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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Steeplejack
CCBC Review:
This fantasy blends elements of Victorian England with the political complexities of Apartheid South Africa in a story in which three ethnic groups—white Feldish colonialists; brown-skinned Lani people, who were brought “over the seas” to act as servants and laborers for the white colonialists; and the original, Black tribal inhabitants, the Mahweni—live together uneasily. In the capitol city of Bar-Selehm, 17-year-old Anglet Sutonga is the best steeplejack around, fixing and cleaning broken chimneys and spires high above the city. Though she left behind her Lani community and lives almost as an indentured servant, she is proud of her skill and enjoys her status in the steeplejack community. When the Beacon, an invaluable, glowing gem of luxorite goes missing and several suspicious deaths occur, including her own apprentice, a 10-year-old boy, Anglet accepts an offer to work for a young, white, opposition party politician to solve the murders and find the Beacon. As Anglet pieces the crimes and motivations together, she discovers lies, cover-ups, political machinations, and greed are all at play. With a large cast of ethnically, culturally, and economically diverse characters that defy stereotypes, the author offers an action-packed mystery as well as thoughtful commentary on the complexities of race, gender, class, and community. (Age 12 and older) © Cooperative Children's Book Center
CCBC Age Recommendation: Age 12 and older
Age Range:
Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-13)
Grades 9-12 (Age 14 and older)
Format:
Novel
Subjects:
Economic Hardship and Poverty
Feminism
Mysteries
Oppression
Racism
Slavery
Spies and Intrigue
Diversity subjects:
Black/African
Brown Skin Unspecified
On CCBC Booklist:
Fantastic Fiction: Great Fantasy Books for Ages 11 to 17
Publishers:
Tor Teen, Tom Doherty Associates
Publish Year: 2016
Pages: 334
ISBN: 9780765383426
CCBC Location: Fiction, Hartley
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Please send questions or comments about CCBC booklists to ccbcinfo@education.wisc.edu.