blossoming friendship with Snow Hunter, an English captive who has decided to remain with the tribe permanently, helps her see the good in this very different culture. Although she is eventually recaptured by the English, her newfound empathy for the Lenape lifestyle leaves her an alien in her own world. Osborne's strength is her portrayal of Caty's gradual realization that the Lenape are not savages but human beings with views as legitimate as her own. Appended with a historical note, period artwork, maps, and drawings, this will be popular with history buffs and classes studying Pennsylvania history. Kay Weisman

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 186 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Inc.; 1st Printing edition (September 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590134620
• ISBN-13: 978-0590134620
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches

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