Great Read Alert! Lincoln's Grave Robbers

It is a sheer pleasure to watch this man's body of work grow. Benedict Arnold, with its extensive source notes confirmed that young readers don't have to choose between accurate and entertaining. I don'mind saying it again, Bomb's pacing raised the bar even higher. While most middle graders can handle Bomb, they will devour Lincoln's Grave Robbers. 

This one's got it all. Cops and crooks, counterfeiting, treachery; all weaving around one of the most bizarre concepts I've ever encountered, body snatching for ransom. Wow. And, we haven't even touched the vocab. You've got your coney men, the boodle game, and my personal favorite, shovers. Sheinkin employs the techniques of a seasoned fantasy writer to build the world his story is set in. As if his writing wasn't gripping enough, this one sucks you in and spits you out. I read Lincoln's Grave Robbers on an ereader and I have to admit, when I merrily slid to the next page my jaw dropped to see "epilogue." It wasn't that the ending was abrupt, I had just been so enthralled I failed to notice how many pages I read, or the time for that matter. 

We're discussing non fiction text structures in class and there was a particular page I wanted to show my students. I intended to give them the quick premise, focusing more on the lesson than the book. They know the rules, if I say we have to move on and they still have questions, they're too shout them out. I know when they're playing me like a fiddle but this time, every kid's eyes were wide open as I got a little further into the plot than I had intended. I will say, I ended up having a ball telling them a little more about the story. 

Sheinkin has taken his talents to an age group that is always in sore need of his writing. This one is completely accessible for grade 4-5 readers, it moves at a breakneck pace, and it is completely devoid of feelings. If more kids read this in fourth grade, perhaps I'll hear less, "I don't like non fiction."