Billy Creekmore

In this fast-paced historical adventure set in 1905, Porter (A Dance of Sisters) propels the memorable 10-year-old narrator Billy on a rollicking and tense journey that includes a harsh upbringing in a Dickensian orphanage, a narrow escape from a career in the glassworks, a stint in a coal mine as a mule skinner and a turn in the circus. Billy, deemed to be ""unlucky"" after his mother died birthing him on Friday the 13th, possesses a gift for storytelling and a flair for humorous insight, despite his bleak circumstances. Porter ably demonstrates the pressures that drove children to work and the dangers and inequities of the mining system, such as the rigged company store and dangerous conditions that inspire Billy and others to join a union. This ends in violent tragedy (based on actual events) and wrenches Billy away from his newfound family. Though an episode in which Billy coincidentally finds his father proves a bit contrived, Billy's intelligence shines through. Through it all, readers will root for this plucky hero and admire his courage, humor and grace. Ages 10-up.