Through the Barricades

Deegan (the Butterfly Novels series) thoughtfully examines a potent time in Ireland’s past in a novel that received the SCBWI Spark Award, which recognizes excellence in children’s books published through nontraditional means. Before Maggie Gilligan’s father died, he told her to “make a difference in the world.” The year 1913 finds 15-year-old Maggie volunteering in soup kitchens to support striking workers, though she longs to do more. Daniel Healy, the privileged son of a lawyer, knows nothing about the plight of the poor. That changes when the two meet and Daniel learns how British rule has held Ireland back. As WWI begins, Daniel and Maggie’s friendship turns romantic just as he signs up to fight. Back home, Maggie joins a rebel organization and hopes to participate in what will become known as the Easter Rising. Maggie and Daniel are well-developed characters with evident chemistry, and their relationship will hold readers’ attention as they both work to reconcile their beliefs with their feelings for each other. It’s an engrossing portrait of a chapter of Irish history that may be new to many readers. Ages 14–up. (BookLife)