CCBC booklist are compiled from books we have recommended in various editions of CCBC Choices. Most of these booklists are updated annually. You can also select books from one or more booklists to create a custom list, which can also include additional books from the CCBC-Recommended Book Search.
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Adventures of Mary Jane
CCBC Review:
In the 1840s, 14-year-old Mary Jane lives on a trading post in the Minnesota Territory. A letter from Ma’s sister asking for a “helping hand” provides the impetus for Mary Jane (white) to head south. Observant, forthright Mary Jane proves to be capable and open-hearted, if sometimes naïve, on her journey. She helps her aunt’s family and, when tragedy strikes, accompanies her now-orphaned teen cousins when they’re sent by a judge to another uncle farther south. That uncle turns out to be a slaveholder. When she catches him abusing one of her cousins, Mary Jane plots to secure their safety, thwarting two con men—including the young, handsome Huck Finn—in the process. This adventure starring a minor character from Huckleberry Finn (and offering satisfying parallels and references for readers familiar with Huck) shines with exemplary characterizations and plotting. The novel deftly blends eye-opening historical authenticity with 21st-century sensibility, from generous, gender-amorphous Mrs. Captain, who pilots a riverboat and takes Mary Jane under her wing; to Mary Jane’s schooling in white saviorism when she hopes to free Candy and Sugar, the enslaved mother and daughter at her uncle’s; to demeaning laws and attitudes that contradict women’s obvious capabilities. Mary Jane is admirable through the lenses of both historical authenticity and modern sensibility: She is strong, smart, kind, and resilient; she’s also flawed, learning from her experiences. A fascinating author’s note details the exhaustive research that went into this rousing tale. ©2025 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
CCBC Age Recommendation: Age 11 and older
Age Range:
Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-13)
Grades 9-12 (Age 14 and older)
Format:
Novel
Subjects:
19th Century
Cousins
Girls and Women
Historical Fiction
Illness and Disease
Independence/Self-Reliance
Orphans
Sexism
Sexual Assault and Rape
Slavery
Travel
Diversity subject:
Christian
On CCBC Booklists:
James: Retellings & Reimaginings and 19th-Century Black Experiences
Sophisticated and Substantial Books for Teens
Publishers:
Delacorte, Random House
Publish Year: 2024
Pages: 441
ISBN: 9780593484111
CCBC Location: Fiction, Jahren
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Please send questions or comments about CCBC booklists to ccbcinfo@education.wisc.edu.